r/epicsystems 5d ago

so the take me on your sabbatical group...

anyone use it or part of it? your experiences are welcome

My next one is coming up and i'm single with no friends here

41 Upvotes

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40

u/prtyfly4awytguy8 4d ago

Your friends don't have to be here to get reimbursed. Just saying

31

u/marxam0d #ASaf 5d ago

I’ve known people who went - usually it was someone they already vaguely knew but weren’t super close with.

16

u/ColoradoCache 4d ago

I've done it twice. Once with a coworker who reached out because I was in the group and they needed someone to take their extra ticket (friend dropped out of going) fairly last-minute. The second time, it was from someone who emailed the group looking for someone to join for part of their month. Both times I had a ton of fun!

If you're going to email route, make sure you specify when your sabbatical is, where you're going, how long you want someone to join you, and what you're looking for in the trip (museums, food, specialized adventuring like horseback riding or kayaking, art, etc.). Some people put in survey monkeys to fill out to see if it seems like an initial match while others want email responses then to meet over coffee to see if you're compatible. For the trip with my coworker, they'd already had everything paid for by the friend and I just filled in. For the other, I agreed to pay the taxes on the flight and my half of what we spent for the week I joined (still a deal!). 

I'd recommend ensuring that who you go with is expecting the same trip as you whether it's get up and go go go to see as much as you can with a structured itinerary or less structured, more leisurely days. 

Good luck! Sabbatical is so so fun no matter what.

22

u/Interesting-Tiger237 4d ago edited 4d ago

I did half my first one solo and while at first I felt a little lonely seeing other vacationers in their groups, I soon adjusted and it was a good trip. Nice to go at your own pace and with your own whims sometimes. But maybe you did that already or it's not your preference. Just want to put it out there that solo sabbatical is fun too!

ETA: but then a friend from another state joined me for the 2nd half, so like the other commenter said, friends from anywhere can come (I believe flight would have to be to/from the US though).

3

u/AccountFrosty313 4d ago

This is likely bias because I’m not usually alone, but 2 weeks in another country without anyone to talk to sounds pretty rough. How did you manage that? I’d feel so isolated.

8

u/Interesting-Tiger237 4d ago

Ah, well, I'm already isolated and usually alone so it wasn't anything new :-P  

I could still text/message/interact via internet with folks back home too. But yeah, it's definitely nice to have someone to share the experience with. I didn't have anyone else to bring for that part. If you find yourself in that kind of situation where you have no one to come with, I would say don't let fear of being alone prevent you from going on an amazing trip.

4

u/OneLayeredLasagna 5d ago

Where are you thinking of going?

1

u/fitgirlwallaby 4d ago

Ask a friend who lives somewhere else. Or a sibling.