Taking major time off.....

Without going into great details, I wasn't able to work out a suitable schedule that will allow me to continue to work from South Korea. As a result, after a few sleepless nights thining, I have decided to take a Leave of Absence (LOA) from work and return in January 2010. Hence, I officially go on my LOA staring July 1.

I think this is the right decision for a number of reasons. First, I've been feeling really burnt out from everything. My physical and mental health have taken a nose-drive ever since I started my part-time MBA 2 years ago. Juggling between work, school, and keeping a modest social life will take a toll on you. This LOA will really recharge clear my mind to help me take my next step both professionally and personally.

Second, Namika and I are in a unique position to live abroad, which is what I always wanted, in a beautiful city like Busan. Given that I don't have any fixed constraints (mortgage payments, family, kids, etc.), this is probably the last chance in my life that I can take time off to explore.

Third, I've been contemplating on 'augmenting' my career and it has been difficult to get a perspective on things between all the daily grind. I'm going to take this time to what I really want without the pressure of achieving a 95% billable utilization and A's in my classes. I've been seriously thinking about taking the CFA (Charted Financial Analyst) Level 1 exam lately. I find the curriculum interesting and is a lot more in depth than what I'm exposed to in the MBA. I think with the CFA, I can carve a niche in a Consulting/Finance role. The goal is to write Level 1 in December.... we'll see how that goes. *fingers crossed*

There are a number of concerns with taking the LOA. Of course, money is the single biggest issue. I will be without income for the next 6 months and it will be very difficult to find a decent part-time job while in Korea. I'm looking into getting a teaching gig in town. I think it would help me develop skills that I'm lacking and make enough spare change to get by. In addition to the money issue, I was also worried about putting my career on hold for 6 months. I've worked really hard the past 6 years and the results are just showing.... but sometimes you gotta take a step back to go forward again.... hopefully at a faster pace. Overall, I have this really empowering and liberating feeling knowing that I'm actually willing to sacrifice a significant amount of money to do what I want to do. I recommend it.... if done responsibly. :)

Now my question for you is what would YOU if you had 6 months off to do anything you want?