At my first employer, I knew a couple who did that. Rented out their house and took a year leave to explore Europe, with a verbal agreement they would return after one year.
At the end of that year, so much had changed at the company that it was doing horribly and couldn’t hire them back.
It is hard to say whether they regretted their decision, it might have been just as well for them – being with a struggling employer is no fun.
Life is short, if the idea of taking a year off appeals to you (and you can afford it), go for it. Just don’t expect things to be the same when you return.
