Why Did I Decide To Take A Gap Year?

Ever since I was little I remember telling everyone my goal was to travel, I always wanted to visit Asian beaches, go to New York, go see huskies in Alaska, eat churros in Mexico. When I was around 13 I wrote lists and lists of places I wanted to visit, dreams that I wished to achieve and from then my desire to travel blossomed. So far before my gap year I had only left Europe once and that was go to to Thailand in 2013. I was there for around 3 weeks and I fell in love with Asia, it was like nothing that I had ever seen before. It was so beautiful and I felt that I wanted to see more of Asia then just Thailand. That trip 4 years ago was one of the main reasons that I decided to use Asia as my main destination on my gap year and from there my trip just developed.

I never felt ready to go to university, first of all I had no idea what I wanted to study. I had a place to study clinical psychology but this wasn't what my heart wanted so I decided to give up my place and take a year out. I had a very hard few years prior to starting my gap year, i spent countless days in hospital for anorexia and was going to medical appointments constantly. I was at war with myself and I knew I needed a year out to fully recover. So deciding to take a gap year was a relatively easy decision (despite putting off making the decision for a long time) and I knew it was something I both needed and wanted to do.

The timeline of my gap year was more of a tricky decision. I had to balance finances, work, dreams, friendships, university all into one year. When I first took the decision to go on a gap year I knew I was doing one thing and that was go interailing with my friends. On May 22nd 2017 I left to travel around Europe to 13 different countries in 31 days. It was the first little bit of travelling and one day I worked so hard for. I knew I was doing the trip for probably around a year and a half before the start date and I had been working and saving ever since. Now working full time I laugh at how long it took me to raise 1500 pounds when I don't pay rent or buy my own food but I guess I was in a different position to where I am now: working full time. I went interailing and I loved it: it was an amazing experience and something that I truly recommend to anyone and everyone no matter what age.

After I went interailing I went on my family holidays to Denmark with my mum and to Spain with my Dad (all whilst working in between). This was the last bit of travelling I did before my big trip: the one I leave for in 15 days now (not that I am counting.) The long nine month stint.

I think taking a gap year was one of the biggest decisions I have ever made in my life. It meant not being in the same year as all my friends, it meant not going to university with them and having to find a full time job. However done of that mattered to me, all I knew was that taking a gap year was the decision I had to make and it is one I am sure I wont regret.

Photo taken in Rome this summer