Bonus Episode - A South African Economist Takes the Leap: Busi Radebe (Ep. 17)
LISTEN TO THE EPISODE
Busi with "Bikette" chilling after a cycle through the woods in Amsterdam. Joining the bicycle culture in The Netherlands was a must in her sabbatical.
Busi’s entire wardrobe for five months away ... in winter. “It can be done!” she says.
A friend joined Busi for a weekend in Amsterdam to encourage her as she was having a hard time getting used to it. "We did all the touristy stuff, including a visit to the Rijks Museum (highly recommended)," Busi says.
Inspired By Leap Like Me
A Leap Like Me listener who was inspired to take her own sabbatical leap! Busi Radebe is a South African economist who had been working for the same bank in Johannesburg for a number of years when she started thinking about how she wanted something different for her life.
After finding host Lisa Hoashi and the Leap Like Me podcast through an internet search, she started planning her own sabbatical.
In this interview, Lisa speaks with Busi, five months into her sabbatical in the Netherlands. Busi talks about what she’s learned so far – especially how it has shed new light on what she really wants for her life and career.
Memorable Insights
Expectations vs. Reality: “I thought it was going to be all Eat, Pray, Love, but it wasn’t…”
Benefits of getting out of environment – seeing others don’t need you/responsibilities, get a different pov on work/career.
Realizing that maybe the job you had wasn’t your dream job after all — that there’s more out there.
What it actually means when you’re a person who wants to take a sabbatical: likely you’re not happy with the status quo, and need space to realize that it’s not the right thing for you.
Why you might quit your job instead of taking a leave of absence.
3 QUESTIONS I ASK EVERY GUEST
1. What do you wish you had known before you took your leap?
2. What was the most unexpected thing that came of your leap?
3. For someone who is thinking of doing something similar, what one piece of advice would you offer?
BUSI’S RECOMMENDED RESOURCES
I used the blogpost Lisa wrote about her sabbatical: “Why Taking a Sabbatical Was the Best Money I Ever Spent.”
Then I listened to Leap Like Me Season 1.
I read the book/workbook The Radical Sabbatical by Emma Rosen. I think it is for younger people, but she really helped me get the difference between: Is it my career choice that I don't want or is it the company that I'm working for/colleagues that I don't want? It is unrealistic, but has some good stuff.
Then towards the end of planning an article titled “Why I'm taking a gap year at 60” really resonated with me.
CONNECT WITH BUSI
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