<p style="text-align:justify;"><span style="background-color:transparent;color:#000000;">What’s a gap year supposed to look like? For some people, it looks like traveling around the world, volunteering in unfamiliar communities, learning about new cultures, taking free online classes, working in your hometown… I did some of these activities at various points throughout my gap year. However, I have also come to see this year as a tremendous opportunity to work on myself and develop a healthier lifestyle, things that are often overlooked as ways to spend one’s time but that are incredibly important.&nbsp;&nbsp;</span></p><p><br>&nbsp;</p><figure class="image image_resized" style="width:605px;"><img src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/D_pNGPUkPyFj-WqUNzl5f8mij5WC1tjSN4tOS69BDm49_B9E3YNh7xZmiewIAXu4nmYHWcR98e8jmzqFkv_FJMFe5iXySzBZGLgumfT2eNFpmxnU7ywv-FIdsP9TGQ6YYIyxJsI"></figure><p><br>&nbsp;</p><p style="text-align:justify;"><span style="background-color:transparent;color:#000000;">I think it’s beautiful to have tangible goals and to be pursuing dreams bigger than yourself. However, sometimes it’s easy to get lost in the madness of it… Especially in times of COVID-19, it’s necessary (at least for our mental health) to remain resilient. At the beginning of my gap year, I did an internship where I was in charge of co-organising a forum of conferences at the United Nations in Geneva. As a graduate in International Relations, it was like a dream come true. However, for reasons we all can very well imagine, the forum was held on zoom and I never set foot in the UN headquarters.&nbsp;</span></p><p><br>&nbsp;</p><p style="text-align:justify;"><span style="background-color:transparent;color:#000000;">That deception was followed by a couple of months of unemployment. At first, it seemed so far away from what I had imagined my gap year to be, but then I realised the position I was in. I had the privilege to be gifted the only thing that I had missed so badly these past few years: time.&nbsp;</span></p><p><br>&nbsp;</p><p style="text-align:justify;"><span style="background-color:transparent;color:#000000;">I’ve always loved reading. I spent my childhood and early teenage years reading everything that came under my radar. But like a lot of college students, academic readings were already quite heavy and when I came back home, reading was the last thing I wanted to do with my free time. Each year, on the first day of January, I would write “read more” in my resolutions.&nbsp;</span></p><p><br>&nbsp;</p><p style="text-align:justify;"><span style="background-color:transparent;color:#000000;">In 2021, I decided I needed a change. I broke down this big goal into smaller goals: that’s how I started reading for fifteen minutes every night before bed. As the days went by, I would get frustrated that it was so late and I couldn’t read more. I started carving out time in my day to read a bit more. Eventually, I decided that each weekend, I’d give myself a few hours to read, and that’s how I’ve been spending most of my Sunday afternoons for a while now.&nbsp;</span></p><p><br>&nbsp;</p><figure class="image image_resized" style="width:605px;"><img src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/EcGu1SVkT8orgjZg_TaU2T8L-EbjoBZlpUbFBH5Er9kLQ8il7AQX7QXrMLoL2zJGFp8v9rynn5QuueOVGJdhHHs9F2uJ4t1Nm3VToDpsL_LHyKy1MARnjWlwz09Q1wezYKq8MqE"></figure><p><br>&nbsp;</p><p style="text-align:justify;"><span style="background-color:transparent;color:#000000;">I used to see reading as a way of expanding my knowledge. Each time I wasn’t reading something related to my field of study, I felt like I was losing valuable time. That’s the point I was missing: what you’re doing doesn’t have to add up to something. When you’re reading or when you’re taking time to do something you genuinely enjoy, you’re building your inner world. One brick after the other, you are putting together what makes you who you are; you are looking inside instead of outside. I think it can give us more strength than we realise.&nbsp;&nbsp;</span></p><p><br>&nbsp;</p><p style="text-align:justify;"><span style="background-color:transparent;color:#000000;">I guess what I learnt is: at the end of the day, your time doesn’t necessarily have to produce something tangible. It doesn’t have to make sense to others. I realise that moments you spend with yourself is something incredibly valuable even if it doesn’t necessarily show from the outside. Especially when you are struggling with anxiety, chronic depression, or other mental health issues, taking this time can actually increase your future productivity and capacities to study or work.&nbsp;</span></p><p><br>&nbsp;</p><p style="text-align:justify;"><span style="background-color:transparent;color:#000000;">Your gap year is the perfect time to implement these habits you have been thinking about but never dedicating enough time to. Whether it is working out more, reading more, seeing your family more often… You actually have the time. And time spent on these kinds of things will never be wasted.</span></p><p><br>&nbsp;</p>

What’s a gap year supposed to look like? For some people, it looks like traveling around the world, volunteering in unfamiliar communities, learning about new cultures, taking free online classes, working in your hometown… I did some of these activities at various points throughout my gap year. However, I have also come to see this year as a tremendous opportunity to work on myself and develop a healthier lifestyle, things that are often overlooked as ways to spend one’s time but that are incredibly important.  

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Building Healthier Habits During Your Gap Year: Changing Your Perspective on Time 

<figure class="image image_resized" style="width:46.82%;"><img src="https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/59984731e58c62983d45ea8b/1519372641408-BAFX8GDUL2KQSWG2N6JN/ke17ZwdGBToddI8pDm48kE6RFQL_9BbosEoxK3SXBdYUqsxRUqqbr1mOJYKfIPR7LoDQ9mXPOjoJoqy81S2I8N_N4V1vUb5AoIIIbLZhVYxCRW4BPu10St3TBAUQYVKc6r6Y-gkD9nIQlpzRCFFJY5E0ccWOKafrawsjBxxCcayFiw7ROM79AzH_BpRLA7BT/IMG_1630+2.JPG?format=750w" alt="IMG_1630 2.JPG"></figure><h3>1. Do work exchange through WWOOF, Workaway, or HelpX.</h3><p>With Workaway, Isabella B. (Manchester Metropolitan U.) worked at a glamping site in Portugal, where all food and accommodation costs were covered. Through WWOOF, Aeshna C. (Columbia ’21) worked on a farm in Norway to see the Northern Lights, and had some of the most memorable moments there. You can also go somewhere local, of course, and still have an extremely valuable experience. Read about their experiences and all other past experiences <a href="https://www.gapyearly.com/opportunities/past-experiences">here</a>.</p><p>&nbsp;</p><figure class="image image_resized" style="width:33.75%;"><img src="https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/59984731e58c62983d45ea8b/1519372661055-XOA52A8JKWLR6DM05IEM/ke17ZwdGBToddI8pDm48kPmLlvCIXgndBxNq9fzeZb1Zw-zPPgdn4jUwVcJE1ZvWQUxwkmyExglNqGp0IvTJZamWLI2zvYWH8K3-s_4yszcp2ryTI0HqTOaaUohrI8PIFMLRh9LbupWL4Bv1SDYZc4lRApws2Snwk0j_RSxbNHMKMshLAGzx4R3EDFOm1kBS/3B4127CC-8718-41AD-92E0-0353CA2778D8.jpg?format=750w" alt="3B4127CC-8718-41AD-92E0-0353CA2778D8.jpg"></figure><h3>2. Work at a ski resort (&amp; ski at almost no cost!)</h3><p>The pay is usually decent, and you get to enjoy an expensive sport for nearly nothing. Tom Kim (University College of London ’20) worked as a waiter at a ski resort in the French Alps, and and Anna Greene (Stanford ’21) worked for a ski resort in Colorado. They both had fantastic times.</p><p>&nbsp;</p><figure class="image image_resized" style="width:48.3%;"><img src="https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/59984731e58c62983d45ea8b/1519372675647-WUO98AQVBC8IOH8HRIEH/ke17ZwdGBToddI8pDm48kPoswlzjSVMM-SxOp7CV59BZw-zPPgdn4jUwVcJE1ZvWQUxwkmyExglNqGp0IvTJZamWLI2zvYWH8K3-s_4yszcp2ryTI0HqTOaaUohrI8PIeQMKeWYgwh6Mn73n2eZmZLHHpcPIxgL2SArp_rN2M_AKMshLAGzx4R3EDFOm1kBS/IMG_1633.JPG?format=750w" alt="IMG_1633.JPG"></figure><h3>3. Learn a language for free through State Department-funded programs like NSLI-Y.</h3><p>Emily L. (Wellesley ’21) lived in Marrakech, Morocco for a year, 100% funded by the U.S. government. Clara S. and Cami K. (Stanford ’21) also spent a year in Beijing, China through the same program.</p><p>&nbsp;</p><figure class="image image_resized" style="width:35.93%;"><img src="https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/59984731e58c62983d45ea8b/1519372414019-Z4BFILP7YQXDKVVDDD5X/ke17ZwdGBToddI8pDm48kCPztTQZpDiZMOuuCfUxiyx7gQa3H78H3Y0txjaiv_0fDoOvxcdMmMKkDsyUqMSsMWxHk725yiiHCCLfrh8O1z5QPOohDIaIeljMHgDF5CVlOqpeNLcJ80NK65_fV7S1UYlQ-m0oNUh_9buvyC-f1CSdhG_dNlqULB2ZTz-ses64A-QPhXXvNcU0N8wN7BGx0g/IMG_7990+2.jpg?format=750w" alt="IMG_7990 2.jpg"></figure><h3>4. Stay at a temple.</h3><p>There are many that offer varying lengths of working stays, during which you work a few hours a day in exchange for meals and accommodation. It’s a great way to explore spirituality and to gain a new perspective on life. Jiyoung J. (Stanford ’21) stayed at the Kadampa World Peace Temple and Meditation Center for two weeks in the beautiful woods of Upstate NY, and met some incredibly kind people, while learning more about a religion she was interested in.</p><p>&nbsp;</p><figure class="image image_resized" style="width:46.52%;"><img src="https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/59984731e58c62983d45ea8b/1519372536499-FR719XVX9RQBY9PHI4O5/ke17ZwdGBToddI8pDm48kBZw6jF4_OvU-ddo_vwqGhp7gQa3H78H3Y0txjaiv_0fDoOvxcdMmMKkDsyUqMSsMWxHk725yiiHCCLfrh8O1z5QPOohDIaIeljMHgDF5CVlOqpeNLcJ80NK65_fV7S1Ub61YCrK70I7JIpWiI8ho4Yi1WvVNQtDE81xuRbL1MFKm0sD-Bab7E9MY8W31A7zMQ/ncg_sterling.JPG?format=750w" alt="ncg_sterling.JPG"></figure><h3>5. Take a biking trip.</h3><p>Even if you’ve never done it before, it’s a great way to build your character and to try something new. Sterling D. (Stanford '21) did a solo biking trip from Oregon to Arizona, and highly recommends it. Rein (Scripps '20) biked alone from Belgium to Spain.</p><p>&nbsp;</p><figure class="image image_resized" style="width:41.51%;"><img src="https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/59984731e58c62983d45ea8b/1519372680610-ZPA0CXIO3I7L7RLVV0PW/ke17ZwdGBToddI8pDm48kPoswlzjSVMM-SxOp7CV59BZw-zPPgdn4jUwVcJE1ZvWQUxwkmyExglNqGp0IvTJZamWLI2zvYWH8K3-s_4yszcp2ryTI0HqTOaaUohrI8PIeQMKeWYgwh6Mn73n2eZmZLHHpcPIxgL2SArp_rN2M_AKMshLAGzx4R3EDFOm1kBS/IMG_1634.JPG?format=750w" alt="IMG_1634.JPG"></figure><h3>6. Apply for internships and work in career fields that interest you.</h3><p>Caroline C. (Carleton) interned at a pottery studio in Greenwich, and gained pottery skills for free. Cami K. (Stanford '21) interned for JUCCCE (Joint US-China Collaboration on Clean Energy) in Shanghai.</p><p>&nbsp;</p><figure class="image image_resized" style="width:36.18%;"><img src="https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/59984731e58c62983d45ea8b/1519372489555-HGZU3H571160WHSRMWS4/ke17ZwdGBToddI8pDm48kDHPSfPanjkWqhH6pl6g5ph7gQa3H78H3Y0txjaiv_0fDoOvxcdMmMKkDsyUqMSsMWxHk725yiiHCCLfrh8O1z4YTzHvnKhyp6Da-NYroOW3ZGjoBKy3azqku80C789l0mwONMR1ELp49Lyc52iWr5dNb1QJw9casjKdtTg1_-y4jz4ptJBmI9gQmbjSQnNGng/PEER+pic.jpg?format=750w" alt="PEER pic.jpg"></figure><h3>7. Email nonprofits for internships that give you a living stipend, like Teach For America or, for something in East Asia, PEER China.</h3><p>Jiyoung J. (Stanford ’21) worked for PEER, and lived and taught at a high school in Southern China. All living and food costs were covered, and with the living stipend, she could take trips to various parts of the country on weekends.</p><p>&nbsp;</p><figure class="image image_resized" style="width:38.92%;"><img src="https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/59984731e58c62983d45ea8b/1519372502515-9D1R4BP3VIA0XVLS48LO/ke17ZwdGBToddI8pDm48kBZw6jF4_OvU-ddo_vwqGhp7gQa3H78H3Y0txjaiv_0fDoOvxcdMmMKkDsyUqMSsMWxHk725yiiHCCLfrh8O1z5QPOohDIaIeljMHgDF5CVlOqpeNLcJ80NK65_fV7S1Ub61YCrK70I7JIpWiI8ho4Yi1WvVNQtDE81xuRbL1MFKm0sD-Bab7E9MY8W31A7zMQ/IMG_1638.JPG?format=750w" alt="IMG_1638.JPG"></figure><h3>8. Commit to an independent project.</h3><p>Anonymous (Scripps ’20) spent a part of her year building a fashion blog. Sterling D. built a company that makes sandals out of recycled tires, and Jiyoung J. and Sasha L. built this website.</p><p>&nbsp;</p><figure class="image image_resized" style="width:47.18%;"><img src="https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/59984731e58c62983d45ea8b/1519372471599-S0XTRLJZLQ3PDK0K9KJ3/ke17ZwdGBToddI8pDm48kF5-XQ2HdpUdzl5dWx9kfhxZw-zPPgdn4jUwVcJE1ZvWQUxwkmyExglNqGp0IvTJZamWLI2zvYWH8K3-s_4yszcp2ryTI0HqTOaaUohrI8PIlVf7kMVkKlx8iqsTRWo7N-IV-AuVdOXdHTVxuLGMgrYKMshLAGzx4R3EDFOm1kBS/working-dog-cover.jpg?format=750w" alt="working-dog-cover.jpg"></figure><h3>9. Check out local universities' research initiatives.</h3><p>Anonymous (Wesleyan U. ’18) worked at U. Penn’s Vet Working Dog Center, where he trained various working dogs (i.e. rescue dogs, search dogs, medical alert dogs).</p><p>&nbsp;</p><figure class="image image_resized" style="width:52.31%;"><img src="https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/59984731e58c62983d45ea8b/1519372434341-2BGVSBFATLPWDEJZALDM/ke17ZwdGBToddI8pDm48kBZw6jF4_OvU-ddo_vwqGhp7gQa3H78H3Y0txjaiv_0fDoOvxcdMmMKkDsyUqMSsMWxHk725yiiHCCLfrh8O1z5QPOohDIaIeljMHgDF5CVlOqpeNLcJ80NK65_fV7S1Ub61YCrK70I7JIpWiI8ho4Yi1WvVNQtDE81xuRbL1MFKm0sD-Bab7E9MY8W31A7zMQ/IMG_1640.JPG?format=750w" alt="IMG_1640.JPG"></figure><h3>10. Wherever you go, speak with locals and find a job.</h3><p>Sterling D. traveled to Chile, where she met an artisan who gave her a job. This could feel very risky, but it can be incredibly rewarding and worthwhile. Picking up a new job on the road is a great way to financially support yourself without having your savings account take a hit.</p><p>&nbsp;</p><h3>Need travel funds? Don't be afraid to work at home for a bit.</h3><p>Ronen S. (Chicago ‘20) worked as a busboy in New York for several months before using WWOOF to stay for free in Italy. He even saved enough money to through hike the Appalachian Trail! Katerina P (Vassar ‘20) funded her own year by babysitting and working in a bakery for several months, and was able to travel through Europe and Central America. Caroline C (Carleton ‘20) went to five countries on three continents by traveling cheaply, using <a href="https://www.hostelworld.com/">Hostelworld</a>, and working both summers.</p><h3>Need more inspiration? Check out all of the other awesome ways people have spent their years on the <a href="https://www.gapyearly.com/opportunities/past-experiences">past experiences</a>, <a href="https://www.gapyearly.com/opportunities/covid-experiences">COVID-19 experiences</a>, and <a href="https://www.gapyearly.com/community/mentorship">mentor pages</a>, and <a href="https://www.gapyearly.com/login">create an account</a> so you can shoot a message to any of us; we will respond within 24 hours.</h3>

No Money? No Problem. There's plenty to do. 

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10 Ways to Spend a Free / Low Budget Gap Year

<p>I knew I wanted to see the breadth of India during my gap year, so I set out to cross the country East to West, from Calcutta to Mumbai. I hadn’t planned any volunteering on the way––I just wanted to sightsee, &nbsp;work on my Hindi, and generally have a good time before starting university. Originally part of my plan had been to head north and see Darjeeling, but conflict in the area meant that was impossible, so instead I went from Calcutta to Bodhgaya, the town famous for hosting the Bodhi tree under which the Buddha first gained enlightenment.</p><p>I stayed in a small homestay there, managed by some people who also ran a school that was right next door. The hosts, Michael and Murari, had an incredible story: they started a soup kitchen together, then created the school, finally adding a homestay onto it to support the project. I was only in the area for a week, but immediately I was asked if I would like to teach the children English lessons, and I was of course happy to.</p><p>The children were lovely, polite, and eager to learn––and also helped me pick up plenty of Hindi. I had no experience teaching, but I took my Hindi-language book and just used the teaching sequence there, reversing it so I taught the English words from the Hindi words. I was warmly welcomed in the area, and people were happy to show me around, including taking me to the famous Bodhgaya temple.</p><p>After my gap year, I stayed in touch with the people I had met in the area and always knew I would go back when given the chance. Two years after that first visit, I was awarded a generous grant from my university to go volunteer. I asked Michael and Murari what they needed. They said that a computer learning center would be amazing so that the children would have a chance to learn to use computers, so I made plans to make it happen.</p><p>I returned to the village and spent a month getting everything together, buying supplies, and building. It was a brilliant month, fun, relaxing, and rewarding––and at the end of it, the school had a new computer learning center.</p><p>The school is called ‘Bowl of Compassion’ and I encourage anyone to look them up, donate, and even go out and stay there! I never hesitate to direct a traveler that way when a person is going around India. I have no doubt I will be back when next possible!\</p>

I knew I wanted to see the breadth of India during my gap year, so I set out to cross the country East to West, from Calcutta to Mumbai. I hadn’t planned any volunteering on the way––I just wanted to sightsee,  work on my Hindi, and generally have a good time before starting university. 

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Lifelong Connection: Returning to Give Back After My Gap Year

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Swim Coach in Seattle, WA

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Swedish Program on Human Rights and Democracy

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Study Abroad with API Madrid in Spain

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Swim Coach in Seattle, WA

Swedish Program on Human Rights and Democracy

Study Abroad with API Madrid in Spain

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Building Healthier Habits During Your Gap Year: Changing Your Perspective on Time

10 Ways to Spend a Free / Low Budget Gap Year

Lifelong Connection: Returning to Give Back After My Gap Year

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Need gap year inspo? Check out these past experiences from gappers!

Swim Coach in Seattle, WA

Swedish Program on Human Rights and Democracy

Study Abroad with API Madrid in Spain

Check out our blog to see what gappers around the world are up to!

Building Healthier Habits During Your Gap Year: Changing Your Perspective on Time

10 Ways to Spend a Free / Low Budget Gap Year

Lifelong Connection: Returning to Give Back After My Gap Year

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