Take a Sabbatical

A sabbatical can last anywhere from one month up to six months and beyond. When planning how long to go on sabbatical, consider your purpose in taking one. A sabbatical is intended to be an escape, and your intentions and goals for your sabbatical should determine the length of your time off.

If you intend to return to the same career after your sabbatical, you’ll need to have a discussion with your employer about how much time you can reasonably take off. Depending on the company, this can be anywhere from one month up to three (and sometimes more). This is just getting out of the range of a standard vacation, and gives you enough time to fully immerse yourself in the sabbatical experience you choose.

On the other hand, if you plan to completely shift directions, make a major career move, pursue a personal hobby, find your passion, or live in another country, you’re probably better off giving yourself ample time to really make the most of your sabbatical experience. When traveling long-term, it usually takes around three months just to acclimate and feel comfortable elsewhere. Your language skills start to kick into gear, and you start to develop a better understanding of the lifestyle and cultural differences you’re experiencing.

If you’re considering a longer sabbatical, know that you’re dealing with a whole different kind of preparation. A longer escape can mean greater and more enduring benefits, but also requires a higher level of organization and planning. Leaving for three months might mean severing a few ties to your “normal” life, whereas leaving for six months or more might mean ending your current lease for (or maybe even selling) your home.

Before deciding how long your sabbatical will be, carefully consider your reasons for investing in time off in the first place. Define your goals, and be honest with yourself about what you want to achieve. Ultimately, whether you take a month, three months, six months, or a full year, the length of your sabbatical isn’t as important as its purpose.

Taking a sabbatical can sound glamorous and dreamy, but planning a sabbatical requires presence, dedicated effort, and some serious logistical groundwork. Before you can get to the exciting part of deciding what you’ll actually do on your sabbatical, you’ll need to plan how you’re going to put your life on hold and leave!

1. Create your escape plan

Decide on a sabbatical experience that aligns with your goals, and then consider the steps you need to take towards making your escape feasible. If asking for an extended leave from work or quitting your job altogether is too much for you, Worldpackers is a great way to make your travel and sabbatical dreams a reality.

Worldpackers connects you with hosts around the world where you can travel exchanging your skills for accommodation. The platform was founded on the idea that travel is a pure form of education, and is represented by a worldwide collaborative travel community that strives to make travel easier and more accessible to all.

Using Worldpackers to travel allows you to enjoy some of the world’s more unique sabbatical experiences, while cutting your expenses up to 70%! Maybe you want to travel the world full-time as a digital nomad, and use your sabbatical to give time to creative pursuits that will help you build your digital portfolio. Maybe you’re seeking a calmer, quieter pace of life, and would like to immerse yourself in a natural environment. Whatever your chosen sabbatical experience, Worldpackers has a project that’s right for you.

As create your sabbatical escape plan and confront the logistics of work, time, and money, having the support of the Worldpackers community behind you is an invaluable resource.

2. Decide what kind of sabbatical you need

This is undoubtedly the most important aspect of planning a sabbatical.

Contemplate your purpose in taking a sabbatical; ask yourself what you need and what you want to accomplish. Journal about your reasons for taking a sabbatical. Examine your expectations for your time away, and be both realistic and brave about your aspirations. Make a list of all the things you want to achieve. If you have a clear idea of what you hope to get out of your sabbatical, determining the sabbatical experience that’s right for you will be much easier.

If you want to maximize the benefits of taking a sabbatical, doing a work exchange is a great way to learn new skills and actively participate in your destination’s local community. Moreover, if the focus of your sabbatical is travel, exploring the world via work exchange is an incredibly fulfilling way to see new places and have a profound cultural experience, while also practicing responsible travel!

3. Decide where you want to go and research hosts

Finally, the fun part! If you’ve made it this far, you’re committed to reaping the rewards of a one-of-a-kind sabbatical experience.

Consider the appropriate backdrop and environment for your sabbatical’s purpose and needs. Make a list of the destinations that call to you. Whether you want to take a sabbatical in a faraway place or venture somewhere new in your own country, work in a dynamic city or up your self-care practices in a sustainable community, chances are there’s a Worldpackers project to suit your needs.

Once you have sufficient destination inspiration, start browsing the Worldpackers site to narrow down your options. Each Worldpackers work exchange, social impact effort, and eco program has something truly unique to offer. You’ll find hostels, guesthouses, NGOs, sustainable communities, and permaculture projects where you can help out and receive stay, food, and other benefits in exchange for a few hours of volunteer work each day.

At this point, you’ve chosen your destination, researched potential hosts, and your sabbatical plans are more or less set in motion. If you’re a Worldpackers community member, your options for where to go on sabbatical are pretty much limitless.

A few weeks from now you could be...

• Exploring the jungle and relaxing in a natural environment while helping manage an eco lodge or farm in Costa Rica.
• Practicing your Spanish language skills while working at one of many inspiring NGOs in Colombia.
• Learning to surf in the Atlantic Ocean while helping manage a surf camp in Portugal.
• Discovering local culture while welcoming and helping guests at a hostel or guesthouse in Turkey.
• Going on Safari and other backcountry adventures while teaching kids in Africa.
• Engaging your creative brain while honing your marketing skills for a sustainable community, homestay, school, or NGO in Vietnam.
• Enjoying incredible nature and wildlife in the land down under while lending your hospitality skills to a top-rated hostel or guesthouse in Australia.

This is just a small sampling of the types of sabbatical experiences available to you through Worldpackers. If you’re feeling overwhelmed by all the possibilities, here’s a few specific modern sabbatical ideas to consider.

The best of luck on your journey.