Gap Year Expeditions, Global Volunteering & Conservation Projects – Greenforce

Gap Year – What Sort of Gap Year Traveller are you?

For most people, taking a gap year really is a life changing experience but, generally speaking, most people will know what they are looking for from a gap year beforehand because travellers can normally be split into a number of disparate groups.

The wealth of options available to gap year travellers in this day and age really is unparalleled and there are a multitude of specialist providers of gap year adventures who literally offer the world. Knowing what sort of gap year is right for you should be a key consideration before you set off on your journey. Obviously, your own personal characteristics and personality will govern the types of things you enjoy and this will invariably have a bearing on the countries that you choose to travel to and the activities that you undertake during your gap year. Taking a gap year has always been a popular option for people from all walks of life and it is never too late to see the world which is why those taking a gap year in 2009 is likely to be on the increase. Knowing what sort of gap year traveller you are beforehand is beneficial in garnering an understanding of the sorts of locations that are likely to give you the experiences that you seek; whether this be in Australia or Nepal.

Gap Year – Getting to Know your Inner Traveller

According to a report in the Independent, there are generally 4 main types of personality that undertake a gap year adventure and these are:

• Work Influenced – In what is an increasingly competitive employment market, many savvy gap year travellers realise that most employers want someone with the sort of world experience that comes from a gap year. Some choose to take a gap year before or after university whereas some consider a gap year to be more of an education than is available from a university.
• Sporty Type – Many see a gap year as an opportunity to impart their sporting prowess to other countries across the world. All sorts of gap year travellers chose destinations where they can teach football, tennis, cricket, swimming, athletics and various other sports to a different culture and it is unquestionably a very rewarding experience.
• Volunteer – Of course, volunteering is the heartbeat of the gap year industry and is central to the ethos of what a gap year is all about. Thousands of those who take a gap year in 2009 will see it as the ideal opportunity to undertake some volunteer work in a different culture and climate. Speaking of this type of traveller, gap year specialist, John Lawler, states to the Independent, “They’re just young people who want to have fun, meet other young people, work in a group, and see another country. It’s when they leave the project that they get enthused about the ethical side and how the project has actually contributed to the local community.”
• The Adventurer – Some people simply want to see what the world has to offer and a gap year is a great way of fulfilling this desire. This type of gap year traveller usually opts for locations that are less along the beaten path and normally forgo the norms of Australia and USA for more unusual locations such as Nepal, Cambodia and South America.

Looking for a Gap Year Experience? Speak to Green Force

Here at Green Force, we specialise in offering gap year experiences that make a difference. We offer opportunities to visit remote destinations across the globe with many volunteering projects to become involved with. Green Force have close links with gap year experts Year Out Group and the Foreign Commonwealth Office and we are pioneering gap year provider with some of the most fulfilling and unusual gap year opportunities on the market. To find out more about our excellent range of gap year projects, just give us a call on 020 7384 3343 or fill in our online enquiry form.