It’s okay not to have it all figured out after graduation. At 22, this is a blessing.
However, like me, you may find yourself daunted by a future full of possibilities. If so, consider these gap years as a way to take advantage of your post-graduate freedom.
Gap years can, and should, not only be a way to buy yourself more time before looming career decisions. They’re a great way to try out jobs or lifestyles you have always wanted in a low-commitment, low-risk year. You may even discover new passions, friends, and perspectives. Here are eight ideas for gap years that are sure to inspire.
1. Drive the Oscar Mayer Wienermobile
Spend the year as a “hotdogger” driving the iconic Oscar Mayer Wienermobile across America to various brand events.
Perks include an awesome work location (inside a giant hot dog), the chance to become very close to people you would not otherwise meet by spending hours on the road together, instant celebrity status, a competitive salary, and valuable experience in public relations and self-management.
This gap year opportunity is a win-win for adventurous, outgoing individuals interested in “meating” others and promoting.
2. Teach English abroad
Immersion elementary and high schools in non-English speaking countries always look for English speakers to assist in teaching lessons and serving as cultural ambassadors for their students.
The CIEE (Council on International Educational Exchange) places recent college graduates in schools in Thailand, Spain, South Korea, or China. If your application is accepted, you will undergo an orientation, and receive assistance in obtaining a student visa and housing advice.
Once in the country abroad, you work on creating lesson plans for students and tutoring English while exploring your new home city. There are no language requirements for these programs, and you receive a stipend to cover your living expenses.
Similar programs include Nalcap and the Fulbright US Student Program. My brother recently came home from his post-grad gap year in Madrid with CIEE and can confirm that
It was one of the best decisions I ever made. It was valuable to see the world in a different way and live differently. I met a lot of great people I wouldn’t have met otherwise. There’s a lot of confidence that comes after navigating adulthood for the first time abroad. Conversations at the bank or at work are too easy now that I’ve been doing them in Spanish.
James P., 23 (@jtprew)
3. Spend your year on a dude ranch
If you grew up watching The Saddle Club (too niche?) or wish you were born a cowboy, try spending the year on a dude ranch.
Dude ranches are ranches that have been adapted into vacation destinations for tourists. Many ranches such as these offer seasonal staff positions in hospitality. Here, you can experience the romance of living the simple life among natural beauty in an exciting, fast-paced work environment.
Bush Creek Ranch is a popular dude ranch that offers a monthly salary and housing. You can find job openings online.
My friend worked at Bush Creek one summer and said she loved it.
It was my favorite summer and I had the best time, I got to learn and try so many new things alongside new friends who would become some of my best pals. Every day brought on a new adventure. It’s crazy how a 3-day road trip introduced me to a completely different culture, and I didn’t even leave the country!
The work was sometimes difficult but I was a kids counselor so kinda like babysitting outside. And taking guests on long hikes could be difficult for sure.
Frances O., 21
But every morning I could see fields of horses from the window by my bottom bunk, and I’d walk out to a beautiful view of a Colorado mountain range. It was unforgettable.
4. Embark on a journey with Roadtrip Nation
Roadtrip Nation is a California-based organization offering advice, testimonials, and “roadmaps” to anyone who feels lost after high school. They also create public television documentaries taking folks on a lime green RV to speak to inspirational professionals across America.
Currently, they are accepting applications through July 21, 2024, for their Black Men in Higher Ed Storytelling Initiative, and July 28, 2024, for their Prince George’s County Roadtrip. However, if these road trips aren’t for you, continue to check the website as more opportunities are posted periodically.
Those selected will receive a daily personal stipend during filming, learn from mentors who love their jobs and create and appear in a documentary about breaking from convention and discovering your own unique path. Oh, and plenty of aesthetic pictures on top of the bright green van.
5. Travel the world as a dishwasher à la Anthony Bourdain
This is the perfect gap year idea for anyone who watched The Bear and thought, yes chef, I can take the heat.
Anthony Bourdain, a famous writer, traveler, and chef, wrote in his book, Medium Raw, “If you’re 22, physically fit, hungry to learn and be better, I urge you to travel – as far and as widely as possible. Sleep on floors if you have to. Find out how other people live and eat and cook. Learn from them…work in the very best kitchens that will have you”
Bourdain suggests that a good way to travel while you are young is to work as a line cook or dishwasher in restaurants around the world. While not for the faint of heart, I can guarantee you will find both adventure and valuable life experience. To begin, choose your first city and I assure you that you will not have to apply for long to get a job as a dishwasher or line cook in a big-city restaurant.
Pete Jordan, also known as Dishwasher Pete, became the first man to wash dishes in all fifty states. Note that the title of the youngest dishwasher to wash dishes in all fifty states is still up for grabs.
If you need any further convincing of the power of traveling by way of the kitchen for self-discovery, wisdom, and excitement, Pete wrote about his travels in his memoir, Dishwasher: One Man’s Quest to Wash Dishes in All Fifty States. Here you will find one man’s roadmap which you can plan your gap year to accordingly.
6. Check your university for post-bacc positions
Sure, post-baccs aren’t as sexy as roping cattle or driving a giant hotdog, but they’re still viable options for those who love their university and want to create long-lasting alumni connections.
Many universities offer year-long positions to recent graduates called post-bacc, short for post-baccalaureate positions. Post-baccs offer universities a student perspective, and they are often tasked with working in student outreach in various administrative offices. Thus, these jobs often include managing social media accounts or organizing student programming.
Post-baccs are fun ways to stay in touch with your alma mater and bolster your resume with professional experience in a familiar environment. To apply, browse your college or study abroad school’s website and speak to your advisor about upcoming post-bacc opportunities.
7. Find work in hostels abroad
The website Worldpackers arranges different kinds of work exchange programs, including working in hostels across Europe, South America, and Asia.
After taking the training course and being approved, you can begin to apply to different positions at hostels, working in reception, organizing hostel events, and managing social media accounts. Many positions offer free meals in addition to a place to stay for relatively low hours.
For anyone looking for a cheaper way to travel long-term, a work exchange is a cost-effective way to knock a few items off your bucket list.
Oh, and don’t let fear of bedbugs hold you back – there are plenty of tips and tricks to fix this pesky problem.
8. Bike across America with deCycles
DeCyclces, a cycling group located in Bloomington, Indiana organizes a month-long bicycle trip each summer taking around thirty student riders and thirty adults from ages 13 to 72!
On this trip, you cycle around eighty miles a day and get to experience roadside America first-hand, spending the night in churches and YMCAs along the way.
No previous cycling experience is needed to sign up. However, you must log 500 miles in training rides before beginning the program. The start of your gap year can consist of training rides while taking a job in your hometown in the meantime.
I participated in this program between my freshmen and sophomore years in high school. Perhaps I suffer from what the founders, Norm and Cricket, call “sports amnesia,” but I remember enjoying every second.
Our route that year was from Indiana to Washington D.C. to New York City. I biked 1,500 miles during the trip, saw 13 different states, and reached a level of physical fitness and endurance I have never enjoyed since. The program costs around $450, covering all food and lodging expenses.
At 21, 22, or 23, it will never be easier to set off on a new experience. You will never be this young, or this free of responsibilities again. So if any of these options catch your eye, you should apply. It’s time for a break from your usual routine, some self-reflection, and an adventure.
