Gap Year Blog #1
Hello, my name is Jackson Sides. I am 18 years old and will attend Florida State University in the Fall of 2019. For me, the idea of a gap year has always been cool, but it has also scared me a little bit. It is a time to travel, explore, serve, grow, be independent, learn about yourself, and so much more. But, it is also a time where you’re on your own, where you are doing things very different than all of your friends, and that has always been a little scary for me. It took me a while to warm up to the idea, and when I finally realized all the opportunities I will have by taking a gap year, I jumped in head first. For my gap year, I will be spending three months in the fall in Washington D.C. interning at the Egyptian Embassy and with the Middle Eastern Caucus. In the spring, I will be going to Cairo, Egypt to volunteer with a few service organizations there. I am super excited for the year I have ahead of me, and I can’t wait to get going!
Right now, I don’t know what to expect honestly. I’m very excited to get going, and I know once I get there, it’s going to be nothing like what I expected. I know it won’t always be easy being in a new world where I don’t know anyone or even the language, but it’s going to teach me so much, and I’m so excited to see what this year has in store. I do know I have one expectation for myself on my gap year, which is to learn about myself and my place in the world. I know, this is a pretty basic thing to say, but it’s true. Throughout this next year, I am going to meet people all with different backgrounds, cultures, ideas, languages, and more. These experiences are going to teach invaluable lessons, which will help me understand more about the world, myself, and my place here. All in all, I’m expecting an exciting year, filled with adventure and challenges that will push me out of my comfort zone and teach me about myself and help me grow to be a better person. Thank you, FSU, for providing this AMAZING opportunity; I can’t wait to see what this year has to offer. Go Noles!
