Taking a gap year has traditionally been considered something people do when they are young to explore the world before commitment and responsibility limit their choices. Normally between the end of high school and starting university.
Today a ‘gap year’ or ‘year out’ is increasingly pursued by people of all ages for different reasons. The term itself is a misnomer. There is no time limit on a gap year, it can last for a matter of months or several years.
Why might you want to take a gap year?
Perhaps you’re at a stage in your life where you want a change. Or just need a break from life’s routine and are able to take a sabbatical from your job. With more and more people enjoying portfolio careers, perhaps if yours enables you to work remotely from a laptop this might seem an attractive option. Or perhaps you are a young person capitalising on the opportunities the lack of commitments offer you.
Whatever the reason for taking a gap year taking the time to consider what you want from the experience and how you might use that experience to further your career and life choices when you return is a worthwhile exercise.
What kind of gap year is right for you?
This depends on what you want to get out of the experience. Do you want to help people or just meet people? Do you want to explore a particular country, travel across your own country or visit many countries? Do you plan to travel on a budget or is a hotel a must for you?
You don’t have to have all the answers but you should have some idea of your key preferences.
Helping others
If you’re motivated by helping people there are many charities keen for volunteers. This could involve anything from teaching, usually languages with English being the most in demand, to environmental projects and animal conservation
If you want to do voluntary work abroad you should check out any visa restrictions and consider applying through a government backed or not profit making website if possible. See below for non profit making websites for volunteering. Alternatively you can look at one of the many private travel operators that organise gap year opportunities. These types of gap year usually expect you to make a payment for voluntary work and to have sufficient resources to support you while you work for them. Charities may be able to offer accommodation but you may also be expected to pay for this. Opportunities of this kind exist across the world. International Volunteer HQ and Goabroad.com are websites worth taking a look at if this is something you might want to consider.
Building skills and experience
If your gap year is designed to build skills and experience in a particular vocational area, such as health care or education, there are lots of volunteering activities that would offer this kind of opportunity. For instance Goabroad.com, Plan My Gap Year or one of the websites listed below.
Non profit making websites for volunteering
Volunteer opportunities are available at https://doit.life/discover if you are in the UK, https://www.volunteer.ie/ if you are in the ROI, https://www.volunteer.gov/s/ if you are in the USA, https://www.volunteeringaustralia.org/#/ if you are in Australia, https://www.volunteeringnz.org.nz/ if you are in New Zealand and https://volunteer.ca/ if you are in Canada. If you intend to volunteer through any of these websites and you are not from the country you must check your visa conditions before applying.
Travelling on a budget
If you want to explore other countries on a budget you might consider travel guides for budget travellers for information on where to stay and what places to visit in each country. You might want to look in to the possibility of working in the countries you visit. You would need to consider if there is a demand for your skills and whether there are any visa restrictions. Bar work and anywhere where your language skills might be considered an asset could be useful here. If you have the TEFL or TESL qualification you may be able to find paid work teaching English. Visit Teaching Abroad for more information. Nomadic Matt’s Travel Site has lots of useful information and tips for travellers with plenty of helpful ideas.
Travelling in style
If you plan to support yourself financially while travelling you might want to consider the cost of living in each of the countries you plan to visit. With so many online booking platforms such as Expedia.com you could research the type of accommodation available and the typical costs. Sometimes it’s best to check out the websites of the accommodation providers where you might find better prices. You may prefer to book when you arrive so you can look at the accommodation before making your payment. You could still book online but in the country. That way at least you can be sure it’s a place you would be happy to stay in. If you do this you would, of course, risk everywhere being booked up. Consider the time of year or if there is an event taking place that might mean leaving your booking to the last minute would be a bad idea, such as Carnival in Brazil or the Edinburgh Festival in Scotland.
Always budget more than what you expect the trip to cost. There are always unexpected expenses so having a reserve sum of money in your account, just in case, is a good idea.
Planning
Once you have an idea of the kind of gap year you are interested in decide on your budget and how you are going to reach it. If you need to save set a savings target then decide how much you need to earn and how much you need to put aside each month to achieve it.
Your intended gap year will inevitably involve preparation so plan for this sooner rather than later. If you’re organising your gap year yourself look in to the entry requirements for each country and any restrictions. Consider what transport you will use to travel within the country or continent. If you are intending to travel across Europe look in to getting an Interrail Pass. The Brazil Airpass offers a great deal on flights within Brazil but you must purchase the pass before you arrive. If you leave purchasing your flights until you arrive in the country you will pay significantly more. If you want to explore the rest of South America consider purchasing the South American Airpass. Check out the Brazil Air Pass and South American Airpass at Globo Travel.
Other countries may have other options so take the time to research offers along your intended travel route.
Consider what you want to do and when. For instance if watching the sun go down over the Grand Canyon and the Mardi Gras in New Orleans are on your to do list when you visit the USA, scheduling your trip is important.
What your gap year says about you.
You should be able to detail how you planned your year out from the research stage, setting and meeting a savings target to organising the paperwork, scheduling the route and overcoming whatever difficulties you may have come across on the way. You would also note the skills any experience has given you. If you keep a journal, write an online blog or provide updates via social media you will be able to record your experiences in real time. This will not only help you develop as a person but also show skills and qualities that could inform and influence your career and life choices when you return home.