You Can Take Six Months Off

Book excerpt: So many people dream of it; so few end up taking it: an extended Sabbatical. What would it mean to you, if you could take six months unpaid leave and dedicate this time to traveling (with your family)? You might think that this is impossible, impractical or not worthwhile. You can remove all the hurdles, including - "I would never get approval from my manager," "I can't afford it," "It's the worst timing," "I can't pull my kids out of school," "People would say I'm crazy," "I wouldn't know what to do," and "I don't know where to start." Tomer Lanis, too, is confronted with all the paralyzing reasons not to go: jobs, kids at school, a mortgaged house, two cats, no time and no budget. Nevertheless, he decides with his wife to put their jobs on hold, pull their two kids out of school and go sailing together around the Caribbean for six months. After coming back, they make two eye-opening discoveries: first, they benefit individually and collectively as a family far beyond their wildest dreams. Second, they are not lucky or unique; anybody can do it. This riveting and inspiring account weaves the dreaming and planning phases along with the defining adventures of a priceless, unpaid leave. It leaves readers in awe and three steps closer to realizing their own dreams. The author courageously tackles common dilemmas and conflicts, drawing readers to pause for reflection on their own relationships and lives. A global citizen, Tomer Lanis has been working and traveling in 78 countries in the past 24 years. Next to his career as coach, consultant and trainer in the financial industry, he teaches at the University of Applied Sciences in Business Administration, Zurich, Switzerland.