Ask HN: Burned Out. Is a sabbatical a good idea and will I ever work again?

Hi, I'm in my early 20s and based in the US. I started working at a big company in IT last year, and lately, I've become disillusioned with the work I'm doing and the people I'm working with. Since starting, I've slowly stopped working on personal projects, and can't seem do any real work on any of my ideas.

Getting up to go to work is starting to be a pain and I feel like I'm spending a quarter of my time worrying about office politics rather than getting any real work done. My productivity is approaching zero, and I can't even get myself to apply for other jobs when I get back home. I read the description of burnout from jacquesm and it hit me hard - almost all of it seemed true for me. A combination of burnout and depression and not enjoying what I'm working on is killing my passion and motivation. I don't even know if I'm mentally ready for another job.

I have around $10k saved up and instead of getting another job, I'm thinking of taking a 3 or 6 month sabbatical to reboot my career, explore East Asia and develop my skills. I imagine with expenses, I can get by with spending about $5000 if I live cheaply which I plan to do. I've had this idea brewing in my head for a while, but everyone I talk to thinks its crazy so I wanted to get some advice from HN.Note: I have no dependents or girlfriend and besides student loans, no real commitments.

What I fear is that once I return, I will not be able to get another job because employers will care about the resume gap. Who here has done something similar? If so: What were things you took into account before making the decision? What would you do to make the most of a sabbatical? What can I do to prepare the best for when I get back in terms of looking for a job / starting my own thing?

Thanks, really appreciate your recommendations and insights!