Getting as much as you can out of your gap year

                                                                                         

It may sound strange but gap years are a bit like parachute jumps; they’re only great fun if you’ve packed everything! If you jump on the nearest plane with an empty rucksack and plan while you’re in the air, you won’t have such a good time. You wouldn’t walk into an exam hall without doing your revision and it’s not a great idea to board a plane without a pretty good idea of where you’re going and what sort of gap year you’re going to have. Many would argue that the more spontaneous the trip the more fun; we know that travelling is at its most exhilarating when you’re not quite sure where it’s going to take you. Unfortunately it’s also at its most scary when you have no plan at all; the best sort of travelling, like the best bit of a donut, lies somewhere in the middle.

Getting yourself prepared really is the key to making the most of your gap year; from arriving the week after the carnival and flying to the wrong city to running out of money and not having the right visa, bad preparation can catch up with you in many ways. Planning isn’t all spreadsheets and numbers though; the all important thing is the route, deciding where you want to go and what you want to do is the most important sort of pre-departure planning of all. It’s surprising how many people take ages to decide their budget and the length of their trip and then decide what they want to do; start with the latter and work backwards.

What is it you want to do?

This is a question you get asked oh-so-many times in your life but rarely does it have as many possible answers. Do you want to volunteer, learn new skills, teach or just travel? Decide what it is that you really want to do first, because even if you need to fundraise you’ll have something to spur you on. Once you know what you want to do, you can plan a budget much more effectively, using a handy budgeting calculator.

Options:

Volunteering

You won’t have any trouble finding volunteer projects. An internet search can bring back as many as 7 million results and even the most enthusiastic volunteer will struggle to fit all that in. You have to be picky; remember that with so many projects you can afford to wait for exactly the right one. Consider what it is that you have a passion for; is it wildlife, conservation, teaching or community based projects? If you have a particular interest in soccer for example, then search for a project which allows you to develop your skills in that area. You can’t be too fussy; remember that doing something you find rewarding and enjoyable will have a large impact on the success of your trip.

Internships

No longer does the choice have to be between travelling abroad and learning useful skills. In the old days those who wanted fun packed their rucksacks and those that wanted to prepare for a career stayed at home and worked away in a local office. Well now the two have met in the middle and internships abroad have developed as a great way to boost your career without sacrificing the chance to travel while you’re young. You can gain an insight into working in journalism, medicine or TV while topping up your tan and meeting new people.

Teaching

Whether you volunteer or get paid, teaching abroad combines travel, volunteering and developing new skills in one handy package. Companies have placements all over the world and getting qualified isn’t as difficult as you may think. If you don’t have the money for the gap year of your dreams, it’s possible to make it happen by earning while you travel. It allows you to stay away for longer, do more while you’re there and enjoy a really intimate relationship with the local community.

Pick and choose

It’s true that you may not be able to do it all but if you fancy doing a bit of volunteering but can’t decide which project to choose, why not combine more than one so you don’t have to miss out! So if you want to work with animals and do a little teaching, or save the rainforests and prepare for a glittering journalism career, now you can. The easiest way to make sure you don’t look back and say “I wish I’d done that” is just to do everything!

Lean the lingo

Learning a little of the language before you set off will make a huge difference. From giving the taxi driver directions to being able to ask for a beer in the local bar (essential for some), arriving armed with a little knowledge makes the place seem a lot less scary. There are lots of ways to do it too; enroll in a local language school before you leave, get private lessons or just consult a guide book. Speaking the language opens up a massive range of possibilities and will make your trip a lot more enjoyable too!

About the author:
I'm totally passionate about travel, it's been my life and work for a good few years! My travel adventures haven't really been about seeing monuments etc but far more about people and getting off the beaten track. Even in a country that has large numbers of tourists you can still find hidden places if you look hard enough, living and working in country gives you such a different perception of it and more of a chance to absorb the local culture. I would like to share my many experiences and offer a little advice if I can to fellow travellers or anyone who is just about to set off on a life changing trip!

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