By mid-2024, after years of quiet contemplation and many late-night discussions, Pablo Slough and Karen Gilchrist finally stepped away from their corporate careers—a decision that had been forming slowly but steadily for nearly a year. Their resolve marked not a rash escape from responsibility, but the culmination of decades spent navigating demanding professional landscapes that required constant adaptability, leadership across continents, and unrelenting focus. Over more than twenty years, both had accepted the rhythms of high-intensity work as the norm, but the strain was undeniable. Slough, who began working immediately after graduating from college, described his trajectory as a ceaseless progression from one rigorous role to the next. There were no pauses, only transitions into new challenges, promotions, and pressures that kept life perpetually fast-paced.
For Gilchrist, however, reaching her 50th birthday the previous summer became a moment of unavoidable introspection. As milestone years often do, it prompted her to look back on how her time had been spent—how much had gone to climbing the corporate ladder versus nurturing a deeper sense of personal fulfillment. With characteristic humor, she later joked that her maternal instincts had simply emerged later in life, but beneath that jest lay genuine clarity: an awakening to the importance of devoting more time to loved ones than to spreadsheets and strategic meetings. It was, she realized, the right moment to reclaim balance—to privilege family over professional advancement.
Their journey, featured in Business Insider’s Adult Gap Year series, sits among other powerful narratives of people who deliberately pause their careers to reimagine purpose, reconnect with family, and rediscover joy through travel and reflection. For the couple, this decision was also entwined with their roles as parents. Their eldest son, Luka, then 18, was approaching his collegiate years, preparing to head off to university. Their younger sons, Mateo, 15, and Joaquin, 12, were quickly following behind, each absorbed in school and early adolescence. Time, they realized, was moving rapidly, and if they wished to savor the fleeting years of togetherness, they would have to create that space intentionally.
The notion of taking a career break appealed as both a symbolic and practical solution—a structured hiatus in which they could deliberately slow down, step away from the relentless corporate cycle, and focus on shared experiences. Yet their approach was careful and measured rather than impulsive. Anchored in Boulder, Colorado, they sought the guidance of a financial advisor to ensure their vision was sustainable. For an entire year, they examined savings, expenses, and potential income streams. Renting out their home while traveling, Pablo explained, would provide supplementary income, reducing the financial burden of their travels and maintaining stability while they were away.
Family participation was central to the plan. Once their intention to leave work became concrete, both parents invited their children into the conversation—not only to explain logistics but to model openness about big life decisions. Initially, the boys were skeptical. Mateo candidly admitted that it surprised him that his traditionally career-driven parents were actually committing to something so unconventional. But part of Pablo and Karen’s motivation was precisely that: to demonstrate to their children that life’s worth is measured in more than professional achievement. Gilchrist expressed this beautifully, saying life is about achieving equilibrium—cherishing family connections, embracing personal growth, and understanding that fulfillment rarely follows a rigid script.
They regarded their hiatus not as a permanent withdrawal from professional life, but as a thoughtfully designed career intermission. Their plan struck a balance between exploration and stability. School remained a priority, so extended absences were not practical. Instead, they spent summers abroad and returned home during the academic year. In the summer of 2024, they began their first adventure through Europe, selecting destinations that harmonized with Luka’s three-week business course in Barcelona. Their journey wound through Turkey’s historic landscapes, continued aboard a cruise through the sun-drenched isles and coasts of Greece, Croatia, Malta, and Montenegro, then carried them westward through Spain and Portugal before concluding in Colombia. Each itinerary was timed precisely so they could be home in Colorado in time for the start of school.
A year later, their wanderlust directed them eastward. Asia had been on the family’s collective wish list for years, and the summer itinerary realized that dream: Hong Kong’s kinetic skyline, Thailand and Vietnam’s sensory vibrancy, China’s cultural depth, and Japan’s perfect blend of tradition and innovation. Luka summed up their enthusiasm simply—this was the trip they had all longed to take, and it exceeded expectations.
Behind the scenes, their travels were underpinned by disciplined financial planning. With characteristic professionalism, they constructed a detailed Excel spreadsheet to track their daily expenses. A predefined target for average daily spending gave structure, allowing some freedom to splurge on certain experiences while compensating with thrift in others. Gilchrist described their method as dynamic—they updated entries in real time to assess whether they remained within their self-imposed financial boundaries.
Reflecting afterward, every member of the family spoke of the intangible rewards: a sense of closeness and presence that had previously been eroded by work schedules. Joaquin, the youngest, noticed that his parents seemed more emotionally available and adaptable. They discovered new dimensions of understanding—each person’s tastes, preferences, and rhythms revealed themselves in shared meals, spontaneous outings, and quiet travel moments that might have otherwise been lost.
During the seasons when travel paused and school resumed, Pablo and Karen reoriented their daily lives toward simplicity and shared pursuits. Activities that once felt like rare luxuries—reading beside each other, attending weekly movie nights, cooking experimental recipes, exercising together—became sustainable habits. Gilchrist mentioned that they even set themselves a whimsical culinary goal: to prepare a completely new dish every day, transforming an ordinary routine into a continual creative experiment.
These months brought measurable change. Both reported feeling markedly less stressed and more rested. The worry that spending nearly every day together might become claustrophobic quickly faded. Instead, Gilchrist confessed that the experience had been profoundly affirming—they not only enjoyed each other’s company but rediscovered the partnership that first drew them together decades ago.
Perhaps the greatest benefit of all, however, emerged from reflection. The lull in activity offered clarity about what came next. For Pablo, that took tangible form in an academic opportunity—teaching part-time, three days a week, at a local university. Teaching had long been an aspiration, but years of corporate commitments made it impossible. Now, free from the constraints of full-time employment, he embraced it. He acknowledged that had he remained in his former role, such flexibility would have been unimaginable.
This space for experimentation led to a striking realization: financial comfort did not require a return to high-paying corporate work. By reassessing spending patterns under their advisor’s guidance, the couple identified habitual excesses and set a practical target to reduce monthly expenses by thirty percent. Formerly, their unexamined lifestyle had imposed the illusion that their income needed to remain exceptionally high to maintain stability. The financial audit dismantled that assumption, showing that mindful spending could support a satisfying life on far less.
Independent advisor Kyle D. Dennehy, who commented generally on the concept of career breaks, explained that the cornerstone of such transitions is rigorous budgeting. Establishing a detailed map of one’s income streams, fixed and variable expenses, and savings objectives enables genuine control. Importantly, he advised that even during an adult gap year, long-term contributions—such as retirement savings—should remain part of the financial architecture, ensuring that short-term renewal does not derail lifelong security.
For Pablo and Karen, these lessons transformed possibilities. Free from corporate titles and performance reviews, they began entertaining the idea of entrepreneurship. Owning or managing a small local business represented a compelling next chapter—one built on autonomy rather than obligation. Gilchrist referred to this period jokingly as their “research and development phase,” a conceptual incubator for discovering what meaningful productivity might look like over the next two decades.
Although they acknowledged that such transitions involve risk, meticulous preparation had tempered uncertainty. As Slough emphasized, these changes cannot be improvised overnight; they must be structured with foresight and care. In hindsight, both view the experience not merely as time off, but as an intentional recalibration—a profound redefinition of success that prioritizes connection, health, and authenticity. Their story stands as a testament to the idea that it is never too late to pause, to breathe deeply, and to choose a life that feels genuinely one’s own.
Sourse: https://www.businessinsider.com/couple-quit-corporate-jobs-gap-year-family-kids-financial-planning-2025-12
