Episode 31 - Mixing It Up: Smart Ways to Keep Travel Fresh on Your Career Break

In this episode of Taking a Career Break with Katrina McGhee, we dive into the challenge many travellers face during extended trips: boredom and burnout. Katrina and James share honest stories about moments of travel fatigue—from cathedral overload in Europe to quiet days in Thailand—and offer smart strategies to keep your career break exciting and meaningful.

We explore the importance of switching up experiences, planning for spontaneity, staying connected with locals, and even how hobbies (or the lack of them!) can impact your down days. Plus, hear a hilarious couchsurfing story from Katrina’s road trip and learn why variety really is the spice of travel life.

Katrina reflects on her time in Thailand, a country she loved, but where she experienced several days that felt surprisingly mundane. She describes wandering aimlessly, unsure what to do with her time, occasionally sitting in hostel lobbies just reading or people-watching. These were quiet, uneventful days—far from the highlight reels we often see online—but they were real. And for Katrina, they revealed something important: boredom is not a sign that something’s gone wrong. It’s part of the rhythm of life, even on the road.

James adds his own experience from an interrailing trip through Europe, where city after city began to blur together. By the time he reached the final stops, the once-exciting buzz of cathedrals and squares started to lose its magic. The repetition was wearing him down, and that prompted a pivot—shifting the itinerary to include nature, mountains, and more immersive travel styles. That shift was key in keeping the journey fresh, inspiring, and emotionally engaging.

Throughout the episode, the conversation keeps returning to a core idea: variety in your experiences helps you stay present and appreciative. Katrina shares how seeing dozens of cathedrals in Europe eventually numbed her to their beauty. Though she marvelled at places like the Sagrada Familia in Barcelona, by the time she had seen countless others, they began to feel indistinguishable. That burnout still lingers—she now avoids visiting churches when she travels. The lesson is clear: switching up your pace, environment, and activities not only prevents burnout but also helps preserve a sense of awe and wonder.

The conversation then shifts into something even more relatable in the digital age: how phone use affects travel. James calls it out directly—the phone is a nightmare.

🕒 Timestamps:

00:00 – Welcome + What to Expect This Episode
01:29 – Seasonal Joy: Summer Favourites + Travel Vibes
03:37 – Can Travel Get Boring? Personal Stories from Europe & Thailand
06:35 – The Church Burnout: When Everything Starts Looking the Same
07:50 – How to Mix It Up: Rotating Travel Styles for a Better Experience
08:48 – Why Variation Helps Appreciation While Traveling
09:15 – Hobbies on the Road: Struggles & Creative Solutions
10:09 – Beware the Phone Trap: Being Present vs. Scrolling
10:55 – Meeting People to Keep Travel Social & Fun
11:11 – Katrina’s Couchsurfing Story in New Orleans: Biking, Dancing & Awkward Coins
13:39 – Couchsurfing in Iran: A Tale of Connection & Culture
16:08 – Wrap-Up + How to Connect with Us
16:45 – Bonus Plug: What Is BreakSpace?

Listen now and reclaim control of your career break journey.

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If you have any questions, please feel free to get in touch today to start your journey!

BreakSpace - ⁠⁠⁠www.gobreakspace.com⁠⁠⁠

Schedule a call with Katrina - ⁠⁠⁠https://kmcgheecoaching.as.me/schedule.php⁠⁠⁠

Order Katrina's book - ⁠⁠⁠https://www.kmcgheecoaching.com/book⁠⁠⁠

Email - takingacareerbreakwithkatrina@gmail.com