My sister and I spent a few days in Tokyo, then took a train to Hakone near Mt. Fuji, and ended our stay in Kyoto. We took a sushi-making class in Tokyo, stayed in a ryokan (traditional Japanese inn) with a hot spring bath in Hakone, and experienced a tea ceremony and explored shrines and gardens in Kyoto. Public transportation is excellent; I'd recommend the Japan Rail Pass (note you need to order it outside of Japan in enough time for them to snail mail you a voucher). I'd definitely visit again!

-AJ K

My wife and I traveled to Greece for our honeymoon! We explored Athens, Sparta, and took a cruise around the Aegean (Milos, Santorini, etc.). We also took a Greek cooking class, saw many historical sites, and did 4 escape rooms in Athens!

-Todd D

In late March, I traveled through Argentina with my wife. We both love the outdoors, and my wife speaks Spanish, so it was a great location. We explored Patagonia, both in the remote southern (El Chaltén, El Calafate) and northern regions (Bariloche and San Martín de los Andes). We went hiking, kayaking, sailing, and fly fishing for trout in pristine glacial waters. Later, we explored the bustling metropolis of Buenos Aires, with great restaurants, parks, and the historic Recoleta cemetery.

-Greg C
Ambulatory
Technical Services

My girlfriend, my brother, and I had an action packed trip to Australia and New Zealand (with an extended layover in Shanghai on the way there). We started in Melbourne and toured the Great Ocean Road. We then spent some time on an island at the Great Barrier Reef followed by a trip to Sydney and the nearby Blue Mountains National Park. After a short flight across the Tasman Sea, we explored the amazing outdoor scene on the South Island of New Zealand. We went skydiving, sea-kayaking, bungee jumping, backpacking, and glacier hiking. We even got most of it on tape! https://youtu.be/SDXR47aSu-A

-Stew R
ASAP
Technical Services

My fiancee and I took our sabbatical in July 2016 to four countries we'd never been to: Spain, Portugal, Morocco, and Ireland. In Spain, we visited Barcelona and Sevilla, where we saw the Alcazar, La Rambla, the Sagrada Familia and had delicious tapas. In Morocco, we toured the medina in Marrakesh, visited the souks and tried tagine, which was excellent. In Portugal, we visited Lisbon and Cascais. Finally, on our way home, we had a layover in Dublin, where we capped off the trip by seeing a Beyonce concert at Croke Park Stadium!

-Zach R
MyChart Bedside
Software Developer

We flew to Paris, then train hopped to Munich (with a stop in the small town of Garmisch-Partenkirchen) and on to Venice and Rome. The Eurail system is great! Highlights: tour of the Vatican, the Eiffel tower, the Louvre, and a cable car trip to the top of Zugspitze, which is the highest peak in Germany - a short train ride from Garmisch.

-Maggie M
Operations
Assistant

I spent 10 days sailing in the Aegean Sea hopping from island to island. My two brothers then met me in Athens and we explored the city and traveled around the Gulf of Corinth through Corinth, Patras, Delphi and ending our last day at Cape Sounion.

-Matt H

I went to Arusha, Tanzania to teach in a rural Masai village. We were able build a library for the school and provide a ton of books for the kids! We named it the “Jeff Aucoin Memorial Library” – in memory of a great teacher and even greater friend.

-Alyson L
Inpatient
Implementation

In the beginning of September 2018, my fiance and I traveled to the land of ice and fire for an unforgettable adventure! We stayed for 8 days where we saw some of the most breathtaking sights known to man. The most memorable activities were snorkeling the Silfra rift, kayaking around the Sólheimajökull glacier, riding icelandic horses around the geothermal park of Hverasvæðið, hiking up the Vatnajökull glacier, and bathing in the blue lagoon. With Iceland constantly changing due to volcanic activity and glacial shifts, I would expect to see a completely different country in 5 years.

-Mike H
Cogito
Technical Services

We spent a week in Croatia and 12 days in Greece! Plitvice Lakes, a Croatian National Park, has amazing waterfalls - the drive there from Split gave us a glimpse of what a country recovering from war is like. We spent a few days in Dubrovnik's walled city, and a couple days on Korcula, an island with great restaurants and quiet beaches. In Greece, we explored Athens' historical sites, then headed for a few days in each of three harbor towns - Nafplio, Aegina, and Hydra. We thoroughly enjoyed the ocean, delicious feta, and adorable roaming cats these small towns had to offer.

-Anna R
Care Everywhere
QA

In July 2017, my girlfriend Katie and I took a sabbatical to Italy. In Venice, we took part in a walking tour that gave us a great introduction to the city and its culture. In the Cinque Terre, we hiked to each of the 5 small fishing towns. The breathtaking views along the way were a highlight. Next up was Florence, where we marveled at the stunning architecture around every corner. On the Amalfi coast, which rivaled Cinque Terre for the hiking and views, we also relaxed on the beach and had great dining. Finally, in Rome we ventured down into underground catacombs, which were a surprise hit!

-Johnny D
Internal Projects
Application Engineer

Visiting England has been a dream of mine all my life. We stayed in London for a week, and also visited Stonehenge, Bath, Oxford, Carlisle, Yorkshire and rode a narrow gauge train into the Lake District National Park. Highlights from London included the Tower of London, Kensington Palace, a West End Show and a cruise on the Thames!

-Lorie B
Stork
QA

My sister and I visited the lands of the Condor, Peru. We spent 4 days hiking the Salkantay trail up to 15,200 feet and ended in the beautiful wonder that is Macchu Pichu. We then set off to Iquitos, and traveled down the Amazon to the Tapiche Reserve. There we spent 4 days exploring the rainforest and its wildlife. We were greeted by black squirrel monkeys and howler monkeys and completed the excursion by feeding black caimen. To complete the experience, we relaxed for a few days in Cusco and even took a cooking class on the local cuisine.

-Nate G
Beaker
Software Developer

I spent March with a friend traveling in South America! We started in the Bolivian high Andes, staying above 11,000 ft in elevation our entire time in Bolivia. We saw La Paz, the world's largest salt flats in Uyuni, and wildlife including ostriches, flamingos, and vicuñas. From there we headed to the southern end of Chilean & Argentinean Patagonia: hiking beautiful mountains and checking out glaciers in Torres del Paine and El Chaltén. To round things out, we stopped to see civilization in Santiago and Buenos Aires. Visiting national parks in 3 different countries was a definite highlight.

-Katie W
Ambulatory
Technical Services

March 2018 I took a 4 week trip down under to New Zealand with my family (parents and brother). We spent 9 days on the North Island and 17 days on the South Island in mainly a "Road Trip" fashion, staying in many Airbnbs while driving more than 2000 miles across the islands! North Island highlights include: geothermal parks, Maori culture, Tongariro crossing, a Treehouse Airbnb, glowworm cave tubing, and sailing on the Auckland harbor. The South Island was natural beauty and adventure sports to the max with beautiful beaches, mountains, kayaking, glaciers, bungee jumping, diving, and hiking!

-Nik O
Willow-Inpatient
Technical Services

My partner and I visited South Africa! We hiked the Royal Natal, saw animals at Pilanesberg, ate through Cape Town, saw the stars in the Great Karoo, and drove through the lush Garden Route.

-Chip N
Tapestry
Implementation

My sabbatical coincided perfectly with my mom's retirement, so we spent 3 amazing weeks in Italy! We started with the historic sites in Rome, along with a pasta cooking class. Next we traveled by train to Florence to experience art and more art, a day trip to Pisa, and a couple of days relaxing in the Tuscan countryside. Next, on to Venice. Staying near the Rialto Bridge and enjoying a private painting lesson with a local artist were the highlights there. Finally just a couple days in Milan, with time to take in views from the top of the Duomo. We had a fantastic trip!

-Micki R

What could be more thrilling than a road trip across Europe, from Switzerland all the way to Russia? We visited medieval castles, took in breathtaking views of the Alps, stood in awe before magnificent cathedrals, and even performed in a Russian folk show!

-Tyler H

Highlights of my birthday sabbatical to Switzerland and Austria included: riding an alpine toboggan down Mt. Pilatus, walking along Chapel Bridge and the Musegg wall in Lucerne, paragliding over Interlaken, exploring the St. Beatus caves, wandering the Abbey Library of St. Gall, watching a play about William Tell in German, eating fondue and schnitzel in Zurich, and visiting locations from the Sound of Music in Salzburg. I had an absolutely amazing time and can't wait for my next adventure!

-Amy H

In April, my wife, three boys and I travelled to the Maldives in Singapore. First up in the Maldives was a private island where we surfed perfect, uncrowded waves daily. Next up, we headed to a different atoll known to be the home of whale sharks. Here, my wife and I swam side by side with a 10 meter long whale shark named Fernando. My oldest son (4 years old) also single handedly caught our dinner of red snapper and barracuda. On our way home, to get a taste of something other than beaches, we spent 3 days exploring and eating in Singapore. Already planning sabbatical part 2!

-Zach H

For my sabbatical my wife and I traveled to Peru. After seeing Cusco, the historic capital of the Inca Empire, we embarked on a 9-day hike through the Andes with local guides and a group of fellow travelers from the US, Canada and Germany. The hiking was difficult but rewarding as we saw sites like the ruins of Choquequirao, and camped in beautiful locations where we could see the Milky Way illuminated at night. Our trip ended with a visit to the most amazing place I have ever seen, the unbelievable Macchu Picchu. It was an incredible trip that left us with memories that will last a lifetime.

-Jon M
Healthy Planet
BI Developer

I went to Australia and New Zealand in March 2014. Each day was a different adventure! A few of the adventures involved snorkeling on the Great Barrier Reef where I saw a lot of colorful coral and fish and a large sea turtle, petting a kangaroo and a koala, climbing the Sydney Harbor Bridge, and hiking on a glacier. The scenery was beautiful with green mountains in New Zealand, the Sydney Opera House and the Great Barrier Reef off the coast of Australia. We also hiked on a glacier in New Zealand. We were able to go into the crevasses in the glacier where the ice was a beautiful blue color.

-Danielle I
MyChart
Technical Services

As a novice traveler, The Bahamas was appealing for several reasons (short flight, English speaking, American dollars) but I was hooked when I learned the Wisconsin basketball team was playing there!On our adventure to the Out Island of Eleuthera, we encountered amazing food, escapades driving on the left side of the road (when there was a road), and beautiful beaches. The most breathtaking views came at Glass Window Bridge, a strip of land separating the churning dark blue Atlantic Ocean’s from the calm waters of the Caribbean Sea - the most amazing natural sight I've ever seen.

-Jim G
Care Everywhere
QA

My sabbatical was an adventure AND a fundraising opportunity: I ran the Antarctica Marathon to raise money for Heartland Farm Sanctuary, a local rescue organization. After running 26.2 miles in icy and muddy conditions, we toured the awe-inspiring beauty of the continent. We admired icebergs, climbed snow-covered hills, and made friends with the locals (penguins), who were quite curious and unafraid. After an incredible two weeks, we headed back to Argentina, where we hiked a glacier, rode horses along Lago Argentino, braved the longest zip line in South America, and explored Buenos Aires!

-Kelly P
Radiant
Writer

My husband and I had a whirlwind two week adventure! We started in Zermatt, Switzerland for 4 days of skiing. It was fantastic! Then we went to Jerusalem and visited the major sites for the 3 different religions that originated there. After Jerusalem we spent a couple of nights on the beach in Eilat to relax then crossed into Jordan for an amazing night at a Bedouin camp in Wadi Rum, complete with camel rides and dinner baked in a sand oven. Finally, we finished off at the Dead Sea for a quick float and a Dead Sea mud wrap! It was an amazing trip that we continue to recommend to our friends!

-Keely O
Orders
Implementation

I spent 2 weeks relaxing on Seven Mile beach with my family for my sabbatical. We spent our days at the beach and our nights grilling out by the pool. There was beautiful snorkeling just outside our condo where you could see many tropical fish. We took an excursion out to Stingray City and Starfish Point with Captain Mario who entertained us with his stories of the island while we cruised on his boat. We had a great trip and hope to return in the future!

-Cathy S
Grand Central & Prelude
Technical Services

7-19-19 I traveled with my husband and 2 kids to Iceland. We drove around the country in 14 days. Each day was a different part of the country with different things to see. We drove through 7 km tunnels. (Some of them had multiple km stretches that were one-way - with no signals! Another had a T-intersection in the middle.) We saw lots of large waterfalls, lava rocks, canyons, glaciers, and black sand beaches. It was a vacation to remember!

-Amanda W

I spent the most relaxing sabbatical at an ocean front resort with my husband and our 3 kids. It was nice to have one place for both weeks especially with the kids and a 1 year old. We were able to do and see so much from our location. We visited Mayan ruins, snorkeled, hiked in the rain forest, went on a river tour to see wildlife, made our own chocolate from scratch like the Mayans use to, took walks through the villages. Were able to sit on the beach or swim in the ocean. It was a great experience for the entire family and was reasonable priced to go with kids. We made many great memories!

-Carrie B

Our party of five (including our son, daughter, and her best friend) decided to climb Mt. Kilimanjaro. The summit day started with a 4 am departure and we returned to a lower altitude camp after 9pm. The children reached the summit around 3pm even though they started later than the adults who didn’t get there until sunset which made the descent of 7,000 feet in the dark challenging. After hiking 65 miles and sleeping in tents on the mountain, the following two weeks spent on safari felt sedentary in comparison. We did see elephants, lions, cheetahs, leopards, zebras and many birds on safari.

-Jonathan C
Foundations
Software Developer

We spent part of our Japan sabbatical up in the mountains, and the area we went to had a round-trip promotion to see all of the surrounding areas on various forms of mass transit. This included riding a replica pirate ship across Lake Ashi. The day we went, we caught one of the last ships of the day, as fog was pouring down off the mountains, but it made for a great picture of the ship pulling in to port in all the fog.

-PJ E
Inpatient
Software Developer

I, my wife, my 15 year old daughter, and my 10 year old son took a bus tour around the entire coast of the Emerald Isle. Never have I seen so much green. We visited the major sites along the way, including the Cliffs of Moher, lots of beaches, so many castles, and more than a few pubs.

-Eric C
MyChart
Technical Services

Our family went to Ambergis Caye, Belize for a trip full of adventure punctuated by restful times listening to waves or wind in the palm trees. We stayed in a house on the water that was very affordable with the Epic match. Our activity was centered on the water, kayaking to a reef to snorkel, fishing from the docks, catching bonefish, completing our scuba certification, deep sea fishing, and reef fishing (can you tell we like to fish?). The care takers of the house were wonderful; they made us feel at home, and even prepared meals for us on the outdoor stone grill. I’d go back in a minute!

-Jim N
Willow
Technical Services

At the end of September, I traveled to Munich for Oktoberfest with a friend from Optime/Anesthesia. We stayed four nights in Munich, seeing the sights during the day, and enjoying the festivities at night. We bought some Lederhosen to get into the spirit and enjoyed making a lot of random friends. After four days in Munich, we headed up to Berlin and got to see interesting museums and architecture. We happened to be there on German Unity Day (October 3rd), which celebrates the anniversary of the German unification in 1990. They had a large festival going on in Berlin which was incredible.

-Ben S
OpTime
Technical Services

I used my two half-sabbaticals to travel with my grandmother, who lives in Florida and whom I don’t get to see very often (and who is retired and has a very flexible schedule). On one trip we went on safaris in Zimbabwe, Botswana, and South Africa, and on another we traveled all over Costa Rica. We met wonderful people from all over the world, saw tons and tons of animals, ate fantastic foods, enjoyed boat, truck, horse, kayak, and airplane rides, and spent some great time together!

-Jennifer K
Ambulatory
QA

For my sabbatical, my husband and I went to Costa Rica. It’s a relatively inexpensive travel destination offering a nice mix between leisure and adventure. And as a small country you could visit the beach, a volcano, and a coffee plantation in a single day. The highlight of our trip was zip lining through the jungle – my initial terror quickly turned to exhilaration and the views were gorgeous!

-Kim D
Resolute Billing
Implementation

My parents, husband and I went to Switzerland and Italy in June 2018. In Switzerland, we hiked, biked, rode gondolas, went in caves, rode trains & tried Swiss fondue. In Italy, we explored Venice, ate good food, went on a few tours, learned about the history of Pompeii, enjoyed the cliff town of Positano, tasted delicious Italian wine and limoncello, and walked around ancient Rome and the Vatican. Highlights for me were: exploring Mount Pilatus, a train ride up the Jungfrau mountain ("top of Europe"), and the Path of the Gods hike near Positano.

-Jessica S

For my Epic sabbatical I spent 3 weeks canoe camping in the Amazon Basin with the National Outdoor Leadership School (NOLS). It was the most challenging, exciting, and life changing trip I’ve been on. We canoed both flat water and rapids, slept in hammocks, and made some delicious meals over a cook stove (I made apple cinnamon rolls!). We saw macaw pairs, giant river otter families, leaf cutter ant armies, wild boar packs, and more butterflies than I’ve ever seen before.

-Julia S
OpTime
Technical Services

In October 2014, I traveled with my family to Malta, Sicily and Rome. This was a lifelong dream for my family, as parents have never had the opportunity to visit the lands of their heritage. In Malta, a group of tiny islands south of Sicily with fascinating history, we visited the legendary Calypso’s cave. Our next stop was Palermo, in Sicily, where we spent time enjoying the villa we rented, sampling amazing street food, and exploring the city. We also found the childhood church my grandmother attended.We ended in Rome, which is as amazing as the hype suggests! It was a fantastic adventure!

-Lisamarie L
OpTime
Technical Services

My wife and I traveled to Norway in June 2018 with our two girls Sadie (4) and Felicity (2). We toured Oslo, took the train to Bergen, and then drove to Flam where we stayed in an amazing cottage on a family's farm in the mountains. One of the best parts of the whole experience was seeing the girls' excitement in learning about another culture.

-Brad H