{"id":3747,"date":"2023-05-15T15:15:00","date_gmt":"2023-05-15T15:15:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.allisonworldwide.com\/?p=3747"},"modified":"2023-11-29T15:24:06","modified_gmt":"2023-11-29T15:24:06","slug":"my-sabbatical","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.allisonworldwide.com\/my-sabbatical\/","title":{"rendered":"Sunsets, Salt Flats, Cenotes and Volcanos \u2013 reflections from my Sabbatical"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

By Sarah Johns<\/p>\n\n\n\n

2023 marked my\u00a0five-year\u00a0anniversary at\u00a0Allison+Partners,\u00a0and\u00a0I was fortunate enough to\u00a0take\u00a0a month-long paid sabbatical.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As an avid traveller who likes to make the most of every moment, deciding what to do and where to go was difficult. But knowing I wanted to visit somewhere totally new, I opted for South and Central America. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

I went on two tours, both with groups of 20-somethings from all around the world \u2013 one with Intrepid Travel to Bolivia, Chile and Argentina, and the other with G-Adventures to Mexico, Belize and Guatemala. Throughout the month, I learned so many things I\u2019ll take forward in both my career and home life \u2013 too many to fit in this blog but read on for the ones that stuck out to me most!\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

SOUTH AMERICA<\/strong>\u00a0<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Bolivia \u2013 it\u2019s OK to pause, even if you have FOMO<\/strong>\u00a0<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

La Paz, Chacaltaya, Potosi, Uyuni Salt Flats, Bolivian Altiplano<\/em> <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Having travelled for nearly 24 hours straight, I arrived at La Paz airport raring to go. But with the city situated at 3,600 meters (about 11,800 feet) above sea level, I was of course not immune to altitude sickness and had to spend my whole first day and night of the trip in bed. My roommate who had also flown in earlier that day from Germany experienced the same thing, and we agreed sometimes the best thing to do is to take a pause and come back refreshed, even if you do fear missing out!\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Chile \u2013 we are just one dot in the universe<\/strong>\u00a0<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

San Pedro de Atacama, Atacama Desert, Valley of the Moon, Rainbow Valley<\/em> <\/p>\n\n\n\n

In Chile, I was lucky enough to visit the Atacama Desert, which I was told is one of the best places on earth to stargaze, due to its clear, dry and light-pollution-free skies. Being in the Southern Hemisphere, it was cool to see constellations I recognised like The Plough and Orion \u201cupside down,\u201d and how looking through a powerful telescope at what I thought was just one bright star was actually a cluster of them. It served as a powerful reminder that what you perceive is valid, but also that other perspectives are too, even if they appear to contradict yours. It also made me realise how important it is not to sweat the small stuff \u2013 we are just one dot in the universe, so it is better to let things go that don\u2019t matter \u2013 you can go a few days without internet!\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Argentina \u2013 savour the good moments<\/strong>\u00a0<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Salta and Buenos Aires<\/em> <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Reaching the Argentinian capital of Buenos Aires was bittersweet, as I knew it was the last stop on this tour. I\u2019d have to say goodbye to my wonderful roommate and the good friends I had made, many of whom were carrying on to Rio de Janeiro in Brazil. Knowing I didn\u2019t have time to fit a trip to Rio in as well as my tour of Central America, I regrettably hadn\u2019t booked that portion. But I kept in my mind how the trip only lasting for a limited time is what made it so special. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

I decided I was not going to spend time being sad it was over. Instead, I would look back on the happy memories I\u2019d made, a sentiment reinforced by little visible reminders dotted around the city of how proud the local people were to have won the World Cup \u2013 flags, posters and Messi football shirts, even five months on.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

CENTRAL AMERICA<\/strong>\u00a0<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Mexico \u2013 there are so many things you don\u2019t know, that you don\u2019t know<\/strong>\u00a0<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Cancun, Playa del Carmen, Chichen Itza, Chicimila Cenote, Tekom<\/em> <\/p>\n\n\n\n

One of the tours I booked in Mexico was a trip to one of the seven wonders of the world, Chichen Itza \u2013 a Mayan archaeological site in Yucatan and a stunning place to see. But what I found especially exciting was the other parts of the tour on the way there \u2013 a visit to a 60-meter (197-foot) deep Cenote \u2013 a large naturally formed sinkhole you could swim in \u2013 as well as a visit to a Mayan shaman who could give you your Mayan birth chart and insights about your personality based on the day you were born. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

I am aware I have no way of proving or disproving what mine said, but I did think it was so cool that it said I have been reincarnated eight times! It really made me consider all the things in the world I don\u2019t know and made me want to learn more about how other people make sense of the world.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Belize \u2013 responsible travel is so important<\/strong>\u00a0<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Caye Caulker, Hol Chan Marine Reserve, San Ignacio, Xunantunich Mayan Ruins <\/em> <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Belize had so many incredible places and I learned how important it is to be a responsible tourist helping to protect the natural and historic environments while travelling.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

At the Xunantunich Mayan Ruins, I was sad to learn early British archaeologists used dynamite to try and uncover the sites.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

At Crystal Cave, I learned if you touch the stalactite crystals, the natural oils on your hands can cause the formations to stop growing.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

And when I asked the guide at the Hol Chan Marine Reserve if the nurse sharks we\u2019d swim with were dangerous, I found out humans are far more of a threat to them than they are to us.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

I also learned it\u2019s best not to touch trees and plants you aren\u2019t familiar with to keep yourself safe too. Having avoided serious injury to date, I learned the branch by me was from a black poisonwood tree, the sap of which can cause second-degree burns. While another species which produces the ingredients for the antidote happens to grow next to it, I wasn\u2019t too keen to take a chance.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Guatemala \u2013 make time for your family and friends<\/strong>\u00a0<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Flores, Tikal, Pacaya Volcano, Panajachel, San Juan La Laguna, Antigua Guatemala<\/em>\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

One of the experiences I was most grateful for was the opportunity to participate in a Mayan homestay with a local family \u2013 an initiative run by Planeterra, a non-profit organisation supporting local people to benefit directly from tourism. My host family didn\u2019t speak any English, but I really enjoyed giving Spanish a go to learn more about their day-to-day lives \u2013 I realised how fortunate I am to have been able to travel and experience so much, and it also made me feel so thankful for my own family and friends back at home who I\u2019d soon be reunited with.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The next day, we discovered one of the girls on our tour saw her sister\u2019s name in the visitor\u2019s book of the house she had stayed in eight years earlier which made her feel really connected to her \u2013 it\u2019s a small world! <\/p>\n\n\n\n

And I felt part of something bigger myself too on the plane home when I happened to sit next to another backpacker beginning his travel across Europe \u2013 it was great to be able to give someone else recommendations of where to go when so many people had helped me along the way.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

My sabbatical experience is one I\u2019ll never forget \u2013 it has made me want to travel more in the future. But for now, I\u2019m super happy to be back home, to see friends and family again and to keep progressing in my career at an agency that cares about seeing its colleagues thrive in their personal and professional lives. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

I want to say a huge thank you everyone at Allison who made it possible for me to take on this opportunity \u2013 I feel like I have grown hugely throughout my time away and feel so happy that I was able to go on this adventure. Thank you.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Sarah Johns is an account director in the London office working across consumer, corporate and B2B PR and communications.<\/em> <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

By Sarah Johns 2023 marked my\u00a0five-year\u00a0anniversary at\u00a0Allison+Partners,\u00a0and\u00a0I was fortunate enough to\u00a0take\u00a0a month-long paid sabbatical.\u00a0 As an avid traveller who likes […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":24,"featured_media":3750,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"content-type":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[51],"tags":[53],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nReflections from my Sabbatical - Allison Worldwide<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.allisonworldwide.com\/my-sabbatical\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Reflections from my Sabbatical - Allison Worldwide\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"By Sarah Johns 2023 marked my\u00a0five-year\u00a0anniversary at\u00a0Allison+Partners,\u00a0and\u00a0I was fortunate enough to\u00a0take\u00a0a month-long paid sabbatical.\u00a0 As an avid traveller who likes […]\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.allisonworldwide.com\/my-sabbatical\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Allison Worldwide\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2023-05-15T15:15:00+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2023-11-29T15:24:06+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/www.allisonworldwide.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/Sarah.jpeg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"800\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"600\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Allison\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:creator\" content=\"@Allisonww_\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:site\" content=\"@Allisonww_\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Allison\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"6 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.allisonworldwide.com\/my-sabbatical\/#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.allisonworldwide.com\/my-sabbatical\/\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"Allison\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.allisonworldwide.com\/#\/schema\/person\/1cdf564c17bd0e8eb52ccb2a8b4997f5\"},\"headline\":\"Sunsets, Salt Flats, Cenotes and Volcanos \u2013 reflections from my Sabbatical\",\"datePublished\":\"2023-05-15T15:15:00+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2023-11-29T15:24:06+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.allisonworldwide.com\/my-sabbatical\/\"},\"wordCount\":1342,\"commentCount\":0,\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.allisonworldwide.com\/#organization\"},\"keywords\":[\"Sabbatical\"],\"articleSection\":[\"Sabbatical\"],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"CommentAction\",\"name\":\"Comment\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/www.allisonworldwide.com\/my-sabbatical\/#respond\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.allisonworldwide.com\/my-sabbatical\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.allisonworldwide.com\/my-sabbatical\/\",\"name\":\"Reflections from my Sabbatical - 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