Sebbatical 2023 - the wait is over..

- January 01, 2023

Long have I been wanting to go on a sabbatical break, for many of you it was the main topic I’ve been talking about and at times it was a rocky road at to get it through at work, many struggles it took but eventually my perseverance paid off and here I am now wishing you a happy new year from the Southern hemisphere, Buenos Aires in Argentina :)

Especially the last days at work and then again before the actual departure on Dec 30 I‘ve faced quite some mixed and overwhelming feelings, last-minute stress, fears of leaving my comfort zone and the well-established structures, shutting down my computer (never had I even thought this could be so difficult!) and actually saying good-byes and see-you-soons to colleagues, friends and family (I‘m very grateful for having had the christmas break plus some additional days with you and though I do believe that time will fly: I will miss you all!!) - off to the uncertain and unknown, with the plan to spend up to six months in South America and Antarctica.

My flight tickets allow for some flexibility and to day not much is planned in more detail; the first month will be with Diana in Buenos Aires and Montevideo, Patagonia and then Antarctica, the rest I decided to figure along the way - despite my inner German yearning for structure and concrete bookings. The rough route is there anyways, but I also try to let go off too many expectations and go with the flow, have flexibility and freedom to explore and stay somewhat longer in places I like and enjoy spending time at. And also being okay with coming back home early if this is how I feel.

My packing has been done accordingly, and that didn’t make it any easier: I’ve kind of packed for four seasons and considering activities like hiking, diving, a cruise to Antartica, etc. Let‘s see where this time takes me.. I‘ve decided to continue my blog here and post my itinerary and photos on Polarsteps (ask me for the link), occasionally I might drop some updates on Instagram also.

The first day discovering the metropol of Buenos Aires after a 14 hour flight (direct and over night, the best decision ever!) felt long, but a beer and some local food at 30 degrees, stacks of converted money (super inflation in Argentina, and two different exchange rates depending where you do the exchange - the blue dollar is the one to look out for!) making the transition smoother and stimulating up the travel bug :)