Careergapper Jon doesn't do things by halves. He handed in his notice in a drastic way, before heading off around the world with his partner Alice, and popping the question in a fairly dramatic location...

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Name: Jonathan Black (pictured with fiancée Alice) Age: 30 Occupation: former geek, now careergapper Why did you decide to set off travelling? It’s something we discussed doing when we first met. We were both bored of living the city life in London and wanted to see more of the world together. We felt like taking a proper holiday rather than exploring the world in two-week stints, which is what we had been doing. How did you go about planning and organising your gap year? We had a finely-detailed master plan. We'd buy a flat in London in 2003 and live in it for a year, then rent it out whilst we went travelling. Someone else could pay our mortgage and we'd have something to come back to. Later we'd be able to sell it and move out of the city. We put in an offer on a less-than-perfect flat in June. It all took ages and unfortunately turned sour: costs escalated and lots of problems with the other flat owners came to light. Eventually in late October we decided to pull the plug on the purchase after a lot of effort and stress. This prompted us to feel completely differently about our work commitments. We realised there was no point putting off travelling for later, so we decided to leave the UK in January 2004. I phoned my boss at 1am on a drunken Saturday night and told him I would not be back to work after Christmas. We only really planned the details of this trip in the three months between deciding we'd do it and actually leaving. Even then the destinations and activities were quite vague and most of the detailed planning was done ‘on the fly’ as we travelled. What were your anticipations before you set off? We were really excited about travelling overland through Africa, and not sure whether three and a half months would be enough. We wanted to try and get off the beaten track. Apart from that we kept open minds and were looking forward to whatever our adventures threw at us. Click here >> for overlanding info Which countries have you been to? On this trip we've been to Zanzibar, Tanzania, Malawi, Zambia, Botswana (for a couple of hours - does that count?), Namibia, South Africa, Australia and New Zealand. How long have you been travelling and how much longer do you plan to continue? We've been away for seven months now. As for continuing travelling, we keep changing our minds. At least another year, although we have no set plans. More time here in NZ, a year in Oz, travel through South America, Far East, India or even back to Africa. So many choices. Life can be hard sometimes (!) What have you got out of it so far? Well for starters my hair has stopped thinning! Travelling through Third World countries gives you a different perspective on life. Learning that things that you thought were important don't really matter and having fun, experiencing things and not taking things to seriously is the way to go. [Alice adds] We've also got to know each other really well and appreciate time together and time apart. What have been the highlights of your trip? Well, I've got to say getting engaged has to be the highlight and I'm not having my arm twisted in to saying that! I love cats so being within five metres of a pride of 14 lions chilling in the shade of a tree, with the cubs playing and annoying the adults, was pretty special. Also the interesting people you meet and the charity they show you even though they have nothing. Aaah, you got engaged? What made you decide to propose and where did you do it? Well obviously the stunning beauty, wit and charisma of my partner is why I proposed. But the sheer awing-inspiring beauty of the Victoria Falls in full flow urged me on. I thought, "Well, if you’re ever going to pop the question you’re not going to get a better place to do it than this". Do you plan to marry abroad? We will probably get married back home, for the family, whether that's just a fleeting visit or when we get back permanently who knows. Any low points in your trip so far? Having a very bad dose of gastroenteritis, and having to deal with doctors who automatically thought I had malaria. I can recommend it as crash weight-loss course. What advice or tips do you have for other careergappers? Just do it. Call your boss at 1am, while drunk in a bar, and quit. Everything will be waiting for you when you get back. You never know, you might find something more interesting while you’re away and never come back... What's the plan from here? Eh? Good question! Keep on enjoying ourselves wherever the wind takes us. [Alice adds] On the other hand, our nesting instincts are kicking in. We are considering staying here in NZ as the quality of life is so good, but family and home are also calling. What jobs were you both doing? How hard was it for you to leave them? I was working in IT as a geek. For me leaving was easy, once the decision to go was made. Work became much more fun after giving my notice in. Alice had already gone through the difficulty of leaving a well-paid city job in a consulting firm to take a more relaxed job as a project manager in a charity. When she started there she only imagined she’d stay for two years tops before we went travelling, so she didn't find it difficult to leave. Is there a change in career planned or is it back to usual when you're finally home? Well we planned to career change, but while travelling I have been working in IT, just because it pays well. I think when we get back Alice wants to retrain as a teacher and I will continue working in IT, but on my own terms, so we can go on travels when the schools are on holidays. What is your favourite 'quick snack' combination and how have you found the variation of noodles differ around the world? Ah well. I have been conducting a detailed research of the quick snack. How long have you got? Noodles still rule. They go with everything or on their own, although the "pot" variety is quite rare. Maggi Noodles seem to have the global market covered. So wherever you are you can find comfort in Maggi, although I don't rate their posh range. If anyone from Bachelors is reading this and wants to sponsor me for further research all offers welcome! [Alice adds] In Africa it’s got to be small, home-made packets of dry roasted peanuts or a small bun bought from a tub on a kid's head with avocado and tomato from the market squished into it - you can never get bored of it! Click here >> for more on taking a careergap

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