Earlier this year I was privileged enough to go on a once in a lifetime trip to Australia, as a 16 year old girl (at the time) never in a million years would I ever have thought I would have this kind opportunity. Just me, my best friend Georgie and the whole of Australia (well Western Australia, but you get the idea).
I know many people in the same position as me (finishing A-levels) are toying with the idea of taking a gap year to go travelling, so I thought I would offer a few tips that I learnt whilst on my travels.
First of all, book your seats on the plane! A lot of airlines don’t make this obvious enough and I just assumed that when I booked two plane tickets, they assigned me seats together but this is not the case. It’s usually during the online check in process that you get to choose and my friend and I very nearly did not get seats together.
Secondly, I would not advise the service that most airlines offer to take you through security etc. as you are not allowed into duty free and to be quite honest with you, sitting in an airport without duty free for two hours really isn’t fun. Georgie and I, got through security alone the rest of the journey (we flew Heathrow to Hong Kong then Hong Kong to Perth) and on the way back, its really not difficult. So if you’re on the fence about whether to get the additional help, I would say its not really necessary and I am sure you are more than capable of doing it by yourself. I believe in you!
And lastly, have an amazing time. There are so many beautiful country’s out there and a gap year is a perfect time to see them. I asked my friend Georgie, if she could give me a quote about our time traveling and she said “I had the most unforgettable time in Australia, I experienced so many new things that I would not have done on a generic family holiday. If the opportunity is out there for you I can assure you it’s something you’ll never regret doing” . If you have the funds and are able to, I could not advise it enough. Travelling is an experience you truly will never forget.
