It took a few weeks, but we think everyone we have any connection with on a regular basis has been informed of our upcoming plans. Letting people know at my work was difficult because of the tremendous sense of responsibility I feel for the work I do, and the perceived difficulty in the near future of transitioning the workload to someone else. I also work with amazing and fun people, who I will miss dearly. They have been extremely supportive of everything that has gone on over the past few years, and our upcoming round-the-world plans! I also felt guilty notifying my fellow officers in the professional associations that I serve on, due to the inevitable and unfair inconvenience I will cause them.
All-in-all, everyone has been nothing but supportive and agree that this is a wonderful opportunity. That makes us feel a lot better. We haven't had to answer the curious questions. Everyone seems to understand why, and longingly wishing that it were them instead.
4-5 month advance notice at work is more than adequate, but a few of the main reasons we wanted to let people know was because we wanted to talk freely about our plans. It wouldn't be fun, keeping it from our co-workers who we see everyday. Another reason is to secure a leave-of-absence, if that is an option on the table. It's better to start the conversation with your employer sooner than later, to give them time to work out the logistics with Human Resources and such.
So, we think the cat is completely out of the bag now. If not, it was unintentional. Now you know!
