I Left My Career to Take a Sabbatical. This Is Everything I’m Learning.
Travel stories, real talk about career breaks, and an unhealthy amount of love for the artist Ren. Welcome to The Sabbatical Files.
Departure In
August 3, 2026 · 21 countries · 13 months
Hey, I’m Mike.
After years in project management, I decided to press pause on the career grind and do something I’ve been dreaming about for years — take a real sabbatical. I’m traveling, creating, going to way too many Ren concerts, and documenting the whole thing. If you’ve ever wondered what it would actually feel like to step away from work and live on your own terms — pull up a chair.
What You’ll Find Here
Sabbatical Life
Budget planning, career break advice, and what nobody tells you about pressing pause. Real talk from someone actually doing it.
Travel
Destination vlogs, solo adventures, and the art of traveling without a deadline. This is what happens when you’re not rushing back to work on Monday.
Ren
Concert vlogs, deep dives, and a running diary of seeing Ren live four times in one year. If you know, you know.
Latest from the Blog
Honest dispatches from the planning phase — and eventually, the road.
Sabbatical Questions, Answered
The stuff people actually want to know.
What is a sabbatical, exactly?
A sabbatical is an extended break from your career — usually anywhere from a few months to a year or more. Unlike a vacation, it’s long enough to actually reset: travel slowly, learn new things, and figure out what you want the next chapter to look like. Mine is 13 months across 21 countries.
How do you afford a long-term sabbatical?
It comes down to saving intentionally and planning ruthlessly. I spent over a year budgeting by country, tracking accommodation costs, and building a realistic spending plan. There are free tools on this site to help you do the same. It’s more achievable than most people think.
Do you have to quit your job to take a sabbatical?
Not necessarily. Some people negotiate unpaid leave, go remote, or take a formal sabbatical program. I chose to step away from my project management career to travel full-time — but everyone’s situation is different. Take the quiz to figure out what style of sabbatical might work for you.
What countries are you visiting?
21 countries over 13 months: starting in the UK, then through Europe, the Middle East, Southeast Asia, East Asia, and Latin America. You can see the full route with dates and cities on The Route page.
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