Taking a Year Off to Travel: How a Simple Comment Led to a Year on the Road

Why We Decided to Take a Year Off to Travel

If you know us—or have read our About Us section—then you know we started talking about this yearlong road trip more than ten years ago. It was early in our relationship, before we knew we were committed to the idea, or even fully to each other. It was before marriage and homes, before long distance and deployments, before a global pandemic and an international move. Long before all the twists and turns the last decade would bring.

Back then, it was benign. Unintentional. Simple. I made a passing comment to Ibe, who was about halfway to earning his military retirement:

“You should take time off when you retire to travel.”

An Idea That Never Quite Went Away

The seeds were planted. We just didn’t know how far they would grow. It was an idea we revisited intermittently—while I completed my graduate training, when Ibe deployed, when we bought our first home. It came up again as we considered long-term commitments, like the dog I always wanted. We hadn’t committed to “time off to travel,” but we weren't ready to let the idea go either. It lingered quietly in the background.

Then we received orders to Okinawa, Japan. And, like every military family, we moved. That meant navigating the logistics of an overseas relocation. What would we do with our home? Would I be able to practice psychology overseas? New surroundings. New community. It meant goodbyes—goodbye to our home and our jobs, and to societal norms we didn’t even realize we were so accustomed to. It meant missing milestones with friends and family.

And, just like that, off we went—never imagining how much would change.

Living Abroad Led to Living Slower, With Less—and Loving It

Okinawa changed us in some of the most unexpected ways. We thought it would mean adventure—travel, exposure to a different culture, a different way of living. And some of that was true.

But it also meant navigating a language neither of us spoke, misreading social cues, and managing relationships stretched across wide time zones. It meant learning to live in the in-between—between familiarity and discomfort, confidence and humility. We settled into a new home, met new neighbors, and learned what it meant to be outsiders trying to find our fit.

For Ibe, it meant adapting to yet another work environment, this one vastly different from anything stateside. For me, it meant untangling licensure and practice laws, enduring a year of interviews, and stitching together roles to keep working. Some days felt heavy; others disorienting.

And then, almost without warning, three and a half years passed.

In that time, we grew accustomed to a culture rooted in collective responsibility and a deep respect for ikigai—one’s sense of purpose. Japan balances tradition and innovation in a way that reshaped how we thought about work, time, and fulfillment. We built friendships that became family, traveled extensively throughout Japan, and explored seven other countries along the way.

Somewhere in all of it, we realized we were living differently. More present. More engaged. Slower.

We noticed the shift in how we showed up—for our work, our health, our hobbies, and for one another. We became more intentional with our time, more thoughtful about what we said yes to, and more content with what we already had.

We found ourselves happier with less. We traded our home for apartment-style military housing and left many belongings behind. Our salaries changed. So did our priorities. Our spending shifted. We stopped chasing accumulation and started choosing experiences. Life felt lighter—less crowded with things, expectations, and noise.

And it was within all of this—the good, the hard, the messy, and the beautiful—that the simple idea planted years earlier began to take shape. When did it change?

Not all at once.

Slowly.

Why a Year Off to Travel Made Sense—for Us

Over time, we realized how much we loved navigating unfamiliar cultures—learning new histories, understanding traditions, and tasting flavors we’d never tried before. More than anything, we discovered how much we loved traveling together.

We’re fast-paced travelers: active, adventurous, and spontaneous. Our personalities balance each other well. I bring caution, research, and attention to detail. Ibe brings confidence, decisiveness, and spontaneity. Over the years, those differences blended into a rhythm that works—one that has carried us through some of the best adventures of our lives.

So what exactly was this year off?

It was a decision to press pause—on routine, on expectations, on what life was “supposed” to look like. It meant choosing time over timelines, curiosity over certainty, and shared experiences over accumulation. It was a choice to lean into uncertainty. To travel not just for places, but for perspective.

What This Travel Blog Is About

This blog will hold the stories from that decision—the travels, the lessons, the misadventures, and everything in between. Not just where we went, but how moving through the world reshaped how we live within it.

This is where it begins.

Continue the journey

→ Nomad Notes #2: How We’re Traveling for a Year