In early 2010, I decided to leave my job and take a sabbatical. This was a direct result of the massive upheaval that the financial crisis caused at my employer, a division of AIG.
No, I wasn't involved in any of the losses, so please hold your fire.
Enough ink has been spilled on the events at AIG, but suffice it to say that I learned that it's no fun to work at a company that is the poster child, right or wrong, for all of the flaws of the capitalist system.
Once I decided to leave my job, I resolved to embark on a two-week trip that would serve as a sort of mental detox from the trauma of the AIG implosion. I followed the steps below unclog my head and to prepare for a fresh start on my return.
1. Go to your happy place
I once told my boss at AIG that if everything went downhill and he didn't see me in my office, he should know to look for me in Argentina. Ever since I lived in Argentina for a year in college, the country has retained a very special place in my psyche. It was in Buenos Aires that I learned Spanish and discovered a passion for international travel, foreign affairs, and the excitement of discovering new places and cultures. I guess it's my "happy place."
It seems like every time I make a big move in life, I make sure to spend a bit of time in Argentina. One of my friends down in Buenos Aires even told me, "McGinnis, Argentina is your sweat lodge."
The tip: Whether it's India or Indiana, don't be afraid to return to a place from your past that has positively shaped the person you are today.
2. Go off the grid
Unlike other Buenos Aires-centric trips in the past, this time I was looking for solitude and ample time and space for reflection. Patagonia is known for barren windswept vistas and strange characters seeking to live off the grid amid sweeping empty swathes of countryside.
The tip: You'll get a better mental stretch if you give yourself sufficient physical space.
Perito Moreno in El Calafate, Patagonia
3. Go off the digital grid
While travelers used to easily unplug from the nagging responsibilities of everyday life, in the digital age, the escapist qualities of travel have become much more elusive. Have you ever noticed that you still seem to feel your iPhone or Blackberry vibrating even when it's sitting in another room? In my mind, these phantom events are akin to the sensations that recent amputees experience when they first lose a limb.
The tip: If you're looking for real mental clarity, stop tweeting and cut the Facebook updates.
4. Get physical
My favorite part of the trip was the time I spent in El Chaltén, a hamlet of some 300 inhabitants that is the base from which to explore the excellent Parque Nacional Los Glaciaries.
The lobby at the Hostería El Puma
There is no cell phone service in El Chaltén and I stayed at the Hostería El Puma, which is nothing if not "cozy," and graciously does not provide television or telephones in the rooms. Without these distractions, I spent entire days hiking in the mountains and sat reading beside the fireplace during the evenings.
The tip: Didn't mom always tell you that fresh air and exercise are essential?
5. Bring a book
Patagonia was immortalized by the travel writer Bruce Chatwin in the 1977 masterpiece In Patagonia. Although I looked and felt like a bad cliché, I stuffed a copy of In Patagonia in my backpack and I'm glad I did.
The Tip: Find a book that will deepen your travel experience, but make sure to leave Eat, Pray, Love at home lest you'll be mistaken for a runaway soccer mom.
6. Curate a soundtrack
For me, music is a critical element of everyday experience. My iPod playlists are classified by genre and I try to make sure that my daily soundtrack matches corresponds to my surroundings. For Patagonia, I chose 90's Argentine rock and some classic tango (viva Gardel!).
The tip: I don't consider this a violation of "Going Off the Digital Grid," so make sure to put together a collection that matches your mood.
What to Do When You Can't Travel 3,000 Miles Away
Few of us actually have the luxury to set off for the wilds for a few weeks in search of mental clarity -- I certainly didn't before I left my job. Still, even if you just have an afternoon to take a walk in the woods or a weekend to head to the country, you may still achieve a modicum of clarity.