Kelly H Liu

From July 2021 to January 2022, I decided to leave work and go on a sabbatical. For my sabbatical, I had only one goal: to explore with no regard for the outcome.

Here is how I ended up spending that time off:

Month 1: I backpacked for one month on the Pacific Crest Trail.
Month 2: I talked to strangers and recorded stories from their lives.
Month 3: I facilitated reflection sessions for women looking to grow alongside others.
Month 4-6: I sought to increase my understanding of the Bay Area community, biking through new neighborhoods, analyzing census data, and talking to a variety of community leaders and community-focused organizations to find out how they build community and if it works.
Month 7: I returned to a job in tech and joined Orbit

Post-Sabbatical Musings

I wrote a few posts summarizing my sabbatical experience. Hopefully these are useful for future people who are thinking about or are currently on a similar journey!

Posts

Documenting the Journey

This is a series of snapshots of my sabbatical as it was happening. It is the truest encapsulation of what my sabbatical was like. It wanders, it’s not polished, but I think that’s what makes it fun to read.

Untitled

Personal Blog

Past Explorations

In-Person Communities

Taking Sabbatical

Talking to Strangers

28 Days on the Pacific Crest Trail

6 Months in New Zealand

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