The perfect place to begin a gap year

Seguinland is truly a special place. I’ve never felt so free to be myself, to explore what’s around me, sit with my thoughts, and figure out what really matters to me. The experience gave me something I didn’t know I was searching for: a profound sense of place. In the physical sense—our close-proximity cottage living, the coastal rural community, the changing tides of the marsh—and in the deeper way of feeling truly rooted in and known by a community.

Our ten weeks were packed with unforgettable experiences: a day of solitude, fort-building, dance parties, cooking, community meals, stargazing, artist studio visits, evening mindfulness yoga sessions, canoeing to Beal Island, and a camping trip to Acadia National Park that somehow became one of my favorite memories (which feels crazy to say as someone who never considered herself a “nature person” before this).

This program attracts extraordinary people who are intentionally choosing to slow down and seek the good life, and because of that, I spent ten weeks surrounded by compassionate, curious, deeply thoughtful, and community-oriented people. And, we were given the rare gift of time together to connect and be present! My Seguinland friends are very different from any of my friends from home, and I think that’s part of what makes them feel so special. I feel so lucky to have found people who I love so deeply in such a short amount of time.

Academically, it was very manageable and balanced. I loved taking just one class at a time, and we often spent evenings together completing our homework while chatting. Learning felt very communal and experiential—not only did we spend many classes outside of the classroom, learning from hands on experiences, but ideas and discussions often made their ways into late night cottage chats and other parts of our lives.

Seguinland was the simultaneously the best place to land on after high school and to launch from into my gap year and college. While I sometimes struggled at home to explain my gap year to peers heading straight to college, Seguinland felt so safe and refreshing, filled with others on unconventional paths, all figuring things out together. I left feeling rooted in who I am, what I value, and what I want to look for in people and communities; carrying with me a sense of belonging and a readiness to step into whatever comes next. I couldn’t be more grateful for this experience and I can’t imagine my life without these people, these memories, and this special place. If you’re reading this, I hope you’ll take it as your sign to apply! I can promise you won’t regret it.