Taking a 'gap-year' is an experience that everybody can do and it doesn't mean being irresponsible.
I took two gap-years during my career in human resources (the first at 28, the second at 31), moreover having to face the Italian culture where the topic of the 'sabbatical' is still seen as an 'holiday'.
We often create some excuses to ourselves. Let’s start with the first three:
1. “Where can I find the money?”
Let’s try to have a realistic look at the money we really need to travel the world ‘on the cheap’: a night in an hostel in, i.e. South East Asia, costs around 5€ and so a very good lunch or dinner. We can also make our lunch in the hostel where we are staying and that we could even work there to have in return free food and accommodation. With regards to the flights, if plan in advance, we can save a lot here as well (let’s say an average of 1.500€ for a round the world trip). If we then put all these costs all together we would barely reach 10.000€ for a period of 7-8 months. This is a sum of money some people spend in a three weeks holiday. If we are focused on saving for our life-trip, we can save this money in a quite short time.
2. “What about my job?”
If we are keen on leaving for a sabbatical, it probably means we are not in love with our job or, anyway, that we need a break. There is always a possibility (that we usually consider impossible and so we never verify) to obtain a sabbatical leave from our employer, but if, after we try at our best, we won’t get it, we shouldn’t worry. As it happened to me, a long trip or a long period taken for ourselves can change the way we look at our job position. When we come back we usually change the list or the order of our priorities and we have a more flexible approach. We are more open and creative and we see opportunities that we would have never been able to see before attending this experience.
3. “It could be dangerous”
Not more than walking in a big city, driving your car or smoking! We often create this image of danger when we do not know something. Once we verify the ‘official’ danger of the places we will visit, we should relax and rely on the fact that everyday will be a new experience we cannot foresee and on other people’s help. If want we find dangerous is the risk of taking a break from our ‘regular’ life and not being able to get back (work, friends, habits) we should try to understand the reality of this fear. What do we really fear? Our freedom?
I suggest to approach the dream of taking a sabbatical as we do with every project: ask ourselves what we want to get from it, plan the main issues (visa, budget, etc) and then get ready for a change.
Treating ourselves to a gap-year, where what we do is take time for ourselves and focus on what it is important for us, is a life changing experience and it could also bring opportunities on the professional side.
Have a good trip!
Riccardo
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