This story is about a friend of mine called Christopher Dingley. After graduating High School, Chris and a couple of his friends wanted to do a Gap Year Travel and so they went to some great places around the world for 5 months and did great gap year activities. On their trip, they saw amazing things and met people they will never forget…

The friends started off by visiting and travel Thailand; this is one of the most beautiful cheap places in the world. You can see a lot without spending too much money. The nightlife is also very good in Thailand. But in order to do more cultural stuff, Chris and his friends went to travel Cambodia and visit Vietnam where they saw great statues and buildings and relived the war in Vietnam by wandering through the tunnels, seeing the horrible traps from the Vietnamese people and even shooting with guns.

Afterwards, the gap year trip continued towards Singapore, Australia and especially New Zealand where they did amazing stuff. Chris told me that New Zealand was one of his best experiences and everyone has to go there if you have the opportunity. The only negative part, he said, is that it’s very expensive because you want to do as much as possible: walking in glaciers, visiting crocodile farms, going on boat trips, skydiving over the best place in the world to do so, and this is just a little summary of all the great opportunities of the South Pacific island.

At the Fiji Island, Chris and his friends experienced the slow, relaxing way of life at one of the most magical beaches in the world. They travelled extremely beautiful islands for three weeks and prepared themselves for more mainstream stuff. Because afterwards, they visited Hollywood and other attractions in Los Angeles, went to travel Mexico and they finished their perfect trip in a perfect way by going to Las Vegas and live the Las Vegas life for one night.

Talking about a good way to experience a gap year program, I think Chris and his friends topped it all

I am an accountant of a big company here in United Kingdom. Traveling is part of the job as I audit companies all over the world. I graduated with flying colors and thus accepted the offer made by this company I am working for now. My career choice was never actually related with the gap year work I did for a year before I jump off for college.

As much as I love numbers, my first love then was teaching gap year destinations. I already had something in my mind when I graduated from high school. Knowing where we should end up runs in the blood thus I know that I should go for a course that deals with numbers yet there is a nagging feeling that I should try the teaching industry even for only a year and then after doing that perhaps go for something that is practical.

So, here I come equipped only with my natural knowledge, native English language tongue, common sense, high level of intelligence and guts; then visited Thailand for a gap year in the teaching industry. As much as I love the gap year work I had fallen in love with Thailand Holiday destinations. It is an industry in this country that one traveler is surely proud of to share from their unique culture to the destination itself.

It was leap of faith on my part when I decided to go for a gap year travel before pursuing a career. During our time gap years are seen as something that is impractical and peculiar. Yet unknown to many it was these gap year expeditions of mine that fuel the long hours of studying and sacrificing for four long years.

It was not only about Vegetarian Festivals, Ko Tao,Sangkhlaburi Patpong, Nana and Chiang Mai. My Thailand travel were far more than. It was far more like appreciating another part and reality beside the United Kingdom. It was appreciating more of what I have and loving another race that is far more different from mine.

My gap year expeditions were never forgotten… not entirely in line of work right now… but it was something that never should be pocketed and not shared. The gap year destination was just a bonus thing, a plus factor that comes with every realization.

How far did your gap year travel affect you and your decision making?

It is indeed a very unusual decision for parents to encourage their children to take gap year. And sometimes it is the students having a hard time deciding whether to take a gap year or not. Let us brainstorm the reasons why parents encourage their children to take a break and take part on a gap year programs.

Gap year sometimes involve a hands-on experience on the theories that we experience. Maybe some students will not appreciate the subjects and theories taught in the universities. They even ask; why do they need to study very confusing and hard subjects like physics, biology and chemistry which is incorporated in university program.

It was only an experience in Japan making coffee that made one gappers appreciate the beauty of physics. One aspiring engineering student appreciated the Mathematics subjects more when he is expose to the hands-on experience on building bridges under a company in Germany and other countries in Europe. Gap year volunteer can be a great motivator for students.

Gap year programs also will provide your children the opportunity to figure out what they wanted in life and a chance at least to experience what it is in ‘real work life’. I remembered a parents saying that she is going to a night school for her dream course; in fact after finishing a degree in college which she herself has chosen she decided to change a shift in course and the parent ended her speech in saying, “who says we chose the right course after grade 12″?

Going to gap year may be not a sure fire hit way of ensuring that your children will come back mature and motivated after spending a year abroad. Yet majority of the gappers who landed on a very good gap year destination and program indeed return with something they can be proud of.