Adventure, cultural immersion, and personal growth go hand-in-hand

I had always planned on taking a gap year before college, but figuring out how to spend it was a difficult process. In the end, I spent the first half working a job near home to get some money and work experience. For the second half, I wanted to travel overseas somewhere with a gap year program, one that, more specifically, provided opportunities for both adventure and community service. After a hefty amount of searching, I finally decided on Irish Gap Year. From what I had read about it, it seemed like the perfect program based on what I wanted to do. However, when I finally made it to Ireland and had settled in to the situation of living with 12 complete strangers in a mansion-like house near a small town known best for its surfing, I discovered that the gap year program I had chosen was far beyond what I initially thought. The myriad of activities, ranging from surfing, hiking, and first aid training, are extremely fun, offering up something new with everything we do. I mean, I wasn't expecting to drive an off-road jeep blindfolded, or ascend towering mountains in the biting cold. And even the less rigorous activities, such as designing a St. Patrick's Day parade float with a local youth group or touring the Guinness storehouse in Dublin, are very much enjoyable and bring a great balance of fun and cultural immersion. When I wasn't riding waves in the frigid Irish oceans or exploring the ruins of ancient castles, there was plenty of time to get to know my fellow "gappers", the people I was spending pretty much every day with for 3 months, and more than enough free time each week to do your own things, may it be hitting up the nearby pub for a pint or just lounging around the house after a long week of intense hikes and long bus rides. The program's leaders are mostly helpful and informative, all while giving gappers enough independence to learn how to take care of themselves and make crucial decisions. The format of the program, activities nearby one week, travel to somewhere else in the country the next, makes sure the experience is never boring and always has new and unique things to do. Lastly, adhering the program's motto of "Explore, discover, grow", there are seemingly endless chances to do just that. Explore a country you've never been to until now, discover ways that you can be a leader to your peers, grow and mature as a person who might have flown into Ireland nervous at first and left feeling like an entirely new person. With Irish Gap Year, not only was my criteria of adventure/service greatly met, but the overall experience was truly one-of-a-kind, and three extremely fun months that I will never forget. I had a blast, and I'm sure you will as well.