off you go now, mexico edition

I swear there's not normally this much good news happening in the world of sabbaticals....

but I'm writing this edition as the (brand new? inaugural?) Writer-in-Residence at the Modern Elder Academy, at the tip of Baja Mexico.

Not only will this time enable some distraction-free writing ??, it will allow me to get under the hood of their offering here, access their curriculum, and to interview guests during my month+ stay.

Modern Elder Academy's (MEA) founder Chip Conley is the subject of one of my chapters -- about taking extended leave to contemplate life and career starting in midlife. Or, Chip would say, as a "modern elder."

In the next two editions, I'll describe why I think his story--and the research-focused approach of MEA--is one of the most pioneering approaches to normalizing sabbaticals.

[Chip has also generously extended the invite to anyone in The Sabbatical Project community to come down and join me while I'm here for what he calls "sabbatical sessions" or SabSesh. If you're at all interested, reach out, or book directly using code DJD25 - work remotely or take the week off, there's lots to distract you if you want it :) ]

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The opportunity to spend time here is a surprise, and a bit of a full-circle moment for me:

I first learned about Chip and his work ~4 years ago, on?Jonathan Fields' podcast?Good Life Project. I reached out to Chip and he invited me to write a guest post on sabbaticals for his blog - Wisdom Well. Fast forward to now, I'm writing a book about sabbaticals at Chip's resort/academy, and being interviewed by Jonathan on GLP myself next month!

To take it a bit more slowly, four years ago, my friend Phil* recommended Chip's interview:

The interview completely floored me. He was talking about many of the same exact experiences I'd had, just a decade or so later.

After a near-death experience, Chip sold his boutique hotel chain Joie de Vive, and embarked on a two-year sabbatical, during which he attended hundreds of festivals around the world, in search of meaning and rediscovering his...well...joie de vive.

Five years later, Chip's journey took him through StartupLand as an advisor to the cofounder of AirBnB. During this time, Chip wrestled with the concept of mid-life, wisdom, and becoming what he felt was an "elder" in the presence of so many employees half his age.

This experience led him to a counterintuitive realization: even in our youth and technology-focused economy (and society) there's tremendous value in wisdom accumulated through experience and age. He wrote a book on it -- Wisdom at Work -- and started creating his next venture, the Modern Elder Academy, to provide community, curriculum, and a physical space to bring his learnings to life.

I've met about a dozen people through my sabbatical research who have spent time with Chip in Baja -- including sabbatical alum and "Recess Labs" founder Casey Rosengren, spiritual director and underground gradschool founder Douglas Tsoi, "Soulbattical" author Shelley Paxton, Global Citizen Year founder Abby Falik, and I'm sure many more -- and it's an incredibly unique program.

My interview with Modern Elder Academy alum Casey Rosengren is on our YouTube Channel and embedded here:

My favorite part about the Modern Elder Academy is Chip's desire to contribute to, and lead the field of research on the subject of midlife, aging, and personal development over the entirety of one's life.

In their whitepaper, "Long life learning," Chip and academic collaborator Ingo Rauth, Ph.D. explore the "gap in the educational landscape around the unique challenges and needs experienced by those navigating midlife." It's a very non-technical introduction to the research around aging, personal development, and the foundations of how to live a good life.

Next time, I'll go through the whitepaper and pull out the key learnings. Think you're too young to worry about becoming a "modern elder"? Just wait till you see the part about midlife starting in your 30s...

In the meantime, I'll be here if you need me:

[Pictured: my desk for the month. Not pictured: me participating in any fun activities ;) ]

Off you go now,

dj.

* Who, along with his wife Jen, dared to go on sabbatical with three kids around the world...(and lived to tell the tale)

** No gumshoes, I did not come up with the name of The Sabbatical Project based on Jonathan's work...though it did make me feel better about having such a literal and cumbersome name for our work!