Sabbatical

Sabbatical. 

I have a childhood friend whose husband is on sabbatical. Although I was familiar with the term, I was curious to explore it further. Sabbaticals were traditionally found in academia where a college professor might take a leave of absence to travel. The thought behind this being that the experiences gained during the sabbatical would only enrich what was taught in the classroom.

Interestingly, the term actually has biblical connections. It correlates to the idea that as humans we need times of rest and rejuvenation. In my earlier years of teaching, the summer months allowed for sabbatical. I used to say it was just enough time to get bored, and be ready to start fresh again in the fall. It also was a time to travel to a new place that usually resulted in learning something new to bring back to the classroom. As the years went by more and more time was spent in training during the summer months, and the time to rest never really happened, causing the new school year to arrive too quickly. 

I really like the idea of sabbatical, and even if taking time away from work is not feasible, maybe looking at how we spend our free time might be a way to approach sabbatical. What can you do in your daily life to rest and rejuvenate? What experiences would broaden your view of the world, and allow you to bring something new to your everyday life?   

I don't have all the answers, but I do think it might be worth exploring.