When Evanston resident Bonnie Michaels experienced job burnout early in 1999, she and her husband, Michael Seef, decided it was time for a vacation.

But they didn’t want just a week’s getaway. Michaels and Seef decided they needed a year to travel the world.

“It occurred to me, ‘Gee, I’ve been working 30-some years, and what a great opportunity to really take some serious time off and decide what I want to do for the rest of my life,'” Seef said.

Michaels and Seef bought two plane tickets that allowed them to travel at their leisure. They left in fall of 1999 for a year’s sabbatical to six countries. The couple shared their experiences with a crowd of about 15 people Saturday at the Evanston Public Library.

Their presentation included stories and pictures from their trip and a sample of the flamenco dancing Michaels learned in Spain.

Prior to their travels, Michaels and Seef both worked as consultants, with Michaels focusing on creating supportive environments for business employees. The couple financed the trip by renting out their Evanston home.

Michaels and Seef began speaking to crowds about their travels when they returned in fall of 2000. The couple also wrote a book, “A Journey of Work-Life Renewal,” detailing their experiences. In addition to speaking, Michaels uses the lessons learned from her travel at Managing Work and Family, Inc., a company that helps people manage their lives. Seef helps with the speaking tour and still works in consulting.

Michaels and Seef each chose two places to visit during their sabbatical. They said they planned to travel to Spain, Israel, Japan and Australia — keeping a flexible schedule so they could visit other countries if they wanted.

“For me the unknown is always exciting,” Michaels said. “It opened up opportunities for meeting people and seeing things that would have never happened otherwise.”

For the first part of their trip, Michaels and Seef rented a tiny apartment in southwest Spain. They said they soaked up the Spanish culture and nightlife for four months before heading to Israel to help archaeologists uncover an ancient village on the edge of the Dead Sea.

After two months in Israel, Michaels went back to Spain for more flamenco dancing, and Seef stayed in Israel to visit family and friends and do volunteer work.

From there the couple said they took “a little vacation from (their) sabbatical” to visit Seef’s family in Germany and explore the mountains in Switzerland.

Then, Seef and Michaels said they headed for Australia, where they worked on an organic farm, volunteered in an Aboriginal community and explored the Australian outback for two weeks — the only time they drove a car during the trip.

To finish their trip, Michaels and Seef said they spent six weeks in a Japanese forest cutting bushes with Volunteers for Peace.

“It was hard, physical work in very difficult conditions — close to 100 degrees every day, ” Michaels said.

Many aspects of their trip weren’t very glamorous — the couple said they set a $25,000 budget for the year away.

“It became issues of making choices,” Michaels said. “Do we have a good meal or good lodging tonight?”

Michaels and Seef said they took only a suitcase and backpack each. They also took a laptop to keep in touch with friends, family and business contacts. They limited their access to radio, television, newspapers and cars — luxuries that, they said, are often taken for granted.

Since their return, Michaels and Seef emphasized, they have tried to retain the simple lifestyle they adopted while away. Their book and seminars are venues for sharing the lessons they learned in a year abroad.

“We see things very differently,” Michaels said. “Whatever happens we’re going to figure it out. That’s what we had to do every day.”