Ever since I was young, I’ve wanted to travel. The desire has been carved into my soul with permanent ink. I remember spending hours watching the National Geographic channel as a little girl, adding each cool place that was featured to my list of places that I just needed to see in my lifetime. Whether I was wishing on a shooting star or my birthday cake candles, the request was always the same, “let me travel, please”. I daydreamed of staying in a hostel while hiking the El Camino in Spain, or of farming in Ireland, or taking a road-trip through Australia.
By the time I got a little older, I started to understand the logistics of traveling. I realized that it wasn’t just something a girl could do on a whim. It took money, planning, time, and responsibility to effectively be able to plan out a destination, a place to stay, and a companion to go with. On top of that, fitting this kind of endeavor into any schedule was going to to be difficult. Of course, I had to complete high school, and then college, stay on top of my loans, and try to make it in the work force so I’d be able to make a living for myself, eventually. Where could the traveling fit in? The thought of living my entire life in one country and only being familiarized with one culture was terrifying. I knew that traveling was in my blood and that I’d be lost until I saw more of the world with my own eyes and through my own experiences. Still, I didn’t know when the time would come where this daydream of mine would turn into a reality.
Then, the idea of a Gap Year came to me through a close friend. She was older, and had decided to take a year off after high school to explore regions of Tanzania, Thailand, Fiji, and New Zealand. She would share her adventures over the phone and through writing. With each story, the desire to wander through different countries and continents became more and more appealing.
Still, the idea of making college a priority was still ingrained in my mind. Don’t get me wrong, I am excited for post-secondary education and to study what I love and am passionate about. I completely understand the eagerness to go into college immediately after your senior year. Most conversations you have with family, friends, relatives and teachers revolve around the idea of college, so it makes sense to become excited through all the discussions. Saying that, I think there is equally no shame in recognizing that maybe you aren’t ready for another four years of school quite yet. I know that as a 17 year old, I need more time to find myself and what I love doing before I spend a lot of money on my degree.
Taking a Gap Year sounds like it’s impossible for financial reasons. You can travel and easily spend over 10 grand, but it is also possible to travel conservatively. Find cheap flights, stay in hostels, and only go to the amount of places that fit comfortably in your budget. Even if you only have saved enough to travel to one spot in the world, that’s one spot that you wouldn’t have been able to see if you did not take the Gap Year at all. Remember that. It is also a smart idea to apply and get accepted to schools while all of your friends are doing it as well. Then you can defer a year, and not have to worry about applying to schools while you’re busy volunteering in Costa Rica, or wherever you may be.
For every person who doesn’t necessarily agree with a Gap Year, there will be ten who do. You will hear many people say how they wish they took advantage of traveling after high school, as well as many people who admire and agree with your decision. Essentially, what matters is you, and what you want. If thrilling experiences and adventures are calling your name, answer, and take a gap year. If you long to have perspective on the life you’ve lived compared to someone else on another continent, take a gap year. If you hunger to know a little bit more about the places and people on Planet Earth, take a gap year, please. If you’re curious and unconventional, and have always longed to travel, the time is now. As the Author Anais Nin wrote, “We travel, some of us forever, to seek other places, other lives, other souls.” Seize the day, today, and embark on an experience that will be more memorable than any textbook passage, lecture, or National Geographic episode.
