What would you do with a Year off?

[Lyesalot]

I've recently resigned from my employment to take 6-12 months to recharge my batteries, get my health in check and figure out what I want to be doing in the future.
I have a number of things I'm looking to do with my time off - cooking, gym, reading, travel and of coarse catch up on some gaming and tv series.

Discussing this with my workmates has proved very interesting as they all had different things they would do when faced with an extended holiday. This lead me here to see your responses.

SO what would you do with your 'extended holiday'?

[nevjmac]

A year is an awfully long time to take to recharge your batteries, 1-2 months would have been sufficient, assuming that is no the only reason for taking the leave. You need to be careful you don't let it drag out or finding yourself getting depressed. You'll be surprised how many people get lost with that much time off, without a real reason for doing so.

But you would need to fill it with stuff you enjoy doing, consider it a part time retirement. What do you see yourself doing when you retire.

Myself, I would take up a hobby, I quite like making furniture so I would probably pick up a few more tools to be able to do that. Continue gaming. A bit of exploring.

[BeNZene]

This is probably a no go if you have dependants, but if I had 12 months off I'd love to do some volunteer service overseas (one option is http://www.vsa.org.nz/).  It would be a great way of getting immersed in another culture while doing something worthwhile.  Could be quite good for both body and mind depending on what you were doing.

[varkk]

Get a well kitted out campervan, fill the fuel tank and hit the road.

[private_hell]

bit of travel - more scale modelling, bit more gaming, gym, maybe learn to sail or a language

[BerG]

I'd be so bored that I'd go back to work.

[Spigalau]

Would try & tick off a couple of items on my bucket list:

1) Dive Bikini Atol
2) Dive with Manta Rays
3) Salmon fishing in Alaska

[winter]

I'd switch places with my lady so I could be a stay at home dad

[5loth]

Depends on money/living situation. It could be cheaper to fly somewhere like Mexico, Thailand, India etc. and live there for a year, and would be a great life experience.

[camy205]

I was unemployed for 4 months this year and i painted the house, played a lot of video games, did a lot of cooking and I wanted to put a bullet in my brain.

It's very boring. Just make it a month or two bro.

[Growler]

Don't shave for a whole year.

[varkk]

Add another option if money is permitting.
Fly to LA
buy a car
buy a map
Epic roadtrip!

[Kopfjaeger]

paid or unpaid ?  would make a big difference, if paid i'd start working on the bucket list if not working on the land somewhere

[Emrico1]

Need info.
1. Are you single / attached / kids?
2. Do you have funds?

Some years ago now, I sold my house and went on two around the world trips over two years. I met heaps of people on the way who perpetually travel, working and saving here and there. Some of them only had a small amount of cash when they left. The cool thing about being in a foreign country working, is that you don't care about the 'status' of your job so you can do shitty work that pays well without the feeling of judgement that you get at home.

TLDR: I'd highly reccomend it if you can get an around the world ticket and go.

[Bell]

Depends on money/living situation. It could be cheaper to fly somewhere like Mexico, Thailand, India etc. and live there for a year, and would be a great life experience.

Fully agree with this, your western wage goes fucking miles in some countries if you are taking a year off you can do awesome shit, get to know another culture, lie on the beach for months and you will spend less money than if you stayed at home for a year.

[Lias]

I'd be so bored that I'd go back to work.

This

[Lyesalot]

This is probably a no go if you have dependants, but if I had 12 months off I'd love to do some volunteer service overseas (one option is http://www.vsa.org.nz/).  It would be a great way of getting immersed in another culture while doing something worthwhile.  Could be quite good for both body and mind depending on what you were doing.

Great site. Something for me to look into! Something good for body and mind is what I'm after.
 

I'd be so bored that I'd go back to work.

Definitely a possibility. I'm hoping this time will help me decide where I want to be working or what I'd like to study. I might find myself back working in a few months.
 

I'd switch places with my lady so I could be a stay at home dad

This is surprisingly happening more and more often and I think it's a good thing! I would do the same if I had kids.
 

paid or unpaid ?  would make a big difference, if paid i'd start working on the bucket list if not working on the land somewhere

Not paid. I'm living for as long as my savings let me or until I feel like working again. I've just started creating my bucket list, untill now I hadn't really thought about it too much.
 

Depends on money/living situation. It could be cheaper to fly somewhere like Mexico, Thailand, India etc. and live there for a year, and would be a great life experience.

I'm interested in an overseas trip but I'm not sure if it's something I'd want to do on my own but then again maybe that's a reason why I should do it just to challenge myself?
The thought of being in a foreign country on my own does scare the shit out of me a wee bit especially countries that are very different.
 

Need info.
1. Are you single / attached / kids?
2. Do you have funds?

Some years ago now, I sold my house and went on two around the world trips over two years. I met heaps of people on the way who perpetually travel, working and saving here and there. Some of them only had a small amount of cash when they left. The cool thing about being in a foreign country working, is that you don't care about the 'status' of your job so you can do $#@!ty work that pays well without the feeling of judgement that you get at home.

TLDR: I'd highly reccomend it if you can get an around the world ticket and go.

No real attachments keeping me here and I have savings of around 12-15K so it really depends on how I spend it. I've been living the last 5 years pretty greedy so a lot would need to change if I want it to last or if I want to spend it on a big trip. Which is one of the reasons why I'm doing this.

[Lias]

Definitely a possibility. I'm hoping this time will help me decide where I want to be working or what I'd like to study. I might find myself back working in a few months.

I've been unemployed for 5 weeks, and I'm bored to fucking tears already.

[Bell]

Are you unemployed by choice though? IMO there a massive difference in mindset when you choose to take time off.

[Pyromanik]

I've recently resigned from my employment to take 6-12 months to recharge my batteries, get my health in check and figure out what I want to be doing in the future.
I have a number of things I'm looking to do with my time off - cooking, gym, reading, travel and of coarse catch up on some gaming and tv series.

Discussing this with my workmates has proved very interesting as they all had different things they would do when faced with an extended holiday. This lead me here to see your responses.

SO what would you do with your 'extended holiday'?

Fuck.

A lot.


In other countries if at all possible.

[Pyromanik]

In all seriousness I think I'd start a hobby project that I could monetise down the track if I wanted.
And run. Being this unfit is shit.
And travel.
And fuck. Life's all about fuck'n.

[SteddieEddie]

What most here have said, get overseas somewhere cheap and beautiful and make that 12k go a very long way.

I spent 6 months in South America and had a wonderful time, could of easily spent more time there.

This was my fav spot http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vilcabamba,_Ecuador

Or you could just stay at home and single handed keep the forums alive

[Bell]

Yea you could take Tiwakings job that is now vacant.

[Kayne]

I'd try living it out in Japan. Somewhere i've always wanted to go, see the culture of, Learn the language. I'm practically a Weeaboo.

I actually plan on doing that for 2015. Going to try learn Japanese, Become qualified end of 2014, and just try be a Sparky over there.

Or an english teacher.

Fukkit i'll make it work.

[Lyesalot]

Are you unemployed by choice though? IMO there a massive difference in mindset when you choose to take time off.

Yes I decided to leave my job to figure stuff out and see what else the world has for me. Wasn't an easy decision but I'm positive it's the right one.
 

Yea you could take Tiwakings job that is now vacant.

I'm not trained in the art of thread revival.
 

$#@!kit i'll make it work.

This is pretty much as far as my planning has gone.