Taking a Year Off:
Practical Steps to a New Adventure

Taking a year off from your current life to live another may be a very rewarding adventure and be very positive for your personal growth. Sometimes taking a year off can really help you gain new perspective by leaving your current setting and exploring a different world, meeting new people, having a different routine, etc.

Although taking time off may initially appear to be "running away," it can be anything but that and have marvelous results for you in terms of your self improvement and personal development.

If you are considering taking a year off, there are some important things that you can't leave out. Those around you may feel abandoned and left out even though they'll most likely be excited for you. But keep in mind that taking a year off might be harder for those around you to get used to, than even you.

It's important that you let your friends know that they are important to you regardless of your taking a year off from your regular routine. Let them know that you don't plan on leaving permanently, and this will take the pressure off everyone. If you're comfortable, invite them to visit you wherever you happen to be. Promise (and keep it!) to keep in touch through letters and email and fill them in on everything upon your return. Encourage their dreams and goals too because you'll be creating solid, soulful friendships that are mutually nuturing and this is always a must when you seek to personal growth because we get so much and give so much in our personal relationships.

Preparing For Your Year Off:

Financial considerations are always important since that can either limit or enhance your freedom. If money is not an issue for you, then you can decide or not to work wherever you go. Here's an idea: if money is not an issue for you, why not see if you can be self-sufficient during the year? Maybe it would be a good idea to try and live modestly. See the world through the eyes of someone who doesn't have as much money as you normally do. Taking a year off to live this way can be an eye-opening experience. Even if you are a rags to riches story and you started out broke, this might be worth doing because you will gain so much in personal growth since you will be outside your comfort zone. And you'll once again see the difference between being broke and being poor.

For those who need to work while taking the year off, there's plenty of ways to manage with some creativity. Some employers have companies in different cities and different countries. Why not see about the possiblity of working elsewhere for the same company, even if the job title changes? If you need to take a year off, many companies allow this provided you give them enough notice and they know you won't be using the time to work elsewhere while they hold your position (working in a different place usually doesn't fall under that category). There are a few companies that have an option to earn a salary of four years over five years. How this works is that a company holds back 25% of your salary for four years, and in the fifth year, you get the same salary because the 25% that's been held back for four years becomes your yearly salary. This can be a tax benefit also because your earnings will be less, therefore you'll be taxed less.

Once you've narrowed down where you want to be for your year off, look at work opportunities. If it's a different country that you want to go to, see about work permits. In many cases, countries allow short-term work visas. The only drawback is that it might be a job you are over-qualified for, but what you will get in life experience and knowledge will be very beneficial to your overall self growth. Be willing to do manual work like waitressing, bartending, shop work, etc. While self-employement like teaching English and other languages, as well as a skill, such as guitar lessons, may be lucrative, it will be very stressful to only plan for that as a means to an income, and once there, it may not be as lucrative as it seemed. On the other hand, it might work out very well, but you should plan to have it as a possible additional source of income.

Your living arrangements should be made well in advance of taking your year off. First, you have to decide what you're going to do with where you live now. If you own your home, you can decide to rent it out for the time that you're gone to help with expenses. You might even decide to do a house exchange, just like in the movie, "THE HOLIDAY." Seriously, there are lots of useful websites that list exchanges and some are long-term. If you rent, would now be a good place to let it go? If not, look for someone to sub-let it from you or try to work out an exchange.

Everyone seems to have a lot of stuff and you will need to find a place for it. It would also probably be a good time to go through your closets and decide what to donate and what to throw out. Clutter holds us back. If you don't do it before you leave, you will probably do it afterwards.

When Ivy took a year and a half away, she kept her things in storage because she really thought she wanted or needed all those items. When she returned, a year and a half later, she took those things out of storage. To her surprise, she only kept about 10% of those items and donated or threw out the rest. She found that the things that were important to her were pictures and other items associated with good memories, not boxes of clothes or knick knacks that held no personal meaning. Talk about a change in perspective!

Find a safe place to store your belongings (especially those that mean a lot, like photos and mementos), and if you use a storage facility, pay the year in advance. The last thing you want is mis-communication and having your memories tossed out while you're enjoying your year off.

Make sure you take advantage of getting your eyes checked, going for a physical, getting your teeth cleaned, etc., so that you don't have to worry about it while away.

Avoid paying fees on things you don't need while away. Most cell phone companies allow you to freeze your account with proof of being away along with a small fee. You can also do that for many other memberships, like the gym.

If you have credit card debt, work to have small minimum payments that you can manage while away. While it's wise to pay off credit cards first, a small debt shouldn't get in the way of you taking on a new adventure. We do advise you not to get into any more debt while away. If you have to, live on less.

If you have children who are going with you, then make arrangements to home school them for a year, or consider enrolling them in a school where you'll be staying. Some districts will be stricter than others in terms of citizenship and residence, so do your homework. A lot of places are open to educating children regardless of their parents' status in the country because they don't want to discriminate against children and are willing to provide education for all. As a child, Ivy and Amanda spent almost a year away with their parents in Europe and it remains one of their most memorable childhood memories. Both have four degrees between them, so it didn't adversely affect their education, only enhanced it.

Another thing you should take into consideration is the language. Do you really need to be in a place where you know the language? Keep in mind that English is spoken by some people in places where tourists frequent. If you've always wanted to learn a new language, this might be the perfect time to do that. And if you're taking children, it could be a great opportunity for them as well.

Be aware of any medical precautions you need to take as well, and keep an eye on your government's travel advisories to help you make an informed choice about your destination.

You should also consider when would be the best time for you to go, as well as the ideal time to arrive at your destination.

Now the fun question: where do you want to go? Only you can answer this and we know you know or at the very least, have an inkling of an idea of where you'd like to go. Now you can dream. Do you want to stay in one place for the year, or do want to travel around as well? Do you want to spend a few months somewhere, and then move one? It's entirely up to you. Where shall it be?

Let us know about your adventure before and after your year off--we'd love to hear all about it!

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