Europe Gap Year: Tourism and Marketing

Living in Ireland for three months was an amazing experience and gave me such a different perspective on life. The living conditions were comfortable, peaceful, and surrounded by beautiful scenery everywhere you went. What stood out most was the culture and the people — everyone was incredibly friendly, welcoming, and social. It was so interesting to see the slower pace of life and how much value people place on community and enjoying everyday moments. Ireland is such a unique and beautiful place, and I’m really grateful I had the opportunity to experience it.

I was a part of 2026 the eight week long program where I and five others spent time living in Northern Ireland, focusing on social media projects for a local business and the tourism board. The highlighted points of this trip, like learning to live independently and gaining skills to use in the future, were all met. I had the chance to set goals for myself and successfully meet them, feeling proud of the things I achieved and learned. The program set up allows a lot of opportunities for students to decide how to make the most of their trip- we didn’t spend unnecessary time in the office! Balancing interesting tasks given by the program with free time was a great way to personalize the program and discover all Portrush had to offer. Katie and Ricky, our program leaders, were so welcoming and supportive throughout the trip, and provided a sense of community that can sometimes feel far away when living abroad. They pushed us to try new things and truly put effort into giving each student a memorable experience. I highly recommend this program to any young person who wants to use their time before school in a productive and fulfilling way. Traveling often impacts people in very personal and beneficial ways, and getting to experience a new part of the world for an extended period of time taught me so much about the world and myself.

I came into the program excited for a little vacation. Now I’m seeing a clear path in life and want to move to Ireland, I’m not making this up. I had all the freedom I could ask for on a program. Any time I stepped outside I could say anything to anyone and make a new connection. The people made the program up, I went into this cool shop in Scotland and went out with the girl working there. Just asked for a bar recommendation and asked if I wanted company. The people want to interact, that’s almost foreign to me.

This was truly an experience I will never forget. When in Northern Ireland we were staying in a beautiful seaside town, Portrush. With such an incredible community that welcomed us with open arms. This program is an incredible balance between working and free time. We have a good working space where we work as a team promoting not only this program on social media but we worked with Tourism N.I and local businesses. With time off we were able to explore, chill and hangout with each other, all on our own schedule. We stay in flats together, separated by gender. It is in a very convenient location right across from the train station and right in town, perfect for going out. Ricky and Katie our programs leaders and throughout this whole experience. They are always there to talk, help you out especially when navigating a new country. They also bring us on incredible adventures, my favourite was our time in Donegal. The Scotland portion is a great experience, we got to visit a lot of places and got to do some once in a lifetime experiences like staying in a castle. Overall this was a great experience and I am grateful that I got to spend a portion of my gap with them.

I think Europe Gap Year is a great experience for anyone who needs a break or doesn’t want to go into college just yet. I learned more about myself and grew from it. The program leaders gives us a lot of free time during the program to do our own thing which is really helpful. Ricky and Katie are so accommodating to the students for what they want to do. I also think it’s also helpful to have such a small group of students. I also think the balance between work and free time is helpful, and we also stay in Northern Ireland up in portrush for 2 months.

Travelling through Scotland and Ireland was one of the most memorable experiences of my life, and a huge part of that was thanks to Ricky Martin. From the moment the journey began, Ricky made everything feel smooth and stress-free. He was incredibly helpful, always ready to answer questions, give advice, or point me in the right direction without ever making me feel dependent. Instead, he struck the perfect balance—offering support while still encouraging me to explore and handle things on my own.

What stood out the most was how comfortable he made me feel throughout the trip. Whether we were navigating busy streets, figuring out transport, or settling into new places, Ricky had a calm and friendly way of explaining things that instantly put me at ease. He treated every moment as an opportunity for me to grow more confident

It was a wonderful experience, something I would definitely do again. I learned a lot and visited many places. Ricky was an excellent leader; I felt comfortable talking to him about any situation or problem. I highly recommend this program because you learn so much about yourself and about independence. I learned to cook, make videos, manage my time, and communicate better. I met a lot of people and improved my self-confidence. I highly recommend this program if you want to grow as a person and learn how to create videos.

I had an amazing time doing my gap year with Europe Gap Year. The program made everything feel manageable while still giving us the freedom and space we needed to grow. A huge part of that experience was thanks to our leaders, Ricky and Katie, who were always there when we needed support but also knew exactly when to step back and let us learn on our own. I loved exploring new cultures, integrating myself into them, and trying things I’d never experienced before. This is truly a life changing experience that I will never forget!