International Gap Year

November 2021 – July 2022

Background

Between my 8th and 9th grade (2021-2022), my family took a gap year to explore the cultures of the world, visiting 26 different countries. Before the summer after eighth grade, I wasn’t interested in learning new things. I just wanted to play video games, eat good food, and sleep.

Initial Growth

Sometime during our family “gap year,” though, something clicked for me, and I realized there were really cool things in the world that I wanted to learn. I never realized I would love learning about the complex engineering systems of the Panama Canal so much, be so interested in how the history of Chinese immigration in the 1800s led to such delicious “Chifa” food in Peru, or be as fascinated by the geometry of Antoni Gaudí’s architecture in Barcelona. Each country I visited had so many incredible things to learn and see. My gap year taught me so much about the cultures of the world and about the way people live.

Challenges and Experiences

The gap year wasn’t all sunshine and rainbows, though. There were rainstorms, COVID outbreaks, and a number of things that forced us to adapt our plans at the last minute. After six months of traveling, my family came to the US for a week. Before we left, we had to take Covid tests. My brother’s test came back positive. It turned out that he had asymptomatic Covid. Which meant we were stuck in the US for another two weeks. We had to cancel our flight and rebook at the last minute. On our way to Chile, we were waiting in the airport for my Visa to come through, but it never did. We had to pivot and stay in Peru for a few extra days as we recalibrated where to go.

Second Growth

The gap year didn’t just teach me how to love learning; it also taught me how to adapt to a fast-paced, high-consequence environment. Before 9th grade, I couldn’t care less about learning. I tuned out teachers, skipped any work that seemed too hard, and let my grades fall because I encountered challenges I didn’t know how to handle. In 9th grade, though, because of the gap year, I actually wanted to learn. Today, I pursue any learning opportunity I have time for.

Reflections and Overall Growth

The gap year ignited my passion for learning, reminded me of my curiosity, and taught me how to stay flexible and overcome last-minute challenges. It also exposed me to so many incredibly diverse cultures and experiences. I connected with and learned from people from all ethnicities, ages, and careers. The Gap Year wasn’t only about rediscovering curiosity and learning how to stay flexible and persevere; it also completely changed how I viewed mistakes or screw-ups. The dramatic shift from a closed mindset to a growth mindset has made all my other experiences and activities possible. Without it, I would not have accomplished any of the things that I’m proud of today.

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