We all know how important travel is - it can,literally, change the world. But do you feel stuck, waiting for your next sabbatical (or summer vacation)? Do you dream of making a life change to travel the world? Well - I've got an extraordinary resource for you. On September 14, 2010, a nation-wide movement will occur, to help people get inspired to get out there and follow your dreams of extended travel. It's called Meet, Plan, Go - and it is groundbreaking. Meet, Plan, Go was founded by Michaela Potter, Tara Russell,  and Sherry Ott (our very own Photography Editor - Love her photos of the week!), and one of the hosts is our Solo Travel Editor, Janice Waugh. All these incredible, well-traveled intercultural writers and travelers working together? VERY COOL.

Want to learn more? I did, too! We were lucky enough to sit down and chat with Michaela about MPG, how to get involved, reading and preparing for discovering the world in this way, and more. Here's what she had to say...

WE: Please tell us about Meet, Plan, Go...

MP: There are many people out their who dream of escaping the cubicle to travel the world, but they don’t think it’s possible, whether it’s financial, work, or family-related. Societal pressures often make people put their dreams on hold. But Meet, Plan, Go! is the event to help show these dreamers that it is possible. At each event, attendees will have the opportunity to:

* MEET inspirational speakers and like-minded travelers in their area
* Get motivation, contacts and resources necessary to PLAN the trip of a lifetime
and
* Start taking concrete steps forward in getting ready to GO! on their own career break adventure.

There are many blogs and websites that offer travel and career break inspiration, including Briefcase to Backpack, but the Meet, Plan, Go! events help take it to another level of in-person inspiration, which can be more powerful and more meaningful.

WE: What was the genesis of Meet, Plan, Go?

MP: The idea of Meet, Plan, Go! was born over coffee back in January of 2010. Sherry Ott and I were both out in San Francisco for personal visits but decided to take a few days and set up networking meetings for Briefcase to Backpack. Many travel bloggers and industry professionals are based in the Bay area, including those we have only known in the digital realm. So we thought it would be great to meet some of them in person.

One of those meetings was with MPG co-founder Tara Russell of Three Month Visa. Tara is a career coach who actually works with individuals looking to take a career break and travel – our audience at Briefcase to Backpack! What was meant to be a half-hour meeting turned into a 5-hour brainstorming session.

As Tara runs a travel lit and lecture series in San Francisco, our conversation naturally veered towards travel books and authors that have inspired us. It wasn’t long before ‘Eat, Pray, Love’ was mentioned, and the fact that it had inspired so many people to start thinking about their own extended travel dreams. We realized that with the movie coming out in August, that conversation would start up again, and we wanted to be the leaders in that conversation.

WE:  Who is involved with Meet, Plan, Go??

MP: Originally we thought it would be two meet-up type events in New York City where I am based and San Francisco with Tara. But then we started talking about all of the other career breakers and extended travelers we knew and how inspired we were by their stories, including Betsy & Warren Talbot of Married with Luggage in Seattle, Lisa Lubin of LL World Tour in Chicago, and Marc & Danielle Hoffmeister of 4Suitcases in Dallas.

So we started to reach out to them to see if they’d be interested in hosting an event in their city. Next thing we knew, people were contacting us about hosting an event and then we started targeting locations that we desired. We now have 13 locations, and with Janice Waugh from Solo Traveler joining us in Toronto, we are international!

The exciting part is that we have a very diverse group of hosts – from solo, couples, and family travelers – and the people they have involved on a local level also bring great insight and experience to the discussion. The only problem about having the event on the same night is that we can’t experience the other events!

WE:  How can people get involved?

MP: There are many ways people can get involved. First and foremost, if they have been dreaming about a career break and extended travel, then they should certainly attend!

Most cities are also building a panel of experienced travelers and career breakers, so if someone has a story they’d like to share, they can reach out to the local host about contributing to the event - even if it’s attending and joining the conversation informally.

In addition to offering inspiration, we are also offering attendees resources to help with their planning. GAP Adventures, Geovisions, and Hostelling International are just a few of our National Sponsors who will be giving away some amazing trips. And we are continuing to seek out sponsors who have products or services that are useful for planning a career break – even storage facilities, financial planners and health insurance.

Sponsors can even get involved on a local level. For instance, PhotoManhattan will be giving away a free photography course in New York City, so you can brush up on your photography skills before setting off on your travels.

WE:  What do you suggest people read and prepare for discovering the world in this way?

MP: Certainly I would recommend reading Briefcase to Backpack! We have many inspiring stories that follow those who have done it through the whole experience – from contemplation and preparation to life-on-the-road and re-entry. Hearing other people’s experiences can help someone else decide what would work best for them because only they can decide that. We can’t tell someone what to do, but we can show them how others have done it.

Also, the blogs and websites of our fellow hosts are a great resource – that’s why they are part of the team! Career breaks and extended travel are concepts that are more embraced in the rest of the world, but slowly we are finding great resources and sites that are directed towards an American audience.

WE:  Is there anything else you'd like to share with us?

MP: We are blown away by how Meet, Plan, Go! has been embraced and how it’s already grown beyond our expectations in this first year alone. Given the responses we’ve received, we certainly anticipate more Meet, Plan, Go! events in the future. If there is anyone who would be interested in participating in future events and bringing them to a new city, we’d love to hear from you!

WE: Thanks so very much, Michaela. This is an incredible event that can change so very many lives!

For more information, please see:
http://meetplango.com/

All photos courtesy and copyright Meet, Plan, Go.