Five months out

Last updated: April 2, 2026

The strange season between deciding to leave and actually leaving

March 2026

There’s a strange season between deciding to leave and actually leaving — the long middle of sabbatical planning. I’m in it now

I’m writing this from Newark, Delaware, a town I moved to eighteen months ago that’s become home in ways I didn’t expect. I like it here. But it’s not my forever place, and the lease ends in July. I’ve got nice furniture I’ll need to deal with before I go. I’ll sell some of it, put the rest in storage. The walls are covered in art I’ve made over the years; the one thing I’m definitely not selling.

Five months from now, on August 3rd, I’ll board a flight to London and not come back for thirteen months. Twenty-one countries. Four hundred and ten nights. A spreadsheet with seventeen tabs that I’ve rearranged more times than I can count. It still doesn’t feel real, more like a thing I keep telling people at dinner parties, waiting for someone to talk me out of it. Nobody has.

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The unglamorous side of sabbatical planning

Planning a sabbatical has shifted from big-picture daydreaming to the unglamorous stuff. Vaccines, mostly. I’ve got my Twinrix series almost done—one more dose in April for the Hep A/B combo. Typhoid is handled. But the list keeps growing: Yellow Fever is required for Ecuador, Japanese Encephalitis is recommended for Southeast Asia, and I still need to sort out a malaria prescription. (I keep a running list of sabbatical planning resources if you’re in the same boat.)

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Why the sabbatical starts with live music

The thing I keep coming back to is the UK leg. The sabbatical doesn’t start with a temple or a mountain; it starts with live music. Broadmasters in Newquay, then Boomtown near Winchester. Ren is performing at both. If you know, you know. If you don’t—I found his music when my father’s health started declining, and it carried me through that and everything that came after he died. Seeing him perform live, surrounded by people who found his music the same way I did, feels like the right way to begin whatever this is. Tickets are already locked in for both. That part, at least, I didn’t procrastinate on.

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The in-between is part of the story

People keep asking if I’m excited. I am. I’m also terrified, and tired, and weirdly nostalgic for a trip that hasn’t happened yet. My ADHD brain keeps oscillating between obsessive planning and complete avoidance—I’ll spend three hours researching pottery studios in Chiang Mai and then forget to pay my electric bill.

But here’s what I know: the in-between is part of the story. The half-packed life, the lease with an end date, the body getting its shots, the spreadsheet getting its seventeenth tab. This is what it looks like before you go.

I’m not ready, but I’m going anyway. More about who I am and why I’m doing this.

Frequently Asked Questions

What should I be doing five months before a long trip?

Five months out is ideal for finalizing major accommodations for your first destinations, beginning multi-dose vaccination series (Hepatitis B, rabies), confirming visa requirements for every country on your itinerary, and stress-testing your budget one final time.

How early should I book flights for a 13-month trip?

Book your departure flight 3 to 6 months ahead for the best prices. For flights between regions mid-trip, 2 to 3 months is usually sufficient. Booking too far ahead for mid-trip legs is risky because plans change.

What vaccinations do I need for long-term international travel?

It depends on your destinations. Common requirements and recommendations include Hepatitis A and B (Twinrix combo), Typhoid, Yellow Fever (required for some countries), Japanese Encephalitis (Southeast Asia), and a Tdap booster. Visit a travel clinic at least 6 to 8 weeks before departure.

How do you stay motivated during the final months of sabbatical prep?

The closer departure gets, the more real — and sometimes the more overwhelming — everything feels. I keep a running list of what’s done versus what remains. Checking things off helps. So does reminding myself why I started planning in the first place.