This past June, Hall, who’s half Brazilian, attended Dell’s prestigious invite-only Women’s Entrepreneur Network (DWEN) event in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. “It was two full days of speakers with Moira Forbes as the emcee, interactive panel discussions, and interviews with Brazilian entrepreneurs,” she said. Hall launched her agency two months after 9/11, putting every penny she earned back into it for two years. Attending DWEN was invaluable, she says, in part because she was able to ask–and get answers to—direct questions such as, “What are the issues? What are the opportunities?”

Stacie Berdan, author of Get Ahead by Going Abroad: A Woman’s Guide to Fast-Track Career Success, says thinking and acting globally opens up many opportunities. “Women who know how to work within the global marketplace have a distinct edge over domestic-only peers,” she said. “So many women create another rich and meaningful chapter in their lives simply by letting go and taking a chance overseas.”

Here are some conferences and conventions where you can get your reinvention underway this summer.

Why attend Women Chiefs of Enterprises Conference? Here’s your chance to start planning how to leave the rat-race behind and pursue your dream. Positive expectations are contagious. Plus you’ll get practical insight on how to do it.

Bonus: Lots of networking for real-life connections. Because trust is everything: Who doesn’t like to do business with people they know and like?

Details: September 7-9 2011 in Sydney, Australia

Why go? This year’s theme is “Creating the Future.” So let go of the past (you can’t change it anyway) and get over your fear of tomorrow with the help of innovative women from around the globe.

Highlights: Passionate women will transform you.

Details: October 21, 2011, Oxford, United Kingdom; womensphere-europesummit.com.

Why go? Become a social entrepreneur. We all play a role in society. With a socially responsible business, you can help people—and turn a profit.

Highlights: At this conference, you’ll get high quality mentors who can help your venture grow while sticking to your social mission.

Details: September 14-18, 2011, Cortes Island, BC

Why go? Got an unpublished novel under your bed—or in your head? Put your life in context by committing your thoughts to paper at a writer’s conference.

Highlights: Top notch authors give feedback on your work. Who knows? You may be the next Hemingway.

Details: July 31-August 13, Vilnius, Lithuania, or December 7-21, Nairobi, Kenya

Why go? Let go of the habit of eating over your desk. Start your reinvention from the inside out by attending a cooking school, as food influences how you feel and sleep, as well as how you think.

Highlights: Catch up on the slow food craze while learning traditional Mexican techniques with Chef Ana Garcia.

Details: Year round, Tepoztlan, Mexico; lavillabonita.com/2011.

Why go? Exercise helps not only your body but your brain. You can think more clearly, making you smarter and better at what you do, as well as lift your mood.

Highlights: You can let go of your hectic pace, and still end up at your destination. Plus you’ll get some exercise while you plan your reinvention.

Details: Dates depend on tour, Mostly Europe; cyclingsafaris.com.

Why go? To change your perception, start looking at life through a different lens on a photography tour, led by a guest artist.

Highlights: You’ll have a new appreciation for beauty. Because it really does exist in the smallest of things.

Details: Dates depend on tour, China; toursabroadchina.com/tours.

Jennifer Jeanne Patterson is a freelance writer and author of 52 Fights. She lives in Minneapolis with her husband and three children. Find her blog at Unplanned Cooking.

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Read how four women reinvented their careers without quitting.