Gap Year for Adults

At one point I was feeling a bit immature, shedding my life in Boulder and heading off to live as a Creative Nomad. After all, that was the kind of thing you did in your twenties, before you had things figured out. I was hoping for a regenerative effect on my work. A friend suggested that a career counselor might be a better approach.

But no! A recent article in the New York Times shows that more people (grownups!) are taking a Gap Year. They're refreshing their spirit and perspectives by shucking the routine and exploring things of interest. Susan Griffith even wrote a book about it, "Gap Years for Grownups".

Now I don't feel immature. I feel refreshed and reinvigorated. I'm not booking my ticket back to the States yet, but I now know that what I am doing is normal, trendy even. Time to go do something else.

If you were taking a Gap Year to refresh your creativity at work, home, or the studio, what would you do? Read the NY Times article for inspiration. And be sure to subscribe to the Journey Juju blog to glean inspiration from my story, firsthand.

Comments

[Laurel Kallenbach]

Oh I love the idea of the gap year! (And thanks for pointing to the NY Times article chronicling this trend.)

If I had a gap year, I would do an archaeological dig somewhere in the Mediterranean, visit the pharoah's tombs in Egypt and then just follow my nose.

Here's the rub: no one in the NY Times article mentioned having a spouse. Taking a gap year at the same time requires twice the logistical hoop-jumping. Still...anything's possible!

[Cynthia Morris]

I think the gap year is a trend we are going to see more of - think of all those laid-off people who can seize this opportunity to try something new. Of course, having a healthy financial picture helps, like no debt and not living beyond your means.

I thought the doctor in the article has a wife. I do think that a primary relationship like that would make the gap year a bit more complicated, but still doable.

Glad you liked this article!