A Year Off: A Story about Traveling the World—and How to Make It Happen for You

by Alexandra Brown, David Brown

"Have you ever dreamed of quitting the rat race and taking a year off—and then swiftly jolted back to reality? If so, A Year Off will give you the inspiration and the courage to make it happen in real life." —The Independent

Wait for me... Who knew these three words said to a near stranger would start an international travel adventure?
A Year Off is one part travel guide, one part travel essays and photos, and one part memoir documenting the story of Alexandra and David Brown, a couple who decided to take a year off from their jobs and 'regular lives' to travel the world together after only knowing each other for a few months. With many gorgeous photographs and actionable travel advice, A Year Off captures all the beauty and magic of the wanderlust spirit, guiding readers on how to take the same leap and showing them just how doable a journey this type of round-the-world travel is. Each chapter provides perspectives from both authors and tackles a different part of the journey, including:
A look into David and Alexandra's story as they traveled the world together and got to know one another.
Colorful essays about adventure travel and all the life-changing moments that come along with it.
A practical travel guide providing tips on how to leave your job, budget, pack, plan your route, pace yourself, adjust to culture shock, and re-enter.
Turn your travel daydreams into reality with the help of the inspiring journey towards fulfillment, adventure, and learning to be present in the moment.This inspirational book is a great gift for all the dreamers, would-be adventurers, and endearingly practical professionals looking to scratch the travel itch and take a risk on what may be the best time of their lives.

Genres: Travel, Nonfiction, Memoir, Adult, Self Help

256 pages, Hardcover

Published September 11, 2018

About the author

Librarian Note: There is more than one author in the Goodreads database with this name.

Reviews

[Jenny Esots · Rating 3 out of 5]

As an Aussie and a traveller from way back I was not won over by this memoir.
I have quit my job to travel when younger, there was no fear in coming back to find a new job. It was not something that I worried about!
This couple from the US decide to spend a year travelling, there is quite a bit of mulling over conflicting desires of travel. Plus not a lot of practical nut and bolts of this process. The budgeting process for instance.
Contain more introspective memoir than revelations on the travel experience.

[Jenna Zabinski · Rating 5 out of 5]

My boss gifted me this book when I left my job to travel for a four months. She left a note inside telling me to be safe and that she’s proud of me.
Although my trip wasn’t a year, there’s certain things that you don’t prepare for when deciding to make a big change like this. One is the surprising amount of judgement/jealously you’ll face in the beginning, and the other is the feeling of depression and existential crisis when you come home- this book covers both of those problems. I’m grateful the authors had eachother to share this experience, and a smooth transition starting and coming home. Thanks for sharing your experience :)

[Samantha · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book can be a little humorous at times in that the authors will make comments such as upon returning home they found San Francisco to be "a homogenous tech bubble filled with rich kids chasing fleeting trends." Let's be fair; you quit your jobs to travel the world for a year while retaining a residence in San Francisco. You are the rich kids.

That being said, there are few hobbies I like more than planning a trip and I enjoyed this little organizational, guide book that was in reality one-half advice and one-half a love letter to their travels. I could relate to the fun they must have had in reliving and building this ode to their experience.

[Shelley · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved this recap of Alexandra and David Brown's travels in the world. This is something I've wanted to do forever. Not sure I'll ever take it to this extreme, but my strong desire in retirement is to go set up shop for 3 months of the year in some of the countries I've visited in the past that I would like to see in depth. There are a number of tips in this book related to planning and budgeting that I will be capitalizing on in the future.

[Anne · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this on a whim and some of the travel strategies in this book are genius. I am going to buy this book as a reference guide. One thing is it is way too hard to read the map in the e-book. The other thing is that you mention relying on Wikipedia for travel information. As someone with a background in libraries, I don't think this is the source you should use or at least the only source you should use. I'll admit I've relied on Wikitravel for introductory information. My favorite strategy is to download free, quality, and up-to-date travel e-books from the library and then cue them up when we are at different sites on my phone. You seem like a real smartypants on location. I remember doing this often in Western Europe with friends to let them know what we were viewing.

This book has really helped me think more deeply about the differences between being on vacation and traveling. It reaffirmed some of my beliefs and made me consider new methods. I appreciate that the authors took the time to document and share their experiences with candor. I can’t do a full year somewhere unless we make major lifestyle changes especially now that I have a little one but I have always tried to immerse myself wherever I go. We have ideas of short stints over the next year for the family to meet our little one and for us to have time one-on-one. Now, we'll be able to plan how to maximize that time and effort. With appreciation!

[Denise Chojnacki · Rating 3 out of 5]

What an intriguing idea! A year off to travel the world. It's what drew me to this particular title. The book wound up being a little bit of a how-to manual and a little bit of a memoir. Some of the 'things to think about' sections were a little too common sense while others were very helpful and something I wouldn't have considered. The memoir parts were enjoyable to read and make you wonder what parts of the world would be great to visit. The book overall was a fairly quick read. Since I have no plans to actually act on this idea, I probably would just read a travel memoir next time.

[Carol · Rating 3 out of 5]

I wAs intrigued by this book because I love the idea of just taking off and traveling. It was fun to see how they accomplished their goal if traveling for a year. The book is very beautifully put together and visually a treat. I would have liked more detail about their travels but this was a good entry level book into the idea of traveling for an extended period of time and the ups and downs associated with it.

[Tracy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Gorgeous pictures and a neat story. I may not travel the world as the Browns did, but it does make me want to travel more instead of vacation.

[Lizzie Roche · Rating 3 out of 5]

Super easy read. Handy little hints I probably would not have thought of.
I like the mix of anecdotes, checklists and pictures. Well structured and sectioned.
Encourages the travel bugs itch.

[Mandy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not quite what I was expecting, but quite handy if you’re actually considering doing what the authors did - quitting their jobs and traveling for a year.

It’s full of how-tos (have that convo w your boss, budget, what to pack) but I was expecting more about their adventures and what was included only made me want more!

I _wish_ I could travel rn sigh

[Jessica · Rating 4 out of 5]

My husband and I are about to embark on a six month trip and this book gave insight into the emotional challenges of leaving and returning, as well as how to plan the trip. It’s a bit more how-to than I was expecting, which was appreciated by me. If you’re not planning a trip though, this may be too tactical of a book for you.

[Dave Humphrey · Rating 2 out of 5]

I found the authors (especially Alexandra) alternately whiny and braggy. Too much emphasis on how they were able to do it (half the book!) and not enough about these amazing adventures they bragged about in the first half. Definitely one of the least enjoyable travel books I've read.

[Deanne Townsend · Rating 2 out of 5]

There was nothing wrong with this book. I just didn’t enjoy it very much. I was wanting more of a story telling of the couple’s travels, but that wasn’t what this book set out to do. It was more of a how-to guide for traveling for a year.

[Grace · Rating 1 out of 5]

This book offers zero insight or introspection. It's a shallow look at taking a year off to travel the world, which is generally a privileged fool's errand. The layout and design are nonsensical. To be fair, I read this while I was recovering from a concussion.

[Erin · Rating 3 out of 5]

A light, breezy and quick read. The authors could have added some depth and intrigue by including more stories of their travels. The how-to was helpful, but rather straightforward and bordering on commonsensical most of the time.

[Layla Khamis · Rating 2 out of 5]

It was ok but wouldn't recommend it to a friend.
Entries summarized: we had a bottle of wine, and it was the best night of our lives.

[Lauren Parker Johnson · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read through this book in two days. I laughed, I cried, and I probably dreamed way too much. This book was about the journey of Alexandra and David, who decided to spend a year traveling the world. Ugh talk about ultimate goals! The book was so easy to read, and yet it was full of some really good advice and beautiful stories (and photographs!) from their trip. They even broke down how much the trip cost, how much they spent in each location, and gave some awesome instructions, tips, and lessons that they learned. (Spoiler, they spent $37,000 for the year. I’ll happily accept venmo or paypal! ;)) The only thing I was bummed about was that they didn’t really mention how they saved that money (other than David already having most of it saved up, and them both selling a couple of their larger items, like their cars, to pay for the trip). And being someone who has zero money all the time, I almost wish they had mentioned more of that portion of their planning, but I suppose there are other books out there on how to save money. Reading the book did come at a perfect time though—my husband and I were just about to take our first international trip, and learned some important travel information that I wouldn’t have known otherwise (ie. International Drivers Permit and Travelers Visa—some info I would have needed to have prior to stepping foot in the country, haha). Okay but anyways, needless to say I adored this book. And I probably shouldn’t have read it because now I’m constantly dreaming of traveling the world (then again, it’s not like I wasn’t doing that constantly beforehand anyways!).

[Jon · Rating 1 out of 5]

Uninspiring on virtually every level, this book made me want to sit at home more than follow in its authors’ footsteps. Multiple chapters are steeped in the anxiety of quitting high-paying San Francisco jobs for a year to embark on a journey that should truly inspire and excite the soul, but this never comes across on the page. I found this careerist obsession unrelatable every time they returned to it. Shit, they couldn’t even enjoy the trip for what it was; they square-pegged their “experience” into a book.

And yet, they enjoyed this year off, did they not? They certainly wouldn’t let you forget that they did. But saying it was an exhilarating experience over and over again rings hollow when every sentence screams of being neutered by clicking blindly through Grammarly’s suggested corrections. Where’s the adventure? Where’s the personality? Where’s the angst when things didn’t go well? Where’s the passion that would make you yearn to take off on another globe-spanning trip again? None of that is there. It’s the prose equivalent of lackluster one-night stand.

This book is little more than a textbook, now five years outdated at the time of my reading, that will only continue to age poorly with what may have once been accurate cost estimates, political and cultural nuance, and gear recommendations. You’ll get more relevant guidance out of some well-researched blog posts and watching half a season “The Amazing Race.” Skip this book.

[Karen · Rating 3 out of 5]

When Alexandra and David started dating it was quickly apparent they had a lot in common. Both in their early 30’s, they were immersed in their careers and filled their lives with travel, friends and family. Dreaming of quitting the rat race and taking a year to travel the world went from a game of bucket list bingo to a an actual plotting map taped to the wall. Negotiating one destination for another, each of them digging deep and often compromising to make this fantasy a reality. With careful planning and heaps of imagination Alexandra and David prepared for their trip to circumnavigate the globe. In this entertaining and engaging account they share how they tackled each objective from practical advice like staying on budget to delays and big decisions when things go awry. The young couple also had to navigate what they did not know about each other as their relationship evolved. Narrated in essays and fascinating photos from each of their perspectives, the excitement leaps off the pages so the reader can easily armchair travel along. For better or for worse, the couple made it around the world capturing the good, the bad and the beautiful and lovingly share their travels with us in this delightful memoir. My valuable takeaway - vacation and traveling are two different things. It is probably smart to know before you go!

[Robin · Rating 5 out of 5]

This travel book made a nice change from my mystery reading. It is full of tips in addition to telling how the young authors took a year away from their jobs to travel the world. Especially helpful are the packing lists not only of clothes but incidentals, the average costs per regions to help plan daily budgets (organized by which regions burn through your money quickly or slowly), and an incredibly helpful world map which tells sunniest months, rainy seasons (moderate or heavy), and tourist seasons for various regions. The book is sprinkled with their photos which makes it a joy to read. Tips for planning, telling jobs/friends/family that you are going to do this, budgeting before and along the way, re-entry, getting along with a travel partner, staying with friends around the world, and eating including with food challenges, are interspersed with honest narratives that portray various parts of the world along with the learnings they want to share. Even though I don't think I will ever take a year to travel, things they said and did resonated with my five weeks abroad last summer and some things I would like to try! Well done!

[Ms Claire · Rating 5 out of 5]

I found this accidentally on Amazon while Checking out a library book.
I love to travel and worked as an international purser for 32 years.
I thought, ok I might pick up
some new tips.
Packing .
Organizing.
Lists.
This was that. And so much more. A leap of faith in themselves. And an honest dialogue about their inner struggles with transitions. new and old friendships. And most importantly their new friendship.
I learned a lot about myself through their eyes.
I really loved that I could translate their growth and confidence to some of my own journey in life.
I will read this again. Not for the packing but for those moments they shared of themselves when in doubt or when suddenly they would reach a new, deeper understanding.
It seemed it was a humble journey filled with joy and learning not just about the world but themselves. What a gift!
Bravo! To a wonderful book about a magical journey in their lives.

[Christy]

I’m not sure that I will find my answers in travel although I long held the belief that my lack of being able to travel as I wanted was the cause of unhappiness. This book didn’t make me feel better or worse in presently not achieving a year off for myself. But I did thoroughly enjoy the perspectives and journey that the authors were able to achieve. I didn’t give it a starred rating bc I’m not sure what is fair to rate something like this. I liked it. I think anyone drawn to it for some reason will like it too.

This quote feels relevant to my path at the moment:
“Don’t fixate on what you “should” be doing or what you “need” to do. Instead, frame the decision by considering what will bring you the most joy in that moment. The sooner you learn how to give yourself what you want or need, the sooner this feeling will pass.”

[Jessie · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars, rounded up because of the GORGEOUS photos. Part travelogue, part guide for planning and executing your own trip around the world. I found the tips useful, as I'll be leaving my home country for a year very soon. Most of the personal stories were quite charming, but there were some that left a bad taste in my mouth, particularly the anti "adventure pants" bit. Major eyerolls.

I wish this book had gone more in depth with both the tips and their own travel experiences, but for a beginners jumping off point it was pretty solid, if a little surface level.

[Vanessa Funk · Rating 4 out of 5]

I think a big part of my 4 stars was how visually appealing the whole book was - beautiful pictures and calming, colorful print and backgrounds. I am getting ready for a big trip that involved leaving my job so a lot of the book did feel applicable to me but it wasn’t a book that really drew me in (I think it took me a month to read as I would read other books in the meantime). I read it at the right time in my life but I could see how it wouldn’t be a very intriguing book if you weren’t doing a similar adventure.

[Michaela Pratt · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book won me over with the genuine and honest retelling of the authors’ travel experiences. I respected how both authors intentionally opened up about the difficulties and worries surrounding their trip. They clearly understood that the trip they embarked on was not easy, and it was also a great privilege that they both had access to. Yet, the things they learned alongside their difficult lessons far outweighed the hardship, and the couple vividly depicted the wonders of their trip in a humorous and heartfelt way.

[Ms Mathilde · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great read: lovely love story of two people on a great adventure and very practical advice that makes the planning and dreaming to recreate it easily imagined. We are very inspired to try to plan our dream trip as well based on info provided. Easy to find graphics and sections to really think thru. Makes it all seem less daunting which is wonderful to foster our imagination. Thanks for sharing your story Alexandra and David.

[Cindy · Rating 4 out of 5]

I generally enjoyed this book. It gave some good food for thought and the stories were good. But I was disappointed that, as other reviewers have said, the tips were very high level. I wanted more. At least it would've been nice to include a bibliography of resources, websites, etc that could help folks planning such an adventure (like me) to dig in deeper with the planning.

[Stephanie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not only are the photos and general presentation of this book excellent, but the information is highly useful and practical stuff. It is less a travelogue and more of a guide on launching your own excursion and what to expect both from you and others. Many other books dance around these topics but few take them on, head on and in an enjoyable way.

[Jessica Goodman · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book about a couple who took a year to travel the world and included a few well-written essays by each of the authors, lots of travel tips and lovely photos. I hope they write more - would be fun to read a more detailed version of the book, plus if they could give their perspective on the same situations, that would be fun too. More please.

[Sandra The Old Woman in a Van · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not fine literature but this book delivers on its mission better than most travel books. The book is full of practical formation including good advice on the emotional side of long travels - front and back end. I don’t think I have come across a thorough re-entry discussion before. If you are dreaming about or planning a lengthy trip this is a good book to add to your reading list.