I regret my gap year!

The start of my adventure in Barcelona!

It was 2016, I was 21 years old and had just finished my HBO education. Like many others, I fell into the well-known black hole: "What now?" I didn't feel the urge to immediately do something with my degree and start working full-time in the Netherlands. But what did I really want? One thing I knew for sure: I wanted an adventure!

Soon, I decided it was time to take a gap year. I figured I could continue my studies a year later, and a gap year would give me time to figure out what I really wanted to do with the rest of my life. One condition I set for myself during this year was that I wanted to use it well. That's why I chose to learn a new language. Since I had already learned English, German, and French for years, the exotic Spanish language quickly became an obvious choice for me to learn.

So there I went: three months of studying Spanish in Barcelona. It was super exciting to embark on this adventure alone and in a new city! I chose an international organization where I would be placed in classes with other international students who wanted to learn Spanish. This was a huge advantage! Within a week, I had already made new friends from all over the world.

School, going out, and enjoying the sun

So, I quickly spent my days attending school, going out to clubs, or sunbathing on the beach with my new friends from Germany, Sweden, and The United States. This was the time of my life! It often felt unreal: beautiful weather every day, great people around me, and doing fun things every weekend in this fantastic new city!

I regret not staying longer!

The farewell moment was super difficult after 3 months when my adventure was over. The only thing I could think of was, WHY did I choose to go only 3 months? Of course, my savings had run out by then... But why had I never considered the idea of temporarily working in Barcelona? I felt that my adventure wasn't really over yet...

Once back home in the Netherlands, I found a job at a shoe store and worked there for another 7 months until my new studies started in September. Every day, I realised how much I REGRETTED not staying longer to work in Barcelona. I find it a waste that I hadn't looked into this option and could have continued to work on my Spanish until this day...

My advice for a great gap year abroad

What I hope to convey from my story is that a gap year is enriching for your life! It is something you will look back on as "the time of your life." However, if I could do it again, I would have preferred to work abroad for a year.

What would have been the benefits for me?

• Your savings won't run out easily, so you won't have to come back halfway through
• You can truly learn the language because you are immersed in local life long enough
• You make lifelong friends (I still meet up with these friends every year!)

The advantage of taking a gap year abroad through Yobbers is that you are guaranteed to be surrounded by international colleagues your age! Did you know that there are countless options for taking a gap year abroad? For example, like me, choose to spend your time in Spain, or work in paradise in Malta or sunny Portugal!
 

So take the step and follow your dreams! 💫