Complicated scneario with OPT to H1B status change while abroad

[h1bopttransition]

I am currently on OPT woking for a US firm. I got picked in H1-B lottery earlier and I am expected to transition to H1-B status on October 1.

 

However, due to personal reasons I am traveling to my home country and may not return to the US in the near future. If I am on vacation (still on payroll) in my home country when my transition to H1-B is expected, will be H1-B get activated so that I can re-use it earlier ?I have been told that I should physically be present in US for H1-B to get activated. Is this true. ?

 

Will getting a H1-B stamp in my home country (without actually traveling back to the US immediately) help in activating the H1-B?

 

I do understand that I will need to re-apply to USCIS later to return to the US. I just want to avoid going through the lottery all over again.