Just curious. A friend and I were talking about this recently. If you had the chance to take a break from work for a year (or even just 6 months) and do something completely non-income generating what would you do with the time?

Paint - thats an easy one!

Take a carpentry/cabinetmaking course.

sleep

I don't work* so I tend to drift.....things I have thought of are a really profesional cookery course and some daytime classes.....what I am mainly attempting to do is play Monopoly with real houses and learn stock market trading! And improve my poker!

Drive from Alaska to Argentina.

First reaction to your question was to write "travel". But then I thought a bit more and I'm not sure if I could be bothered!! By that, I mean, it would have to be 4 or five star all the way, I'd need a ghost-like figure in the background that did all the packing and carrying, then buggered off again when I got to the next destination, etc.

I've had my backpacking days and travelled a bit - and I couldn't do that again - cold showers, lumpy beds, cramped tents, hole-in-the-ground toilets. Nah! It would have to a trip to 'pampersville'. Fun when you are 20 - not at my age and yes, I've grown shallow and needy when it comes to hot showers and hairdryers.

On a possibly more realistic 'travel' theme' I'd just buy one of those f-off Winnebago things and start driving. Anywhere on this great chunk of land from top to bottom and anywhere in between.

So after possibly dismissing my 5-star round the world trip, I think I would like to learn a new or improved skill - something hands-on - horticulture, cookery, watercolours, etc. And now, having written that down in black and white - I should just get on and do it anyway. Part-time, somewhere, will offer this ..... mmmm

My best mate would be on the first flight to some African conservation project to help animals. She has more noble intentions than I ....

I'm with you on the whole subject of travel. Thats what I would have done when I was younger. These days the only way I could really justify not earning for a spell would be to do something "semi-useful" like take a course, do home rennovation, or spend more time "bonding" with my kids.

I did it once, a few years ago. I became a beach bum, and I spent a long, glorious summer with my young grandchildren. I have never regretted it. Reality and finances finally forced me back to work, but it was a fantastic year. I discovered the southern Gulf Islands, and spent much of my time there away from the city, stress, phones, internet, whathaveyou. I worked on various craft projects through the winter, sold them when the tourists arrived.

That's easy - I'd grab my camera, start shooting at the West Coast, end up in the Maritimes, and then make a book or two.

See this country.

In Belgium, everyone is entitled to a 6 month sabbatical at some point fully paid, now that would be good!

Probably travel, I especially would love to go to Texas and then travel around the deep south.

Fly the length and breadth of Canada

Put a couple of the dogs in a motorhome or trailer (prefer the trailer, I can unhook it and go off in the car) and just drive around Canada, I know I would not get to half the places I want to see, but it would be fun.

Go to tibet and get those monks organized!