A woman with a large backpack hiking in the mountains of Japan

'I quit my job and took an adult gap year. Here's how it changed my life.'

by Bek Day

July 14, 2026

Melbourne woman Zara Lim has always been an avid traveller.

"I always had a trip planned, and loved making the most of my annual leave," she explains, "but working in marketing, and having to take a portion of it over Christmas shut-down, my leave never seemed to cover the adventure plans I had."

When COVID put a screeching halt to even the most modest of travel plans, the then-28-year-old had an epiphany.

"Like everyone else, I realised what a privilege travel was, so I decided to take a career break and really dive in," she says. After nine years working in marketing, Zara embarked on a grown-up gap year, diving into her love of slow travel.

"I spent three months in Europe, which was amazing, including being able to meet up with my parents who were travelling around Norway in a camper," she recalls.

"I was able to spend a huge chunk of time with them, which was such a gift. I don't take for granted how amazing it was to be able to spend so much time with my ageing parents. It was one of the highlights of the entire trip."

After Europe, Zara travelled throughout Asia, meeting up with her partner who had also chosen to take an extended career break.

Realising she wasn't keen to go back to a life of travel being relegated to her annual leave allowance, Zara used those 18 months to dip her toe in the water of the digital nomad lifestyle.

"I started freelancing a little bit more, working on the road and seeing what that was like, and whether I resonated with it, which I did."

Zara standing on Mount Tate in Japan. Image: Supplied.

Zara Lim in Shirakawa-go in Japan. Image: Supplied.

My mental health has never been better, and the freedom changed the way I thought about work in general.
— Zara Lim

"Completing a day's work sitting in an RV in Norway, surrounded by mountains and fjords and endless daylight in the summer was incredible," Zara says. And something else surprising happened: she was able to tap into an endless well of inspiration that coloured her work.

"Scandinavia's gorgeous libraries is the place to be if you want inspiration," she continues, "The architecture and interior design of places like Deichman Bjørvika in Oslo, The Royal Library in Copenhagen and Oodi library in Finland are honestly amazing and the spaces are very inspiring. It makes you actually want to be there to study or work."

Zara is part of a growing cohort of Millennials prioritising travel and building their lifestyles around adventure.

New data from Webjet's inaugural Go Somewhere Special travel trends report reveals Millennials (29–44) account for 25 percent of all trips on the Australian travel agenda this year — making them the nation's most frequent travellers.

Moreso than any other generation, travel acts as an essential reset for Millennials (31 percent vs. 25 percent average) and a key reward for working hard (37 percent vs. 26 percent average).

"For me, the freedom of being able to explore is my main priority in life right now," says Zara, who at the end of her 18-month gap year landed a fully-remote role that allows her to work from anywhere in the world.

The Routeburn Track in New Zealand. Image: Supplied.

Arashiyama Bamboo Forest in Japan. Image: Supplied.

teamLabs Planets Tokyo. Image: Supplied.

Tateyama Kurobe Alpine Route in Japan. Image: Supplied.

"I love Melbourne, and this is not to say [my digital nomad lifestyle] won't change if my life does — for example, if I choose to settle down and have children, I'll want to stay put more, I'm sure, but right now it's where I want to be."

Last November, Zara ticked Vietnam off the travel bucket list, this month she is in Thailand, and in May she will head to the US and Mexico, with trips for later this year still to be decided.

"I'm in Chiang Mai at the moment, and I'm here for a two-week stretch," says Zara, adding that this new way of life has not only changed the way she works, but the way she travels, too.

"It might sound like a long time to spend in one place, but because I'm also working, it means I might only get out and about to explore for about half the time, so I need to be here longer."

"It also means instead of a hotel or resort, I tend to stay in apartments where I can set up and work." And while the opportunities it affords Zara are endless, she's encountered her fair share of challenges, too.

"The biggest challenge is generally time zone differences," she says.

"When I was freelancing this wasn't too much of an issue, but now that I have a 9-5 with clients in Australia, I generally have to be online/having meetings during Aussie hours, which can throw off your schedule, and does restrict what countries I pick to work remotely from now."

Time zone acrobatics aside, Zara says committing to travel has changed the way she thinks about life.

"I've realised this," she reflects. "Being on the road for so long, you realise that you don't need many possessions to live a very fulfilling life. I've realised that it is possible to have the lifestyle I want, I just have to take steps to work towards it."

"Prior to this experience, I was very uncertain and nervous about my future. Now I feel that everything is possible, and I'm a lot more confident in going after what I want. It does take time and effort and some sacrifice to get there, but life is too short to not go after what you want."

Words: Bek Day
Editor: Laura Withers
Featured image: Supplied
First published: July 14, 2026