As someone in their final year at Newcastle University, who has been lucky enough to embark on both a gap year and a year abroad of studying and working, I’ve certainly done my fair share of travelling at a particularly young age. Often, I even catch myself wondering whether I ought to put the brakes on and settle into a more anchored lifestyle based in the UK, whilst equally, others close to me seem to wonder whether they’ve “missed the boat” when it comes to travel, worrying that they won’t get the same satisfaction out of exploring what the world has to offer now as they might have done when they were in their teens.
The stress, uncertainty, and isolation of recent years have left many of us lacking self-confidence, open-mindedness, and most importantly, happiness that travelling offers and that we most certainly need and deserve to be able to face the post-graduate working world ahead of us. In fact, when stuck at a complete cross-roads about my future earlier this year, my dad wisely pointed out that our happiness must always come first, and in this cut-throat world we currently live in, we’ll only end up feeling like a pretty miserable little fish in a big old pond if we start down a career path that we’re not in the right headspace for, or merely for the sake of it because it’s apparently the “right time” to do so.
That’s not to say that if you know exactly what you want to do after university and feel happy and ready to do it that you should drop it all to see the world; plenty of my friends have settled into the great working lives up and down the country and couldn’t be happier for it! Yet, I know I speak for many when I say that the world of potential grad schemes and endless job applications – all whilst trying to get the final years of a degree done and dusted – can feel both daunting and bewildering, with no clear way out, so definitely don’t just jump from education to full-time work in the UK because it purely feels like the “right” time you ought to be doing it. One too many times I’ve heard post-graduate jet setters being described as “aimless wanderers”, “time-wasters”, “unambitious” or “thrill-seekers”, when personally, travelling young has given me the priceless gifts of confidence, curiosity, contentment, and most importantly, comfort in my own skin. So, if you’re not quite feeling ready to be thrown deep-end first into working life, then now is most certainly the time to ignore those nonsense labels and stigmas that surround young travellers and go pave your own way through this world!
The honest truth is that we as humans seem to crave stability and security - be it a partner, a flat, a job, or an attachment to a particular place – which, as we get older and ground ourselves to someone, somewhere, or something, can ultimately pin us down, holding us back from pursuing the unknown and creating our own adventures abroad. Friends of mine who’ve recently graduated boldly claim they’ll “just grin and bear” their now job to “get a few steps up the working ladder” before taking time to travel in their 30s. Yet, whilst I don’t believe there’s ever a wrong time to travel, I can’t help but feel there’s a pretty ideal window when we enjoy more independence and less ties, and so are much more likely to take that big step of upping sticks and making our travel dreams happen. So, if you’re that little bit lost and in search of the self-growth and happiness you feel you need in order to face the working world head-on, then now could be your time to explore the world in all the ways you’ve dreamed of doing. Because the truth is, travelling the globe from the age of 18 has gifted me – and continues to gift me - more skills, self-worth, and smiles than education or work ever have done!