I have to ask: how did you managed to take 8 months off? I can't think of any corporation that would allow this. Which leads me to guess you're not in the corporate world. Is that true?
We saved for several years and let them know last spring that we'd be quitting. We had expected to travel longer than 8 months, so we had sold all of our stuff, including our house, and then quit our jobs.
Upon our return, my old boss (now at a different company) asked me if I wanted to come work for him.