UK

If you're like most of The Career Break Site's visitors, you already live in the UK. Why are we doing a destination page on it then? Because it's a surprisingly popular destination for career breakers, and there's probably quite a bit you don't know about it!

For more about this wonderful soggy little island we call home, have a look at the Lonely Planet's Great Britain guidebook (you can get one from www.lonelyplanet.com).

What?
Why?
How?
Facts for the career breaker
Top UK tip

What?

Even Brits get confused about what countries are in Britain and the UK. The United Kingdom is England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. Britain is all of the above except Northern Ireland. Our official language is English (not that you can always tell from the telly) and official 'minority' languages are Welsh, Gaelic (both Scottish and Irish), Scots, Ulster Scots, and British Sign Language.

Why?

Many people choose to stay here for their career break because they can't go abroad, or because they don't want to. Others just find the opportunities here fit well with what they want to do and they simply don't need to go abroad. Many career breakers go to a different part of the UK - great if you have a partner, family or other commitments because you can pop back to visit. Other reasons to do your career break in the UK include:

• It's less hassle than going abroad (no injections, visas, currency)
• Not flying anywhere makes it relatively cheap
• You can learn a lot about your own country
• If you do voluntary work, you can learn about other people in the UK you would never normally come across - it can be a real eye-opener!
• You can travel around the UK - something a lot of Brits never really do
• You don't have to get used to a new language or culture, so you don't spend any time acclimatising and can just get on with whatever it is you're doing. This makes it a good option if you don't have much time for your career break.

How?

It depends on whether you stay at home or go elsewhere in the UK. Be aware that some volunteer projects in the UK actually require you to live somewhere away from home – the plus side is that accommodation is often provided for you.

Being in the same country as your nearest and dearest means you can visit them a lot, or they can visit you (and phoning is cheaper too). Unless you have real commitments (eg an elderly relative who relies on you), try to avoid overly frequent visits, and give yourself a month alone in your new place. This will ensure you settle in properly, get to meet your fellow career breakers, and can focus on what you're doing.

Staying at home is an option for people who have a project they want to work on, whether this is doing a course, writing a novel, or building a new house. Only you know if you're disciplined enough to focus properly on your career break, and if you're not, enlist help. Lend your telly to a friend, have your partner pitch in with more childcare and household help, and make yourself 'to do' lists. If your project involves just you on your own, make sure you get out enough to see people, so you don't go stir-crazy.

Even though you know the country, you still might benefit from a decent guidebook, especially if you're going somewhere new.

Facts for the career breaker

• Depending on what you're doing, you might meet a lot of foreigners on your career break. As well as a great chance to make friends, you get to play tour guide and cultural expert. You also get to learn about their countries, and might even get an invitation there for a future trip.
• You might choose to travel around the UK at the beginning or end of your career break. While it's tempting to go by car, using public transport can be more of an adventure, plus you'll get to meet lots of fellow travellers that way.
• If English is your first language and you're going somewhere that other languages are spoken, make the effort to learn a bit. It might not be one of the 'official minority languages' (see above); if you're working in another community, you might learn a language like Urdu, Arabic, Russian or Chinese.
• Again, if you're in a different part of the country, or in a different community from your home one, you'll get more out of your career break if you learn a bit about the culture or history of it. Just like you would if you were abroad.

Top UK tip

• Pretend to be a tourist! Look at people, places, buildings, plants and animals with new eyes. Faking a silly accent is not recommended.

Now where?