4. Distinguish the Experiences That Are Relevant to Your Career

As you are traveling, try to identify experiences that utilize your skills, help you master new ones, and offer something unique to future employers and colleagues. You may also find some opportunities that are more obviously relevant to your career, like attending lectures, volunteering, or lending your skills to a project team. Perhaps you have the opportunity to teach something beyond language or lead training on fundraising and development, website design, or event coordination.

These experiences both benefit your local community and add to your portfolio back home. Consider how this experience will make you a better professional later on, notate those situations, and learn how to talk about international experiences in a way that can help your career.

5. Home Sweet Home, But Keep Exploring

You will definitely want to live in the moment during your sabbatical, but you should also start considering ways to plan for your return home. Whether you want to apply to certain positions or just come up with a clearer idea of what you want to do with your life, it’s important to think about your plan for reintegration to the working world.

This should include a plan to deal with reverse culture shock, reconnecting with friends and relatives, and setting up a new life back home. Along the way, what you consider “home” might change, or you may decide you want to extend your sabbatical and launch a career in your new place. The key is to stay open and recognize that the experiences you have in the field will be most valuable when you apply them to real life.