I took a gap year to travel the world between high school and college. Time abroad helped me be more prepared for college life.

Tech Insider : Travel, Business, Technology
Ashleigh N. DeLuca in a truck in Africa during her gap year
The author went to Africa during her gap year.

Courtesy of Ashleigh N. DeLuca

We wanted to freeze time with our daughters. So we rented out our house and sent them to school in 3 countries in one year.

Tech Insider : Travel, Business
Man and woman in glasses with sweaters around their shoulders.
Lisa Lucas and her husband rented out their London home and spent a year living out of backpacks with their two daughters across the US, Japan, and the Netherlands.

Provided by Lisa Lucas

They quit, traveled, and rethought their lives — meet the adults taking gap years

Tech Insider : Travel, Business
Photo collage featuring travelers with a suitcase, a person practicing yoga or meditation, a backpacker on the move, hikers celebrating at a summit, someone reading a book, and a couple relaxing together.

Getty Images; Alyssa Powell/BI

A gap year program is lining up six-figure startup salaries for teens

Tech Insider : Business, Technology
Oliver Zhou
Oliver Zhou, founder of Common Gap and Deep24

Oliver Zhou

After a breakup, I traveled for a year to learn how to be alone again. It led me to move to a country I'd never imagined calling home.

Tech Insider : Travel, Business
Claire Drinkwater is swinging on a hammock in Belgium.
After her travels came to an end, Claire Drinkwater decided to settle down somewhere new.

Provided by Claire Drinkwater

I left my Hollywood stunt career for 15 months to travel to 35 countries. I came back ready to plan my future beyond LA.

Tech Insider : Travel, Business
A woman with yellow hair walking with white lions in Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe.
Sharonda Scott's spent 15 months traveling to 35 countries (including Zimbabwe, pictured).

Provided by Sharonda Scott

I quit my job at 29 and traveled solo. I didn't tell my parents until I'd finished my business plan.

Tech Insider : Travel, Travel, Business
Cassi Zheng running down a street in Italy.
Cassi Zheng

Provided by Cassi Zheng

They left their jobs in their 50s to reconnect with their kids. It helped them rethink their long-term career plans.

Tech Insider : Travel, Travel, Business
A selfie of a man, a woman, and their three sons in Turkey.
Pablo Slough and Karen Gilchrist quit their tech jobs in mid-2024 to take a gap year to spend time with their sons.

Pablo Slough and Karen Gilchrist.

My husband and I quit our jobs to travel for a year. My biggest concern was having a career gap on my résumé.

Tech Insider : Travel, Business
Maria Laposata and her husband in the Masai Mara, a national game reserve in Kenya, with elephants walking in the background.
Maria Laposata and her husband left their jobs to spend a year traveling around the world.

Provided by Maria Laposata

I couldn't afford to take a gap year in college. So at 53, I retired early and did exactly that.

Tech Insider : Travel, Travel, Business
Kelly Benthall and her husband in Seville, Spain.
Benthall and her husband retired early and spent the first year traveling around the world.

Provided by Kelly Benthall

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