Attorney goes on sabbatical following father’s retirement

Listen to this article

Attorney Sarah Troupis is taking the year off.

Some people think she’s crazy. Others are jealous. Troupis, who earned her law degree from Notre Dame in 2006, doesn’t care.

“For a lot of people, I think it’s a scary thought to take a year off and do something else,” Troupis said. “For lawyers especially, I think that’s the case. We’re so focused on goals — first, becoming a lawyer and then doing well at it — that to take time for yourself is something we’d never consider.”

Upon hearing her plans, Troupis said, most people say, “I’m jealous,” followed by listing the commitments that would prevent them from taking a sabbatical. A second, smaller group also expresses envy, but says they’d never have the courage.

A third camp says she will regret it.

“They’re a small group, and I’ve mostly ignored them,” said Troupis, who began her sabbatical Jan. 2. “The work I’ve done as a lawyer will still be here a year from now. And I don’t plan on completely ignoring the law while I’m off. I plan on writing some more law-review type articles and to keep involved on some level.”

Troupis, a Madison native who lives in Terre Haute, Ind., is licensed in Wisconsin and has practiced remotely for Troupis Law Office LLC since her father, Jim Troupis, opened its doors three years ago.

When he broke the news last summer that he wanted to retire, Troupis considered her options: 1) get licensed in Indiana while starting a job search there; 2) move to Madison and keep the firm going as its managing partner; or 3) move to Madison and look for a different job.

Then a fourth option emerged. Her father suggested she take time off from law to travel, reflect and write. He offered to help her cover some of the costs.

The more she thought about it, Troupis said, the more attractive that option became. She’d made progress on her student loans and had managed to save some money. The time seemed right, she said.

“It’s important to step outside your life as a lawyer once in a while,” Troupis said. “Many of my friends and family members are lawyers. We get so focused on law that we never get to see the businesses we represent in operation, and never see the people we represent in a different situation.”

Troupis plans to see a lot of things in the coming year as she travels cross-country with her trusty companion — her dog, Tchoupitoulis, or “Choppy.” She’s documenting their experiences in a blog, travelswithchoppy.com.

They’ve already hit the Big Easy. Troupis, a Mardi Gras veteran, marched with Choppy in a dog-themed parade last month.

There’ve been no flat tires or other mishaps so far. Troupis plans to visit Texas and the southwest this month, and after Easter they’ll drive from Key West along the East Coast to Maine. They’ll summer in the Midwest, then hit Canada and Alaska, before meandering back southward for autumn in the Pacific Northwest.

It’s a loose itinerary, Troupis said. They’ll visit friends and camp, whenever possible, to save money. She anticipates going off the interstate occasionally, taking back roads.

Through it all, she plans to keep writing and documenting the adventures they find. She’s inspired by John Steinbeck, who once took a cross-country sojourn with his poodle, memorialized in the book “Travels with Charley.”

Troupis doesn’t know whether a book will result from her sabbatical, but she’s convinced the time off will make her a better person and a better lawyer.

“I think it’s important for every lawyer to stop checking the Blackberry or iPhone every few minutes,” she said, “and just take a little time for yourself.”