We all dream of it: shutting up shop and escaping to some faraway locale for a long stint. Few of us, however, take the leap. Fear and logistics get in the way, so let’s break it down.

First step, after getting crystal clear on your motivations behind taking said sabbatical, is organising leave from work. Storing up holiday time, waiting for long-service leave, or arranging leave without pay or half pay, are all options. You’ll also need to build up your savings before you go, and create a written financial plan to ensure they last.

For the self-employed, this step is more about travelling slowly. Leave time between adventures to stay still and work, gathering funds for the next leg of your journey.

Next, secure a tenant for your house, or sublet if you’re renting. This will at least take care of bills or mortgage repayments while you’re away, and at best leave you with spare cash to travel with. But organise support: if your tenant ends up being unsuitable or wriggles out of the lease, an agent or similar can help clean up the mess while you’re abroad.

Although rules governing school attendance and term holidays vary between each state and territory, schools can allow a term or two to be missed while parents take them travelling. This will need to be planned well in advance, and some home-schooling will usually need to be done on the road.

Whether you have kids or not, organise your sabbatical in sprints and resting times, allowing a week or two every few weeks to stay in one place and live life as usual. This will reset the nervous system, help you catch up on life admin such as washing and banking, and connect you more deeply with the local community.

Loading

Given the eye-watering price of long-term care for animals, pet owners might try convincing a family member or mate to foster their furry friend. Posing the favour as an exciting opportunity – “get in quick before anyone else snaps this amazing creature up” – can work wonders.

If you’re subletting or renting your house furnished, hire a carpenter to put locks on a few cupboards to store valuables, or ask a friend to store some boxes for you. Better still, declutter. Selling unwanted stuff on Facebook Marketplace or Gumtree or giving them away makes life feel lighter and travel more possible.

Once you’re away, try to strike a balance between building structure into your time off (which can help stave off fear, boredom and uncertainty), and leaving plans loose. The best travel experiences happen when there are low expectations, and “the magic” really does happen outside our comfort zones, when we’re taking risks and solving problems.

And there will certainly be problems to solve, so use them as an opportunity to flex your creativity. Running out of money? Lower your daily budget and see how far your dollar can stretch. Plan falls through? Let go of how things were “supposed to be”, be improvisational and have fun making another plan – important skills to weave back into life back home, too.