So, you’ve decided to take some time out from your life. After all, you deserve it don’t you? Five long years of study behind you and another five stretching out ahead of you; getting a life is one thing, but everybody needs a little adventure in their lives. Making the decision is the easy part, planning the finer details is another matter. If you’ve decided to take on something a little more meaningful than six months on the sofa and are heading off to work on any one of the gap year projects available around the world, the next decision is, are you going it alone, or should you take someone with you?

The Best Friend

The great thing about inviting your best friend along to work with you on gap year projects, is that simply because he or she is your best friend means that there probably won’t be too many arguments about where you would like to lend a hand. Chances are you are like-minded and have discussed conservation or gap year projects before; it may even have been a shared childhood ambition. It could be double the fun and adventure working side-by-side with your best mate, knowing that not only are you strengthening your friendship but you are doing good things for the world as well.

Your Mum or Dad

When moving through the murky waters of adolescence it is easy to become slightly estranged from your parents and you may miss the closeness you had as a child. Taking on gap year projects with one or both of your parents could be the ideal way to reclaim your relationship. While you will no doubt be putting in long hours and taking on some hard physical labour, you will have plenty of time to talk and you may see your parent in an entirely new light. Knowing that your shared experience has been a valuable contribution to conserving some endangered animals and their habitats will cement your bond and remind you that parents are people too.

Your Significant Other

This is a tricky one because it could either be the romantic trip of a lifetime, or it could reveal some underlying cracks in your relationship which may be amplified ten-fold when working on gap year projects. Working as a volunteer in a foreign country is very different to cocktails on Saturdays and lazy lie-ins on Sundays. You will really get to know your partner after a few weeks of early mornings and hard slog working on gap year projects. But don’t be put off, chances are your partner will come through with flying colours and you will come away with a whole new respect and admiration for him or her knowing that they are prepared to get in and get their hands dirty.

Me, Myself and I

For some, taking a few months out to work on gap year projects in a foreign country, can take them out of their comfort zone and propel them straight into a once-in-a-lifetime adventure. If you’re the type that wants to push yourself to a challenge and can open yourself up to new situations and new people, then heading off to gap year projects by yourself could be the way to go. Travelling alone forces you to confront your weaknesses as well as your strengths, and you may learn some valuable lessons about yourself. But whatever you learn can only help you grow as a person, and this solo adventure could well be the making of you.

Author Bio: Mark Bottell is the General Manager for Worldwide Experience, an online tour operator offering extended breaks on gap year projects and other adventurous holidays for adults.

Category: Travel
Keywords: gap year projects