We’re officially 2.5 months out from our year-long global sabbatical—and it’s starting to feel very real.
I’ll be off work at the beginning of August, and we leave at the end of the month, which (in theory!) gives me a few weeks to tackle all the final details. In reality though we’re travelling for a week, the kids will be home for the summer, and I promised to help at a local camp for a week… so not sure how much time will be left.
Here’s a snapshot of what we’ve been working on lately.
House
One big item checked off the list: we found house sitters!
They’re friends-of-friends, and we feel really good about the arrangement. They’ll be staying in the house and keeping an eye on everything while we’re away. We’ve already updated our home insurance to cover the arrangement and are just finishing up the contract details.
We’ve also been thinking ahead to after sabbatical. Our deck is on its last leg, so we’ve started getting quotes to replace it with a composite design when we return.
Cars
We’re juggling two very different vehicles right now:
The minivan (2014):
This one is going into storage in our garage while we’re away. It’s definitely in the “fix what’s necessary for safety” phase of its life, but it’s still incredibly useful when we need the space. We’re crossing our fingers it still runs after sitting for a year. And with that plan in mind, we’ve started the paperwork to pause our insurance on it while we’re away.
The IONIQ (2024 EV):
This one was always part of the sabbatical plan. We timed the lease to end right when we leave, so we’ll drive it to Toronto, return it, and start our trip.
When we come back, we’ll spend a bit of time in Toronto and pick up a replacement vehicle before heading home. Living rural means car shopping usually involves a Toronto trip anyway—so hopefully this will be a convenient solution.
School & Worldschooling
We recently connected with the girls’ teachers, and they’ve been incredibly supportive about our plans. The girls are doing well, and we have a good sense of what to focus on over the next year.
We’re already weaving learning into everyday life: Math problems written in the sand at the beach
Writing stories on the back of restaurant menus while we wait for dinner
Lots of reading wherever we can squeeze it in
I’m getting really excited about worldschooling and seeing the girls learn and explore over the next year. I’m hoping we can ease into a routine in August before we leave, but we’ll see how the timing works out. Our first unit study: Egypt!
Health Appointments
We’ve officially entered the “so many appointments” phase.
We all got our first round of immunizations last week—three shots each, which was… not the highlight of anyone’s day. Emmy handled it like a champ (no tears!)
Izzy… not so much. She needed to be held still for the last shot, but bounced back within a minute thanks to ice packs and a well-timed sucker.
We’ve got two more rounds coming up (one this week and one in early July), and I’m fully expecting round two to be harder now that Izzy knows what’s coming.
On my end, a routine check-up at my doctors turned into a few follow-up appointments (of course), and I still need to book an eye exam. My LASIK done a few years worked miracles getting my eyesight to nearly 20/20 but I’m due to get them rechecked.
Packing
Packing is starting to creep into my thoughts daily.
We scored some great finds at the MEC summer sale—matching fleece sweaters and some much-needed shorts for me and Justin—and we’ve got a bin in our room slowly filling with sabbatical items.
We’re waiting for Prime Days to grab a few last things, but otherwise it’s time to test things out. I’ve got a full packing trial run planned soon because I genuinely don’t know how it’s all going to fit.
We also got the girls screen-free digital cameras, which I’m surprisingly excited about. They can take unlimited photos and upload them easily, but without a screen or games—it’s such a fun way to encourage them to stay present while still capturing their experience.
Subscriptions:
We’ve started cleaning up subscriptions with travel in mind.
Cancelling:
Amazon Prime
Disney+
SiriusXM
Prime and Disney have been frustrating while traveling in the past: Disney requires internet just to start downloaded content (why?!)
Prime content is highly variable by region and can wipe your downloads when you reconnect
SiriusXM is tied to the car, so that one goes with it.
Adding:
Netflix (we’ve heard it handles travel better—worth a try)
Spotify Premium (already loving it for downloadable playlists for each family member and screen-free entertainment)
Renewing:
Library memberships
This one is non-negotiable. Emmalyn flies through books on her e-reader, and since renewals require an in-person visit, we need to make sure everything is valid before we leave.
Dealing with Changes to the Plan
One thing we’ve already seen: flexibility is going to be key.
So far we’ve had: A Dubai → Krabi flight cancelled (“we don’t fly that route anymore”)
A Nairobi Airbnb cancelled due to building restrictions on short-term rentals
Our sky-couches got cancelled from Japan to New Zealand flight
We adjusted by: Re-routing to Phuket (had to add a few extra days there and extra ferry ride)
Booking a new Airbnb in Nairobi. The new place is more expensive, but honestly, it looks like a nice upgrade. And now that we’re further into planning, we have a much clearer understanding of our budget, which helps with decisions like this.
Had to give the airline a call and get rebooked for the sky couches. If you’re asking ‘what on earth is a sky couch’, more to come on that!
Flights & Accommodation Planning
We’re close to being done with the big-picture planning—but we’re not quite there yet.
Right now we’re finalizing: Activities in Osaka
Where to spend an extra week in Japan
Our Australia itinerary
So… still a few big decisions and expenses to go.
Final Thoughts
There’s a strange mix of excitement and low-level chaos right now. All of things we’ve got going on above don’t even touch on the normal stuff we’re doing at home (Girl Guide end of year meetings and camp, school end of year concerts/BBQs/awards, swim lessons, triathlon training for Sam(!)).
But little by little, it’s coming together—and we’re getting closer to actually stepping on that first flight.