Below is a slightly edited note I sent to my friend Matt Mullenweg, who’s taking a sabbatical and asked friends for advice on how to spend this valuable time. My suggestions are skill-focused, a framing I find useful. I’m interested in how you’d use the time. Feel free to drop me a note.
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Sabbatical Recommendations:
Flying: Begin with a 14-day AFIT course. If you enjoy it, try a 10-day seaplane course in Alaska (Float Ratings). For hands-on experience, consider building an FX3 bush plane or a Kitfox.
Sailing: Sail from San Francisco to Honolulu or vice versa (harder). Regular trips are available for this route.
Scuba Diving: If you’re a beginner, learn to dive. Experienced? Try Molokini’s back wall for ghost shrimp, the Galapagos for hammerhead sharks, Socorro for giant mantas, and Bimini for shark feeding.
Mountain Climbing: Climb Half Dome before Memorial Day. For a greater challenge, consider Mount Shasta, Rainier, or Denali in June.
Improv Classes: I found an in-person course at BATS intellectually stimulating and great for storytelling skills.
Cycling: Bike to Santa Cruz in 1-2 days or explore the French countryside.
Kayaking: Kayak from San Francisco to Napa, a 2-3 day journey. I’ve also rowed to Sacramento twice.
Dexterity: Learn skills like whistling with fingers, bubble blowing, card shuffling, handstands, one-arm push-ups, juggling, and diabolo. They’re calming and inspire children.
Hunting. I don’t know how to hunt, but I enjoy watching the “Meateater” show a lot which is basically a howto guide to sustenance adventure hunting
Painting: Paint 10 things. It’s a romantic and surprisingly rewarding activity. Big Sur Food & Wine has an event.
Singing: Learn to sing a karaoke song. “I Will Survive” and “Bananas” by Gwen Stefani are great choices.
Musical Instrument: Learn a song on the piano or guitar, ideal for family gatherings and campfires.
Paragliding: Learn at Lions Head in Cape Town, or nearby at Fort Funston and Monterey. This is especially good if you find airplane and helicopter too loud, but want to take to the skies
Work in a Different Field: Spend a few days as a barista or delivering packages. Avoid dangerous jobs. Provides a new respect for a ton of things
Intern at a Top Restaurant: I can connect you with noma for an unpaid internship. This is called stage’ing.
Carpentry: Restore historic wooden San Francisco rowboats, etc.
African Safari: It’s elegant, safe, adventurous, and culturally enriching. The queen did it, a lot.
Teaching: Teach a friend something new to them, or train a curious pet to sit, stay, come, heal. It’s honestly one of the things that’s made me most happy over the years. Teaching an attentive student is very rewarding
Cooking: Learn to make your favorite dish. There are various cooking classes available. My friend Ken went to Le Cordon Bleu. There are ramen classes in SF.
Video Games: Study a hard game’s mechanics to become an expert. Meet the designer. Elon plays Eldon Ring; I enjoy Polytopia.
Golf: Learn to play. It’s social, outdoor, and best enjoyed sober.
Escape from Alcatraz: Swim from Alcatraz. I’ve done it many times and can guide you. It’s definitely type 2 fun. Takes 45-minutes and we can do it literally any day with virtually no notice. Either I can pilot you in a rowboat, or we can get a friend of mine to pilot us and I’ll swim it with you. Wetsuits are OK
Film Study: Watch all movies by a great director and meet them.
Write a Book: Pithy but solid advice and enhances credibility.
Work Skill: Acquire a new skill essential to your job, focusing on a core area you haven’t yet mastered but is vital for your team’s success.
Now I kind of want to do a sabbatical myself.