Gap Year - Knowing What to Expect
Travellers often embark on their gap year with roughly made plans and a strong desire to "see where life takes them". Maybe they want to be spontaneous, maybe they want everything to be a surprise but in all likelihood they probably just don't know how important it is to know what they're letting themselves in for.Two things I can guarantee you: there will be many cultural differences and you will almost certainly experience culture shock. Homesickness and budgeting problems come next for many but knowing exactly what to expect can help you to avoid these problems and to get through them.
Gap years aren’t all fun and games. The chances are you will see things you don't like, eat things you don't mean to and experience things that you would rather forget. You have to take the good with the bad and remember that when it's good it's down-right amazing.
To make it that little bit easier to take it’s important to know what you might find on your gap year, even if it's bad. Knowing about these things will be a great help when you actually encounter them and will make the experience a whole lot less distressing.
Cultural differences
Sometimes it can be eerily familiar, but mostly it’s not. Chances are that you’re going somewhere that is vastly different to what you're used to. If you’re volunteering abroad, you’re probably going to some of the poorest parts of the world. There, the language, the standard of living, the food, the people and the dress are all different.Think about the difference between two places in your own country, the difference in style, dialect, weather, and lifestyle. Then multiply that by a thousand and it might give you an idea of what to expect.
Research
To lessen the impact of these cultural differences, it’s important to be prepared. Some things you might find out on arrival, but others you'll catch on to later. Research your destination before you set off and if you're travelling to more than one country, even if they're in the same continent, make sure you look into them all. Obviously you’ll look up information about weather and currency, but look up cultural information as well. Find out what things are considered taboo, what is appropriate dress, how people greet each other and anything else that might be different than you’re used to. If you're travelling with i-to-i you'll be sent a country-guide that will give you all the basics but remember - you can never be too prepared.Culture shock
It's not uncommon for culture shock to set in after the initial euphoria of arriving in a new country fades. At this point, you may start to feel frustrated, angry or sad. Culture shock is simply the process of adjusting to a new environment - realising you can’t communicate, you don’t know how to get the things you need, you miss the ease and comfort of home.This is normal. It doesn’t mean that you made the wrong decision or you wasted your money or anything negative about yourself. Everyone goes through culture shock but it will pass. In fact, when it’s time to come home, you’ll probably go through the whole cycle all over again.
Homesickness
For many people taking a gap year is their first real experience of being away from home for any prolonged period of time. It’s completely natural that to feel a little homesick but this too will pass.See How to Cope with Homesickness
Standard of living
If you’re doing volunteer work on your gap year, you can expect to be going to some underdeveloped places. What to expect varies depending on where you’re going, so again, do some research. I can tell you what not to expect: luxurious accommodation, cable TV, hot water… Some placements have these things, others won't. Either way, you'll encounter a whole different way of life.Living like the local people do is part of the experience and you’ll find that you can make do without the comforts of home. However, if you can’t bear the thought of living without the internet, think twice about going to a developing country.
Hard work
Volunteer placements, paid jobs and even travel in general, can be hard work. Even if you’re not doing manual labour, the work can be tiring and frustrating. If you’re doing anything but just travelling, be prepared to work hard. You’re not on holiday in the traditional, relax on the beach with a piña colada, sense, so expect don't expect it to be easy going. What you can expect is a really rewarding experience that will stay with you for an eternity.It’s important to know about these negative factors, so that they don’t surprise you. If you know what to expect you can be prepared to deal with it and get on with having a good time. Other things you can expect from your gap year are meeting interesting new people, seeing amazing things, having a meaningful experience and a memory that will last forever.
