Key Information
Sabbaticals 101: A Practical Guide for Academics & Their Families,
Newly Revised Second Edition, By Nancy Matthews
2015 [ISBN: 1-58107-285-6; 184 pages; 6 x 9 inch; soft cover] $19.95
Reduce the stress, ease the transition, and increase the joy of your next sabbatical. After the professional arrangements have been made, Sabbaticals 101 will guide you through the nuts and bolts of planning and enjoying an academic leave. Issues such as housing, finances, and the settling-in blues are addressed with humor and understanding. A veteran of seven overseas sabbaticals and exchanges with her family, Nancy Matthews has learned what works – and what doesn’t. She has supplemented this personal experience with interviews of more than fifty sabbatical veterans, as well as research on cross-cultural adjustment, travelling with children, living abroad, and returning home.
This how-to manual is divided into three sections: pre-departure planning (Pulling Up Stakes), activities and concerns while away (Putting Down Roots), and re-entry (Heading Back Home). It is filled with anecdotes, lists, and advice gleaned from adventures with the author’s husband (a statistics professor) and their two sons, as well as the collected wisdom of other sabbatical takers. This revised edition includes major updates on international banking, the “trailing” spouse, and book and web resources, plus fresh ideas on travel planning, transportation, and teens.
In addition, readers can download the Tenants’ Guide template, an online “bonus feature,” to create a customized guide of important household information for their renters.
So whether you are planning your first or fourth sabbatical, travelling across the world or just settling into a city nearby, read this book first!
Reviews
“I really appreciated the knowledge and experience in this book — it helped us tremendously through the planning and arranging of our sabbatical. It was my guide and coach and I’m very grateful for it.” —Nandanee Basdeo and Dr. Arokia Nathan, University College London
“The chapters were easy and entertaining to read — a nice combination of anecdotes and practical advice.” — Dr. Susan Johnson, Wilfrid Laurier University
“This experience-based book greatly eased our worries and anxieties during the preparation for my first sabbatical and even during our stay in Singapore. We always remember what the author recommended, that ‘the way the locals do things isn’t wrong, just different.’” — Dr. Johnny Jermias, Simon Fraser University
The Author
Nancy Matthewsis a freelance travel writer and the mother of two sons. Born and raised on the U.S. west coast, she married a Canadian statistics professor and has lived in the Great White North ever since. Thanks to her husband’s sabbaticals, she has had the opportunity to experience life in various corners of the world. Their first sabbatical was in London and Berne, Switzerland, followed by an exchange in Newcastle, NSW, Australia. They loved life Down Under so much, they returned for two more sabbaticals in the same location. Another special highlight was a year spent in Oxford, England, where they homeschooled their boys. Nancy coordinates a program at the University of Waterloo for the spouses of international students, and is a member of UW’s International Student Office orientation team. She and her family call Kitchener, Ontario, home when they’re not exploring the world