Anyone taken a sabbatical or unpaid leave period? What did you do? How was it? How did you go back?

[KStockHERO]

In the coming years, I'm thinking of taking a year off with unpaid leave.

I've had my current job for about 10 years. I have about 12 years left until I plan to take early retirement.

I'd like to use the year to travel - using DP's travel for his job as the itinerary/plan.

But it's something very new/different for us.

I'm after understanding others' experiences of taking a year. If you did it - what did you do? How did you find it? What stage of your career did you do it? What was your motivation? And how was it to adjust to real life again?

Hopeful bump

@KStockHERO My DD did. She had been 10-11 years in her role. It was offered to certain employees as a result of Covid and cutting back, it was 2021. She did get 20% of her salary for the whole year, she wanted to travel but Covid didn't go away. She did however spend 3 months in Antigua living cheaply. And travelled elsewhere when covid allowed.

It was hard to come back to work for her I think, and when she returned she did have a period of having to pick up the shitty jobs, but all worked out in the end. A great opportunity. Hope it works out for you.

Thank you getting back to me. Wow, three months on the cheap in Antigua sounds absolutely amazing.

I think we'd plan something a bit more 'bitty' than that because DP wouldn't take the leave so we couldn't have an extended period away.

I take 6 months off every couple of years. I freelance and my husband works fixed term contracts so we travel, do DIY projects and go on road trips in this country to see relatives we don't see otherwise. I'm not sure how I'd feel after a whole year off, 6 months is easy for me to just slot back in to life, especially as I might pick up occasional jobs if we're at home for a period of time. We save hard while we're working to be able to do this and our travel tends to be cheap rather than exotic but this works for us

That's fascinating, thank you. Your life sounds absolutely idyllic.