Oh thats far too easy. Just use your company provided PTO or take a leave of absence. Why even bother asking HN for that when you should be asking your employer's HR team?

Do you live in the US?

PTO, even unlimited, is managerial discretion (not HR) and is rarely allowed more than two weeks in a stretch.

What's a leave of absence?

As a financial tech worker, what you're describing sounds like academia or European standards. Of course they're great solutions, they just don't exist as options for some of us.

Yes, I am a US software developer with nearly 20 years. You are very clearly not talking to your employer and not thinking this through.