The Logic

Logic models are visual statements of intended activities and how they bring about the change and results you hope to see. This was a good exercise to think about our hopes and dreams and how a family sabbatical could help us achieve them.

Emily's Family Sabbatical Logic Model:

I'm now zeroing in on that green column above... the objectives. Can we achieve these things through other means at home? Sure, but I feel pretty certain that an extended stay away from the grind of every day life could be a huge help in achieving these things for our family.

I shared this diagram with my other half and didn't really need to convince him of the connections.  The biggest and most obvious question really is whether it could all pencil out. Are the risks worth taking to reach these desired outcomes?  Worth all the hassles of caring for our house, our cat? Worth the potential insecurity and instability upon return? Will we just be taking one step forward and two steps back? 

These are all logistics that need to be figured out and I don't want to underestimate the costs and the importance of developing a realistic budget. At the same time, I don't want our fears of failure to guide our life decisions. The cost of living is expensive and I want to be real about what we can afford. Not everyone is positioned to take a long family trip abroad. It seems that only the privileged or the very nomadic can really make it happen. I would count us as very privileged:  we are white, middle-class, home-owners with three sets of parents who would totally house us in a heart-beat if we fell flat on our faces (not everyone has a stable support network or safety net, and even though it's a worst-case scenario, it's still comforting to know that we wouldn't end up in the streets)!

So this is the "logic", now we have about a year and a half to nail down the "logistics". Here is my first crack at the "to do" list:

Winter
Start a separate bank account (Deposit a certain amount each month?)
Create a tight budget and figure out where we can currently cut back spending
Create a sabbatical budget based on projected costs and savings
Research fellowships or other potential funding sources
Research volunteer work-stays, remote work options

Spring
Finalize top destinations based on budget and desired activities and objectives
Identify a short list of concrete options (specific work-stays, rentals, etc)
Talk with others who have stayed in places we are considering
Transform our garage into transitional housing?

Summer
Decide on specific length of stay
Secure housing abroad

Fall
Brush up on Spanish
Correspond about schooling abroad

Winter

Immunizations

Visas

Begin seeking renters

Spring
Sell stuff
Make sure all bills are electronic
Begin renting out garage (if possible?)
Discuss trip with employers and options upon our return

Summer
Figure out mail collection
Travel, health insurance
Purchase plane tickets

Fall
Pack our bags
Tie up lose ends
Say goodbye to loved ones