Meet Claudia Nelson – Letz Travel Consultant
Claudia shares her Gap Year story to the UK.
I was lucky enough to spend my Gap Year at an all girls boarding school in Hertfordshire England. Located an hour from London, this school provided me with the perfect base to make the most of my year abroad.
Working in a boarding house with teenage girls aged 14-16 was entertaining, challenging, tiring, fun and rewarding. Each morning I walked through the house with a big old fashioned bell waking up girls, marking roles, reminding them to make their beds, tidy rooms and take their homework to school. Days were filled with office jobs, administration tasks and assisting in classrooms.
As it hit 3pm girls would flood back into the boarding house excited to tell you about their day over a cup of tea and a biscuit. Jokes about Australia and attempts at accents were always a common activity in between study hours. Weekends were either busy with excursions to London, to theme parks, museums, shops or quiet days watching movies and playing board games with the boarders.
When I wasn’t working I was always hanging out with my fellow Gappies who within a couple of weeks had become my best friends (and still are to this day). We would spend hours watching movies and TV shows, going for walks in the forests around the school, going into town to buy snacks or to browse the shops.
On days off I would travel with my fellow Gaps on the Tube into London to explore- man did we do some walking! We would walk all over the city, getting off at a different train station each week to explore a new area.
Exeat weekends were always a fantastic chance to explore the countryside and regional England. Weekends in Oxford, Cambridge, York and Brighton were filled with exploring, learning about each towns history, having fun nights out and meeting new people. The rainy, cool and grey days quickly became the norm and like true Poms once the sun came out I was out there in the parks sunbaking. I quickly came to love the wet, cool weather, the quaint buildings, cobblestone streets and endless cups of tea.
During term time I saved my money and in the holidays made the most of the close proximity to Europe, jumping on trains or planes to explore numerous countries. Whether it was on an organised tour or travel we had organised ourselves my fellow Gappies and I managed to visit nearly 20 countries throughout our Gap Year. We would explore cities, eat endless amounts of gelato and pizza, float in the Mediterranean, wander cobblestone streets and marvel at ancient structures and postcard worthy scenery.
My Gap Year with Letz Live was an unforgettable year filled with so many amazing memories and unforgettable experiences! Living and working abroad as part of a structured Gap Year allowed me to learn so much about myself, the world and to also gain confidence and world wide experience.
