What to do with a month off work?

January 9, 2025 4:34 PM

Looking for ideas for things that I can only do with this much time off. General advice is also welcome. I've seen the Sabbatical Project website for longer sabbaticals.

I have my first work sabbatical coming up for 30 calendar days (would include holidays and weekends). I can extend it with PTO (2 weeks) or by working remotely (also 2 weeks, and can be domestic in the US or international). I'm eligible for it starting July, but I can take it any time provided I give a 3 month notice.

I currently live in the Bay Area in California. I don't have physical disabilities and am of average fitness for someone in their 20s.

Here are some things I'm thinking about (any trips would likely be solo):
Living in a city in another country short term where I have contacts (e.g. HK or Taipei)
Esalen retreat (1-4 weeks)
Some kind of arts intensive/workshop?
Iceland trip (~10 days)
Dedicated time for hobbies (e.g. painting).
I'm not opposed to doing a combination of things on this list, but as you can see I'm having trouble coming up with ideas that span several weeks.

I know the parameters are vague... I'm looking for something restorative? In my day to day life I have a hard time prioritizing things other than work and social activities. Maybe something that gives me more perspective? My therapist said it'd be good for me to get more life experiences, for example dating more (we're not currently in session so I can't ask her for advice). I think part of the problem is I don't process events in life and just float by.

Thank you in advance!

posted by typify to Sports, Hobbies, & Recreation (9 answers total)

I do artist residencies every year, mostly international right now but there are also plenty of domestic ones. I love them. They are an arts intensive/dedicated time/living in another country short-term.

Here's a blog post I wrote about thinking through if residencies are right for you with some links to common places to find them. If you're so interested, you can also check my CV out to see the full list of residencies I've done and peruse my blog posts from any residencies you're potentially interested in by searching my blog for the relevant terms. I've done one in Iceland, for instance.
posted by vegartanipla at 4:47 PM on January 9

I think part of the problem is I don't process events in life and just float by.

Do something new every day. Or at least every week. There's no need to wait for your sabbatical time. This can be as simple and spontaneous as picking up a fruit at the grocery that you've never tried before or watching a movie that was made in a country whose film you're totally unfamiliar with, or planned like getting a ticket to the ballet or spending all day at the six flags riding coasters. The point is to make an effort on a frequent and regular basis to bring new experiences into your life. That's how you figure out who you are and what you like.

After a few months of flexing your novelty muscles and expanding your life I bet you'll have a much better idea of how you want to spend your precious and limited time off.

I've been making a conscious effort to do at least one new-to-me thing every week for years now, and I can't begin to explain how happy and fulfilled I feel every day by it. My life is so rich and I'm never bored. I can't wait until I'm retired so I can spend every day doing things I want to do instead of a stupid job. I would kill to have a sabbatical opportunity.
posted by phunniemee at 4:53 PM on January 9

Have you been to Esalen? It’s amazing. Hard to beat! You can also do a weekend there to see if you want to spend a full month.
posted by pando11 at 7:55 PM on January 9

The Coast-to-Coast walk across northern England, with sufficient breaks (such as a day off every 3-4 walking days), plus a little leisure time in Manchester before or after the voyage. I can personally attest to this as a sabbatical that takes about 3 or 3.5 weeks and can be transformative.
posted by brainwane at 8:14 PM on January 9

Japan trip (~10 days)
posted by fairmettle at 1:19 AM on January 10

If I had a free month I'd either do a long trek of some sort (the cosst-to-coast walk above sounds lovely, or the Camino in Spain or a pilgrimage route in Japan, or the long trail in Vermont) or go live in another country for a month, probably in a smaller city near the coast or in the mountains, and take a language class, shop at local markets, cook, read, go for walks, and do some sightseeing. To me this option sounds the most restorative. If I was up for something more active, I'd probably go to Europe and travel, maybe pick 4 cities and do a week in each, traveling by train inbetween. When I finished grad school I spent a month in Australia- 1 week in Sydney visiting friends, 1 week in the outback (a backpacker tour that included Uluru and Kings Canyon), 1 week in Melbourne and the great ocean road, and back to Sydney for a final week. I did it on the cheap as I didn't have a job lined up yet, staying in hostels or with my friends in Sydney and it was great.
posted by emd3737 at 4:32 AM on January 10

personally i'd sit on my ass for a month, but this is the perspective of someone who get shit for taking a single day off
posted by AlbertCalavicci at 4:33 AM on January 10

Road Trip. American National Parks are amazing, and less crowded in winter. I made a special trip to the Grand Canyon, totally worthwhile. It snowed while I was there, and with few other visitors, I could sit in solitude and enjoy the beauty. Some of the mountain parks in California are difficult to reach in winter, but There are so many great parks to visit. I traveled in a minivan with camping gear and a crate of books, as well as a small dog. I hope to do it again.
posted by theora55 at 9:24 AM on January 10

How about a freighter cruise
posted by olopua at 10:17 AM on January 10