anyone taken sabbatical/gap years??

[Vagabond2020]

Great topic.

I plan on taking a 6-12 month sabbatical in 2010, right around my 10 year anniversary in Megacorp world.

I will be just about to turn 33 years old at that point, and about 50% of the way to being actually FIRE'd.

I will not be asking for permission, I will leave and if they want me back I will come back on my terms, if not.....I am in sales and jobs are plentiful.

 

[Big_Hitter]

I plan on taking a 6-12 month sabbatical in 2010, right around my 10 year anniversary in Megacorp world.

so how was it?

 

[Terhathum123]

I am considering taking a year with my two kids and spouse somewhere in Asia as well. Did you home school your kids? Enroll them in a local school?

 

[niven]

I'm going back to work this month after about a year-long sabbatical. I'm 55 and work in IT, so I guess I'm unusual in doing this. I quit the old mega-corp job last year and I'm going to work for a smaller company now. I wouldn't have done it if I wasn't in the position where I could probably retire if it didn't work out.

 

[Shanky]

Just weighing some options here. I'm 49 and am in the last accumulation years towards ER. I was reading a thread about heath & aging and it got me thinking about how important it is to take time to enjoy life.

Since I haven't hit FIRE, I do need to keep working (or move to Thailand!), but I find myself really burning out at work. I have a high stress job in the entertainment industry that pays really well, but I'm craving a break.

I'd love to hear any of your stories about taking a sabbatical in the late accumulation phase. Was it the right thing for you to do? Or did you look back and regret it for any reasons?

Thanks!

I did a Sabbatical at age 49 for a year. Spent 6 months on our boat with my wife doing an extended cruise. Between preparing for the trip, recovering from the trip and finding a new job, it was a year well spent. I knew then I wanted to ER, so I went back to work for a little over 5 years and then retired. Kids were launched and my wife left the workforce some 25 years earlier.

No regrets. Could not have ER'd at 49.

 

[bingybear]

If you look at my linkedin... I'm on sabbatical..call it what you will.. retired. Unless I decide to go back to work... I'm retired.

 

[itsmeagain73]

I took a break at age 36 and went and hiked the Appalachian Trail. No regrets. Basically changed my life as a result.