Joining us in this episode is Sasha Landauer and Jiyoung Jeong and of Gapyearly, who start us off by telling us a bit more about their own independent gap years post high school before beginning their undergraduate education at Stanford University. They now c0-direct the online gap year platform Gapyearly, which offers firsthand feedback of gap year experiences and free support for prospective gap parents as well as students who are considering gap time. They have recently co-written a Gap Year Planning Guide in partnership with the Gap Year Association, with special editing and design assistance from Erin Aucar of Amigos, who also joins us on the episode to walk us through this incredible resource for future gappers out there.

Elisabeth Mulder joins Margo on the pod to discuss her gap semester spent in New Hampshire with Gap at Glen Brook. From spending two days solo in the woods, to returning as a summer camp counselor at Glen Brook and now heading back this summer for her third stint of time, Elisabeth's passion for her experience with Gap at Glen Brook is inspiring.

As an American, there are so many ways to give back right here in the US on a gap year. One of them is City Year, an 11 month long service program that some people call "the domestic Peace Corps." Volunteers spend their year mentoring students in a high-need school in one of twenty-nine CY cities across the country. Andre Morgan and Tiger Mar share their experiences as City Year volunteers in New Orleans and Boston.

Julia and Margo take a break while on the road for the USA Gap Year Fairs to talk all things art history with Holly Morrison, a former Art History Abroad alumni who has now turned her passions in the field into her adult career. With a fascinating take on the "heart, mind, and soul" of a gap year through her own personal gap year journey post-high school, Holly shares her deep passion for travel and art history with us and all the adventures that an AHA semester can entail!

Ever think about spending your gap year on the ocean? Kelly Daniels spends at least 3 months of the year on a sailboat in the British Virgin Islands. That's because she caught the sailing bug in college and has spent her career since helping young people develop skills around water sports, including sailing and SCUBA diving. In our interview, Kelly will tell us about her personal journey, the student experience on Seamester and what to pack if you join a shipboard gap year program!

February is Gap Year Exploration Month and we are inviting you to #explorethegapyear with us!

First we speak with Alia Pialtos of USA Gap Year Fairs. USA Gap Year Fairs organizes events across the US for students to discover gap year programs. Every winter, USA GYF travels to 41 locations from sea to shining sea. There are 20 fairs in February, so check usagapyearfairs.org to find one near you! We also speak with gap year alum Vicky Berman, who tells us about the fairs from a student perspective.

Next we speak with Jenn Miller of Travel Access Project, whose mission is to "put a gap year on every resume." Pretty cool, huh? In addition to providing resources for independent gappers, TAP is giving away 10 $3,000 scholarships this year to gappers. That could be you! Listen to our interview for details on how to apply.

Remember to follow the #explorethegapyear hashtag in Feb to see testimonials from gap year students, get promos for gap year programs and receive the heads up for events happening in your area. Visit gapyearexplorationmonth.com for more details.

Intro/Outro Music: Quasi Motion by Kevin MacLeod; licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution License More info: https://freemusicarchive.org/music/Kevin_MacLeod/Global_Sampler/Quasi_Motion/

Margo and Julia recap their favorite travels of 2018, discuss the upcoming USA Gap Year Fairs and wrap up Season 1 of Gap Year Radio.

Make sure to check out an upcoming USA Gap Year Fair in your area this winter (they start in Philly on Jan 5 and end in Denver March 2) See the schedule at usagapyearfairs.org

Stay tuned for Season 2 of Gap Year Radio coming February 4, 2019. Happy New Year!

John O'Connor and Eamonn Mazur were friends throughout their high school days in Massachusetts, and were able to turn a small seedling of an idea to hike the Appalachian Trail start to finish on their gap year into a reality. After many months of preparation, and differing pursuits in the fall of their gap year, they embarked on the adventure of a lifetime in March of this year. In this episode, they talk to Margo about their experience on trail and how the many ups and downs of the Appalachian Trail have impacted them in where they are today.

It's Thanksgiving week, so we wanted to bring you an episode that celebrates family. Michael's gap year story is as much about family as some of the amazing adventures he did independently. Michael joined structured programs in Asia and Africa, but also interned and traveled with friends and family. In this episode Michael and his dad Ron join us to talk about their gap year experiences (Ron took one as a young man too) and how they agree that a gap year is one of the best investments that you can make in your future.

Brad Gillings is the founder of Youth International, an experiential learning program that combines authentic international travel, cultural exchange, home stays with local families, volunteer community service work, and outdoor expeditions. Brad spent much of his early twenties traveling - first for 9 months with Up with People, then on his own in teaching in Japan and backpacking through much of Asia and Africa. He then found himself back in the US volunteering with NCCC, an arm of Americorps.

Brad talks with us about how Youth International combines the ethos of NCCC with the rugged backpacking he came to love as a young man, and how after all these years he is still SO enthusiastic and passionate about the power of travel.