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Whether you are looking to change careers, need a rejuvenating break from your current job or want to reexamine your life goals, a cultural career break can help you find the answers you are looking for.

Usually common amongst people from the UK, Australia and Canada, we aim to make the concept of cultural career breaks acceptable to a demographic that could gain a great deal from taking one: the American with an established career. Whether you call it a sabbatical, a gap year, or a mid-life change, it’s all the same to us; you need a break from your job.

Planning such a career break can be quite overwhelming to Americans not used to the concept. From contemplation and preparation to life on the road and returning, we are here to inspire and guide you through the career break process - using our own personal experiences and gathering experiences from other American “career breakers”.

Join us in adding “career break” to America’s vocabulary!

Featured Career Break Posts

Health Insurance for American Travelers Health Insurance for American Travelers

There are many fun steps in preparing for your career break travels, and... 

Sabbaticals and the Pursuit of Happiness Sabbaticals and the Pursuit of Happiness

Career breaks and sabbaticals are a great opportunity to quiet your mind... 

Next Steps: Turning a Passion into a Business Next Steps: Turning a Passion into a Business

We have shared many inspiring stories of Americans who have taken a career break... 

Benefits of Taking a Break Before Changing Jobs Benefits of Taking a Break Before Changing Jobs

Ready to change jobs or careers? Pamela Skillings, a successful entrepreneur,... 

Culture Shock: Language Barriers Culture Shock: Language Barriers

Many people seem hesitant about traveling to foreign countries because of language... 

Featured Career Breakers

David Lee – Realizing a Dream David Lee – Realizing a Dream

David Lee’s path to a life of travel started with a job layoff. And after... 

Amanda Pressner – Losing Myself on the Road Amanda Pressner – Losing Myself on the Road

Amanda Pressner is one of The Lost Girls, three twenty-something New Yorkers... 

Manali & Terry – Adjusting to Life on the Road Manali & Terry – Adjusting to Life on the Road

For many experiencing long-term travel for the first time, the first few... 

Brian Peters: Transitioning from Briefcase to Backpack Brian Peters: Transitioning from Briefcase to Backpack

How does one go from working a white collar 9-to-5 job to traveling around... 

Michael Bontempi: How My Career Break Helped My Career Michael Bontempi: How My Career Break Helped My Career

The decision to take my career break began in August of 2007. I had reached... 

Favorite Career Break Books, Blogs, Gear and Websites

Travel Blog Success Review Travel Blog Success Review

Think blogs are just for keeping your friends & family updated on your travels? Think again. The rise of travel bloggers has grown so much that World Hum called 2009 the “Year of the Travel Blogger”. “Sure, travel bloggers—like travel blogs—have been around for years. But this year, travel bloggers began organizing in new and increasingly... [Read more of this review]

Favorite Blog: Go Backpacking Favorite Blog: Go Backpacking

We recently highlighted David Lee’s career break, which he documented in his blog Go Backpacking. But Go Backpacking is more than just a journal of his adventures – it is a site that encourages and inspires people to independently travel abroad. And with three years of blogging and over 1,000 posts, David has a lot of great content and... [Read more of this review]

Favorite Website: TED Talks – Ideas Worth Spreading Favorite Website: TED Talks – Ideas Worth Spreading

In his recent guest post, Sabbaticals and the Pursuit of Happiness, Clive Prout makes reference to a video presentation on TED Talks given by Dr. Martin Seligman. If you don’t know what TED Talks is, you should! TED is a small nonprofit devoted to “Ideas Worth Spreading”. It started out as a conference bringing people together from the... [Read more of this review]

Favorite Gear: Stocking Stuffers Favorite Gear: Stocking Stuffers

When traveling for long periods of time, it’s essential to pack as light as possible. Here is some of our favorite travel gear that we feel is essential to add to your packing list. And as a bonus, they take up little space and make great stocking stuffers for the holidays! And by purchasing these items for you or your favorite traveler, you will... [Read more of this review]