Huddersfield-born STUART ROBERTSON, 48, is a veteran traveller of over 40 different countries. He sees himself as an avid supporter for the spirit of free independent travel. Here he urges others who have ever thought of stepping off the treadmill of the rat race to go for it!

A GAP year for grown ups, a chance to take life by the scruff of the neck and give it a shake, a pause for breath, an opportunity to fulfil a lifelong dream - whatever you call it, the career break has become a firm fixture in many people's lives.

Young professionals to baby-boomers in their fifties are taking time out to expand their horizons. Whether your dream is to trek the Himalayas, climb a mountain, work in an African orphanage or just travel the world, why put it off until it's too late?

Ten years ago, a request to take time out from a job would have been seen as eccentric and foolhardy.

If you left your seat in your job-for-life, when the music stopped in the corporate musical chairs chances were you'd be out of the game. Or at least, that was the fear. Happily, things are changing.

Most of us know people who have dipped out of the rat race to go travelling or do voluntary work. Trends show that many larger companies actually offer career breaks as part of flexible working arrangements.

Now, having a career break on your CV can be a plus rather than a minus: far from showing you are irresponsible, it proves you have the get up and go.

Why take a career break? Many of us are working until far older, so there's a growing need to sandwich career breaks between jobs as a breather, rather than waiting until retirement to have our fun.

Expectations of life are higher too. We no longer live to work; we want to work to live, and to live in the now. We want to be in the driving seat rather than cogs in a vast company machine.

A career break is a search for meaning in your life, a chance to face challenges that your life doesn't normally provide. A career break has the potential to change your outlook as well as your direction in life.

Some people are catapulted into career breaks by life changing events such as redundancy, bereavement, a long illness or the breakdown of a relationship. Agonising as they are at the time, these happenings can often prove to be the wake-up call that we've needed.

Time away somewhere different can be the first stepping stone back to normality, and mark a separation between past and future. Even if your driving force is nothing more than itchy feet, that career break could change your life.

Being a veteran traveller myself, my first career break came about shortly after I finished my engineering apprenticeship. Along with my girlfriend we travelled through Europe for twelve glorious months. That first trip had such a profound effect on me that as soon as we returned home I began planning my next big adventure.

Two years later I landed on the shores of southern Africa where I was to spend the next 20 years living and working as a contract engineer.

Due to the nature of my profession I was able to negotiate with my employers to take periods of extended leave. Over the next 12 years I took leave every two to three years for periods of between six and twelve months at a time.

My driving force at the time was one of pure adventure especially of the adrenaline kind.

During those years of travel, my aim was to experience as many adrenaline based adventures as possible while at the same time acquiring certification for the various activities.

Returning to South Africa in 1992 I decided to try a change of direction and started up an adventure company in the Eastern Cape. Not only did this allow me to make a living doing what I enjoyed but also allowed me to take extended periods of leave whenever possible.

Returning to the UK in 2000 my life was to take a further twist when I decided to study a further passion of mine also discovered while travelling. The next four years were spent at Art College studying for a BA in fine art.

I now make a living as a ceramic artist and hope that I will be able to continue taking the occasional career break in the future. After all, where would I be without them?

Travel guide: The best piece of advice I could give any budget traveller is to arm yourself with a Lonely Planets guide book, known as the backpacker's bible.

Packing: You may be going travelling for 12 months, but trust me, pack as if you're going for a week and then take half of it out. The smaller and lighter your pack the easier your travels will be.

Safety: Always carry your valuables in a money belt, lock your packs and never carry anything for someone else.

The law: Remember that wherever you are you are bound by the laws of that country whether you agree with them or not. If you take the time to immerse yourself in the local culture, your trip will be truly memorable.

Health: Plain common sense is all that is required here, however having suffered myself from an array of exotic ailments over the years my advise would be that if you fall ill, stay put until you feel well. Don't become easy prey.

Travel journal: This could well be a one-off life experience, something you will look back on for years to come. My most treasured possessions today are those scribbled notes I took the time to write while travelling. They still have the power to make me laugh out loud, as well as cry. Take the time.

Secure time off work: Negotiate with your employer the conditions of your career break, length of time out, job security,and amount of paid and unpaid leave, in writing if possible. If you're between jobs, no problem.

Plan your trip in detail: Although you don't want to commit yourself to a strict unwavering route, it's important to know exactly what you want to see and do. Travel a country as if it is the last chance you will get to do so.

Work out your finances: Ensure that you will have sufficient funds to cover your length of break and the things you wish to do. The lonely planet guides are invaluable when working out the costs of travelling a particular region.

Equipment: Work out what equipment you will need. If you're planning to do any adventure activities you may need: hiking/climbing boots, rucksack, sleeping bag, waterproofs and the all important medical kit.

Tie up loose ends: Taking off will be a lot easier if you've covered all your bases. Home insurance, utility bills, mortgage, investments, direct debits, the list goes on ...

Travel documents: Time to take the plunge and book the trip of a life time. Ensure you have sufficient time on your passport, all necessary visas and vaccination certificates and that you have sufficient insurance cover.