Way back, a long long time ago, in 2016 (a.k.a. the beginning of my freshman year at Brown), it seemed as though those who had taken gap years were significantly more mature, intellectually appealing, and befriendable. They could tell stories about the ‘authentic’ food that they tried while they jet-setted around the world, or about the immense help they brought to others through the seven bricks they helped assemble in a schoolhouse. Or, they might name drop some friends they have in various cities (Paris, Marrakesh, Amsterdam, Tokyo, London, Sydney, Rio, etc.) and the NSFW shenanigans that they engaged in during their time of true self-discovery. Despite never taking a stereotypical gap year myself, I think that I should have been treated like those who did because I had a gap year of my own: due to some troubles with a lil’ bully named Jack, I did an extra lil’ year of pre-school. So, not only should I get the same respect that those who take gap years command, I should get MORE because I delayed my learning progression before it was cool and in a truly superior way!
As already mentioned, gap year kids travel alllll over. And, my time in pre-school was equally as journey heavy. For one, the other end of the playground is miles away when your legs are the length of a loaf of bread. But also, story time gave me endless opportunities to explore. Some days I’d go for a jaunt around the city, exploring all the businesses (#shopsmall), and really immersing myself in the culture.
Other days, I’d hop from country to country.
I could have each limb in a different continent if I so pleased. Someone went away to Mykonos with the family they were au pairing for in Berlin? Hah! On any given day I could have a foot in Buenos Aires, a hand in Nairobi, and my head in Melbourne! Plus, I know my travels really surpassed those of gap year takers because I even went to space!
People who take gap years will rave about how their language skills improved dramatically when they were traveling (they’re almost as bad as study abroad kids…), but I just clearly take the cake on this one. There’s absolutely no way their language skills improved more than mine did during pre-school. In a year, I went from reading Chicka Chicka Boom Boom and The Very Hungry Caterpillar, all the way to Harold and the Purple Crayon and Make Way for Ducklings.
Just like people really “find themselves” on their gap years, I got in touch with myself on my second go around with pre-school. I learned just how much I value napping, and my evident finger painting prowess let me know art was in the cards for me. I didn’t need hallucinogens to know my deeper self. Although, accidentally sniffing the scented markers too long and the fact that children’s brains are like adults’ on LSD probably didn’t hurt.
The next time you start to feel inferior for not having taken a gap year, just remember that you’re also inferior for not doing an extra year of pre-school. But, if you want to respond to someone bragging about eating croissants on the Seine for a year by co-opting my experience and falsifying stories about your second year of play dough adventures, I won’t tell ;~)
This was great. I also did an extra year of pre-school (my mom gave me the choice of spending an extra year with her or starting kindergarten… really it wasn’t hard to choose), and I totally agree on just how *beneficial* it is to becoming an ~enlightened~ individual, even more so than a gap year after high school, lol.