In 2023, Rowena Hennigan came to a difficult but necessary conclusion — she needed an extended break from work.
Hennigan was dealing with disrupted sleep, anxiety, brain fog — all normal symptoms of menopause – but it was wreaking havoc on her work and her mental health.
She said she tried exercise, a new diet, hormone supplements, therapy and occasional days of respite, but several nights of broken sleep would trigger stress — and made her feel like she was running on a hamster wheel.
But as a self-employed remote work consultant, taking time is easier said than done.
“Being afraid that what I had built from nothing over six years — my business, my clients, my audience, my life of work-from-anywhere freedom — would be at risk made me hesitate. If I stopped, would I lose it all?” said Hennigan.
“Then I realized … how could I be a whole, fruitful and well person without my health? I accepted the reality that I would only recover from proper rest.”
A trip to the Canary Islands
Hennigan’s four-month break from her business, RoRemote, started in December 2023. Though her husband continued working, she set a strict budget for her time away as she was without her own income, she said.
Originally from Dublin, Hennigan and her family — who are now based in Zaragoza, Spain — spent the year-end holidays in Gran Canaria, the largest of Spain’s Canary Islands. They stayed with friends, eliminating accommodation costs, and kept to a budget of 20 euros (around $21.50) per person per day for food and drinks.
The trip was 15 days long.
Total cost for Hennigan’s portion: $731, including flights
Fixed costs at home
Back in Zaragoza, Hennigan budgeted in her portion of her family’s fixed costs for rent, bills and food.
This totaled about $860 per month, or $3,440 for the four months of her sabbatical.
That didn’t leave much left for her travel budget, but Hennigan had a plan, she said.
Total fixed costs: around $3,440
Hiking in Spain
In mid-January, Hennigan set off for a near four-week stay in the Spanish Pyrenees with a budget of around $54 per day.
Her biggest expenditure was a one-bedroom Airbnb: $915, or around $32 per night. But she was able to eat and drink for just $16 per day, on average, by shopping at local supermarkets.
Hennigan, hiking in Canfranc, a municipality near north-eastern Spain.
Source: Rowena Hennigan
Eating out is also affordable in Spain, she said. A coffee and sandwich in a cafe averaged $11-$13, she said, while a restaurant’s three-course “menu del dia” (lunch of the day) would start at around $21.50 per person, she said.
Her main activity, hiking, was free. Hennigan said she had planned to ski, as she had credit on her ski pass from last year, but there was little snow this year because of warmer weather.
One of the best parts: Hennigan’s husband and 10-year-old daughter joined her on the weekends.
“I am so grateful for this support from my family. It makes such a difference, knowing there was a compromise to be found,” she said.
Total costs: $1,502
A homestay in France
Hennigan returned home for about a month, spending weekends at a friend’s house in Valencia, around three hours away, and skiing in Formigal, around two hours away. In Formigal, she split time staying with friends and at a hotel, the latter a Christmas present from her husband, while utilizing ski credit purchased in 2023. Her biggest cost during this time: about $170 in petrol, she said.
Then in late March, she set off for a month-long trip to Villembits, France. Through Trusted Housesitters, she found a four-bedroom farmhouse, which was free in return for taking care of the owner’s chickens, cats and gardens.
Hennigan’s 10-year-old daughter helped care for a cat at a four-bedroom house near Tarbes, France, where they stayed for free in exchange for caring for the estate’s animals and gardens.
Source: Rowena Hennigan
She arrived two days before the owners left to learn about the house and the chores she was required to do. Completing all these duties took about five hours a day, she said, split across the morning and evening, leaving her free to hike and explore the local area during the day.
Hennigan spent the first few days on her own, before her husband and daughter joined her.
“It was such a different atmosphere and vibe from usual rental accommodation,” she said. “It was a home, with lots of bedrooms, garden, outhouses, a library, summer room, a fully-stocked kitchen, an attic, art room and two offices. There was so much room to explore and enjoy all of the different nooks and crannies.”
Here, Hennigan spent around $11 a day on food, as she mostly ate eggs from the property’s chickens, and vegetables from the garden, she said. Her daughter used the eggs and ingredients from the kitchen to bake cakes, and they both used mint from the herb garden to make tea.
The family plans to do another house sit in France during their summer holidays this year, she said.
Total costs: around $300 (excluding Trusted Housesitters’ annual membership fee of $240)
The outcome of her four-month break
Hennigan spent just under $6,000 during her four-month sabbatical, spending most of her time on free activities like hiking and local sightseeing.
She was able to break away from work, though she said she allotted an hour every Monday to check her email inbox and one instant message channel, where her virtual assistant would share any important messages.
She’s now back at work, and has taken on a part-time head of remote operations role for a cryptocurrency and cloud computing startup, alongside her wider consultancy.
“My energy and focus has returned,” she said. “The biggest learning is that I can take many of the lessons from taking supported rest with me now into my daily work and schedules.”
Plus, she said, she realized her fears about breaking away were unfounded, and that her clients were understanding and supportive of her decision.
“Being open about needing to rest as a priority, while asking for help and getting lots of support in return, was a real lesson in human understanding and kindness,” she said. “Once I knew I had support, I found I got better at planning and organizing, realizing I could really close the laptop and rest as planned.”