Gap Year

Sunset

Majority of the people who contact me with questions, admiration and encouragement are confused teenagers who are in their last years of high school. Who are preparing for the real world. It’s hard to prepare for the real world when society expects teenagers to raise their hand and be granted permission to use the bathroom then a couple of months later expect them to go in debt to decide what they want to do for the rest of their life...

I do appreciate Teachers, how could we not? I’ve learnt a lot of my education from them. I wasn’t an easy student but I was a smart kid. To text book I wasn’t a brainiac, I’ve flunked tests and I’ve even had my work ripped up in front of me. The schooling system did not work with me, that’s why I left. I knew I was a force of nature and would take the world by storm because I’ve been told that since I was 14. I never knew it was going to be in such a literal sense. 

After 12 years of schooling, puberty, heartbreaks and liters of red bull getting us through the all nighters I think it's our god forsaken right to have a gap year. I can't stand the fact that it's looked down on. That it's for the kids who have minimal potential. That is so incorrect. I've learnt more about myself, my abilities and future then I ever learnt in a classroom. 

So many times when I log onto my social media feeds I see people posting photos of exotic destinations captioned "I need to escape to this..." Society as a whole needs to stop dreaming when our next vacation will be and start living a life we don't need to escape from.

For me if I went straight into College after finishing high school, I would be studying a course that wasn't for me. Since traveling I've come to the bitter realization that the job I use to dream about I don't actually want. If I went to College after investing those 4 years I would have to start all over and start all over I mean double the tens of thousands of dollars that I would be drowning in debt.

Right now I don't know exactly what job I want all I know is that I refuse to be locked and claustrophobic in 4 by 4 walls from 9 - 5. I refuse to shift through papers all day and inject coffee into my veins to keep my eyes open.

I've had a few emails recently asking for advice, asking if they should do the gap year or to start the text book fund in their mason jars. It's simple if you have to question it do the gap year. Don't let anything stop you! NO parents NO teachers NO friends. This is for no one but you. If we were meant to stay in one place we'd have roots instead of feet. Get the hell out of here far far away. Challenge yourself, explore, fall in love with the cities, the culture, the villages and the people. Work on yourself and find out who you are and what you want before investing anymore time being graded on the person they think you are.