What are ‘adult gap years’ and why are they on the rise?

Most commonly a pre-uni rite of passage for teens and people in their early 20s, putting everything on hold to travel the world is fast becoming a trend among older generations looking for a break from the relentless nature of life as a grown up.

Typically associated with the brink of adulthood, a gap year is a period of development for those with the time and resources to travel, volunteer, or simply rest before pursuing higher education or entering the workforce.

In some countries, it’s even considered a ‘rite of passage’ for teens and people in their early 20s who aren’t quite ready to exist in the real world yet and who need twelve months of wandering freely about the globe to feel prepared to do so.

Putting everything on hold in order to orchestrate a bout of introspective self-searching no longer pertains to the youth alone, however, with ‘adult gap years’ (additionally known as mini-sabbaticals) increasingly common among older generations looking for a break from the relentless nature of life as a grown up.

Escalating in popularity most significantly after the pandemic — which prompted many of us to…