In this series of interviews, we speak with people who have inspirational stories to tell about taking travel career breaks, and successful business leaders who have implemented sabbatical policies. Do you have a story too? Please get in touch and tell us about it.
Meet the 30-something couple on their third travel career gap
30-something finance workers Dave and Becca Jackson are on their third travel career gap together.
May
Meet the entrepreneur on a globetrotting adventure with a family of six
Sara Banks, founder of SteamLine Luggage, talks about taking her family and business on a round-the-world trip.
Apr
A maths teacher’s fulfilling sabbatical during the pandemic
Maths teacher Christine had to change her plans for a dream travel sabbatical after Covid struck.
Jan
How two sabbaticals opened amazing opportunities for a PR professional
Liz has supercharged her PR career by using two sabbaticals to travel and learn a multitude of new skills.
Oct
Quitting a PR career for a Trans-Mongolian Railway adventure
Laura left her busy PR career in London behind for a dream adventure on the Trans-Mongolian Railway.
Sep
A product marketer’s USA family road trip on a paid sabbatical
JJ took a paid sabbatical from his tech company job for a USA road trip with his family of six.
Aug
At a Danish folk high school in a pandemic: an adventurer’s story
Nellie Khossousi tells of her experience at a Danish folk high school as the world was struck by a pandemic.
Aug
How a Vietnam wedding became a six-month remote working adventure
When Anh set off to Vietnam to marry, she wasn’t expecting two weeks in a quarantine camp and six months of remote working.
Jul
How a lawyer found a new career path after a travel break
After eight years in the legal profession, Miriam left her job as a lawyer to travel. In this interview she tells her story.
Apr
An advertising executive who quit to travel and built a new career
After ten years working in advertising, Kemi quit her job to travel for a year. The adventure led her to a new career path.
Feb
A cancer survivor who left corporate life to travel the world
Anthony survived a rare cancer in his early 20s, before being sent on a work assignment that inspired a travel career break.
Dec
The Los Angeles bartender who took a career break to travel across Asia
Geena took a break from her bartending career to travel across Asia. Forced back home by a pandemic, she built a campervan.
Dec
DJ DiDonna: from fintech business leadership to the Sabbatical Project
DJ DiDonna took a four-month sabbatical from running his fintech company. The experience inspired a new research project.
Nov
Meet the travelling couple who retired from full-time work before 30
Lauren and Steven Keys retired from full-time work while still in their 20s, and have built a lifestyle around travel.
Nov
How a woman’s travel career break in her 40s inspired a fashion business
Harjit left her London banking job to take a one-year travel carer break in her 40s, an experience that led her to new beginnings.
Oct
A management consultant’s travel sabbatical that inspired a new venture
When Susie took a one-year sabbatical from her management consultancy career to travel with her husband, it led to new horizons.
Oct
A six-month travel transition from a PR career to self employment
Brianne took a six-month travel break during her transition between a PR career and going self-employed as a consultant.
Oct
How a travel break led a doctor to a new career in clinical research
Ilona left her job as a doctor in Germany to travel for a year. After returning, she was inspired to make a big career change.
Oct
The rewarding lifestyle of taking travel breaks between jobs
Pam has interspersed her 16-year marketing career with long travel breaks between each job to figure out her next steps.
Oct
Career gap in Canada: a break from climbing the corporate ladder
Jayde left her job in corporate customer services and administration to live and work in Canada on a travel career break.
Sep
A content strategist who travelled to 30 countries on a career break
Adrian travelled to 30 countries in 12 months while building her content strategy business, which she now runs full time.
Sep
Journey to fulfilment: an Indian woman’s life-changing travel career break
After reaching an extreme low, Manisha left her big four consulting firm job in India for a year of travel in South America.
Sep
Pausing to reflect: a career break after 14 years in financial services
After 14 years as a financial services executive, Steven took a career break to study, travel and spend time with family.
Aug
How travel led a graphic designer to a career in digital marketing
Graphic designer Darah reveals how an 18-month travel adventure helped her to find a new career direction in digital marketing.
Aug
How a sustainability business was born after a travel career break
Stephanie tells how she started her sustainability business Bright Beat after taking 18 months off to travel the world.
Aug
From business analyst to poet: a journey through the USA’s national parks
Alan left his job as a business analyst and travelled through all of the USA’s national parks, inspiring a new poetry career.
Jul
A tale of four sabbaticals: a PR executive reflects on the power of time out
PR executive Tim utilised his former agency’s generous sabbatical policy to take four very different breaks from work.
Jul
How travel inspired an entrepreneur to create a surf luggage company
After overworking led Ken to burnout and relationship burnout, a travel career break led him in an exciting new direction.
Jun
Race Across the World winner Emon speaks to Career Gappers
Emon Choudhury and nephew Jamiul won BBC’s Race Across the World Season two. He discusses the impact of the race on his life.
Jun
The man who quit his job at Google to motorbike across the world
After nine years working at Google, Alex left his job to embark on an epic solo motorbike journey from Europe to Australia.
Jun
The lawyer who retrained as a marketer after a travel break in China
Michael was a lawyer in Canada before taking a six-month break in China. After returning, he embraced a new career direction.
May
How a Latin America career break helped a canal cruise company to grow
Guy took a six-month break from his tourism startup in the Netherlands to travel in Latin America, and returned full of ideas.
May
How a campervan adventure inspired a software engineering manager’s career change
Erin spent 13 years in software engineering before taking a travel break. The adventure has sparked a major career change.
May
Teaching in China and taking two months off to travel every year
Steve discusses how he balances a life of teaching in China with taking a two-month break to travel overland every year.
May
Slowing down: a marketing consultant’s life experiment in South Africa
Simon headed to South Africa in pursuit of a remote-working dream; months later, he returned to London with a fresh perspective.
Apr
A marketing manager who took a career break to volunteer in Costa Rica
Michelle Matthews discusses the experience of a six-month break from her marketing career to volunteer in Costa Rica.
Apr
How a career break inspired a TV director to become a travel writer
Janice Hopper took a six-month travel break from her job in TV direction. After returning, she embraced a new career direction.
Apr
A Central America journey that reunited a family and propelled a career
Eddie Zaldivar set off to Honduras on a filming trip that helped him reconnect with his family and find purpose in his career.
Mar
How a UK civil servant reshaped her life after a travel career break
Lara Hayes took a 14-month travel break from her job in the UK Civil Service. Since returning home, she has embraced a rural life.
Mar
How a couple’s travel career break sparked a wedding planning business
Sarah Prinz and her husband left the jobs they loved to travel together. The experience took them in a completely new direction.
Mar
How a travel career break inspired a new clothing business
Ashly and Carlos quit their corporate jobs to travel. After returning, Ashly realised her dream by starting her own clothing line.
Jan
How an industry-leading company is making a success of sabbaticals
The CEO of one of Europe's top digital agencies explains how they have introduced a sabbatical policy for employees.
Dec
How a house-sitting travel sabbatical is helping a couple build a new life
Meet the couple who took a six-month break from their busy London lives to house-sit around Europe and start building a new life.
Dec
A small business owner who granted a travel sabbatical to an employee
More businesses are offering career breaks to employees; this story shows how the arrangement can work well for everyone.
Oct
The family who are selling everything to travel Europe in a motorhome
The story of a UK family who are selling their house and belongings to take a big family career break adventure.
Sep
Lap of Australia: a 20-month career break for a family adventure
The story of a high-flying marketer who took a 20-month career break to travel around Australia with her young family.
Aug
How travel opened new doors for a corporate communications professional
The story of how a travel break helped Krista Canfield McNish to reshape her successful career on her own terms.
Jun
From cycling 13,000 miles around the world to a new career in accountancy
Tim Moss and his wife Laura cycled 13,000 miles around the world. Now, he balances a life of adventure with an accountancy career.
May
From Siberia to Antarctica: reflecting on a travel career gap ten years on
A couple reflects on their 19-month travel career break and how it has impacted their lives a decade later.
Apr
How travel inspired a boiler salesman to start a career in politics
Just after getting a promotion and big pay rise at work, Alan quit to go travelling – and it led to a new life path.
Mar
22 countries in 6 months: a project manager’s travel career break
Anders talks about the experience of taking a six-month travel career break and readjusting to working life afterwards.
Feb
Overcoming burnout: the career break reflections of a higher education professional
When Alisa took a six-month travel break from her career in education, and it helped her to become a better professional.
Feb
A legal researcher’s travel-inspired decision to move to Zambia
Meet the UK law graduate whose travel experiences led her to a new life and career in Zambia.
Feb
How travel inspired a preschool teacher to retrain as a culinary nutrition expert
After Michaela took a brave leap from her stressful job, a travel break allowed her to take charge of her career.
Dec
The NYC firefighter embracing van life after a travel career break
How a travel career break has led to a major lifestyle change for a New York firefighter after returning home.
Dec
How a travel career break inspired a teacher to start her own business
This interview is the first in a series exploring the inspirational stories of people who have taken travel career breaks.
Nov