In 2016, Susie Chau of Carpe Diem Traveler began booking vacations as a travel advisor. But in 2019, she began exploring her other passion — sabbatical planning — which went well until the pandemic derailed her plans.
Then, last year, she saw that the demand for extended trips was returning, and she made the decision to begin guiding prospective clients in the planning process for extended trips.
Chau — who recently launched the Adventure Abroad Roadmap —believes deeply in the power of sabbaticals. In her previous life in corporate America as a management consultant, she was able to leverage company programs and take several sabbaticals, including the year-long trip around the world that sparked her subsequent career change.
What Is a Sabbatical?
So, what exactly is a sabbatical, or an extended trip? According to Chau, it’s a trip of at least a month or more taken with the intention of disconnecting from work and decompressing.
For a sabbatical, it is so important to achieve that big-picture thinking that’s not possible when you’re in your day-to-day routine — and to return fully refreshed and relaxed.
"There is something that happens — usually at around the three-week mark — where you recognize you’ve been away from home longer than usual, and you can stop that natural reflex to check your work email and all those things that are ingrained in you,” she said. “Plus, you are stepping into a new environment. It’s an instant mindset shift that happens when you’re in a new place. For a sabbatical, it is so important to achieve that big-picture thinking that’s not possible when you’re in your day-to-day routine — and to return fully refreshed and relaxed.”
Who’s Taking Sabbaticals?
Folks who seek her services often come in two stripes, she says.
First are those clients who have been sabbatical-curious for years, and finally want to take the next step in planning a trip.
Then, there are those who are deeply burnt out — and need a slow, step-by-step approach that answers all their questions and eases their anxieties.
“A lot of people are nearing that burnout stage, or are past that point,” she said. “For them, it is a matter of pulling together a plan and showing them that an extended trip is possible. When you are in that burnout state, everything is overwhelming. I try to make the process as bite-size as possible.”
A lot of people are nearing that burnout stage, or are past that point. For them, it is a matter of pulling together a plan and showing them that an extended trip is possible.
Chau has worked with everyone from solo travelers to families with young children. Typically, clients are looking to live abroad in Europe or South or Central America for a period of time.
What’s Chau’s Sabbatical Business Model?
In this new phase of Chau’s travel advising, she has flipped the script a bit. Instead of making the bookings for clients taking extended trips, she charges them a flat $1,197 fee for her program. Chau walks clients through every step of sabbatical planning, from how to talk to your boss and navigate company policies to what to do with your house and your pet while you’re abroad.
She researches everything a client needs to prepare for a sabbatical and makes sure financial and even psychological needs are being met. This is done over the course of three, one-hour-long calls, one 30-minute call and numerous worksheets, tools and more. It’s about a three-month-long process, and clients are given what Chau calls a “menu,” rather than a prescriptive, hour-by-hour itinerary.
The detailed list of recommendations includes everything from where to live (these are often long-term rentals that offer discounts for extended stays) to where to find childcare and where to eat.
What’s Included in the Itinerary?
A core tenant of Chau’s extended stays is slow travel, which allows clients to immerse themselves more deeply in the local culture. Clients often stay in one home base and are given suggestions for several day trips.
Many of her clients are happy to do the booking themselves — they are typically well-traveled, want flexibility and don’t necessarily want to splurge on every experience.
I don’t want people to think that you must spend $100,000 to have the sabbatical experience. Honestly, doing a month of slow traveling usually costs the same amount as a two-week trip.
“I wanted to be able to service different budgets and different styles, because that felt authentic to me,” she said. “I don’t want people to think that you must spend $100,000 to have the sabbatical experience. Honestly, doing a month of slow traveling usually costs the same amount as a two-week trip. Especially if you consider nightly rates at a hotel versus a home rental with a monthly discount. It’s really a swap.”
How Can Travel Advisors Work With Chau?
For clients who want the booking taken care of, Chau suggests using a travel advisor after consulting with her.
"It’s the easiest hand-off ever,” she said.
If someone comes to a travel advisor and says, ‘I want to plan a month-long trip,’ most advisors would take it on, and it might feel overwhelming. They wouldn’t be able to answer all the client’s questions.
Chau thinks there are other ways she can work with advisors, too.
"If someone comes to a travel advisor and says, ‘I want to plan a month-long trip,’ most advisors would take it on, and it might feel overwhelming,” she said. “They wouldn’t be able to answer all the client’s questions. Some of these questions — like, ‘what should I do with my house? — aren’t in the wheelhouse for a typical advisor. It might be annoying to get those questions, and that’s not a good situation for either party.”
Plus, for extended trips, it doesn’t make sense to pace them as you would a shorter trip, she says.
"Advisors don’t want to go down the path of combining their two-week Italy itinerary and their two-week Croatia itinerary,” she said. “The pacing is too much. If you have an advisor with a client who wants to travel for a month or more, hand them over to me. I’ll answer all their questions — and then hand them back.”
