August 26, 2011 | 5:48 pm

A Career Break Fairytale

Posted by Lisa Niver Rajna

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Taking a Chance and Saying “Yes!”

When asked in the moonlight on a gorgeous beach in Fiji, “Will you go with me on my life dream and travel in South East Asia for a year?” I, of course, said “YES!” I mean after kissing all those frogs to look for my prince, what American-born girl raised on Cinderella, Sleeping Beauty and Snow White does not know the answer to that question!

George found me online after I had survived numerous first dates, including the five Steves, a lawsuit involving It’s Just Lunch and nearly going on the TV show Judge Judy. I had almost given up on online love but listened to a friend and switched to a new site to look for Mr. Right. Amazingly my first date with George lasted over five hours and within six months we were watching sunsets in Vanuatu and Fiji together.

Most of the career break stories I hear are about the person who cannot wait to go. My story is the opposite. I wanted to want to go, but I was so afraid. Off the beach and back home, all I had were the WHAT Ifs? What if we don’t get along? What if there is nowhere to stay? What if we get sick? I had lived on a cruise ship for nearly seven years, so I knew I could leave and come back, but to travel with George without a set plan; this was a challenge I was not sure I could handle.

Together George and I figured it all out. We rented our condo, found a home for the cat, and brushed up our resumes. I did not have a leave of absence like George but interviewing for a teaching job by Skype from Don Det, Laos before the generator stopped working was a great story. I wish the Career Break Basic Training class existed before we embarked on our trip. Such a course would have helped me so much especially about all my fears and concerns.

I leaned on George for support and we worked through all the issues, problems and concerns as a team. We found or created options that worked for our situation and managed to laugh through most of our self-created dramas.

Being away together we learned so much about each other and we learned to travel using each other’s styles. Six months into our travels, while underwater in Koh Lipe, Thailand, we got engaged. Now that was a surprise! This time I knew to say yes and I knew it would work out!

This article was first posted at Meet Plan Go! as part of the KICK ASS HOST SERIES! Meet Plan Go! National called our story “A Career Break Fairytale!”

We hope to see you SEPT 6 in Los Angeles for our TRAVEL BOOK READING with Rachel Friedman, author of - The Good Girl’s Guide to Getting Lost: A Memoir of Three Continents, Two Friends, and One Unexpected Adventure. Click here for more info.

Author’s Note:
We are very recently back from Samoa and Tonga, an amazing summer of sunsets in the South Pacific. Two videos are posted of Schoolchildren of Manono Island and Flying in Tonga!

George and I will return to our regular posting schedule now that we have running water, electricity and internet! We look forward to hearing about all your adventures and travel dreams. Send us your news about where you want to go next.

Save the date OCT 18 for our Los Angeles event as part of the Meet Plan Go National event happening in 17 cities across the USA! See you Sept 6! Lisa and George