Gap year and returning to work advice.

First, you are talking about paying a third party (Gap360) to organize your travel. Why? Thousands of people take off each year on their own without having to pay anyone to tell them where they want to go and how to do it. You're finishing school, becoming an 'adult', it's time to grow up and take care of yourself. You can't take Mom with you and a third party company is just a substitute for Mom.

Regarding what happens when you return. The same as happens to everyone else. You figure out for yourself, what to do. No doubt most go back to living off Mom and Dad while they find a job.

I suggest you spend some time reading posts here on the TT to get an idea of what others are doing. You will find very, very few paying a third party to organize their Gap Year.

The best advice to someone your age is to not worry too much about what might or might not happen 3 years in the future. Cross the "returning home" bridge when you eventually come to it. In the meantime, don't even think about it.

I'm a bit older than you, but for what it's worth my "Gap Year", which I originally intended to last 12-18 months, has turned into 7 years overseas and counting. It's the unpredictability, and the freedom to make spontaneous decisions as you go, that makes life interesting and makes an "organized" gap year a completely pointless (and probably very expensive) exercise.

Have a separate fund set up for your first three months back home. Estimate how much you need, set it aside in a different bank account or something. Also, avoid booking a trip through a 3rd party - the best trips are the flexible ones, where you have all the control, and don't have to pay a middleman.

If you want to be able to stay in a place for 1-2 years and work to support yourself, look into swap (http://www.swap.ca/out_eng/index.aspx)
or working holiday visas. If you're from the UK, Canada, New Zealand, or Australia you have tons of options for working holidays. You can also check out WWOOF (wwoof.org). You have to work but it's usually for free room and board... you can use it to extend your funds.

#1 I understand what you are saying, and believe me don't want the feeling of 'mum' holding my hand through the trip, but I was just looking at ideas. I'm literally in the basic planning stages, and sort of lost of how to really organise it. But thanks for your comment.

And I don't know whether you actually thought I couldn't take care of myself or whether it was just a general comment concerning all people who want to take a year out, but I'm a university student living away from home, so I take care of myself everyday, and like the fact that my parents do not need to do that anymore.

Edited by: LaurenStephaniexo

That's fine Laurenstephanie, so forget paying a third party. If you can take care of yourself at home (wherever that is) you can take care of yourself in Sydney, Australia or wherever. Just start gathering the info you need to go on your own and as dominic77 says, worry about what to do when you return home when that time comes. IF it comes. ;-)

Laurenp15, when suggesting any kind of 'work for room and board' organization such as WWOOF etc. you should always include the caveat that they are fine where you can LEGALLY participate. Not all countries allow working for room and board if you are on a tourist visa, you may need a work permit. For example, it is perfectly legal for a Brit to WWOOF in the UK but it is not legal for a Brit to WWOOF in the USA or vice versa. Spain and Italy do not allow a tourist to participate either. Some countries such as Canada do make provision for someone in Canada as tourist to participate up to a maximum of 30 days.

For any country you are thinking of WWOOFing in or HelpX or Workaway et al you must first determine if it is legal for you to participate. Swap on the other hand is about obtaining a working holiday visa which is an entirely different kettle of fish. So, tourist = maybe depending on country and visaholder means yes in any country for which you have a visa that allows you to work.

I'm in the same situation as you LaurenStephaniexo.

Deciding weather or not to go out with a company or by my self and I'm starting to feel bit better about the idea of flying out to Australia by my self, after reading several peoples posts:)

Don't worry about whats going to happen when you come back from your travels. I also started worrying about this but anything could happen whilst your out there go with the flow as someone said to me lol.

I like what dominic77 has done, a gap year of 12-18 months has turned into 7 years. Where have you been for the past seven years if you don't mind me asking ? sounds exciting :)

^ I've lived and worked in New Zealand (3 years), South Korea (2 years), and now Taiwan. Interspersed with plenty of traveling time in SE Asia (including at least a year in Thailand) and Latin America :-)

WOW dominic77 i bet you've seen and done things that are out of this world :)
how did you manage to live out in New Zealand for 3 years i thought you could only get a working holiday visa for up to two years maximum ?
Have you worked in every country that you've been to so far ?