Sometimes it can feel like you took the wrong turn somewhere. Maybe you aren’t happy with the career path you have chosen, the degree that you studied, or you don’t like the place you are living in. A good way to assess your decisions and revamp your life is to take a gap year doing something out of the ordinary to help you set things back on track. Here are 5 life changing gap year ideas.

Trekking in Nepal

Nepal has 8 of the world’s 10 highest summits and it is a fantastic place to go trekking. You can plan your whole adventure before you get there or you can arrive with no plans and make it up as you go along. There are many different trails to try in Nepal that require different levels of fitness. Make sure that you are in really good shape before trying out any of the more challenging paths. Trekking in National Parks requires permits and there are many police check points along the path. Being caught without permits can be quite expensive so make sure you have all of the permits that you require.

Make a Difference

There are so many volunteer opportunities all over the world. If you are interested in animal conservation there are many great organizations that are doing great work. Working with bears in Romania, saving sea turtles in Costa Rica, and rainforest conservation in South America are just three of the many things that you can do. You can also help out in orphanages, help build infrastructure for poor villages, or provide medical skills if you are trained. There are so many options for volunteering and there are many great websites that will give you ideas.

Working Abroad

Working in a different country is a great way to spend a gap year and being immersed in a new culture is a great way to learn more about yourself. There are great opportunities to teach English in Asia that will change your life. Japan requires a university degree but there are many countries that do not. Many schools will provide housing for teachers as part of the deal so you can easily arrive and begin work right away. Depending on where you are from, Canada offers some great work visas that allow you to visit this beautiful country, work and travel as you get paid.

Become a Gaucho

Argentina is a beautiful country and a great way to explore the country is to work as a gaucho on a ranch. Many of the ranches require a time commitment so make sure that you can commit for the time required. If you have riding experience you can help herd cattle but you can also do other work like gardening, kitchen work or helping out on guest ranches. It is difficult to find a job that will pay you but there are many ranches that will provide free food and accommodation.

Explore the World By Sea

Getting a job on a cruise ship is a wonderful way to explore the world. There are many different employment opportunities that require skilled or unskilled labour. There are also many different cruise lines throughout the world that explore different routes. Choose a boat with the destinations that fascinate you the most and you can explore the ports when the ship docks.