After I finished high school in Germany, I went solo travelling for 8 and a half months.
It was the best decision I could have made.
I grew so much as a person and had the best experiences ever, that I wouldn’t have made at home.
I understand that travelling is not for everyone, especially solo travelling, but I want to make you think about it and trust me, it will change your whole perspective on life.

You will get so many ideas how to live your life

Before my travels, I didn’t know it was that easy to work and live in another country.
I’ve met people that lived all over the world for the last few years, using their “Working holiday visas” in all the countries it is possible in and working and travelling the world at the same time.
You can do great jobs and some you can earn good money with all over the world.
Not just the usual backpacker jobs in hospitality or fruit picking.
That opened up the possibility for me to go back home to study and use my “Working holiday visa” to work overseas in my job field.
I also got so many more ideas of travels I want to do to pick French up again, to work in a snow field and much more.
Travelling once just makes you want to travel even more because you hear all those wonderful stories of people travelling in other countries.

You have enough time

When you start studying you have breaks you can travel in, but they are always only a certain amount of time which limits your travels to a few weeks.
After your studies you might want to go into the job world straight after to use your degree and when you have a job you have limited days off as well.
After school, you are still young enough to take time with your travels, and you can still study afterwards.
It also gives you enough time to find out and research what you want to do after your travels.
I’ve met many young people that even decided to take another year to travel because they like it that much and might still not know what they want to do.

You will learn how to live on your own

Going out into the world on your own is similar to moving out of home after school, but you learn to do most of the things on your very own because there is no one with you.
I realised that I was capable of so much more when I moved away, and am now sure I am capable of moving out of home forever.
I realised that I picked up so many things of my parents, they either taught me or when I just watched them doing things, and I am so grateful for that.
It is also so exciting to live on your own and have all the freedom you want.
I might have been more scared to move in my own apartment if I didn’t take the leap and live somewhere else, but with other travellers first.

You can try so many new things

During travelling you are emerged into all different cultures, get to try new foods, see their traditions and will try new activities.
I tried skydiving in Australia, rafting in Bali, milked cows in New Zealand and so much more.
During your travels is the time to cross things off your bucket list and try what different things you really enjoy in life.
You get to see different countries and might also decide that you would like to live there in the future because you liked it there.
There is so much to do out there and after school, on your travels, when you are young is the time to start trying out things!

You will meet many new people

I’ve met the most amazing people on my travels.
People I can have endless fun with, people that resemble me in almost every point, people that are a lot older than me, but whom I could learn a lot about life from.
You will realise what kind of people you like to be around and can try to find those when you are staying somewhere for a longer time.
I like to think back and try to find at least one thing that I learned from a new person I met, and I can say I learned a lot for my life because I didn’t just hang out with people in my age, but people of any age and gender.

You will get to make memories in amazing places

School can be exhausting after a while, and I was happy I was finished with endless studying and being busy with school.
I didn’t want to go straight into the next chapter of studying and having to sit in a classroom.
I felt like I needed a break to find out what life is really about, what is beautiful about the world.
Now after my travels I am happy to go studying, to learn something specific again and to settle in one place for a while, but I needed the travel break to realise that and to value the life I can live.
All the memories I made all over the world made me appreciate life and be so grateful for everything I have and was able to experience, and makes me excited for everything else that will come in life.
I also have many stories to tell of what exciting things I have done.

My gap year travels made me realise that the world and its people are so beautiful and made me want to discover more of it.
For now, I will return home to study and do some smaller travels in between and after that I am sure I will do some more long term travels, but will have a degree to base jobs on.
I probably wouldn’t have planned to work all over the world after my studies before my travels because I simply didn’t know it was that easy.
I am sure if you take the leap and see the world after school, when you’re still young, you will not regret it and can learn so much for your life.