Takes You Out of Your Comfort Zone

This gap year was my first time away from home at age 18. Where all of my friends were going to college within a short car drive or plane drive away from home and got to visit their family on school breaks, I went thousands of miles away from the family that I've never spent more than a week without. While I was super scared, this gap year helped me grow in my independence and confidence, teaching me that I am capable of being on my own, figuring out how to travel on my own, and spend time with myself.