How to take a break from work and travel in Europe on a budget
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.
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