Sabbatical

H

HavocXphere

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Have any of you okes taken a sizable chunk of time off from work?

Chill on a beach for a couple months? Spiritual journey? etc

A surprisingly large number of my European colleagues seem to just quit well paying jobs and wander around the globe for a year before (hopefully) finding another job. Literally "I'll be in region X until the money runs out".

Perhaps I'm just getting old but the mindset is a bit beyond me. :o

Thoughts?
 
Just did that for 6 months have ended up now in New Zealand. I have worked flat out for the last twenty + years and it was killing me. So decided a change was in order if I want to watch my kids get old.

Started new job last week, left old one July.
 
Europeans and Australians are famous for this, have lots of friends that sold up, cashed in and traveled the world for 6 months to 2 years. You have to be brave because once you get home you literally have nothing to your name but your knowledge and skills.

I love the idea of just traveling the world but not having anything to my name scares the hell out of me. I work for 11 months a year then for an entire month I take leave and write off a bucket list item. Been doing this for last four years.
 
Do eeeeet! Do it now while you have no responsibilities. It'll be like a gap year but with money.

From your posts you work really hard and you've got the money. You'll easily find employment afterwards, if not here then in a faraway country.

The problem in ZA is average joe won't get a job when his holiday is over.
 
My friend was a well paid millwright. At age 30 he quit work, moved out his flat, sold his car and went to join the place where you study to be a Catholic priest. He said he had a calling. Wanted to see if it works out or not. 2 years on he is still there.

I personally don't think I'm brave enough to do something like that.

I'm possibly going go be take an separation offer from work next year. Plan is to take 2 months off before starting work again.
 
it will be four years in March!

no point working 40 years of your life
 
I respect people who have the balls to do it, me? I don’t have these balls
 
I was unemployed for 6 months. That count?
 
Life's what you make it. Felt pretty tragic at the time, but all is good now :)
 
I took a mini sabatical i guess.
26 years old, fed up with the rat race in joburg and wanted to explore.
Started teaching English in Thailand which led me to a job in Mauritius which then led me to my wife&job in Singapore.

Best decision ever. The whole School -> Varsity -> Job Till you die is quite hectic without any type of break in between.
 
Have a friend who sold everything except his car. The place he rents now has no TV and he spends very little time there, on weekends he drives to random places or does weird events, plans 2 big holidays a year (also to really random places).
He seems pretty damn happy, hasnt really sacrificed his job security or financial future, but is no longer buying into the traditional way of living either. If I didnt have kids, i would probably be joining him on most of his adventures
 
poffle said:
I took a mini sabatical i guess.
26 years old, fed up with the rat race in joburg and wanted to explore.
Started teaching English in Thailand which led me to a job in Mauritius which then led me to my wife&job in Singapore.

Best decision ever. The whole School -> Varsity -> Job Till you die is quite hectic without any type of break in between.
Click to expand...

I know of many similar stories
 
It seems to point to a rather unbalanced life if you need to take such an extended break from work. Normal yearly leave should be more than enough to switch off for a while and regain focus.
 
GoB said:
Me too, even if I would most likely return to a lower salary.
Sometimes you just have to do the selfless thing and suck it up till retirement. :D
Click to expand...

I don't think I'd return to SA - turned down the opportunity at an international job this morning - wife doesn't want to leave :(
 
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