Everyone at some time or another has woken up in the morning, on a weekend or day off, and thought to themselves ‘What shall I do today?' Particularly at the weekend the answer to the question ‘What shall I do today?' often involves something along the lines of wandering aimlessly around shops buying things you don't really need. In the evening the answer to ‘What shall I do today?' might involve getting a take-away and watching a DVD. These things are all well and good but they are hardly the stuff dreams are made of.
Sometimes in life you want the answer to the question ‘What shall I do today?' to be a little more inspiring. These ‘What shall I do today?' thoughts are perfectly normal, but if you find you are saying it to yourself practically every weekend then it's probably high time you took some positive action.
If all of the above seems familiar to you an excellent way to beat that ‘What shall I do today?' dilemma is by taking a gap year or career break. That ‘What shall I do today?' feeling can be particularly common among students, particularly during the extensive summer break - which can last several months. A gap ‘year' can be as long or as short as you want it to be, so a great way to beat those ‘What shall I do today?' blues if you are student is to do some travelling over the summer. One option for summer work overseas that many students overlook is Australasia.
If you are aged 18-30 you qualify for working holiday visas for Australia and New Zealand and it is perfectly feasible for example, with twelve weeks holiday, to work for eight weeks and then spend the final four weeks travelling Down Under. You simply wouldn't have time to say ‘What shall I do today?'! Another excellent summer holiday option to banish ‘What shall I do today?' syndrome is to visit the USA as part of Real Gap's ‘Work and Travel the USA - J1 Student Summer Programme.' There is a wide variety of summer jobs available throughout the USA with this programme, and you're assured of a job before you get to the USA. Instead of saying ‘What shall I do today?' over the summer you will meet new people, experience living in the USA and tour the States with the money you have earned afterwards.
If you haven't yet started at college or university, have just finished your higher education or perhaps are in full time employment, it may be that you decide to take a full gap year or career break in order to properly cure your ‘What shall I do today?' feelings. It is easy to continually put off doing an extended period of travelling, and it is definitely something everyone should experience at least once in their lifetime. Whatever age you are, it is important to stress that it is never too late to decid
e to take the plunge and plan a gap year or career break.
All kinds of itineraries and activities are possible throughout the globe on a gap year or career break.
Some gap year programmes are more structured than others and the question of ‘What shall I today?' on this type of programme is obviously less relevant. This type of gap year programme applies, for example, to programmes with a learning or volunteer element to them. There are all kinds of highly rewarding volunteer programmes looking for enthusiastic volunteers - from endangered wildlife projects in Africa to projects that help street children in Latin America.
Volunteers on these projects get a real sense of having done something worthwhile and given ‘something back' to the country they're in - the last thing on their minds is the thought ‘What shall I do today?'
Not everyone who wants to get away from that constant feeling of ‘What shall I do today?' necessarily has the desire to volunteer on their gap year however. Some people simply want to do as much travelling as possible, see some amazing sights and generally have some fun. One of the easiest and most cost effective ways to do a large amount of travelling on a gap year is to invest in a round the world ticket. There are all kinds of round the world options available, and it is a surprisingly simple process to tailor-make your own individual itinerary.
To get some inspiration for the type of round the world programme that's possible on a gap year Real Gap's ‘Round the World' page is a good starting point.
For ‘round the world' gap year travellers the phrase ‘What shall I do today?' gains an altogether less mundane meaning.
If you are backpacking your way round the world, saying to yourself ‘What shall I do today?' is one of the most exciting feelings in the world. Instead of the prospect of wandering around your local shopping centre on a wet Saturday afternoon the answer to ‘What shall I do today?' might involve deciding between spending another day volunteering in Africa, learning to surf in Oz or backpacking in Thailand.
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