Never in my life did I see myself writing an article like this. Yet, here I am, explaining to you what happens when you take a gap year from school at a time most do not take their gap year—in between pursuing a major in college.

I'm sure I know the questions going through your mind right now as you read this: Why would you take a year off after being in college? How could doing such a thing be beneficial in any way? What the heck were you thinking?

These are all the questions I asked myself at first. While there is more than one appropriate answer to these, I am here to tell you my answers and ultimately, tell you exactly what happened to me during my gap year (that I am steadily reaching the end of).

To start off, I'll answer the three above questions quickly before getting into the details about what exactly happens during such a gap year.

1. Why would you take a year off after being in college?

To simply answer this question, I'll just say that I was dealing with a lot of mixed emotions during the fall of 2015. Most of these emotions have taken this entire gap year for me to figure out, but some are still present that I'm working on.

2. How could doing such a thing be beneficial in any way?

I think one has to truly know what they are getting themselves into before taking a gap year, a year and a half after being in college. I weighed out the pros and cons before making this decision. I had some issues with my decision at the time but I felt such relief after withdrawing from school that I knew it was the right decision for me. The relief I felt really was the one thing that assured me this was the best decision.

3. What the heck were you thinking?

Well, I was thinking "Why not?" And, boy, was I right to think such a thing.

Now, on to the best part. Below, is everything I've discovered during my gap year and why taking it after being in college for some time was the best thing I could have done for myself.

You get so much time to see old friends and family members.

This was ultimately one of the best parts about my gap year. My parents have been separated for a bit of time now, and during my time off from school, I went down and visited him in Kentucky. At the time, I hadn't seen my dad in who knows how long, even though we spoke every day. The image below features my dad on the right being a complete and total goofball while my oldest brother just looks at him probably thinking, "Yep, this is my dad. Being a complete goof." Or maybe those were just my thoughts when I took this picture?

The point, overall, is that I had the time to experience this. I had the time to see my dad, older siblings, aunts and uncles, and even friends from high school. I mean, I even had the opportunity to witness my youngest niece being adopted into the family! How amazing is that!?

You have the chance to discover your passions (and maybe even your dream school).

It turns out I have a deep, deep passion for photography. It makes sense in some ways because it is the one thing I've always been drawn, too, but just told myself it was a hobby and that I could never make a career out of it. During my time in Kentucky with my dad, my views changed on this subject and now I believe in myself and my photography skills more than ever before.

The image above, a favorite of my dad's, actually made me start believing in myself. If other people in the world can take pictures and actually make money doing so, then why can't I? This and some inspiration from my best friend then lead me to eventually apply to Point Park University for their Photojournalism program—a program I am happy to announce I'll be a part of in the Fall of 2016.

You have the chance to focus on yourself—body, mind, and soul.

One of the best benefits of this gap year has been me just focusing on myself. No one else. Just me, myself and I. The three of us have been getting along just fine so far and have even discovered some things. Number one being that I have a tendency to stress out very easily, and with that, anxiety usually invites itself along. It may have taken a while to figure this out but it has been for the best and I've been able to find techniques to help myself when the stress and anxiety take a hold of me.

Most recently, the best reliever I've found has been the gym. The image featured above is from the gym I go to, and it is perfect for me in that it belongs to the local university in my town, so I feel comfortable there among my peers. I'm sure there is no surprise in the fact that the gym is my best form of relief, considering many people go there to rid of stress. It is more than that for me, though. I can get onto an elliptical and it is almost the physical representation of me being able to steadily handle anything that troubles me. I am not quitting or running away from my problems, but more so just trying to sort out how to best handle every difficult situation I face. Doing this has been wonderful for my body, mind, and soul.

You come to appreciate college and studying on a whole new level.

I get it: If you are in school right now, as you are reading this, you definitely appreciate college and studying because some of your former classmates may not have had the opportunity and you are also paying to get that wonderful education. When you take a gap year, though, this all comes into perspective so much more.

I miss studying. I miss reading through textbooks. I miss the college atmosphere.

Missing these simple things provided in college has made me appreciate being a student, but it has also made me appreciate those who don't have the chance to go to college and head straight into the work field. Kudos to these people, because it is tough.

Entry-level positions? Yeah, sure you can have such a position but only if you first have at least a bachelor's degree, speak at minimum three different languages and yadda, yadda, yadda. This is the reality of entry level job positions out there today.

I was lucky enough to find a job that didn't require these things, but I also wasn't making that much and dealt with a terrible work environment. The only plus of this job would have to be the girl that trained me (she is amazing at her job).mAfter dealing with that whole fiasco that I had called my job, I sure do appreciate the simplicity of college.

Each of the things above has truly formed me into the young woman I am today. The young woman that is just writing and taking pictures to her heart's content because this, this is my passion. If you take anything away from this article, it should be to just follow your gut in any situation. Taking this gap year was me following my gut, and in doing so I found out what type of woman I aspire to be. That woman is one that follows her gut, heart, and her dreams. Taking a gap year can change you like it has changed me, for the better.