Some might call it bizarre, others just brilliant. A 21-year-old woman from the UK has taken 30 micro-retirements in three years to travel the world. Lauren Kirby, a nursery worker from Maidstone, Kent, has been working since she was 18. She has saved more than $12,500 to visit 30 different countries, including Portugal, Estonia, the US, and Mexico, among others, The NY Post reported.
Ms Kirby says that taking micro-retirements made her a better employee and improved her skills. During her travels, she picked up childcare techniques from different cultures. She explained, “Once you go on a micro-retirement for the first time, it literally changes your life.”
For example, in Australia, she learned about taking children on 30-minute walks in all weather conditions, a habit she has since adopted in her work back home.
Micro-retirements are basically periodic career breaks, a growing trend on TikTok among Gen Z.
Ms Kirby believes these breaks have made her more confident and independent. She recalled being too shy to even order food at 16, but after taking her first micro-retirement at 18, she became a completely different person.
Speaking about traditional retirement, she pointed out that while many people dream of travelling after retiring, there’s no guarantee that everyone will reach that stage in life.
Her journey began when she saw an advertisement on TikTok for a childcare representative role with travel company TUI at 18. She took the opportunity and flew to Corfu, Greece, for three months. The travel agency covered her accommodation, flights, food, and bills, while also paying her a minimum wage of $988 per month. Through this, she managed to save $3,130 and travelled to Portugal, Mexico, and Finland.
In 2023, Ms Kirby started working part-time at a nursery near her home in Kent. Using her long weekends and annual leave, she visited 26 more countries. She even saved $5,000 for a flight to Australia’s East Coast in March 2024, where she stayed until September.
Lauren Kirby was inspired to take regular breaks after witnessing how quickly the COVID-19 lockdowns shut everything down. When borders closed, she feared she might never be able to travel again. Even now, she reminds herself that “things can change in the blink of an eye.”
