In 2023, Rowena Hennigan came to the difficult but necessary conclusion that she needed an extended break.
Hennigan was dealing with sleep disruption, anxiety, brain fog, all the normal symptoms of menopause, but it was wreaking havoc on her work and mental health.
She said she tried exercise, a new diet, hormone supplements, therapy and occasional rest, but several nights of sleep deprivation triggered stress that left her feeling like she was running on a hamster wheel.
But as a self-employed remote work consultant, taking the time is easier said than done.
“My fear that what I’ve built from scratch in six years—my business, my clients, my audience, my freedom to work from anywhere—is at risk makes me hesitant. If I stop, I’ll lose it. All of this? Hennigan said.
“Then I realized… how could I be a complete, productive and healthy person without health? I accepted the reality that I could only recover through proper rest.”
Canary Islands trip
Hennigan will take a four-month break from her RoRemote company starting in December 2023. .
Originally from Dublin but now living in Zaragoza, Spain, Hennigan and her family spent their end-of-year holiday on Gran Canaria, the largest of Spain’s Canary Islands. They stayed with friends, cut out accommodation costs, and budgeted just 20 euros (about $21.50) per person per day for food and drinks.
This trip lasts for 15 days.
Total cost of the Hennigan portion: $731, including airfare
household fixed costs
Back in Zaragoza, Hennigan spent some of her family’s fixed expenses on rent, bills and food.
That totals about $860 per month, or $3,440 for the four months she took off.
She said she had little left in her travel budget, but Hennigan had a plan.
Total fixed costs: approximately $3,440
Hiking in Spain
In mid-January, Hennigan set off for a nearly four-week trip to the Spanish Pyrenees, with a daily budget of about $54.
Her biggest expense was renting a room on Airbnb: $915, or about $32 a night. But by shopping at local supermarkets, her daily food expenses average only $16.
Hennigan was hiking in the nearby city of Canfranc in northeastern Spain.
Source: Rowena Hennigan
Eating out in Spain is also very affordable, she said. A cup of coffee and a sandwich at the cafe costs an average of $11 to $13, she said, while a three-course “menu del dia” (lunch of the day) at the restaurant starts at about $21.50 per person.
Her main activity, hiking, is free. Hennigan said she originally planned to go skiing because she had credit on her ski pass from last year, but there was little snow this year due to warmer weather.
One of the best parts: Hennigan’s husband and 10-year-old daughter spent the weekend with her.
“I’m so grateful for my family’s support. Knowing that we need to find compromises makes a big difference,” she said.
Total cost: $1,502
French homestay
Hennigan returned home for about a month, spending a weekend at a friend’s house in Valencia, about three hours away, and skiing in Formigal, about two hours away. In Formigal, she spent time staying with friends and in a hotel, the latter a Christmas gift from her husband, while using ski points purchased in 2023. : About $170 in gas.
Then in late March, she set off for a month-long trip to Villembuet, France. through Trustworthy housekeeperShe then found a four-room farmhouse, free of charge in return for taking care of the owner’s chickens, cats and garden.
Hennigan’s 10-year-old daughter helps look after a cat in a four-room house near Tarbes, France, where they live for free in exchange for caring for the estate’s animals and gardens.
Source: Rowena Hennigan
She arrived two days before the homeowner left to learn about the condition of the house and the chores she needed to do. Completing all of these responsibilities takes about five hours a day, she said, divided into mornings and evenings, which leaves her free to hike and explore the area during the day.
Hennigan spent the first few days alone before her husband and daughter joined her.
“It’s very different from the usual vibe and atmosphere of rental accommodation,” she said. “This is a home with lots of bedrooms, garden, outhouse, library, summer room, full kitchen, loft, art room and two offices. There is so much space to explore and enjoy all the different nooks and crannies .
Here, Hennigan spends about $11 a day on food because she eats mostly eggs from the hotel’s own chickens and vegetables from the garden, she said. Her daughter bakes cakes using eggs and ingredients from the kitchen, and they both make tea with mint from the herb garden.
The family plans to build another house in France this summer, she said.
Total cost: Approximately $300 (excluding Trusted Housesitters membership is $240 per year)
The result of her four months’ rest
Hennigan spent less than $6,000 during his four-month sabbatical, spending much of his time on free activities such as hiking and local sightseeing.
She’s able to break away from work, though she said she allocates an hour every Monday to check her email inbox and an instant messaging channel where her virtual assistant will share any important messages.
She is now back at work, working part-time as head of remote operations at a cryptocurrency and cloud computing startup, as well as doing wider consulting work.
“My energy and focus are back,” she said. “The biggest takeaway is that I can now apply many of the lessons learned in supportive breaks into my daily work and schedule.”
Additionally, she said she realized her concerns about disengagement were unfounded and that her clients understood and supported her decision.
“Opening up about the need to make rest a priority, while asking for help and receiving a lot of support in return, is a real lesson in human understanding and kindness,” she said. “Once I knew I had support, I found I was better at planning and organizing I’ve gotten better at it and realized I can actually shut down my laptop and take my scheduled breaks.”
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