The Sabbatical Project: Category: Female

A tech leader goes exploring — inside and out.

“My sabbatical gave me the space to explore my passions and really identify my life purpose. It has changed the whole trajectory of my life.”

A nonprofit leader steps away to heal and choose how (or if) she wants to return to her dream job.

“My hope was that by stepping away, when I came back, I would actually be choosing this again, as opposed to it just happening to me.”

A one year sabbatical to learn and live intentionally while touring around the world with her husband.

“The sabbatical didn’t change my mind on what I wanted to spend my time doing. It gave me clarity and courage to move in the direction I always was trying to move in.”

“I remember like getting back on that plane and thinking, ‘Oh, I’ll never be the same person again.’”

A medical device marketer quits to pursue her lifelong dream job at age 40.

“I realized that my entire self-worth was based on external validation. I’ve had to reprogram. I now see success as the amount of joy something brings me.”

A Singaporean consultant seeks recovery and self-knowledge.

“I feel the ability to be really courageous and brave…I felt like it enabled me to be a stronger person, both mentally and also in terms of my experience.”

A journalist takes nine months away from work to write her memoir.

“There’s a story that’s been inside me for a while; I needed to write this book to keep living.”