a scheduled year of finding yourself that mostly finds hostels.
means a deliberate break, usually between school and university or university and work, spent traveling, working, or volunteering instead of studying.
from emerged in 1960s-70s britain as young people took a year off before university, often to travel the empire's old routes; the term formalized in the 1990s as agencies started selling structured gap-year programs.
malia obama 2016 — took a gap year before harvard, sparked us media coverage
thailand banana pancake trail — backpacker route through southeast asia beloved by gap-year travelers
israel birthright plus — many extend post-army service into travel years abroad
tim ferriss mini retirements — reframed adult gap years as recurring life strategy