Hello and welcome to The Grown-Up Gap Year!
If you’re thinking about taking a sabbatical or a career break, then you’ve come to the right place. My name is Emily-Ann and if you’re wondering why you should trust me to help you plan your own grown up gap year, it’s because I’ve been there and done it myself!
In October 2011, on the verge of burnout, I quit my job as a journalist and set off on my very own grown up gap year. I travelled solo around the world, completing 30 things I’d always wanted to do before I turned 30. Along the way I discovered that taking a gap year in your late 20s is very different to taking one in your late teens!
However, I had the time of my life and along the way I danced a tango in Argentina, came face to face with 400 dolphins in New Zealand and got seasick during a surfing lesson in Peru. There were also a few more stressful and downright confusing moments, like when I got caught up in a rock fight in Bolivia, experienced an earthquake in Peru and became a minor local celebrity in China.
I returned home nine months later, feeling like a totally different person. That’s when I decided to set up The Grown-Up Gap Year in order to help other people who have questions about how to take a career break or sabbatical.
Since then I have continued to travel all over the world, both on solo trips and with friends and family.
Life has changed quite a lot for me over the last few years. I’m now married to Mr A and have two children, our little adventurers, who join me on my travels. As I’m no longer in a position to travel full time anymore, I’ve made it my mission to live life more adventurously. This includes buying a campervan, our beloved Bertie Dolphin (named by the little adventurers, obviously!), taking lots of microadventures and weekend breaks and continuing to visit more off the beaten track destinations, such as travelling in Albania with kids.
If you’re not in a position to quit your job or take a sabbatical, I hope my blog will still inspire you to live life adventurously in whatever way you can.
If you have any questions then please get in touch, as I love helping people to plan their trips. I’d also love to connect with you on Facebook, Instagram, X and Pinterest.
Happy travels!
Such a traveler’s spirit! I look forward to keeping up with your adventures.
Thank you! I love hearing about other people’s adventures too so I’ll be interested to hear what you’re up to.
Thank you!
My partner and I are soon to embark on our own “part 1” of several gap years (we hope!) Love this blog!
Wow, how exciting! (I may be a little bit jealous!) Look forward to hearing more about your plans.
Hi Emily! I keep coming back, so I thought I’d nominate you for a Liebster award: http://trooadventure.com/2013/02/28/the-liebster-award/
It’s a bit cheesy, but maybe some fun! Anyway, keep up the awesome work! 🙂
its so inspiring to read your blog! hats off to you for having the guts to quit your job and travel wish to do it someday!
Thank you for your kind words Ruchita. I can highly recommend it!
Hi there! I found your blog as I work with Jennifer James at Mom Bloggers for Social Good and I see you are going to Zambia with her. Looks like your blog is right up my alley! I look forward to following your blog as well as your trip! 🙂 nicole
Thanks Nicole, lovely to hear from you. I have just met Jennifer tonight and it was great to learn more about what you are doing:)
Wonderful! You sounds so awesome too! I love the whole idea around “the grown up gap year!” I love to travel too and have been lucky to be able to extensively even with kids (very supportive husband and parents who watch them). You’ve got to just go for it in life as you’ve only got one shot. Anyway, looking forward to reading more of your trip to Zambia and also about your travels too! 🙂
Definitely agree, if you love travelling you can make it work for your lifestyle. Thanks for following our trip:)
Awesome idea, this grown up gap year 😀 I loved reading the ‘It Could Only Happen to Me’ posts!! Hahaha 😀
Thanks Surya! Yes, I enjoy writing those as I always think travel mishaps make the best stories when you get home:)
Wow, your story is so inspiring and intriguing. And I hope I can take a gap year break soon… it’s been on my mind for a while now.
Thank you for your kind words. I hope you’ll be able to take one too, I highly recommend it to everyone!
Hi there. Just found your blog and it’s been a pleasure to read Thank you so much for the posts. You’re awesome!
Thanks for your kind words Michelle. I hope some of the posts were helpful. I’ve just checked out what you are planning for 2014 – what a brilliant thing to do!
Just bumped into your blog – what a great story and you have experienced so much 🙂 Happy traveling! Irene
Thanks Irene! I have been very lucky to have had so many great experiences and I’m looking forward to many more in the future:)
Wow! So excited to read about your travel adventures.. You’ve got an amazing blog here! Kudos 🙂
Thank you! Hope it’s helped to give you a few more ideas for your own adventures:)
just stumbled across your blog, looking forward to reading more 🙂
Thanks and welcome!:)
Love your blog and the concept of a grown up gap year. It’s sort of what my husband and I were going for when we moved abroad to serve with Peace Corps in Jamaica- we thought of it as a sabbatical, but now we may just keep on traveling!
Such a courageous act! Here’s to more adventures! Following your stories from here on 🙂