Gap Year? Why not!

As Shia Labeouf once said “Just do it, make your dreams come true!” Whether you are already planning your Gap Year or you are considering the opportunity my best advice is to take the chance and go for it. As daunting as it may seem, traveling the world on your own, know that on the other side of fear is bliss. I for one was not very convinced about the idea of a Gap Year, but now I am so thankful I did decide to join the Gap Year Fellowship at FSU because I got the opportunity to travel, see new places and have new experiences, all of which helped me build my character.

So, once you have decided to jump at the opportunity…

PLAN PLAN PLAN…EARLY!

Before you start typing on the google search engine “Gap Year Programs” take a moment to reflect on the purpose of your gap year, the reason why you are doing it, and what you would like to accomplish. There are a ton of different organizations, programs, websites (etc.) that may seem enticing, but at the end of the day it is you who will be partaking in this journey…so what do you want to do? What kind of difference do you want to make? — check out the link at the end for help

Once you know what you want to do, you can start looking into locations…(NOTE THAT BY CHOOSING A SPECIFIC LOCATION OPTIONS MAY BE LIMITED) In my case I knew that as part of my Gap Year I wanted to learn a different language, specifically French, so my options did become limited (even though that lead me to France 🇫🇷 so I cant complain).. But that doesn't mean you have to take the same route I did

***By selecting what kind of volunteer work you want to do as opposed to where you want to be based your opportunities will grow immensely!

Once you have an idea of what you want to do and you are ready to start researching options make sure you do this with plenty of time. When I was in the process of deciding what I wanted to do I remember being really eager to try everything…good quality but bad for my time management as I didnt realize that these organizations and programs have signup/application deadlines. Many of them require you to do so many months before!!!

MONEY MATTERS

Yes you are getting a scholarship from FSU but that doesn't mean all your expenses will be covered, so when you are looking into programs or organizations check to see what is included. In my case travel insurance and a comprehensive medical/accident insurance, meals, and single room accommodations were all included. But, what this means is that I had to pay a fee to the organization (Greenheart Travel) which did include other services such as host family search, screening, and placement process, local office support, English as a second language teaching resources etc.

I do know that there are some programs that have minimal to no fees to the organization but that requires more research and at least for me the locations were not desirable since learning French was on the top of my list of goals.

RELIABILITY AND SAFETY

Regardless of where you are going you or your parents will always have that little voice in your head holding you back because “what if its not safe?” I went through that stage too, not knowing who my host family really was or even the city that I was going to be living in. Luckily my organization does background checks and I was told that my host family had previously hosted other students from around the world.

Depending on what you decided to do you will be presented with many different cases which may be different than mine but thats okay too. I do remember considering working with IVHQ which does not provide a host family or single room accommodations like Greenheart does. Instead they have dorm like rooms shared with other volunteers from the same organization.

Before I chose between organizations I looked up their social media accounts and found that they tagged their participants so as one usually does ( or maybe just me lol) I messaged these people and asked them about their experiences abroad and with such organizations. Who else will give you an honest answer than the volunteers themselves?!?! I received all positive feedback, which I was not surprised by. Knowing that real people with real testimonies had all good things to say about the program, volunteer work, and location made me calm and excited about my upcoming journey.

YOU DONT NEED AN ORGANIZATION

Another tip I think is important to note is that you don't need to find an organization to transition/be the medium for your trip abroad. I didnt use one for my first semester abroad and I think it must have been the most rewarding experience I had. I am half Honduran and have a few of my family members living in San Pedro, Honduras, but I have never lived there before or gotten to immerse myself in that culture. So, I went to live with my grandfather for four months, learning his way of life and also volunteering at a primary school teaching english and in the late afternoons at a nutrition center. Now I can say I have volunteered and also learned a little bit more about my identity, culturally and with my character

If you have a family member living in a different country that you dont know much about or would like to be part of it culturally I suggest starting there! Your bond with your roots strengthen and your perspective on yourself will definitely change for the better.

TRAVEL CLOSE AND FAR

My last and quick advice is to travel as much as you can while you are abroad. Not only inmerse yourself in the culture of your chosen location but aspire to know more about the neighboring cultures and customs. If you can take quick weekend trips, travel with your tastebuds, with your eyes and all the other senses. Travel with an open heart and be willing to meet as many people as you can, some will be strangers after but some will be forever friends. Trust me I found some forever friends and I could not be more grateful!!!

Explore what this world has to offer! This may be a once in a lifetime opportunity, don't waste it!

“🤗 — Jazz hands!” Shout out to my friend Jonathan who I met during my Gap Year (forever friends)

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