by Mariana You would think that plunging directly into my hometown of almost nineteen years would yield routine results—invariable observations I would be wont to have. Yet, cradled between familiar mountains and blanketed by the same dusty borderland sky, my everyday community sprung opportunities ready to impart me with new knowledge. As my gap year commenced, my newfound role […]
Colourful Enlightenment
By Aryaman This Diwali was so different from all others. This was the first time I celebrated this festival away from my hometown and with my maternal grandparents. As I walked around the bazaar in Paratwada, I got lost in a world I had barely seen—India. Street vendors selling Diwali festivities were littered around every corner of […]
Una Vida Diferente
By Ally It’s been five months since I walked across the high school graduation stage-a fifteen step journey that commenced the adventure of this year. I’m now sitting on a multicolored couch in the corner of “Café con Libros:” a slice of coffee shop solitude I’ve found amidst the infinitely busy center of Malaga, […]
Introduction to Israel
By Charlie As I hoped going into my gap year, I have already started to learn things I never expected. I did my laundry in a communal laundry machine, bought groceries at a nearby supermarket, and traveled on planes, trains, and busses. Each of these things was further complicated due to the need to […]
So Here I Am, Starting
By Grace Training to be an EMT was one of the most fulfilling things I’ve ever done. It was also one of the hardest. For six weeks, my classmates and I spent our Mondays, Wednesdays, and Saturdays together, motivating each other through ten-hour lecture days and seemingly endless back boarding sessions. We made it […]
The Bucket List
By Mariana Years of cultivating finesse in the written word, hours aspiring to hone artistry and professional flair under the vigilant scrutiny of various high school writing instructors, only to now concede in sheepish musing, “wow, I thought this blog would be a little bit easier to write!” Minutes into developing my ideas for this […]
Traveling
By Shun In the past few weeks, I’ve come to the conclusion that it’s important to do what you want to do when you want to do it. In the weeks prior, I was overwhelmed with work and the tasks before me that I lost track of living and treasuring each day given to me. […]
A Year Is Just 365 Days
By Valerie A gap year sounds sexy, doesn’t it? It’s becoming increasingly popular, but still unconventional enough to warrant fascination from others when you tell them about it, almost like a badge of honour you wear proudly on your sleeve to announce to the world that you are not afraid to stop and take time to think […]
Surf Class
By Matthew As I embarked on my Duke Gap Year I promised myself that I would try to learn something and grow as a person from each every experience I chose to undertake, and I have definitely kept true to that goal. Living for two months in Puerto Pilon, Costa Rica, offered unique and spectacular […]
The Arts’ Pandemic Pivot
By Camille When Covid hit last March, ballet was the first thing in my life to be affected. I distinctly remember having tickets to see San Francisco Ballet perform on March 14th, a Saturday, and being so disappointed to find out earlier in the week that the performance had been postponed. At the time, I […]