The Gap Year Movement®

Author: Amy

  • Signs Your Body Is Begging for a Pause: The Burnout Signs I Ignored

    Signs Your Body Is Begging for a Pause: The Burnout Signs I Ignored

    If you’re seeing yourself in the list below, first of all, I’m so sorry. It’s an awful feeling, with a lot of downstream impact on health, relationships and overall wellbeing. Second, it’s completely fixable. No one is stuck in a role, a company or an industry.

    This isn’t really about tears. It’s about your body signaling that something is not right. Here are the signals I ignored, what each one looked like for me, and exactly what to do when they show up. (I’m not a doctor. If something feels off physically, get it checked too.)

    The early warning signs

    There are so many signs. Usually it starts with the Sunday scaries, or the Monday blues, or the slug feeling driving home from work. You know if you’ve been there. You feel bad, grouchy, dug into a rut. Not living your best life.

    The signs

    1. Your body does something you didn’t ask it to (mine: tears)

    For the two or three months before I decided to leave, my eyes welled up with big tears every morning while I put on my makeup. I was usually doing my makeup while drinking coffee, on a morning conference call and answering “my dog had diarrhea so I can’t come in today” texts. There were so many tears it was hard to get the makeup to stay on my face. Most of the time I didn’t feel like I was crying. The tears just flowed. I had to ignore them to get the work done, but it became more impossible with each passing day. It’s like my body was shouting that this was no good for us.

    What to do: notice that it’s happening every day. That’s what the tears did for me: they pushed me to notice what was happening.

    2. Stomach aches, nausea, general unease

    Mine came with the tears, the physical unrest that showed up every single morning I tried to get ready for work. “If I only knew then what I know now about how your body sends you messages…” They’re important clues.

    What to do: don’t write it off. Use the body check-in below and ask your body what it means.

    3. The Sunday scaries

    They’re real. It feels like shit randomly when you think about work on a Saturday, and then Sunday feels sad because it’s almost over. For contrast: new life feels like endless weekend.

    What to do: when it hits, ask your body what it’s trying to tell you by sending stomach aches on Sundays. Then listen.

    4. You envy jobs that look stress-free

    I once told a friend I was sometimes jealous of the guys picking up trash on the side of the freeway, because at least they didn’t seem to have any stress at work. She’d had the same thought.

    What to do: ask yourself three questions. What is creating your stress? Can you change it? How?

    5. No room for basic needs

    My calendar was so packed I couldn’t even sneak a bathroom break sometimes.

    What to do: absolutely take care of yourself first. Excuse yourself when you need to hit the Ladies, and/or end meetings 5 minutes before the hour so you have a reasonable amount of time to take care of your body. 10 if you’re really cool.

    6. You tasted freedom and can’t un-know it

    Working from home in the pandemic, I could do my role and still make lunch, go to the gym every day and step outside between calls. When everyone was called back to the office, something in me broke. Once you taste freedom, you can’t pretend you don’t know what it feels like.

    What to do: if it feels that way, trust it. If you feel bad or need a change physically, trust the wisdom in your body and make a change.

    What to do when the signs show up

    Tall evergreens and ferns on a quiet forest trail

    Breathe for 2 minutes

    Stop, give yourself a break, and deep breathe for two minutes. It’s miraculous what a handful of deep breaths can do for a stressed-out or bad mood.

    Free write for 5 minutes

    Jot down the question: What is happening that is creating these feelings for me? Then write whatever comes to mind for five full minutes. Don’t stop, even if all you write is “I’m not sure what to be writing” or “this is really hard.” More ideas will come, and they’ll help you see what’s specifically causing the stress.

    Ask your body what it’s telling you

    Sit somewhere quiet. Connect to the earth through your feet or sit bones. Breathe deeply 3–5 times. Then ask your body what it’s trying to tell you: what does it mean by sending tears, or stomach aches on Sundays? Stay quiet and listen. Jot down whatever pops up, thoughts, sensations, feelings. They all matter and tell a story. Do this whenever the feelings come up and you’ll build a deep trust with your body and start to receive more information.

    Ground before you leave the house

    A quiet garden path lined with tropical plants in Costa Rica

    My daily version: three deep breaths in the hallway with my eyes closed. I feel a deep connection to the ground beneath my feet. I fill up my energy when needed, a buffer for the outer world, entirely from within. Then a quick prayer to Source for a magical day full of love “for me and all those I make contact with that day, or better.” There are many ways to do this. Try it.

    Then decide with logic

    The tears pushed me to notice. The decision was made with rational logic, so of course money set the timing. (Here’s how I planned the money.) Like most people, I had no idea a pause was an option until that point.

    You don’t have to quit tomorrow. I resigned in October 2023, and the getting-ready tears stopped after that. I knew I was leaving, so the mornings weren’t so dreadful anymore. In January 2024, on day bajillion of unreasonable requests, with too many direct reports and zero help, I shut my laptop mid-meeting and called my boss. It was final, it was bold, and it was true.

    The signals don’t just switch off

    Once your body has your attention, it keeps sending signals. For me it’s still tears. For months after, the tears would find me in random places doing random things. For a while it was a few times a day, now it’s every couple of days or so: sitting at a bar or restaurant, in the car, on an airplane. When your body finally finds a way to get your attention, she keeps using it.

    I’m very sensitive to the energy around me now, so I work on grounding before I ever leave the house. And the tears are still an indicator that shouts “pay attention!” to me. Now I listen.

    Not sure what your signs are pointing toward? Take the free Soul-Pull Assessment, or talk it through on a free Clarity Call.

    xoxo Amy 🤎

    If your body’s been doing all the shouting, give it something gentler to do. The free Nervous System Reset is a few small practices for coming back down. No overhaul required.

    Get the Nervous System Reset (free)

    Still on the fence? The free 20-minute Clarity Call I mentioned above is still open.

    Related: First Weeks of a Career Break: Still Waking Up Sure You’re Late? and How to Plan a Career Break You Can Actually Afford

  • How to Celebrate Walking Away From a 25-Year Career

    How to Celebrate Walking Away From a 25-Year Career

    Twenty-five years. A real career. It was real work, it was awesome, it taught me a ton, and it introduced me to tons of cool people. Then this one big beautiful life opened up the next chapter, and I said yes.

    Here are the ways I’d celebrate leaving a long career, then a few reflection prompts to close it out well.

    Ways to celebrate

    1. Book the celebration dinner, that night

    Amy and Mason toasting with red wine at her celebration dinner

    In January 2024 I shut my laptop mid-meeting and called my boss. It was final, it was bold, and it was true. That same night Mason and I celebrated my career transition with a fancy date-night steak and wine dinner. It felt so good to get out of that mess and step toward time with Mason, time for me and whatever came next. When people ask how I pulled it off, the answer is “I just did it, maaaan,” after I planned and made sure it worked, of course. Don’t wait for a better time. Pick a place and toast to where you’re headed.

    2. Celebrate the people you led

    I’m most proud of all the super cool, talented, and dope-ass people I was fortunate enough to lead during my career. THEY were awesome. The corporate BS was not. Hope they feel the love always. Write down the people you’re proudest to have led or worked with. Then tell them. A text, a note, a coffee. Let them feel the love too.

    3. Write a gratitude list, including the hard people

    I’m grateful for the colleagues I loved, and also for the people I worked with who were not kind. They all played a role as secondary characters in the screenplay of my life. Write both lists.

    4. Do a symbolic delete

    One of my first acts of freedom was deleting LinkedIn and my ever-loving corporate profile. It was plainly just no longer who I was. Pick your version.

    5. Notice what fades

    The early-morning texts stop. The jargon goes too: two friends asked about my CTAs, and I had no idea what they meant. My gap year brain had officially unsubscribed from the business jargon newsletter. Write these down. They’re wins.

    6. Celebrate body wins

    Amy deadlifting a loaded barbell

    Rest first, then the wins come: my first chin-up, a lifetime PR on front-rack weighted lunges with zero knee pain. Celebrate yours out loud.

    7. Book your first “yes”

    Amy on a balcony overlooking the mountains in Innsbruck

    My first big booking was the CrossFit Level 1 in Nashville. We made it a vacay, and I passed. Put one thing on the calendar that’s purely for the new you.

    8. One bit of practical housekeeping

    If your employer asks you to stay on for a retention payment, have an employment attorney review it before you accept. I didn’t, and it wasn’t worth it. You’ll celebrate more freely without a bad deal hanging over you.

    Reflection prompts for leaving a long career

    Give yourself 10–20 minutes per prompt and write freely. Your answers will change, and that’s fine.

    • What achievements are you most proud of, and how have they shaped the wisdom you carry now?
    • What parts of your old success story no longer feel energizing? What are you ready to release with gratitude?
    • Describe a time you felt truly alive and fulfilled. What made it so magnetic?
    • Who are you without the title? (I was more worried about this than the money.)
    • Write a short letter from your future self, 6–12 months ahead, thanking you for taking this pause.
    • What single word or short phrase wants to guide this next season?

    These come from my free Vision Prompts. If you want a starting point for what comes next, take the free Soul-Pull Assessment, and if you like writing it out, the $19 Intentional Pause Workbook has thirty days of pages.

    Congratulations on choosing to live life. 🤎

    You walked away from 25 years. You’re allowed to dream a little out loud about what’s next. My free Vision Prompts give you somewhere to start.

    Get the Vision Prompts (free)

    And if you’d like company while you figure it out, book a free 20-minute Clarity Call on Zoom.

    Related: How to Plan a Career Break You Can Actually Afford and A Midlife Career Change Isn’t Quitting on Life

  • A Midlife Career Change Isn’t Quitting on Life. It’s Quitting the Absurd Parts.

    A Midlife Career Change Isn’t Quitting on Life. It’s Quitting the Absurd Parts.

    People thought I was having a midlife crisis. I was actually having a midlife clarity.

    When I made my pivot after 25 years at two large investment firms, I wasn’t quitting on life, success, fame and fortune. I quit stressing over a job that advanced someone else’s goals. All those good things still exist for me in my new work as an aligned life sherpa, and they’re more magical now.

    If you’re thinking about a career pivot at 45 or 50, here are the life design steps I’d walk you through.

    Step 1: Separate who you are from your title

    Amy with her former corporate team at the Fearless Girl statue

    Before I resigned, I was more worried about who I was without a big fat cool corporate title than about the money. I had cringingly made my job a big part of my personality, like most folks in corporate do. Write down who you are when nobody’s asking what you do. For 25 years I’d been Corporate Amy and Mom Amy, and even my family didn’t know how much I loved reading, writing, languages, lifting and new foods.

    Step 2: Go back to what you loved as a kid

    As a kid I scribbled tales about talking zebras and reports on faraway lands, and my parents lovingly called my chattiness “diarrhea of the mouth.” Words carried me from corporate communicator to gap-year blogger.

    Try this: jot down a 5-minute stream-of-consciousness about something you love. No editing, just flow. What pops up? That’s your soul waving hello.

    Then this: write down five things you loved at 9, and notice which ones still light you up.

    Step 3: Do a daydream exercise

    Daydream exercises are sooo important. I did them, and I still use them.

    1. Grab a journal. Write down 10 “if I could just walk away” daydreams. No filter.
    2. Sort them into rest, reflection and exploration.
    3. Pick one and picture a full day of it. Where do you wake up? What do you smell, hear, do?
    4. Keep an eye out for the little cosmic winks. They show up more than you’d think.

    These days I do mine more in a meditative way: eyes closed, breathing slow, letting the daydream unfold.

    Step 4: Test the “obvious” next plan before you commit

    I resigned in October 2023 to start a corporate coaching business. About three months in, I realized most of my clients would be the same persona I already had 25 years of experience with, and it felt like a bad plan for my nervous system. So in January 2024 I shut my laptop mid-meeting and called my boss. Pause was the answer, and reflection would show the next path. It was terrifying at first not having a plan, then exhilarating. If your body says no to the obvious next thing, listen.

    Step 5: Follow the play

    Amy and Mason in astronaut suits at Kennedy Space Center

    What you do for fun is data. Dedicate one hour this week to a passion with no pressure to achieve anything. For me, baking batch after batch turned into plans for Any Way You Knead It, a micro bakery, and representing KORBOARD at a Spartan race put me “right in the middle of happy, motivated humans.” Neither was a plan. Both started as play.

    Step 6: Build weekly rhythms that prove the new life

    We hike midweek, every week, because our schedules let us and the trails are empty. A rhythm like that is how you know the new life is real and not just a long vacation.

    Step 7: Treat your body as a partner

    Amy lifting a barbell overhead at the gym

    When I committed to my pause, I decided my body would be a trusted partner on the journey, not a limitation. Today that looks like my first chin-up, a 200 lb hexbar deadlift for 5 and a 125 lb power clean. Your next chapter has to feel good to live in.

    Step 8: Plan, then leave space

    I planned first, then planned again, then slept on it for weeks. And I still left room for the next path to show up. Do both.

    Where I start with coaching clients

    When I work with someone, we talk about what drew them to the decision, what’s happening in their life, what their body is telling them, and the messages they get repeatedly from the universe. A variety of things to get at the root of their drive for the break. Start there yourself, or book a free Clarity Call and we’ll do it together.

    The book coming in 2027 goes deep on all of this. Get on the book list.

    xoxo Amy 🤎

    You don’t need a five-year plan to quit the absurd parts. Start with the free Soul-Pull Assessment and see what’s actually tugging at you.

    Take the Soul-Pull Assessment (free)

    Then, if you want, bring what you find to that free 20-minute Clarity Call. No pitch, just us and Zoom.

    Related: Adult Gap Year Ideas: Career Break Travel for When a Vacation Isn’t Enough and How to Plan a Career Break You Can Actually Afford

  • Slow Travel on a Career Break: 3 Weeks in Thailand That Felt Like 3 Months

    Slow Travel on a Career Break: 3 Weeks in Thailand That Felt Like 3 Months

    In month 4 of my adult gap year, Mason and I spent three weeks in Thailand, and it felt like a three-month trip. Here’s how to plan travel that slows time down, with our route as the example.

    My three slow-travel rules

    1. Make a loose plan, so your trip has some adventure and learning in it.
    2. Don’t overbook. Only one plan per day, so life can unfold or you can relax the rest of the day.
    3. Learn local. Do something where you learn local customs or traditions, eat local food and meet local people.

    Tip 1: Fewer bases, longer stays

    A temple on Koh Samui

    Our route: Bangkok for 2 nights, Hua Hin for 11 days, Koh Samui for 7, then back to Bangkok. The flights there are so long that we wanted a long trip and to lean in to the culture. Bangkok was the flight hub, so we gave it a couple of nights to explore when we landed. (We arrived at 2:30 am and it was bumping outside. Big, bright, loud, busy at all hours. It was wild.)

    Tip 2: Build the trip around something you love

    Amy getting her hands wrapped by a trainer before Muay Thai at Elite Fight Club in Hua Hin
    Open-air Muay Thai gym at Elite Fight Club, Hua Hin

    Hua Hin was our hangout for 11 days because Mason had been following a gym there and wanted to visit. It’s how we built the whole trip. It was a CrossFit and Muay Thai gym, so we did both. My first Muay Thai session at Elite Fight Club made me feel completely alive.

    Tip 3: Use your routine to meet people

    Training at the same gym day after day, we built relationships with the team and other athletes and made great friends from all over the world. A routine turns you from a tourist into a regular.

    Tip 4: Be honest about how you actually travel

    Koh Samui was supposed to be the lay-on-the-beach relax place, but we aren’t great at that lol. We’re both kind of party animals and like to be active. So we walked everywhere, went to Muay Thai fights at Phetchbuncha Stadium, found cool bars and restaurants, and trained at another gym, PunchIt. Plan for the travelers you are, not the ones on the brochure.

    Tip 5: Eat where you are

    Thai dishes and Chang beer on a street-side table

    In Bangkok the food was incredible, ready fast and available everywhere. We wandered night markets for som tam and khao soi, and yes, mango sticky rice.

    Tip 6: Make room for the small moments

    Amy and Mason with an elephant at Monsoon Valley Winery, Hua Hin

    We visited temples in Bangkok, near Hua Hin and on Koh Samui. There was a rainy elephant banana feeding at Monsoon Valley Winery that still makes me tear up. At the Hua Hin Marriott bar I Googled Chuck Norris’s age and got “2483,” which is how I learned Thailand counts years from the Buddha’s passing. And a fruit seller in a market looked at my face and said, “You are carrying too much.” These only happen when you’re not rushing to the next thing.

    Tip 7: Bring the pace home

    I’d like to try Muay Thai again, though I’m not sure it’ll stick (and I don’t want to fight or spar). What did stick is the slower pace: we now take a midweek hike every week.

    Want to map a slow route with your time and budget? The Scenic Route Planner is built for that. And if you’d like to travel slow with us, join the Getaways waitlist.

    xoxo Amy 🤎

    Wondering where your version of Thailand is? Destination Discovery is free, and it’s a treasure map, not a packing list: follow the pull and find the place that makes you feel like you again.

    Get Destination Discovery (free)

    Or talk your someday-trip through on a free 20-minute Clarity Call on Zoom.

    Related: Adult Gap Year Ideas: Career Break Travel for When a Vacation Isn’t Enough and How to Plan a Career Break You Can Actually Afford

  • First Weeks of a Career Break: Still Waking Up Sure You’re Late?

    First Weeks of a Career Break: Still Waking Up Sure You’re Late?

    My first morning of freedom, I sat bolt upright at 6:30am, sure I was late for a video conference. There was no meeting. It kept happening for weeks, so often it started to piss me off (lol).

    If your body hasn’t gotten the memo yet either, here’s what actually helped me in the first weeks, in roughly the order I’d do it.

    1. Expect the jolt, then go back to sleep

    That first morning I was able to go back to sleep, and I slept until 8. The jolt still showed up now and then in month 3. It’s normal. Roll over.

    2. Make day one ceremonious

    Mine: coffee leisurely on the patio, a jog to the noon CrossFit class, extra accessory work, jog home, a stir fry lunch with my amazing husband, then a nap. I was exhausted from all the years of being on edge and felt all of it. Taking care of myself slowly felt like a ceremonious way to honor all I’d survived. Plan your own version.

    3. Build a few daily basics

    Amy cooking in her kitchen on a slow weekday
    • Meditation, for sure.
    • Early bedtimes, and sleep as late as you want. I always wake right around sunrise, regardless of season. Seems like nature might want it this way.
    • Gym and movement every day. Non-negotiable for me. It makes your body feel good and strengthens it for longevity.
    • Home-cooked food and as much time outside as possible.
    • Ground before you leave the house. Three deep breaths in the hallway with my eyes closed, feeling the ground under my feet. (More on this in my burnout signs post.)

    4. Make three lists that are NOT your old job

    Places you want to go. Activities you want to try. Things you want to learn that are decidedly NOT finance (or whatever your thing was). It gave me things to look forward to and a game plan for my time.

    5. Don’t turn the pause into a job

    I did all of it: checked email, made to-do lists for everything, filled every hour so I wasn’t “wasting time.” If you catch yourself doing that, put one thing down.

    6. Let go of the guilt

    Spending hours on my health felt important and indulgent at the same time, and I thought I should be figuring out how we’d live without a traditional job ASAP. Then I saw that years of stress had crushed my nervous system. Rest was necessary to heal.

    7. Enjoy the quiet phone, and do one act of freedom

    Morning coffee with the cat, no meetings on the calendar

    The early-morning texts stopped. No one needs your permission to do anything, and YOU no longer need permission from anyone either. That’s even more freeing. One of my first acts of freedom was deleting LinkedIn. It was plainly just no longer who I was.

    8. Say yes to something new

    Amy's German language workbook on the table

    Our first week off, we invested in a racehorse with a few friends. We met the coolest people and learned how regional horse racing works. Be open to new ways to learn and meet people.

    Amy and Mason at the Martinez Racing barn

    9. Notice who gets it

    Mason was all in, and my dad got it right away. Some friends kept asking why I couldn’t “just stick it out a few more years.” Yikes! Expect a mix.

    10. Give it about three months

    It took me nearly three months to finally relax my shoulders. By month 3 I felt good, with time to work out often and enjoy a Tuesday on the patio with a good book. Time freedom isn’t always a beach. Most often it’s a regular Tuesday.

    A few permission slips (I recommend these with my whole chest)

    Slow down and just relax. Savor what it feels like to live and enjoy life instead of performing a role at the office. Get outside. Listen to your body in a new, more loving way than in the career days.

    Grab the free guide You’re Not Late for the Meeting for the first 90 days. If you want pages to write in, the $19 Intentional Pause Workbook has thirty days of them.

    Congratulations on choosing to live life. 🤎

    Still waking up sure you’re late for a meeting that doesn’t exist? You’re Not Late for the Meeting is my free guide to the first 90 days, for when your body hasn’t gotten the memo yet.

    Send me the free guide

    And if you want a human to talk it through with, grab a free 20-minute Clarity Call on Zoom.

    Related: How to Plan a Career Break You Can Actually Afford and Adult Gap Year Ideas: Career Break Travel for When a Vacation Isn’t Enough

  • How to Plan a Career Break You Can Actually Afford

    How to Plan a Career Break You Can Actually Afford

    The good news: the math isn’t difficult. Here’s the step-by-step I used after 25 years in finance, plus the parts nobody puts in a spreadsheet. This is what worked for me, not financial advice, so check your own situation.

    Step 1: Know exactly what you spend every month

    You first have to figure out exactly how much you spend monthly. I knew my monthly figures inside and out. (How can you not as an adult?) Break it into three numbers:

    • Your floor: necessary expenses. For me that was housing, food, utilities and the gym (“1000% this is a necessary expense”).
    • Your current spending: what you actually spend now.
    • Your break spending: what you’ll spend while you’re away from income. I mapped how much travel I wanted to do and the likely costs of several trips, not skimping on travel.

    Don’t forget health care. I go self-pay for the visits I need, and cash prices are often much lower. Decide if that works for your circumstances.

    Step 2: Do the runway math

    The math is the sum you have saved divided by your monthly expenses. That gives you the number of months you can live on your savings at your current expense level.

    There are no right or wrong answers here, just math facts. Everyone’s scenario will be different and that’s ok. Once you see the number, you can decide whether to change your monthly expenses or not. “It’s all a math equation that you can make work if you know what goes into it.”

    Step 3: Save 1.5–2x what you think you’ll need

    Estimate your break expenses, then save 1.5 to 2 times that. It’s my honest peace-of-mind tip, because things cost more than you planned.

    Step 4: Pick two numbers: a goal and a cushion

    I aimed for 12 months initially and knew I could weather at least 36. The goal keeps you planning. The cushion lets you sleep. Early saving habits were a hero for me here, and so was a home I bought mid-divorce that paid off in spades.

    Step 5: Talk money with your partner for 2–3 months

    Amy and her partner Mason smiling together outdoors

    Mason and I talked about money for two or three months before I decided to bounce: coffee talks, late-night chats, and the 1.5-mile walk home from our daily CrossFit workout. What to cover:

    • Their perspective and feelings. My decision had direct impact on him and his future, as did his own move to being a fitness entrepreneur. We make decisions as a team, so it mattered that we made a joint decision and felt great about it.
    • The numbers, together, several times. So we both understood them, I hadn’t made any math mistakes, and we both felt good about what we were looking at.
    • Daily life and big goals. We talked about the daily activities that mattered (gym and overall health, learning, adventuring near and far, trying new things) and the bigger goals the pause would help us track toward. That gave us a daily rhythm without over-planning our lives, wasting them, or getting on each other’s nerves.

    Step 6: Plan, re-plan, sleep on it

    The Scenic Route Planner on a tablet beside a cup of tea

    “Def planned first, then planned again, then slept on it for weeeeeks.” I never once planned to quit with no plan. I resigned in October 2023 with the numbers done.

    Step 7: Name your fallback

    Mine: if things really shit the bed, I could go down to the local Burger King, get a job, and be managing the team by the end of the week. Half joke, whole confidence. Know what your Plan B is.

    Step 8: Get any retention offer reviewed by an employment attorney

    When I resigned, I was asked to stay until the end of April 2024 and offered a large sum to do it. I said yes without having an employment attorney review it. They would have told me there was nothing in it to protect me. The experience was so awful that I ended my end of the deal in January 2024: I shut my laptop mid-meeting and called my boss. If you’re offered a stay-on deal, get it reviewed before you sign.

    Step 9: Thinking about a sabbatical instead? Be honest with yourself

    You could totally do it, and I understand why some people do. For me it wouldn’t have worked: there was no seat at that firm, or anywhere in corporate America, that I could have returned to and found happiness and fulfillment. My lean is that it won’t be a long-term solution for most people. If you go that way, make sure you return to a different project with a new team. The free How to Ask for a Sabbatical guide is the type of ask I’d have entertained as an approver.

    When the numbers say yes and your body still says panic

    The thing that took weeks and months was that I was unsure about the money, even though I shouldn’t have been. We had been fine and would be fine for YEARS, but the message in my body was still panic. Then I realized corporate America is good at making you feel like you NEED them to survive. That’s when I knew we’d be just fine.

    My perspective (not advice): I’m not saying don’t save. Saving is what let me take the leap. But not seeing your money as a resource to fund your life, dreams and goals is a narrow way to look at it. It’s your money, and it’s a resource for you to use to live your best life.

    Want to map your runway next to your time off and habits? The Scenic Route Planner has a “can I afford this chapter?” money snapshot. Or talk it through with me on a free Clarity Call.

    xoxo Amy 🤎

    Maybe the break you can afford is the one your job pays you to come back from. The Ask is my free guide to asking for a sabbatical without groveling or burning a bridge.

    Get The Ask (free)

    Want to rehearse it with someone? That’s a fine use of a free 20-minute Clarity Call.

    Related: Adult Gap Year Ideas: Career Break Travel for When a Vacation Isn’t Enough

  • Adult Gap Year Ideas: Career Break Travel for When a Vacation Isn’t Enough

    Adult Gap Year Ideas: Career Break Travel for When a Vacation Isn’t Enough

    When a week of PTO stops fixing anything, you’re ready for bigger ideas. Here are the ones I’d hand a friend, from my own pause after 25 years leading sales teams at two large investment firms.

    One thing first: “We can give ideas from our experience, but the place isn’t the point. It’s the exploration and the focus on transformative learning.” Read every idea below as an example. Steal the learning, swap the location.

    Start here: how long should an adult gap year be?

    My advice is take at least a year if you can swing it. There’s no reason to rush back to a performative role, industry or position because you didn’t take a long enough break to understand why you needed one in the first place.

    Your nervous system takes time to calm down. It took me nearly three months to finally feel like I could relax my shoulders. So whatever length you pick, plan to spend the first stretch just resting. It’s all about what you need and what you can afford. No right or wrong approach.

    Can’t do a full year? Figure out what timeline is possible and maximize it, or save more until the full year is possible. It’s just a math equation. Make it work for your situation and goals.

    Travel ideas

    1. Walk a coastline in sections

    Forest stairs on a section of the Oregon Coast Trail

    Pick a trail you can do a few days at a time. In September 2024 Mason and I did three days of the Oregon Coast Trail: Astoria to the McMenamins Gearhart Hotel (eight miles of flat beach), then Seaside, then Cannon Beach. On that trip a Hertz agent recommended two Isabel Allende books, Uncle Sean told us, “extend trust, and you’ll receive in abundance,” and the girl who couldn’t stand seafood ate crab cakes, halibut and salmon.

    2. Linger somewhere without a deadline

    Give one place enough time that you’re not racing a checklist. Our March 2025 anniversary trip was 10 days: Dublin, the train to Cork to surprise my sister and friends for St. Patrick’s Day, then Barcelona and the speed train to Madrid. Sitting in Ireland hearing locals’ pub stories “without a deadline” gave me clarity no office could offer.

    3. Build a trip around something you love doing

    Our three weeks in Thailand were built around one gym in Hua Hin that Mason had been following. A trip anchored to an activity gives you a routine, people to meet and a reason to stay put. (Full how-to in my slow travel post.)

    4. Expect the plan to break

    In Germany we got on a train with the same number as ours, after they’d moved and delayed it, and found out two stops later it was going the opposite direction. Three hours back to Munich, new tickets, arrived at five in the morning. I practiced my German buying beer from the lady on the train, and we had the most delicious Indian food. Tip: “Turns out there’s two apps that you need to have, not just one.” We were using Eurail, and for Germany, DB Navigator to double-check everything was still accurate. Have both.

    Learning ideas

    5. Learn something with zero résumé value

    With wide-open time I made a “wild” list: a beginner harmonica course, real-estate courses, my CrossFit Level 1, herbalist certification and sound healing. My first real “this is my new life” booking was the CF-L1 in Nashville. We made it a vacay and spent most of the weekend learning and fitnessing. I passed.

    6. Be a beginner at a sport somewhere new

    Amy lifting a barbell at the gym

    I tried Muay Thai in Hua Hin and at PunchIt on Koh Samui. Being the newbie in a gym abroad is humbling and a fast way to make friends.

    7. Go to a retreat for the people

    Sunset yoga at a retreat in Costa Rica

    The last night of a Costa Rica retreat, we talked about life, meditation, past lives, books and movies until late. The next morning we traded book recommendations and IG handles. I still have a circle of cheerleaders from that group.

    Rhythm ideas (for home)

    8. Say yes to the odd opportunity

    Our first week off, we invested in a racehorse with a few friends. I was open to the universe handing out new ways to learn and meet new people, “and boy did it deliver.” Honky Tonk Hero raced mostly out of Turf Paradise in Phoenix.

    9. Make a weekly midweek adventure

    Weekly hikes are our new normal: new-to-us trails around town, Sedona, Flagstaff, Tucson. We go midweek because we can, and there are no crowds. “I leave the trails to folks that are stuck in the grind M-F and really need the space on the weekends. 😎”

    How to choose your ideas

    Ask what you want to learn, then pick the place or activity that teaches it. Make a list of places to go, things to try and things to learn that are decidedly NOT your old job. That list is your starting menu.

    If you want help turning ideas into an actual route and budget, the Scenic Route Planner is where I’d start. Not sure what you even need from a pause? The free Soul-Pull Assessment takes the guesswork out. More at The Gap Year Movement.

    xoxo Amy 🤎

    Not sure where the pull is coming from yet? Destination Discovery is a free treasure map, not a packing list: follow the pull, near home or across the world, and see what it points to.

    Get Destination Discovery (free)

    If you’d rather think out loud, a free 20-minute Clarity Call on Zoom is there too.

  • Sabbatical Learning: How New Skills & Certifications 10x’d My Life

    Sabbatical Learning: How New Skills & Certifications 10x’d My Life

    Trainer, Herbalist, Sound Healer & More: How Learning New Things 10x’d My Gap Year (and My Life)

    Learning new things is one of the fastest ways to 10x your impact on the world. It’s fun, makes you smarter, introduces you to fresh ways of thinking, and hopefully some seriously rad new people.

    After I sailed off into the sunset on my gap year, I suddenly had this beautiful stretch of free time. No more packed schedule—just space to explore everything I’d always wanted to dive into. So I made a list. And boy, was it a wild one.

    Some items were pure joy, like a beginner harmonica course I’d daydreamed about for years. Others were practical, like real estate and small business investing courses to help me navigate this new chapter of financial freedom. But deep down, I knew coaching would still be part of my future. I’d spent most of my career doing it, and now I wanted to evolve those skills in completely new, holistic directions.

    A Wild Sabbatical Learning List

    When the gapping kicked off, my days opened up in the best way. I was working out a ton at our local CrossFit gym with all this new free time, and I wanted to get really good at it. I wanted to learn more about the methodology that is behind the sport and how to perform and coach the main lifts and movements. That’s when the Level 1 course in Nashville was scheduled.

    sabbatical learning is pictured as a group of athletes posing for the camera at CrossFit Nashville after completing their Level 1 course

    Earning My CrossFit Level 1 in Nashville

    What an awesome experience! Not only did I pass the exam and earn my CF-L1 along with my husband and BFF, but I met some of the coolest people (including folks who work for CrossFit and pop up on TV during the Games). I soaked up so much about nutrition, fitness, wellness, and the joy of moving large loads quickly over long distances. It felt empowering—like leveling up my body and my confidence at the same time.

    This wasn’t just about getting fitter. It was about proving to myself that I could step into new spaces, learn challenging material, and come out stronger on the other side. That energy carried into everything else I pursued.

    Becoming a Certified Herbalist & Falling in Love with Botany

    Botany quickly became a new obsession. I got certified as an herbalist and started making my own salves, balms, and even natural mosquito repellents. Staying toxin-free while creating things that actually work feels incredibly rewarding. Gardening came right along with it, and now I’m eyeing full botany programs. Why not? Plants are our partners in this life on Earth—they heal us, feed us, and teach us so much if we slow down and pay attention. Did you know that a houseplant can see the color of your shirt?

    sabbatical learning is pictured as sprigs of fresh basil sitting on a cutting board in the morning sunlight

    Emotion Codes: Finally Listening to My Body

    One of the most transformative experiences was taking an Emotion Codes course with my healer friend Jenna from Surya Yoga. Through the course and some powerful 1:1 coaching, I finally learned how to actually feel emotions in my body and listen to the messages they were sending.

    For the first time, I let emotions arise, sit with them, watch them move through me, and then release. It was enchanting, powerful, and confidence-building. I started thinking of my body as my truest partner and only real home in this world. Why hadn’t I been treating her with the same love, respect, and generosity I give my kids, husband, or best friends?

    This is a topic I’ll definitely explore more in future posts. We need to teach our children (and remind ourselves) how to feel emotions fully and understand what they’re trying to tell us.

    Sound Healing: When Music Becomes Medicine

    Did you know sound can literally help heal the body? I dove deep here—reading books, attending sound healing experiences, and completing a certification course. I explored music, crystal singing bowls, and neural beats created for focus, work, and creative pursuits. There’s something magical about lying on your mat as vibrations wash over you. It’s like the sound tunes your whole system back into harmony.

    crystal singing bowls in a well lit glass case at the Surya Yoga Studio

    Learning Languages: On My Way to Polyglot Status

    I’m actively learning German and Spanish, with big dreams of becoming a polyglot (3-5+ languages). Learning a new language is one of the best ways to expand your brain and your ability to engage with the world.

    It literally builds new neural pathways. You gain fresh ways to connect with millions of people—new words, idioms, jokes, and understandings. You experience that beautiful frustration of knowing exactly what you want to say but not quite having the words yet. That builds empathy and patience. You meet fellow learners of all ages and backgrounds. It’s humbling and connecting.

    One of my favorite stories is visiting a CrossFit gym in Austria while we were on vacation. The coach was from Spain and a native Spanish speaker, he was coaching the class in German (since we were in Austria), and would check in on us in English to make sure I was keeping up with his German instructions and translating correctly for Mason. He was impressive!

    Another good one was when I told a waiter at our hotel I was ‘full’ in German. He quickly corrected my use of the word and said I was saying that I was pregnant! Well I guess it translates directly, but definitely not what I meant.

    When you’re in the thick of language learning, little cultural and linguistic lightbulbs go off constantly. It’s such a gift.

    sabbatical learning is pictured as 2 gorgeous beers sitting on an outdoor patio table in an alley in Fussen, Germany. German writing on the glasses.

    Following the Breadcrumbs: How to Chase What Lights You Up

    Here’s the big takeaway: Pay attention to your desires. Follow the breadcrumbs. Every new activity or step you take toward what genuinely interests you opens up more of the world. Your only job is to stay curious and notice what excites you next.

    It’s all an energetic pull. When you follow what brings you joy, you attract more joy, incredible people, opportunities, and abundance in so many forms. This is the heart of the gap year movement—creating space to listen to yourself and bravely step toward what calls you.

    sunrise at the cruise terminal in the Bahamas; sun is peeking through the clouds across the water.

    What’s one thing you’ve always wanted to learn? Start there. Take the course, buy the book, sign up for the workshop. Trust that one “yes” will lead to the next.

    xoxo, Amy Martinez

    Lifelong Learner, Certified Explorer of Soul-Aligned Growth, and Forever Chasing What Lights Me Up

  • Spartan Big Bear Trifecta: Fitness, Adventure & Alignment

    Spartan Big Bear Trifecta: Fitness, Adventure & Alignment

    What an amazing weekend at Spartan Big Bear in Big Bear Lake, California! The vibrant energy of the old-growth pines, the gorgeous sunny weather, and the happy, goal-crushing people around us made it unforgettable.

    KORBOARD Booth at Spartan Big Bear 2026

    A Magical Weekend at Spartan Big Bear

    We were there representing KORBOARD at the Spartan Big Bear Trifecta. Our partnership with this innovative fitness brand has opened doors to promote incredible products, and champion fitness for everyone. It feels so good to be in roles that light us up and connect us to other like minded fitness souls.

    Representing KORBOARD at the Spartan Trifecta

    Spartan racers tackled 1–3 races over the weekend — Sprint, Super, and Beast — full of running and obstacles on the steep side of a ski mountain. Their energy was sky-high! These athletes were slaying themselves in the name of fitness and fun, and it was contagious.

    At our KORBOARD booth, we ran fun challenges focused on strength, mobility, and extra movement before or after their races. People were game — pushing limits and laughing through it. These are definitely our people!

    Meeting Our People: Racers, Families & High-Vibe Community

    Many connections came with the families and friends cheering on their racers. The courses are long and tough, so there’s often downtime to chat. It was sweet to meet someone, then see them again later celebrating with their finished athlete. The whole mountain felt like one big connected family, bonded by effort and accomplishment.

    The race staff, photographers, military recruiters, and other vendors all brought the same positive spirit. Strangers greeted each other with smiles and encouragement. Even the crew doing the hard work of setup and managing thousands of racers stayed smiling ear-to-ear. The vibe was pure joy.

    Spartan racer jumping down from the 8' wall climb onto a KORBOARD

    We also had the special treat of meeting another KORBOARD colleague and his wife. Both are super successful entrepreneurs and deeply fitness-focused. My husband had followed them on Instagram for a while, so it was fantastic to connect in real life and swap stories. One of the coolest parts of this journey is the amazing people you meet — both online and in person!

    Small-Town Magic & Delicious Connections

    Big Bear Lake perfectly blends small-town charm with bustling tourist energy. People visit from all over the world, yet it still feels intimate with just a handful of local businesses.

    We had so much fun exploring the food scene:

    • Big Bear Mountain Brewery: The bartender playfully “talked smack” to everyone (turns out it was mostly his family — they own the place!). Super welcoming vibes.
    • Steinerhaus BBQ: We stopped in for beers after dinner and ended up chatting with the owners as they closed. They invited us to stay for one more round and shared all about their flavorful menu and cooking secrets. Right up our alley!
    • Hacienda Grill: We ate here twice — the food was muy delicioso and the service was warm and fantastic.

    The Big Epiphany: This Is What Alignment Feels Like

    Several times I just stood there in grateful awe, soaking it all in. Here we were, on the side of Big Bear Mountain, surrounded by people genuinely having fun while conquering big goals. What a gift to have a role with a growing fitness company that puts you right in the middle of happy, motivated humans pushing to be their best.

    This weekend was living proof of the life we’re creating through the Gap Year Movement: one where fitness equals happiness and real connection. No corporate grind — just joy, adventure, and community.

    If you’ve been craving more of this energy in your own life, start small. Find your version of a Spartan race, a local fitness event, or even a weekend in nature. Say yes to the things that make you feel alive. The right people, places, and opportunities will show up.

    Aroo! Until the next adventure.

    xoxo Amy – your sabbatical guide and lover of tall pines

The Gap Year Movement®

Gap year coaching, retreats, and digital tools helping professionals reset, plan a soul-aligned life, and build sustainable habits.