Written by Gap Years. Be it before heading off to university, taking a break from work, or enjoying your retirement, a gap year can be a great way to meet new people and discover new cultures. On a gap year people tend to go for a relaxing holiday over a number of months, or they do something that will enhance their skill set. If you have always dreamed about going to a particular country, this is the perfect time to do it.
If you are looking to combine fun in the sun with visits to historical monuments and architecture, a European tour is ideal. Much of Europe is still out of the tourist regions that a lot of the British visit, so you are certain to have new discoveries. Italy presents visitors with a world of glamour and celebrity as well as beautiful art, architecture and nature. Further east you could take the train through Russia for a culture shock and a half. Whilst a lot of the continent is still plagued by poverty, there are pockets of wealth and splendour that have lasted since the time of the tsars. For anyone who like history, architecture and Vodka, Moscow and St Petersburg are the cities for you. Exploring new places is what you should use you gap year for.
Some people are looking to enhance their CV during a year abroad or want to learn new skills. Volunteering projects have become very popular, as have teaching jobs abroad. A skill that employees are coming to value is teaching English as a foreign language, something you can do in a gap year. Younger travellers and more mature explorers with experience in the work place are all taking up teaching jobs abroad, with Teflworld noting a sharp rise in the number of older TEFL teachers.
make sure that you experience new things on your year abroad. Don’t just think that a couple of weeks away amidst twelve months of sitting on your sofa counts as a gap year. Explore, have adventures and bring back some stories.
