Enjoy a once in a lifetime experience and a real personal adventure
It’s not often you’ll get the chance to take 1, 2 or even 12 months off to travel the world, work or volunteer abroad. And if you do something amazing like panda conservation or climbing Mount Kilimanjaro, it’s unlikely that you’ll ever do anything like it again! For that reason gap year travel really can be that old cliché: ‘a once in a lifetime experience.’ Whether you travel alone or with friends it’s certain to have a big impact on your life and change you as a person…undoubtedly for the better! Above all else, a gap year can be fantastic fun!
Travel the world and discover exciting new countries and cultures
There’s travel and then there’s gap year travel. We’re talking proper meaty travel, with real people, raw locations and amazing experiences. Gap year travel gives you the opportunity to take in loads more countries, cultures and even continents than you would on a normal trip, and it can take you to sights and cities that are well off the beaten track. And because you have so much more time to see it all, you can get to know each place much better than the average tourist would!
Step outside your comfort zone and get a new perspective
Gap year travel is an opportunity to do something new and challenging. By stepping outside of your comfort zone and living and working in an unfamiliar environment, climate, language, religion and currency, you’ll quickly become a much more independent person. You’ll also develop a much better understanding of the wider world and learn how to deal with difficult or unusual situations whenever they might arise. Your friends and family might be surprised at what comes back to them! People might get sick of your gap year stories but at least you’ll be interesting!
Meet new people and make friends for life
Whether you volunteer abroad, work or travel alone or with friends, taking a gap year is as social as it gets. Backpackers are a friendly bunch, as are our GapGuru volunteers and interns, so you’re guaranteed to meet some like-minded people while you’re away. By sharing the same amazing and memorable experiences you’ll make unique friendships that last a lifetime. Even if you’re not the most outgoing of travellers, we can put you in touch with other GapGuru gappers near you, or you can find them yourself on Facebook, and make sure you have people to hang out with while you’re away.
Take a break and return refreshed and re-focussed on what you want to do in life
You can take a gap year at any age, but most gappers have just finished school, college or university, so going to travel, work or volunteer abroad comes as a welcome break from the non-stop journey through education. By taking time out, you can take a step back from what you’re doing and think about where you really want to go in life. Chances are you’ll return with new motivation and the confidence to make the most of your next steps in life. This is equally true for older gappers, who by taking time out can breathe new life into their career.
Add unique experience to your CV helping you get into uni or get a new job
Gap year travel can make a big difference to both your university application and future employment prospects. Of course, it depends on what you do (not many employers are impressed by 6 months Full Moon partying experience in Thailand!), but if you work or volunteer abroad it really can help you stand out from the crowd, as you gain new skills and confidence that show your maturity and commitment. Spending your gap year doing something related to your future career or university course, can give you a headstart that makes all the difference!