shootingsilver

hey everyone,

I'm currently a 17-turning 18 in Oct- year old girl planning on taking a year off before I head to university. I'm a pretty independent person and my parents have more or less washed their hands of the whole planning process (provided I don't head to Syria or something..) so my travel restrictions are more age based than anything. I'd like to be able to volunteer and/or work for at least part of the time (at least 3 months). I've been trying to find local organizations rather than go through an expensive program, but I also understand that I'm basically an unskilled worker and I don't want to be more of a burden than a resource (in terms of needing to be trained etc). I currently work a full time job so have got some customer service/retail experience from that. I'm also from a very, very touristy city in the US and tourists drive me absolutely insane in the summertime, so I don't want to be *that person* any more than I have to be! Obviously I will by definition be a tourist...but I'd really like to try to avoid the super-touristy parts of wherever I end up and instead actually try to learn something about the local culture and learn more about what it's actually like to live there. At least in my city, there's so much great stuff that tourists just never see or don't care about.

Transportation: I don't drive, but I bike pretty much everywhere and have done a multi-day independent/self supported tour (over my spring break). Comfortable with boats/trains/any type of public transportation (have relied on subway since age 7; have travelled independently to Chicago & NYC).

I'm not really a picky eater but I am a vegetarian. I'd like to remain so if at all possible but if I'm travelling in rural areas, I'm OK with eating meat.

I've spent 2 weeks in Alaska with Habitat (flew crosscountry alone) and spent a month in Russia with a friend at 11 (flew alone). I speak French and definitely want to learn more languages but that's not particularly a goal for this trip. I'm looking to spend about 3 months give or take in each place. Right now, it looks like I might be in Guatemala & Cameroon from Sept. - Dec. After that, I'm hoping to go to SE Asia and maybe do a working holiday visa in either NZ or Australia until June/July, then spend 2 months around Europe before heading home for college.

I know it's a lot and it's probably too ambitious, but I'd love to hear any advice you guys have on where/when I should travel SE Asia or if you have any other general suggestions. I have about $15,000 of my own savings (inheritance + salary) and my parents can match that, although I prefer to spend just my own money so will be trying to do everything as cheaply as possible.
Thanks!!

thursdaysd

You will find lots of gap year travelers on Lonely Planet's thorntree - posters here are generally older.

You might look into wwoof.org. And couchsurfing.

shootingsilver

I've used couchsurfing before and it was great. Looking at wwoof now - thanks for the tip about thorntree too!

kprider

Heyy I am in Vietnam at the moment on a gap year (I am from Australia)..I think your itinerary sounds a bit ambitious but it will still work! Speaking from experience I have loved south east asia and could spend the year exploring here but you could maybe split each area into 3 month segments.

I am not sure couch surfers is so good for gap students I did it once and didn't really enjoy it -- it is abit of an older crowd, look at www.gaprap.com and maybe couchsurfers if you are desperate for cheap accommodation hahaha

lcuy

My daughter spent half a year traveling solo in Europe and Asia in 2010/2011. Couch surfing may be fine, but she heard enough scary couch surfing stories from single women that she never did it unless it was with friends of good friends.

You might consider staying in inexpensive hostels instead: www.hostelworld.com.

A great organization to volunteer with is The Ponheary Ly Foundation is Siem Reap, Cambodia. www.theplf.org I've taught classes several times, usually for two or three weeks, including once with my daughter. We did English lessons, art and dance activities with older elementary school kids.

You could really be useful if you stayed for a longer period.If you have filmmaking skills (on iPads) they have recently been working with high school kids teaching them how to make documentaries. The 7 Candles Guesthouse is a terrific place to stay, too, and it is a very bike friendly town.

crosscheck

Rustic Pathways offers a fantastic SE Asia gap year, including SE Asia service, photography and heritage semesters in Laos, Cambodia, India and Thailand. They have permanent bases in all of those countries and are establishing one in Burma. We know several kids who have participated in the full year or shorter blocks. Not cheap, but could work with your budget.

http://www.rusticpathways.com/gap/gap.php

khunwilko

For best advice turn to Lonely Planet - Thorntree or tripadvisor, travel fish etc.
Most of the folk on this site are the very sort that you claim drive you crazy and have little or no experience of travel outside a 5star hotel.