What Is an Adult Gap Year? A Financial Coach's Perspective

This is my full response to The viral New York Post article we were featured in.

This is going to be the most surprising advice from a financial coach you'll ever receive.

Getting your finances in order is so you can take huge leaps of faith in your life. It's not only so you can retire, buy a home, and make money in your sleep. It's so you can say, "I am unhappy, and I'm safe to leave." It's the ability to say, "My heart is telling me it is time to go."

My Adult Gap Year

At 22, I decided to run away to Asia with $6,000 saved and no plans to return. I didn't come home for 2.5 years, living in Asia, Australia, and New Zealand. When I moved to Australia, I had $50 in my bank account, accumulated more credit card debt, left taxes unfiled, owed money to my sister, and put my student loans into forbearance.

I would never recommend anybody do what I did. But in doing what I did, I became so deeply entrenched in my money wounds that when I healed them, I was able to help others do the same. My experience abroad shaped me in every single way. I was able to find myself and heal from the beliefs that kept me feeling like I was failing a life of expectations I had set for myself.

No amount of money earned could ever replace who I became by taking the leap and following my heart.

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Is Taking an Adult Gap Year Smart or Risky?

So, in terms of whether taking an adult gap year is smart or risky, my answer is both.

It is risky. Everyone you know might stay exactly where they are. They might not relate to you when you get home. You might have to change jobs or careers. You might realize that the path you were on was never really yours in the first place.

But the reward?

To know you did something scary that so few people do in this country. That you chose your own path, rewrote your own destiny, and shaped your fate. There is no dollar amount you can put on seeing outside the narrow perspective we call reality and into other worlds.

Is it smart? This isn't a mind decision. This is a heart decision. The best thing you can do to know if this is what you want is to turn off your mind and listen to your gut.

Here's What I'd Do Differently

I would go with no strings attached. I was in chronic fear of my debt while I was away. Can you imagine if I could have gone debt-free and simply let go of the pressure?

Let's talk about the debt. Credit cards, personal loans, and family debt—get rid of them before you go. Student loans are different. If it's going to take you 20 years to pay them off, don't aggressively attack them at the expense of building savings. The goal is freedom, not perfection.

I would also start making cuts to my daily lifestyle long before leaving. Uber and takeout are easy places to start, especially in big cities. Every dollar you save is going to fund you in the future. Get excited about what you'll be able to do with that money instead of feeling like your instant wants are more important than your long-term dreams.

Cut out needless spending on clothing and accessories. It's amazing how little you actually need once you start planning for a bigger life experience.

I also wouldn't rely on family if it's going to hold me back. If you want to leave your things at your parents' house, but you know they'll resent you and make you feel bad for it, get a storage unit. Don't borrow, use, or take anything from someone who doesn't unconditionally support your journey.

How Much Money Should You Save?

People often ask how much money they should save before leaving. Ideally, you've always been saving since you've had income, maybe even before that through allowance or gifts. But if you haven't started saving, there is no better time than right now.

In terms of how much to save, work backwards. Figure out where you want to go and estimate flights, accommodations, food, activities, and transportation. Then divide that number by however many months you have left to save. The number is going to be different for everyone.

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What If Your Company Doesn't Allow It?

Another question I get is whether companies allow this.

Some companies do. Some companies don't.

But if your company doesn't, does that mean you don't go? Are you really going to let your company's policy decide your happiness?

How to Explain an Adult Gap Year to Future Employers

And if you're worried about explaining a gap year to a future employer, own it.

"I've always wanted to travel the world. I wanted to do it before I settled down, had kids, started a family, or needed to support aging parents. Yes, I took a year off. It was one of the best decisions of my life."

Say it confidently.

Say it proudly.

The Real Purpose of Financial Freedom

The purpose of getting your finances in order isn't just to retire someday. It's to create options. It's to know that when your heart tells you it's time to go, you're financially safe enough to listen.

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