Guide to taking a gap year Posted on 24 October 2010 Tags:israel I first heard the term “˜gap year’ from a smelly English bloke, Richard, who worked on a kibbutz in Israel. He sidled up conspiratorially and said: “˜I’m not like the rest of these rich plonkers on a gap programme, I’m a traveller.’ It was the 1990s and I thought of gap as the term to describe the space where a missing tooth once lodged. Instead, I quickly learnt, it was a cover-all term for doing foolish things in a foreign country, while trying to figure out what to do when you grow up. It’s still pretty much the case today, except that it’s becoming increasingly common for older adults to take mid-career gaps (while figuring out what to do when they grow up) and some even take their kids along. Richard’s comment was intentionally derisive, of course, but given that the rest of the “˜plonkers’ found gainful employment, while Richard found lodging in a London prison (for sneaking up on a sunbather in Hyde Park and licking her toes) it’s clear that “˜gap’ trumps “˜traveller’ back home in the real world. Best of all, gap year(s) have become an acceptable placeholder on CVs and a great way to gloss over months lost to tequila, tropical beaches and sunstroke. Some people are even smart enough to manufacture their break in such a way that it adds noble weight to their résumés. For budget planners, what gap years cost and interviews with guys and girls who went soul-searching, head to tiny.cc/gapyear. Related Posts 8 Tips for travelling in areas with bad infrastructure 17 May 2022 South Africa offers some of the most breathtaking of landscapes and biodiversity you will experience,... read more 8 Simple tips to have a comfortable long-distance bus trip 11 March 2021 Given the vastness of the southern African region, this can involve journeys that take up... read more Road safety tips 24/7 11 September 2020 The Arrive Alive Road Safety website would like to share Road Safety Suggestions for the... read more PREV ARTICLE NEXT ARTICLE
8 Tips for travelling in areas with bad infrastructure 17 May 2022 South Africa offers some of the most breathtaking of landscapes and biodiversity you will experience,... read more
8 Simple tips to have a comfortable long-distance bus trip 11 March 2021 Given the vastness of the southern African region, this can involve journeys that take up... read more
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