Gap year travel is a lesson in confidence building, problem solving, skills acquisition and self-knowledge. Here, nomads share why a gap year is an investment in yourself.
Photo © iStock/Joel Carillet
Still tossing up between university, work
Travel will open your mind
"It opens my mind to different people and cultures. It’s easy to think that your way of viewing things is the right way or the only way, but once you spend any amount of time with other people and cultures, you begin to appreciate more differences around the world.
This perspective gained through travel has helped me in my personal and business relationships, to be more understanding and accommodating, as I interact with people each day." – Brock Weaver, World Nomads.
Work opportunities will appear
"I combined my gap year with an unpaid internship. It grew from a two-week stint emptying the rubbish to a three-month opportunity working on a brand
I don’t think any of it would have happened if the role wasn’t away from home. When I’m traveling, I'm more
Today I’ve moved away from PR, but those early years in London taught me to never be afraid to learn on the
"Don't worry that you'll be behind in the career hunt or the college path. During your gap year, you will learn so much about yourself and the world, much more than you can learn in a classroom. And, when you do go back
Ignore the naysayers, and do it now." - Terry Ward, World Nomads
You’ll make life-long friends
"On my travels, I made friends in all different parts of the world. I recently went to Japan and visited an old friend, who introduced us to tiny cars, and his son taught us how to play robot laser tag – I wouldn't have ever been able to try this, because you can't test them out in toy stores.
My travels have taught me to have no fear in asking questions or talking to strangers. Even after teaching for six years, it was travel that made me feel comfortable striking up a conversation with a stranger." – Veronica Mercado, World Nomads.
So, if you’ve got the urge to travel, we say do it! The only regret you’ll
What did your gap year do for you? Share your story with us in the comments below!
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