How to Plan a Grown-Up Gap Vacation
It is a tradition in many countries for young people to take a "gap year" between high school and college, university, or work. In that year, they might learn another language, volunteer abroad or just visit places they've always wanted to go. But sometimes you need a break way after university. Follow these steps and you're sure to have an amazing "grown-up gap year" experience!
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Instructions
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Planning Your Adult Gap Year
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Start planning well in advance. Brainstorm things you think you'd like to do abroad. Do you want to teach? Volunteer? Just take in the sights? Narrow down your choices first.
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Do some exploring online, where you'll find many helpful tools to plan your time abroad. Volunteerabroad.com offers invaluable information about different opportunities in other countries. Also look at the programs offered by Volunteers for Peace (vfp.org) and Global Volunteers (globalvolunteers.org). If you're an American citizen, you can also consider going abroad with the Peace Corps (peacecorps.gov), which has no upper age limit. Intern Abroad (internabroad.com) lists a variety of internships for those under 35. Internabroad.com and vpf.org also give information on artist colonies abroad.
Interested in learning a new language? Try studyabroad.com for information on different intensive programs. Most colleges and universities in other countries will have programs for foreign students to come and learn the language, but check with each one individually. A broad-range site like studyabroad.com is a great launchpad.
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Figure out your money situation. This can be a tricky one, but it is helpful to go over your bank statement and decide what you'll need to be paying for while you're away (e.g., car payments, mortgage payments). Look over your funds. If you feel you cannot go without earning any income, volunteerabroad.com and goabroad.com highlight viable options for earning at least some income while in another country. Some options may be teaching English, working on farms, baby-sitting or working at a hotel. If you know another language, translation can also be a lucrative field.
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Purchase your plane ticket. Sites like travelcuts.com or statravel.com offer discounts on hotels, planes and trains for anyone, but students and teachers get a much bigger cut. In many countries throughout Europe, those 18-25 may get special rates on their train and plane tickets. For example, France offers the Carte de Jeunesse to promote young adult travel.
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Research the cost of living in your preferred destination, and choose where you can afford to live or travel on your budget. Expatriates.com and craigslist.org can offer you a glimpse of how much apartments will cost.
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Research hostels and hotels to stay in once you arrive. Travelcuts.com and tripadvisor.com offer great, honest reviews of hotels and hostels. Expedia.com sometimes offers good deals on hotels, too.
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Tips & Warnings
Visiting countries in Eastern Europe and Asia can be much cheaper than visiting Canada and Western Europe. Look at the cost of living in your choice of country and compare the currency conversion rates. Make sure you are aware of the cultural differences in your country or countries of choice. It is important to be respectful to your host country while you are having fun. Be aware of each country's views toward people of your culture. While it may not always feel "right" if many in your host country have a negative perception of your culture, knowing this in advance can help you avoid cultural blunders and feelings of anger if someone makes fun of your country of origin. Sometimes having this information ahead of time can even be imperative to safety.
Be aware of possible scams targeted to people of your country. Some can be quite elaborate and dangerous. For example, there is a popular scam in Eastern Europe where pretty women prey on unsuspecting men who are unfamiliar with the currency. They run up a bill, and then the restaurant will force them to pay thousands of dollars. Sometimes the police are even in on the scheme. You can research scams in your particular country of interest by visiting sites such as expatriates.com.
