What inspired you to travel abroad?
I have always loved to travel and this opportunity gave me the chance to explore places I have never been before. I also wanted to travel while I was young because I might never get the opportunity to do this again in the future. EF also intrigues me, I love the places they go and what they do.
Why did you choose EF Gap Year?
My parents and family are from Europe and it was nice to explore the places I’ve been told about. I had already been to England and Ireland, but everywhere else I had not been.
Now I know more cities and towns that I want to go see. Also, I want to explore even more because I was not able to go to certain places that I wanted to go to.
Can we do this every day? I enjoyed eating delicious gelato while in Rome, Italy.
What was your favorite part about your host country/city?
Every country was different in their own way. Every place we stayed in had fun excursions and easy access to transportation which took us to explore more on our own time.
We had a lot of freedom where we could go to different places where we might never have gone. Such as museums, tours, towns, and even other cities for a day. Each place we stayed in had so much culture in it that I have a fond memory in each.
What made your experience abroad extraordinary?
The people and the amazing views made my experience extraordinary. I have seen so many things in pictures but being there in person makes your eyes big and just in awe of the whole place.
Sometimes it did not feel real to be there, looking at all the beauty. The group that I was with made every place special. We all had a connection from the start and it grew even more throughout the trip. I could not ask for better people to go travel the world with.
How did the local program staff support you throughout your program?
We had the most amazing Tour Director and Student Life Coordinator. They were with us day by day helping us and showing us what Europe has to give. They made us feel heard and welcomed the whole time.
Our advisor in Boston who visited us in England always made sure to let us know that she was there for us. I always felt like I could go to these three people for literally anything. Especially the Student Life Coordinator Helen, she and I are very close in age and we understood each other to a level where we got super close and are friends.
Did EF Gap Year specific pre-departure Covid support? If yes, tell us what kind of support you received.
Yes, they helped with providing us information to stay healthy throughout our trip. If we ever needed someone to talk to or we got sick and needed medical help, caraway is a great app that we all found useful. We all get sick no matter where we are, and when abroad we need to be able to get help about anything.
I loved walking down the Oxford streets in London, United Kingdom. It was brilliant!
How did your program help you stay (and feel) safe abroad amidst the ongoing pandemic?
We all learned that if we ever felt sick, to tell someone. Not to let us get worse. There are resources that we can use abroad to help us get better. No one wants to be sick abroad.
Personally I got sick abroad and I was wanting my mom. I FaceTimed here and just listening to her voice helps me think better. I am also glad that I applied for EF travel health insurance just in case because I might have needed to get medicine.
What's one thing you wish you would have done differently during your time abroad?
I wish I would have gone out more. The free days that we had I did take advantage of them as mental health days. Which is something I definitely needed to charge back up. But I wish I had gone on those excursions with some of my friends instead of staying behind.
I was worried about money and overall I should have not. This is a once in a lifetime experience and memories that last forever. Money always comes back.
Describe what a typical day in your life abroad looked like.
Usually we would start our day with breakfast, and then get ready for the day. We might have one to three things to do depending on the day. We would travel together to our destination and either have a tour or go to a museum.
It was all different. Then after our adventures, we might have some free time to explore before dinner. We would all go to dinner together and talk about what we did that day together.
What did you enjoy doing in your free time abroad?
I enjoyed the freedom of doing anything I wanted to do. Some days were sleeping in and watching Netflix all day, some were refreshing and going out for lunch or dinner. Some days we would go to monuments that we wouldn’t have gone to on the itinerary.
We always had some ideas to go out and find things that seemed interesting. Whether it be all day or for the evening.
Two friends and I were in front of the Eiffel Tower while visiting Paris, France.
What type of accommodation did you have? What did you like best about it?
We had hostels and hotels. Some hotels had three to a room and hostels were more like four to six. I enjoyed the hostels because there were so many of us and we all had stuff to talk about.
We bonded more than we would have daily. We lived together and it’s during the times where we relax where we can just really be ourselves.
What is one thing every future participant should know about your program before their program begins?
Do not worry. Everything happens for a reason and you are on this trip for a reason. Whether you know what it is or not.
I was worried about the people I was going on the trip with and money. I got so close to people within the first three days, before we even got to Europe. And money, I worried that I would run out but honestly the memories I made when I didn’t think about it were the best.
Would you recommend your program/provider to others? Why?
I would recommend this program and any program that EF does to everyone and anyone. Especially people who are struggling with the idea of college. Whether they are about to start or in the middle.
Take a break, you need it. School will always be there no matter what. These experiences that I got from traveling have been literally life changing. Take that chance.
What do you feel the biggest benefit of traveling abroad is?
The biggest benefit of traveling abroad is learning the difference in cultures and adapting to your surroundings. It’s like learning common sense again but in different countries. There are rights and wrongs and you learn by experience.
Look around when you go out, what do they do, how they present themselves. It is a skill that will help you in future travels and day to day.
Now that you're home, how has your time abroad impacted your life?
I feel happier. I feel more confident. I have an idea of how to kick start my life again and I know how to do it.
As long as all the cards fall into place, I will do just that. I am ready to finish my degree and also on my own terms. No matter what, I will find a healthier way to go about school. Even if it means transferring schools.
What does meaningful travel mean to you?
To me, meaning travel means taking home something you learned abroad and applying it to your daily life. It could be healthier living, being more adventurous, being kind to others, exploring around your hometown, and even making more friends.
It depends on the person and their own experience but for me learning from the past and only looking to the future. Don’t live in the past.
