Jul 18, 20224 min read

Grown Up Gap Years are on the Rise

As I started planning my own #grownupgapyear I became curious about #timeoff trends. Are other people doing this? The answer is yes, and I wanted to learn more about who, how, when, and why. It's no suprise that the #pandemic made us rethink when and where we work and how to use our precious time more wisely.

Cool travel bus by the beach in Avellanas

Think Creatively About Where and How You Want to Live Your Life

It's made companies more flexible too. Early in my career, I had a friend who quit her high paying tech recruiter job to take the summer off. The company wouldn't give her a break, so she left. Companies today are smarter about holding on to good people, which means your chances of getting time off approved are significantly better than they were in the past.

Even I only thought about more #timeoff and #flexiblework after the start of the pandemic. In 2018 when I bought Casa Bali, I figured I would visit once a year until eventually, as I neared #retirement, I'd find a way to spend a little more time there. Then #covid hit and not only were we stir crazy, but the normalization of #remotework and #workfromanywhere led me to make several visits.

My daughter and I went on vacation, my friend and I spent a week doing our personal #strategicplanning, and I even went alone for a week just to work and soak up some sun. I wondered if it was frivolous until I had a break one day after lunch and used it to take a swim in the pool. It was still cold and dark in Seattle, and I felt so refreshed I decided spending that week away was one of the smartest decisions I'd ever made.

From left: Sid & Whiskey, surf baby Avellanas, beach brunch in Tamarindo

Define #GapYear However it Makes Sense to You

I especially like that the #grownupgapyear is being loosely defined. According to Condé Nast

"It can mean anything from a three- to six-month-long company-approved sabbatical to abandoning everything to hit the road for a year or longer."

There's no shortage of articles like this one that offer #gapyear options for folks 50+ with ideas and resources to travel, find an adventure, or do service work, whether you're planning to go alone or bring the whole family. I know several professionals who are considering or have already taken advantage of having more #flexibility. One traveled around the world for six months with her two school age children. Another who is caring for an aging parent will be spending 6 months a year abroad in a variety of places, and six months at home.

👉There's no right way to flex your schedule, just whatever works for you.

I love this piece by two young women who “hit refresh” and embraced the road less traveled. Though it looks like they're just in their 30s they do proclaim that you're never too old to take a #gapyear. They list reasons to take an #adultgapyear including avoiding burnout, learning a new language, and remembering what's important in life. They also highlight several countries that make it easy and yes Costa Rica is on their list.

Sloth in Spanish is Oso Perezoso, translated literally as lazy bear. They have the right idea. 🦥🦥🦥

I Still Have no Idea How Many Growings are Taking #GapYears

I'll confess it was harder to find statistics on the #adultgapyear than I thought. There are plenty of fabulous stories as well as reasons why, how to plan, what to bring, and where to go. My early searches for number though turned up lots of information on student #gapyears, but little for adults. I guess the term #sabbatical is still associated more with working professionals, and #gapyear with students so I changed my search parameters and here's what I found:

✔️Most of the information I found was about how many companies offer #sabbaticals. According to the Society for Human Resource Management, 17 percent of employers offer a sabbatical program. But even outside of formal sabbaticals, many employees take extended time off in between jobs to travel, spend time with family or simply relax.

✔️During the #greatresignation, there's a renewed emphasis on #sabbaticals as a way to

attract and retain people. You can find plenty of articles that talk about which companies (PwC, Synchrony, Nike, GM) offer #sabbaticals or extended leave, and why it's good for business and avoiding #burnout.

✔️The travel industry looks like the one that's most interested in capitalizing on #adultgapyears with plenty of information about how to travel and where to stay. A whole new sector has cropped up to help you with extended housing, travel planning, and lists of ideal #gapyear destinations so you'll have no problem figuring out what to do and where to stay.

While I don't have exact numbers, I can say for sure that #grownupgapyears are on the rise