Plan Your Academic Sabbatical Abroad with Kids — Without the Overwhelm

Plan your sabbatical with kids, without the stress

You’ve waited years for this sabbatical. Now that it’s finally here, you’re staring at a list of decisions that feels longer than your dissertation.

The logistics are genuinely complex: choosing a choosing the right destination, navigating visas, finding schools, securing housing. It’s hard to imagine doing this when you’re already running on empty.

You don’t need another open-ended project with no clear starting point. You need a roadmap.

That’s exactly why I created the Family Sabbatical Program. It gives professors and academics a step-by-step process for planning a sabbatical abroad with kids, so you can move forward with clarity and confidence, and actually enjoy what you’ve worked so hard to earn.

In 5 self-paced modules, you’ll move from chaos and overwhelm toward:

Clarity

Know what you want from your family sabbatical by discovering your family’s sabbatical “why”

Confidence

Methodically put all the pieces in place and feel confident that you’ve create a framework for a life-changing experience tailored to your family’s needs and preferences

excitement

Follow a sabbatical planning process that gets you excited about what’s ahead instead of feeling like you’re drowning in the details

The program includes five video lessons that take you from dreaming about your sabbatical abroad to putting a plan in place. Topics include: getting inspired by families who’ve done it, clarifying your family’s sabbatical “why,” choosing your destination using a proven framework, working through every logistical detail (visas, housing, schools, healthcare), and turning it all into a concrete plan. You’ll also get printable worksheets, kid-friendly planning activities, a curated resource library, and lifetime access — all for $149.

"I transitioned from uncertainty to clarity and enthusiasm. This course helped me develop a clear plan and feel confident submitting it to my university. Highly recommended for anyone planning a sabbatical with their family in mind."

Laurie S.

Assistant Professor, Auburn University

"We felt very scattered trying to create a shortlist of possibilities. This program made the process much more concrete. We're now well on our way and feeling like this is much more feasible."

Emily

Assistant Professor, City College of New York

Does this sound familiar?

Planning a sabbatical abroad with kids involves so many decisions and I don’t know where to start.

The logistics of taking an academic sabbatical abroad with kids seem impossible–visas, schools, healthcare, housing. I don’t have time to research all of this properly.

I wish someone would just tell me what to do first so I can start planning my sabbatical abroad with my family!

There's a better way to plan your academic sabbatical with kids

Planning an academic sabbatical abroad with kids doesn’t have to be overwhelming—it just requires the right approach.

When you know exactly what steps to take and in what order, those hundred moving pieces suddenly become a clear, manageable process. You stop spinning your wheels and going down internet rabbit holes and start making real progress on your plan.

That’s exactly what Family Sabbatical gives you: a proven, step-by-step framework that takes the guesswork out of planning your academic sabbatical away with kids.

Whether you’re just starting to dream about taking an academic sabbatical abroad with kids, or you already have a destination in mind, the Family Sabbatical Program will help you move forward with clarity and confidence.

How It Works:

lesson 1: Get inspired

Explore a curated collection of articles, websites, and podcasts about family sabbaticals. See what’s possible and start imagining what your time away could look like.

Lesson 2: Identify Your Sabbatical Why

Clarify your family’s goals, values, and hopes for your sabbatical. This foundational work helps ensure your plans reflect what matters most.

Lesson 3: Pinpoint Your Sabbatical Destination

Explore a range of location options aligned with your family’s priorities, preferences, and budget—and decide where you’ll go.

Lesson 4: Put Logistics in Place

From visas and housing to school or childcare options and travel insurance, this module walks you through the key logistics of your chosen destination. You’ll also make a plan for managing life back home while you’re away.

Lesson 5: Get Ready To Go

Turn your ideas into a real, actionable plan. This module helps you outline your next steps, prepare for travel, and start dreaming about how you’ll spend your time once you arrive.

Here's What People Are Saying About The Family Sabbatical Program:

I still have yet to take a sabbatical after 13 years as faculty, in part because I don't want to waste the opportunity in residence, and can't figure out logistically how to travel as a single mother with a 9 year old child. This program helped me to think through all my priorities in my sabbatical, then to daydream different opportunities, and then realistically evaluate them based on my needs and priorities. I've narrowed my options down to a few choices that may be best to do in the summer (one near family, one far away and exciting), as I can't take my child away from her father for that long a period. I'm excited to make the final decision, and am grateful for this program to help me think through all my options, priorities, and realistic limits.

We're so excited about the possibility of sabbatical abroad, but had a very hard time figuring out how to start! The possibilities seemed endless, and we felt very scattered in trying to create a shortlist of possibilities. We didn't even really know what considerations should go into building that list. This program made the process much more concrete, and gave us the inspiration and tools needed to start dreaming together about the process and to narrow down our list of places grounded in the priorities we developed by doing the program. We're now well on our way to planning and feeling like this is much more feasible. If you're struggling to get started but know you want a sabbatical away, I highly recommend this program to structure the process and get you unstuck.

The Family Sabbatical Program is a wonderfully helpful guide to organizing your thoughts around a sabbatical, setting goals as a family not just about WHERE you will go, but about how you want life to look and feel different during that time. I particularly enjoyed the encouragement to not focus on logistics until having set some of those clear goals because that clarity did actually lead us to lean towards a different location than we were originally considering. Then, the support with thinking through logistics was also great. Using a combination of recordings, linked resources, and worksheets, this program feels really comprehensive in preparing you to prepare your family for a wonderful year abroad.

The Family Sabbatical Program helped me imagine what it would be like to take my family abroad for sabbatical. Hearing about other people's experiences helped broaden my perspective on what was possible, and also on what I wanted to avoid. Completing the worksheets, reading the blogs, and listening to the podcast episodes helped me work through and articulate my sabbatical priorities, which I was then able to use to narrow down locations. I walked away from the program knowing that even though planning a sabbatical abroad is a lot of work, it would be well worth it in the end! Whether you're on the fence about doing a family sabbatical abroad or you know you want to go but don't know where or how to make it work -- this program is for you. This program can help you decide whether its for you, help you narrow down where to go, and help you work through the logistics. It's a good motivator for getting the process started!

The activities helped me consider that my sabbatical should be about a lot more than just where I need to go to do my research project. It gave me an opportunity to have a conversation with my partner about what we each envisioned for this experience and what we hoped our kids would get out of the experience.

When I started thinking about a sabbatical, I felt a little overwhelmed. The idea of uprooting my family was daunting—I have two small boys, one who would be entering 3rd grade and soon-to-be 3-year-old with uncertain childcare logistics. This course was invaluable in helping me step back and think carefully about my sabbatical goals. The resources, including the podcast, were excellent for both big-picture thinking and practical planning details. Taking the course early in the process was crucial, as my university requires applications in November for the following academic year. The program gave me the confidence to develop a clear plan for a "stay-battical"—spending quality time with my boys and taking small trips to prepare them for more adventurous travel in the future. I now feel confident submitting my sabbatical plan to my university. This course helped me to transition from uncertainty to clarity and enthusiasm. Highly recommended for anyone planning a sabbatical with their family in mind!

Frequently Asked Questions

What is a family sabbatical?

A family sabbatical is an extended period—typically one semester or academic year—during which an academic takes their family abroad to live, explore, and pursue research or creative work in a new environment.

Who is this program for?

Family Sabbatical is designed for parents who are considering or actively planning a sabbatical or extended time away with their kids. Whether you’re just starting to explore the idea or are ready to dive into planning, this program will help guide you through the process step by step.

How long does the program take to complete?

The program is self-paced and designed to fit into your life. Most of the modules can be completed in about 1–2 hours, though Lessons 3 and 4 will take longer depending on how certain you are about your sabbatical destination in advance and the complexity of the logistics of your sabbatical relocation. It’s best to start the program in the early planning stages and work through the lessons over several months.

What age kids is this program designed for?

The program is flexible and relevant for families with children of all ages—from toddlers to teens. While your logistics may vary depending on your children’s ages (especially around schooling), the framework will help you navigate planning no matter where you are in your parenting journey. The lessons include helpful resources to use with kids of all ages and for different levels of involvement in the planning process.

Do we need to know where we’re going before starting this program?

Not at all! One of the core modules is dedicated to helping you explore and choose a sabbatical destination that aligns with your family’s goals, priorities, and budget. No need to have it figured out before you begin.

What if we're not sure we can actually take a sabbatical?

That’s okay! This program helps you explore possibilities, get clear on your family’s vision, and assess what would need to happen to make a sabbatical feasible. Even if you’re in the early dreaming stage, this guide can help you move from “someday” to a concrete plan.

Does this program include one-on-one support or coaching?

No, this is a self-paced program and does not include individual coaching. However, it’s designed to give you all the tools, prompts, and planning frameworks you need to move forward with confidence. (If you’re looking for more personalized support, reach out—I’d be happy to share additional options.)

Will I have access to the program after I finish it?

Yes! You’ll have lifetime access to the materials, so you can revisit the content anytime you need a refresher or want to plan a future sabbatical.

What’s your refund policy?

Due to the digital nature of the program and immediate access to all materials, I don’t offer refunds. But if you have any questions before purchasing, feel free to reach out—I want you to feel good about your decision.

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