Lessons from Lydia's gap year

Lydia is currently in Canada with her boyfriend on the second stage of her three-part gap year. Hailing from Manchester in the United Kingdom, Lydia and her boyfriend have been saving for 3 years to go on a gap year. Together, they created a bucket list of exciting activities and destinations that they wanted to visit. Skiing in Canada, learning Spanish in South America and climbing to Everest Base Camp in Nepal made up the top three must do's.

"The first thing my boyfriend and I did when we started planning our gap year was put a big bucket list together of all the things we wanted to do. Then, we managed to narrow it down to a few experiences based on things like budget, once-in-a-lifetime experiences, what we won’t be able to do when we’re older, and things like that."

Lydia's number one advice when it comes to budgeting for a gap year like this is to divide your trip into portions. Have separate pots of money for each location and stick to your budget. Be sure to not dip into next locations budget otherwise you'll find yourself stuck for cash in the next place.

Lydia has enjoyed her time in Canada so much that she doesn't want to leave! The EA Ski & Snowboard 11-week instructor course was just what she wanted. It is a great way to develop technical skiing ability all while ensuring that you're out on the snow as much as possible (Plus accommodation is all sorted for you while you are there). Lydia and her boyfriend have both also successfully obtained their level 1 ski instructor qualifications and are thinking about heading back to Canada and working as instructors at some point in the future.

When asked about what Lydia has learnt on her gap year so far, she replied, "the biggest lesson I have learnt is not to plan too much. Decide on a destination and how to get there. But when you arrive, go with the flow so you can be open to new opportunities that arise."

By working a few years before choosing to do her gap year, Lydia is glad that she doesn't have to rely on her parent's financial support. She has been able to mature, take the time away from work and also fund her own travels around the world. It's a huge sense of achievement to do so.

Lydia's last tip for anyone thinking about going on a gap year is to book experiences in advance! Why you ask.... well Lydia guarantees that you’ll get to one place and not want to leave! It's helpful to have planned experiences in other locations to remind yourself to keep moving.

If you're thinking about your gap year and would like to add 11-weeks of skiing or snowboarding at Lake Louise on to your agenda, then get in touch with the EA Ski & Snowboard Training team today.