Planning a Gap Year for Travel

For both students and people in work, the optioncountries in Europe, Asia, Africa and South
for taking a gap year for travelling or workingAmerica have well laid out backpacker routes
abroad is proving to be a very popular life choice.which are used by thousands of men and women
Making the decision to take a gap year andtravelling in groups or on their own. The vast
following it through can be difficult to achieve. Formajority have amazing experiences and return
a student taking a gap year before or afterhome safely. You will be hard pressed to find an
taking a university degree, a gap year can have aindividual who has taken a gap year and regretted
huge positive effect in terms of boostingthe decision.For some, travelling solo may pose a
confidence, increasing maturity, developing socialmajor problem if they have never tried it before.
skills, gaining experience and knowledge ofThey may be worried about feeling lonely and
different cultures, helping the environment andunable to cope with situations by themselves in a
feeling independent by taking the opportunity ofstrange country far from home. Fortunately there
working in a different country.For a student orare thousands of people in exactly the same
individual with no financial or family commitments,situation and travelling solo is the ideal way to
a gap year can seem like the perfect way tomeet people and build confidence. People often
experience life before joining or returning to themeet in hostels, bars, trains, airports and the list
world of work. However, like many things in life,goes on. It is much easier to meet people while
there are major hurdles to overcome. Firstlytravelling than it is in your home country and in
there is the question of financing the gap year. Ifmost cases, people will only be alone if they
a person is lucky enough to have funds availablechoose to be. Also the ability to cope with new
or will be working during their gap year, this posessituations will improve over a short period of time
very few problems. For many people who areas you gain confidence through each experience.
hoping to travel during their gap year, it mayAfter a while, you will be booking accommodation
mean taking a temporary job or asking parentson the internet, travelling long distances and
to help out financially. With student debts at an allcommunicating with people in a different language
time high, gaining the necessary funds can provewithout a second thought.The options for people
to be very difficult and delays may betaking a gap year are huge and include travel,
inevitable.The second hurdle to overcome is thevolunteer work, contract work, seasonal jobs,
fear and excitement of travelling to the faradventure travel, teaching English and much more.
corners of the world and surviving to tell the taleA gap year can be a once in a life time
especially for those travelling solo for the firstexperience and as long as you plan well and use
time. Parents, friends and family will also be veryyour common sense, it can be year that will
worried with stories of crime, natural disasters,change your life for the better.Lalit Rastogi is
unstable governments and disease ridden areaseditor of and he has a background in
making the news on a daily basis. In the vastphotography, IT and travel. He completed his first
majority of cases, most countries are just asgap year in 2003 and 2004 by travelling the world
safe as your home country. With the wealth ofand visiting Asia, Australasia, South Pacific and
information available on the internet and throughNorth America. He has since travelled to Asia in
travel guides, there is no excuse not to plan a trip2005 and will photograph Japan, Taiwan, Hong
beforehand in order to make the most of it andkong and Thailand in early 2007.
to avoid unnecessary risks and dangers. Many