<p>We talk about the idea of the benefits of a Gap year for our students at different stages of their education…before college, between undergrad and grad school, etc. Many would agree that it’s a luxury well spent at some point in their young adult lives.</p>
<p>Taking from this theory, that a break can leave a worn out student ready to face the years ahead, if parents were allowed a Gap year, at what point would you take it, and what would you do?</p>
<p>No comments from the Peanut Gallery on how much you love your kids and would never be without them…we all do. Have fun with this!!! :)</p>
<p>Travel comes first to mind - a road trip across the US, a month in New York (I’ve never been), head to Australia and New Zealand, and then loop back for an extensive road trip through California.</p>
<p>Read all the great books I haven’t read, and re-read the ones I have. Watch the classic movies. See as much good theatre, music, and dance as possible.</p>
<p>Get educated and involved in California planning and politics. We need to get this great state back on track.</p>
<p>I would travel to Europe for a few months, first stop Italy. Than France, Germany, Austria, England, the Netherlands, Scandanavia…etc. </p>
<p>Returning to the states, I would visit San Fran and northern California, then take a road trip down the California coast. Next stop, Chicago for an extended visit which would include seeing many family members and friends. I would also visit my parents for several weeks.
I would then head up to New England for awhile.</p>
<p>The last few months would be spent in NYC in a place on Central Park West.</p>
<p>I am probably in the minority here but I would not travel. I would take a long stay cation. To spend a year in my own house puttering, reading, enjoying some peace and quiet would be a gift.</p>
<p>I would definitely live abroad for a year…not just traveling but immersing myself in the culture. I love Spain and would go again but it has always been my dream to live in England, to spend as long as I liked visiting the places I’ve read about and love. I’ve traveled there for as long as 3 wks at a stretch but even that isn’t the same as settling in to stay.</p>
<p>I would live in Paris for 6 months and do an immersion French language class to get really fluent, while at the same time exploring the country and getting fat on almond croissants, wine, baguettes, and French cheese. Maybe I would take some cooking classes, preferably at a patisserie, while I was there. Then I would go to Venice for a few weeks and do a mini Italian immersion class there to learn some basics. For the first couple of weeks I would explore all the back streets of Venice and the islands around Venice, then I would explore the Northern Italy area. The rest of the trip would be moving eastwards probably spending a little time in India, a brief (re)visit to Thailand and a trip to China. The last couple of months would be in Australia and New Zealand, with maybe a week in Hawaii on the final leg back to the US.</p>
<p>This AM was contemplating a retirement gap of 2 years in the Peace Corps after hearing a radio program about PC. Keep health insurance, rent out the house, have an adventure overseas pre taking actual retirement. I’d take all the books I’ve longed to read. </p>
<p>My S says there is a good sized group of retirement age folks teaching English in China.</p>
<p>Going to Europe and settling in sounds like a dream come true. Not financially feasible however.</p>
<p>I’m not a parent but if I could take a year to do whatever I wanted I’d probably do some traveling, visit friends that I haven’t seen in forever, and spend a lot of time in my pajamas reading books!</p>
<p>Need a gap year away from the extended family as well. I thought I could have some me time as soon as son went away to college, but alas, there were still siblings, spouses, parents and inlaws, and alas, the job. </p>
<p>As I’m at the end of the first semester empty nest and have gotten none of my to do list done, I have plane reservations for two different destinations for the month of January for the week after son returns to college.</p>
<p>One is to finally see my mother in the OOS nursing home, who I haven’t seen in 18 months, and the second is to the city, Birmingham, near my son’s school, since we always plan to see fun places near Bama, a five hour drive away, but are always too tired or rushed to make it. I will probably not even let son know that I am only an hour away, so I can enjoy the shopping and culture of Birmingham to my heart’s content.</p>
<p>Hmm, I would like something similar - except in Italy. Oh boy, I think I am going to dream about this gap year plan.</p>
<p>My other thought would be find nine other women who would like to split the cost of an apartment. We would furnish it simply and when one of us needed a little break from our families, we could just stay in the apartment. Now, there would be times when more than one woman would need the space, but that would be okay. At least it wouldn’t be someone who expected us to do something for them.</p>
<p>I have really enjoyed this thread, and if I weren’t so close to retirement (3.5yrs), I’d consider some things.</p>
<p>As it is, I will be retiring to Europe, where I plan on doing archaeological digs. It has been something I have wanted to do all my adult life, but “life” got in the way. In between the digs, I will travel over there, and hopefully be able to know future grandchildren.</p>
<p>I want my gap year now!
I would: finish my novel (a memoir about developing resilience in the face of loss and tragedy); visit Italian Renaissance water gardens (which feature in my novel), and I’d get enough sleep. I’d probably just sleep for the first 3 months. With an IV so I’d be hydrated.</p>