<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?><rss xmlns:dc="http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/" xmlns:content="http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/content/" xmlns:atom="http://www.w3.org/2005/Atom" version="2.0" xmlns:itunes="http://www.itunes.com/dtds/podcast-1.0.dtd">
  <channel>
    <title><![CDATA[Gap Year Radio]]></title>
    <description><![CDATA[Gap Year Radio is a podcast that brings you information and inspiration to plan a life-changing gap year adventure. 

We focus on bringing you interviews from people from across the gap year spectrum - people who run or lead gap year programs, gap year alumni who can tell you about adventures and travel experts who can give you advice on how to turn your dream of a year out into a reality.

Intro music credits:
Quasi Motion Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)
Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/
]]></description>
    <link>http://gapyearradiopodcast.com/</link>
    <generator>Cast – https://tryca.st/</generator>
    <lastBuildDate>Mon, 25 May 2026 10:00:00 GMT</lastBuildDate>
    <pubDate>Wed, 05 Sep 2018 19:42:15 GMT</pubDate>
    <copyright><![CDATA[Copyright Gap Year Radio]]></copyright>
    <language><![CDATA[en]]></language>
    <docs>http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/tech/rss</docs>
    <itunes:author>Gap Year Radio</itunes:author>
    <itunes:subtitle><![CDATA[Gap Year Radio is a podcast that brings you information and inspiration to plan a life-changing gap year adventure. 

We focus on bringing you interviews from people from across the gap year spectrum - people who run or lead gap year programs, gap ye ...]]></itunes:subtitle>
    <itunes:summary><![CDATA[Gap Year Radio is a podcast that brings you information and inspiration to plan a life-changing gap year adventure. 

We focus on bringing you interviews from people from across the gap year spectrum - people who run or lead gap year programs, gap year alumni who can tell you about adventures and travel experts who can give you advice on how to turn your dream of a year out into a reality.

Intro music credits:
Quasi Motion Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)
Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/
]]></itunes:summary>
    <itunes:owner>
      <itunes:name>Gap Year Radio</itunes:name>
      <itunes:email>gapyearradio@gmail.com</itunes:email>
    </itunes:owner>
    <itunes:explicit>clean</itunes:explicit>
    <itunes:image href="http://cast.rocks/hosting/13544/feeds/GWUEQ.jpg?e=76cb09d"/>
    <itunes:type>episodic</itunes:type>
    <itunes:category text="Society &amp; Culture">
      <itunes:category text="Places &amp; Travel"/>
    </itunes:category>
    <itunes:category text="Education">
      <itunes:category text="How To"/>
    </itunes:category>
    <item>
      <title><![CDATA[The Scenic Route: Jackson’s Growth Year Through Work, Reflection and Adventure]]></title>
      <description><![CDATA[Jackson Balin joins me from Queenstown, New Zealand to reflect on what he calls his “growth year."  After realizing during his first year of university that he wanted more time for exploration, challenge, and perspective, Jackson stepped away from the conventional timeline and spent the year working in Tennessee and New Zealand through destination work experiences through Adventure EXP.

We talk about culture shock, difficult friendships, resilience, meaningful work, and the surprising ways that service jobs and travel can shape a young adult’s understanding of purpose and identity. Jackson also shares how this year helped him reconnect with his love of learning and clarify his next step academically, while still embracing what he calls “the scenic route” through life.

What You’ll Learn in This Episode

Jackson’s concept of a “growth year” and why he believes the phrase fits better than “gap year”

What it felt like to leave university after realizing he was disconnected from his path

The reality of working destination jobs in Gatlinburg, Tennessee and Queenstown, New Zealand

How work experiences can build resilience, empathy, and interpersonal awareness

Why challenging experiences often become the most transformative parts of a gap year

Thoughts on work, dignity, and learning from people with vastly different backgrounds

How travel and work abroad helped Jackson gain clarity about returning to school

Why he believes students should actively seek experiences that challenge them

Advice for students considering destination work programs or a nontraditional path

Resources and Links Mentioned:

Adventure EXP

University of Austin (UATX)

Robert Putnam’s book Bowling Alone

Trevor Noah's podcast interview with Robert Putnam

Julia's gap year counseling: EnRoute Consulting - get info at enroutegapyear.com

More episodes and resources at gapyearradiopodcast.com]]></description>
      <guid isPermaLink="false">BQGRFYO8-C5WMI</guid>
      <pubDate>Mon, 25 May 2026 10:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
      <enclosure url="http://cast.rocks/hosting/13544/The-Scenic-Route-Jackson-s-Growth-Year.mp3" length="30122821" type="audio/mpeg"/>
      <itunes:author></itunes:author>
      <itunes:explicit>clean</itunes:explicit>
      <itunes:subtitle><![CDATA[Jackson Balin joins me from Queenstown, New Zealand to reflect on what he calls his “growth year."  After realizing during his first year of university that he wanted more time for exploration, challenge, and perspective, Jackson stepped away from th ...]]></itunes:subtitle>
      <itunes:summary><![CDATA[Jackson Balin joins me from Queenstown, New Zealand to reflect on what he calls his “growth year."  After realizing during his first year of university that he wanted more time for exploration, challenge, and perspective, Jackson stepped away from the conventional timeline and spent the year working in Tennessee and New Zealand through destination work experiences through Adventure EXP.

We talk about culture shock, difficult friendships, resilience, meaningful work, and the surprising ways that service jobs and travel can shape a young adult’s understanding of purpose and identity. Jackson also shares how this year helped him reconnect with his love of learning and clarify his next step academically, while still embracing what he calls “the scenic route” through life.

What You’ll Learn in This Episode

Jackson’s concept of a “growth year” and why he believes the phrase fits better than “gap year”

What it felt like to leave university after realizing he was disconnected from his path

The reality of working destination jobs in Gatlinburg, Tennessee and Queenstown, New Zealand

How work experiences can build resilience, empathy, and interpersonal awareness

Why challenging experiences often become the most transformative parts of a gap year

Thoughts on work, dignity, and learning from people with vastly different backgrounds

How travel and work abroad helped Jackson gain clarity about returning to school

Why he believes students should actively seek experiences that challenge them

Advice for students considering destination work programs or a nontraditional path

Resources and Links Mentioned:

Adventure EXP

University of Austin (UATX)

Robert Putnam’s book Bowling Alone

Trevor Noah's podcast interview with Robert Putnam

Julia's gap year counseling: EnRoute Consulting - get info at enroutegapyear.com

More episodes and resources at gapyearradiopodcast.com]]></itunes:summary>
      <itunes:duration>0:33:42</itunes:duration>
      <itunes:length>30122821</itunes:length>
      <itunes:keywords></itunes:keywords>
      
      <itunes:season/>
      <itunes:episode/>
      <itunes:episodeType/>
    </item>
    <item>
      <title><![CDATA[Workaway 'Round the World: Ellie on How to Travel Through Work Exchanges]]></title>
      <description><![CDATA[Ellie Larkins joins the show to break down how work exchanges can become a powerful gateway into long-term travel, meaningful cultural immersion, and real-world skill building. What began as a short trip after university quickly evolved into years of global travel fueled by Workaway experiences across Europe and Australia. In this conversation, Ellie shares practical strategies for finding great hosts, avoiding common pitfalls, and using work exchanges to travel more deeply, build community, and create unexpected career pathways.

What You’ll Learn in This Episode:
Ellie walks through how to get started with work exchange platforms like Workaway and why this style of travel creates a more meaningful and affordable experience than traditional trips. She shares how to evaluate host profiles, including what signals a high-quality opportunity and how to spot red flags early.

We also get into the application process, including how to write outreach messages that stand out and why asking more questions, not fewer, leads to better experiences. Ellie explains how to balance independence with connection while traveling solo, and how hostels and shared work exchanges naturally create community.

She also reflects on the unexpected skills she gained, from hands-on animal care to navigating new environments, and how those experiences ultimately led to a paid role working in animal sanctuaries. Finally, she offers grounded advice on staying flexible, packing light, and embracing spontaneity without losing your footing.

What Even is "Work Exchange"?

Work exchanges are a form of low-cost, immersive travel where participants contribute a few hours of help each day in exchange for accommodation, meals, mentorship, or cultural immersion. Through platforms like Workaway, Worldpackers, and WWOOF, travelers can connect with hosts around the world offering opportunities ranging from hostel support and childcare to farming, conservation work, language exchange, creative projects, and tourism support. Rather than traveling as a tourist, participants become part of a local household, business, or community for a period of time, often gaining confidence, practical skills, cross-cultural communication experience, and a deeper understanding of daily life in another place.

Resources and Links Mentioned:
Workaway (primary platform discussed)
WWOOF, Worldpackers, HelpX (additional work exchange platforms)
Hostelworld or similar platforms for finding affordable but also social accommodation

Connect with Us:
Listen to Gap Year Radio wherever you get your podcasts
More episodes and info: gapyearradiopodcast.com]]></description>
      <guid isPermaLink="false">FKHP5Z6R-JATT9</guid>
      <pubDate>Mon, 11 May 2026 10:00:01 GMT</pubDate>
      <enclosure url="http://cast.rocks/hosting/13544/Workaway-Round-the-World-Ellie-on-How-to-Travel-Through-Work-Exchanges.mp3" length="34492526" type="audio/mpeg"/>
      <itunes:author></itunes:author>
      <itunes:explicit>clean</itunes:explicit>
      <itunes:subtitle><![CDATA[Ellie Larkins joins the show to break down how work exchanges can become a powerful gateway into long-term travel, meaningful cultural immersion, and real-world skill building. What began as a short trip after university quickly evolved into years of ...]]></itunes:subtitle>
      <itunes:summary><![CDATA[Ellie Larkins joins the show to break down how work exchanges can become a powerful gateway into long-term travel, meaningful cultural immersion, and real-world skill building. What began as a short trip after university quickly evolved into years of global travel fueled by Workaway experiences across Europe and Australia. In this conversation, Ellie shares practical strategies for finding great hosts, avoiding common pitfalls, and using work exchanges to travel more deeply, build community, and create unexpected career pathways.

What You’ll Learn in This Episode:
Ellie walks through how to get started with work exchange platforms like Workaway and why this style of travel creates a more meaningful and affordable experience than traditional trips. She shares how to evaluate host profiles, including what signals a high-quality opportunity and how to spot red flags early.

We also get into the application process, including how to write outreach messages that stand out and why asking more questions, not fewer, leads to better experiences. Ellie explains how to balance independence with connection while traveling solo, and how hostels and shared work exchanges naturally create community.

She also reflects on the unexpected skills she gained, from hands-on animal care to navigating new environments, and how those experiences ultimately led to a paid role working in animal sanctuaries. Finally, she offers grounded advice on staying flexible, packing light, and embracing spontaneity without losing your footing.

What Even is "Work Exchange"?

Work exchanges are a form of low-cost, immersive travel where participants contribute a few hours of help each day in exchange for accommodation, meals, mentorship, or cultural immersion. Through platforms like Workaway, Worldpackers, and WWOOF, travelers can connect with hosts around the world offering opportunities ranging from hostel support and childcare to farming, conservation work, language exchange, creative projects, and tourism support. Rather than traveling as a tourist, participants become part of a local household, business, or community for a period of time, often gaining confidence, practical skills, cross-cultural communication experience, and a deeper understanding of daily life in another place.

Resources and Links Mentioned:
Workaway (primary platform discussed)
WWOOF, Worldpackers, HelpX (additional work exchange platforms)
Hostelworld or similar platforms for finding affordable but also social accommodation

Connect with Us:
Listen to Gap Year Radio wherever you get your podcasts
More episodes and info: gapyearradiopodcast.com]]></itunes:summary>
      <itunes:duration>0:37:40</itunes:duration>
      <itunes:length>34492526</itunes:length>
      <itunes:keywords></itunes:keywords>
      
      <itunes:season/>
      <itunes:episode/>
      <itunes:episodeType/>
    </item>
    <item>
      <title><![CDATA[Full Throttle Gap Year: Eduardo on Balancing Focus and Exploration While Racing Cars, Flying Drones & Saving Sea Turtles]]></title>
      <description><![CDATA[Eduardo Glenn shares how he used his gap year as a focused and intentional bridge between high school in Costa Rica and college in the United States. Centered around a deep commitment to competitive racing, his gap year became an opportunity to pursue a long-standing goal of winning a national championship, while also exploring professional interests through a VaCorps internship in South Africa and engaging in conservation work at home. This episode highlights what it looks like to design a gap year around a clear purpose while still leaving room for growth, independence, and exploration.

What You’ll Learn in This Episode:
This conversation explores how having a clear anchor or goal can shape a meaningful gap year, and why structure matters even when your time is flexible. Eduardo shares how racing helped him build emotional resilience and mental discipline, and how those skills translated into real life and college. We talk about the value of independence, from living abroad to learning basic life skills like cooking and navigating a new environment. There’s also a powerful discussion around solitude versus loneliness, and how learning to enjoy your own company can fundamentally shift your college experience. Eduardo also reflects on why he felt more prepared for college after his gap year and how international experiences helped build confidence in cross-cultural communication.

Resources and Links Mentioned:
VACorps Internship Program
Cloudline (engineering internship experience)
Cirenas Costa Rica (sea turtle conservation program)
Jorge Solano, Global Mentors (Eduardo's gap year counselor)]]></description>
      <guid isPermaLink="false">BZF92B7Y-THDUNMI</guid>
      <pubDate>Tue, 28 Apr 2026 12:23:05 GMT</pubDate>
      <enclosure url="http://cast.rocks/hosting/13544/Full-Throttle-Gap-Year-Eduardo-on-Balancing-Focus-and-Exploration.mp3" length="32218193" type="audio/mpeg"/>
      <itunes:author></itunes:author>
      <itunes:explicit>clean</itunes:explicit>
      <itunes:subtitle><![CDATA[Eduardo Glenn shares how he used his gap year as a focused and intentional bridge between high school in Costa Rica and college in the United States. Centered around a deep commitment to competitive racing, his gap year became an opportunity to pursu ...]]></itunes:subtitle>
      <itunes:summary><![CDATA[Eduardo Glenn shares how he used his gap year as a focused and intentional bridge between high school in Costa Rica and college in the United States. Centered around a deep commitment to competitive racing, his gap year became an opportunity to pursue a long-standing goal of winning a national championship, while also exploring professional interests through a VaCorps internship in South Africa and engaging in conservation work at home. This episode highlights what it looks like to design a gap year around a clear purpose while still leaving room for growth, independence, and exploration.

What You’ll Learn in This Episode:
This conversation explores how having a clear anchor or goal can shape a meaningful gap year, and why structure matters even when your time is flexible. Eduardo shares how racing helped him build emotional resilience and mental discipline, and how those skills translated into real life and college. We talk about the value of independence, from living abroad to learning basic life skills like cooking and navigating a new environment. There’s also a powerful discussion around solitude versus loneliness, and how learning to enjoy your own company can fundamentally shift your college experience. Eduardo also reflects on why he felt more prepared for college after his gap year and how international experiences helped build confidence in cross-cultural communication.

Resources and Links Mentioned:
VACorps Internship Program
Cloudline (engineering internship experience)
Cirenas Costa Rica (sea turtle conservation program)
Jorge Solano, Global Mentors (Eduardo's gap year counselor)]]></itunes:summary>
      <itunes:duration>0:33:30</itunes:duration>
      <itunes:length>32218193</itunes:length>
      <itunes:keywords></itunes:keywords>
      
      <itunes:season/>
      <itunes:episode/>
      <itunes:episodeType/>
    </item>
    <item>
      <title><![CDATA[How to Take an Adult Gap Year: Suzanne's Life-Redefining Move to Oaxaca with Her Family]]></title>
      <description><![CDATA[Suzanne Roske, founder of Vamos Coaching and Gap Year Association Board member, shares her journey from a 25-year corporate career to moving her family to Oaxaca, Mexico for a life-changing sabbatical. What began as burnout and a quiet inner voice turned into a bold experiment in slowing down, redefining success, and building a more intentional life. This conversation explores what an “adult gap year” can look like, and why creating space to pause might be the most powerful step toward meaningful change.

Resources and Links Mentioned:
Suzanne's company Vamos Coaching
Suzanne's Memoir: I'm Supposed to Be Doing This 
Envia (microfinance + cultural immersion in Oaxaca)
Designing Your Life (Stanford Life Design Lab)
Oaxaca Lending Library


Connect with Julia & Gap Year Radio:

Listen to more episodes of Gap Year Radio: gapyearradiopodcast.com

Follow us on Instagram: @gapyearradio

Email your gap year questions or comments at gapyearradio@gmail.com

Want to work with Jula on you gap year planning? Visit enroutegapyear.com to learn all about how gap year counseling can help you plan a great year!

If you have a moment, please leave a review so more people can discover Gap Year Radio!

Intro/Outro Music: Quasi Motion by Kevin MacLeod; licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution License More info: https://freemusicarchive.org/music/Kevin_MacLeod/Global_Sampler/Quasi_Motion/]]></description>
      <guid isPermaLink="false">7P32Z71T-DWJYVI</guid>
      <pubDate>Mon, 13 Apr 2026 10:00:04 GMT</pubDate>
      <enclosure url="http://cast.rocks/hosting/13544/How-to-Take-an-Adult-Gap-Year.mp3" length="38937701" type="audio/mpeg"/>
      <itunes:author></itunes:author>
      <itunes:explicit>clean</itunes:explicit>
      <itunes:subtitle><![CDATA[Suzanne Roske, founder of Vamos Coaching and Gap Year Association Board member, shares her journey from a 25-year corporate career to moving her family to Oaxaca, Mexico for a life-changing sabbatical. What began as burnout and a quiet inner voice tu ...]]></itunes:subtitle>
      <itunes:summary><![CDATA[Suzanne Roske, founder of Vamos Coaching and Gap Year Association Board member, shares her journey from a 25-year corporate career to moving her family to Oaxaca, Mexico for a life-changing sabbatical. What began as burnout and a quiet inner voice turned into a bold experiment in slowing down, redefining success, and building a more intentional life. This conversation explores what an “adult gap year” can look like, and why creating space to pause might be the most powerful step toward meaningful change.

Resources and Links Mentioned:
Suzanne's company Vamos Coaching
Suzanne's Memoir: I'm Supposed to Be Doing This 
Envia (microfinance + cultural immersion in Oaxaca)
Designing Your Life (Stanford Life Design Lab)
Oaxaca Lending Library


Connect with Julia & Gap Year Radio:

Listen to more episodes of Gap Year Radio: gapyearradiopodcast.com

Follow us on Instagram: @gapyearradio

Email your gap year questions or comments at gapyearradio@gmail.com

Want to work with Jula on you gap year planning? Visit enroutegapyear.com to learn all about how gap year counseling can help you plan a great year!

If you have a moment, please leave a review so more people can discover Gap Year Radio!

Intro/Outro Music: Quasi Motion by Kevin MacLeod; licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution License More info: https://freemusicarchive.org/music/Kevin_MacLeod/Global_Sampler/Quasi_Motion/]]></itunes:summary>
      <itunes:duration>0:44:16</itunes:duration>
      <itunes:length>38937701</itunes:length>
      <itunes:keywords></itunes:keywords>
      
      <itunes:season/>
      <itunes:episode/>
      <itunes:episodeType/>
    </item>
    <item>
      <title><![CDATA[A Journey to Self-Mastery: Luke's Gap Year in South Africa with Warriors Academy]]></title>
      <description><![CDATA[Luke Morton shares how a planned nine-week gap experience with Warriors Academy in South Africa turned into a two-year journey of personal growth, global connection, and skill-building. From an early experience in self-mastery that reshaped his mindset, to a second year earning 19 certifications as a multi-activity instructor, Luke walks us through how stepping away from the traditional path helped him find clarity, confidence, and direction. Now, he’s preparing for his next challenge: a thru-hike of the Appalachian Trail.

Resources and Mentioned:
Warriors  Academy
Appalachian Trail (Luke’s upcoming thru-hike)

Connect with Us:
Listen to Gap Year Radio wherever you get your podcasts
More episodes and info: gapyearradiopodcast.com]]></description>
      <guid isPermaLink="false">CCPGVCG3-M04FGVI</guid>
      <pubDate>Mon, 30 Mar 2026 10:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
      <enclosure url="http://cast.rocks/hosting/13544/A-Journey-to-Self-Mastery.mp3" length="23287606" type="audio/mpeg"/>
      <itunes:author></itunes:author>
      <itunes:explicit>clean</itunes:explicit>
      <itunes:subtitle><![CDATA[Luke Morton shares how a planned nine-week gap experience with Warriors Academy in South Africa turned into a two-year journey of personal growth, global connection, and skill-building. From an early experience in self-mastery that reshaped his minds ...]]></itunes:subtitle>
      <itunes:summary><![CDATA[Luke Morton shares how a planned nine-week gap experience with Warriors Academy in South Africa turned into a two-year journey of personal growth, global connection, and skill-building. From an early experience in self-mastery that reshaped his mindset, to a second year earning 19 certifications as a multi-activity instructor, Luke walks us through how stepping away from the traditional path helped him find clarity, confidence, and direction. Now, he’s preparing for his next challenge: a thru-hike of the Appalachian Trail.

Resources and Mentioned:
Warriors  Academy
Appalachian Trail (Luke’s upcoming thru-hike)

Connect with Us:
Listen to Gap Year Radio wherever you get your podcasts
More episodes and info: gapyearradiopodcast.com]]></itunes:summary>
      <itunes:duration>0:30:33</itunes:duration>
      <itunes:length>23287606</itunes:length>
      <itunes:keywords></itunes:keywords>
      
      <itunes:season/>
      <itunes:episode/>
      <itunes:episodeType/>
    </item>
    <item>
      <title><![CDATA[From the Rockies to the Himalaya: Sammie’s Wilderness Medicine Semester with Aerie]]></title>
      <description><![CDATA[In this episode of Gap Year Radio, I speak with Sammie Westfahl about her experience in Aerie Backcountry Medicine’s Fall Semester in Wilderness Medicine, an immersive program that blends emergency medicine training, rescue skills, wildland fire operations, and international expedition travel.

Sammie shares how this sequence of certifications, field training, and international immersion challenged her academically, strengthened her confidence, and continues to influence her work today in fire ecology and volunteer EMS.

Certifications and Skills Covered in the Semester
-National Registry Emergency Medical Technician (EMT)
-Wilderness EMT (WEMT)
-Wildland Fire Line Qualification (Red Card)
-High-Angle Rope Rescue Training
-Expedition leadership and backcountry risk management
-Clinical observation in international healthcare settings

Aerie Backcountry Medicine
https://www.aeriemedicine.com

Connect with Us
- Listen to Gap Year Radio wherever you get your podcasts or at gapyearradiopodcast.com

- Contact Julia for help with gap year planning at enroutegapyear.com]]></description>
      <guid isPermaLink="false">K1UQCUG8-VTE29</guid>
      <pubDate>Mon, 16 Mar 2026 09:00:04 GMT</pubDate>
      <enclosure url="http://cast.rocks/hosting/13544/From-the-Rockies-to-the-Himalaya.mp3" length="33160365" type="audio/mpeg"/>
      <itunes:author></itunes:author>
      <itunes:explicit>clean</itunes:explicit>
      <itunes:subtitle><![CDATA[In this episode of Gap Year Radio, I speak with Sammie Westfahl about her experience in Aerie Backcountry Medicine’s Fall Semester in Wilderness Medicine, an immersive program that blends emergency medicine training, rescue skills, wildland fire oper ...]]></itunes:subtitle>
      <itunes:summary><![CDATA[In this episode of Gap Year Radio, I speak with Sammie Westfahl about her experience in Aerie Backcountry Medicine’s Fall Semester in Wilderness Medicine, an immersive program that blends emergency medicine training, rescue skills, wildland fire operations, and international expedition travel.

Sammie shares how this sequence of certifications, field training, and international immersion challenged her academically, strengthened her confidence, and continues to influence her work today in fire ecology and volunteer EMS.

Certifications and Skills Covered in the Semester
-National Registry Emergency Medical Technician (EMT)
-Wilderness EMT (WEMT)
-Wildland Fire Line Qualification (Red Card)
-High-Angle Rope Rescue Training
-Expedition leadership and backcountry risk management
-Clinical observation in international healthcare settings

Aerie Backcountry Medicine
https://www.aeriemedicine.com

Connect with Us
- Listen to Gap Year Radio wherever you get your podcasts or at gapyearradiopodcast.com

- Contact Julia for help with gap year planning at enroutegapyear.com]]></itunes:summary>
      <itunes:duration>0:34:05</itunes:duration>
      <itunes:length>33160365</itunes:length>
      <itunes:keywords></itunes:keywords>
      
      <itunes:season/>
      <itunes:episode/>
      <itunes:episodeType/>
    </item>
    <item>
      <title><![CDATA[Rich in Experience: Adam Salzman on How to Build Your Gap Year Budgeting Skills]]></title>
      <description><![CDATA[In Episode 2 of Season 10, I sit down with Adam Salzman, founder of AdventureEXP and author of The Suitcase of Life, for a practical conversation about personal finance on a gap year. We unpack why budgeting is really a “priorities list,” how students can build financial confidence through real-world decisions, and how destination work experiences can help young adults earn money while they travel. Adam shares mindset shifts, tools, and systems that make budgeting less intimidating, plus advice for parents who want to support learning without rescuing every mistake.

Resources and Links Mentioned:

AdventureEXP: adventureexp.com

Numbeo: cost-of-living comparisons (numbeo.com)

Rome2rio: route planning (rome2rio.com)

Nomadic Matt: country budget guides (nomadicmatt.com)

Adam’s book: The Suitcase of Life: A Field Guide for Young Travelers, Thinkers and Doers Figuring It Out as They Go

Connect with Us:

Listen to Gap Year Radio wherever you get your podcasts

More episodes and info: gapyearradiopodcast.com

Share and follow along: #explorethegapyear]]></description>
      <guid isPermaLink="false">HFZ6WZAU-2XZUXR</guid>
      <pubDate>Mon, 02 Mar 2026 10:00:01 GMT</pubDate>
      <enclosure url="http://cast.rocks/hosting/13544/Rich-in-Experience.mp3" length="41681190" type="audio/mpeg"/>
      <itunes:author></itunes:author>
      <itunes:explicit>clean</itunes:explicit>
      <itunes:subtitle><![CDATA[In Episode 2 of Season 10, I sit down with Adam Salzman, founder of AdventureEXP and author of The Suitcase of Life, for a practical conversation about personal finance on a gap year. We unpack why budgeting is really a “priorities list,” how student ...]]></itunes:subtitle>
      <itunes:summary><![CDATA[In Episode 2 of Season 10, I sit down with Adam Salzman, founder of AdventureEXP and author of The Suitcase of Life, for a practical conversation about personal finance on a gap year. We unpack why budgeting is really a “priorities list,” how students can build financial confidence through real-world decisions, and how destination work experiences can help young adults earn money while they travel. Adam shares mindset shifts, tools, and systems that make budgeting less intimidating, plus advice for parents who want to support learning without rescuing every mistake.

Resources and Links Mentioned:

AdventureEXP: adventureexp.com

Numbeo: cost-of-living comparisons (numbeo.com)

Rome2rio: route planning (rome2rio.com)

Nomadic Matt: country budget guides (nomadicmatt.com)

Adam’s book: The Suitcase of Life: A Field Guide for Young Travelers, Thinkers and Doers Figuring It Out as They Go

Connect with Us:

Listen to Gap Year Radio wherever you get your podcasts

More episodes and info: gapyearradiopodcast.com

Share and follow along: #explorethegapyear]]></itunes:summary>
      <itunes:duration>0:44:41</itunes:duration>
      <itunes:length>41681190</itunes:length>
      <itunes:keywords></itunes:keywords>
      
      <itunes:season/>
      <itunes:episode/>
      <itunes:episodeType/>
    </item>
    <item>
      <title><![CDATA[Around the World at 18: Arjun's Self-Funded, Solo Gap Year to 100 Countries]]></title>
      <description><![CDATA[In this Season 10 opener, I sit down with Arjun Malaviya, who began solo traveling on his 17th birthday and visited 100 countries in 13 months. We dig into how his parents’ “experiences over stuff” mindset shaped his love of travel, and how he built a rhythm for constant movement with flexible planning and a strong bias toward local connection. 

Arjun shares practical tools (Rome2Rio, Google Translate, GuruWalk, Facebook travel groups), his budget strategy for making $22K stretch across the globe, and the real safety calculations behind trusting strangers. We also talk about the harder moments, including a kidnapping experience in Myanmar, and what he learned about risk, perspective, and resilience. The episode lands on the bigger why: travel as a pathway to global citizenship, confidence, and the ability to connect with anyone, anywhere.

Connect with Julia & Gap Year Radio:

Listen to more episodes of Gap Year Radio: gapyearradiopodcast.com

Follow us on Instagram: @gapyearradio

Email your gap year questions or comments at gapyearradio@gmail.com

Want to work with Jula on you gap year planning? Visit enroutegapyear.com to learn all about how gap year counseling can help you plan a great year!

If you have a moment, please leave a review so more people can discover Gap Year Radio!

Intro/Outro Music: Quasi Motion by Kevin MacLeod; licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution License More info: https://freemusicarchive.org/music/Kevin_MacLeod/Global_Sampler/Quasi_Motion/
]]></description>
      <guid isPermaLink="false">5DZCOWU4-YRXUSOR</guid>
      <pubDate>Mon, 16 Feb 2026 11:00:01 GMT</pubDate>
      <enclosure url="http://cast.rocks/hosting/13544/Around-the-World-at-18-Arjun-s-Self-Funded-Solo-Gap-Year-to-100-Countries.mp3" length="44055977" type="audio/mpeg"/>
      <itunes:author></itunes:author>
      <itunes:explicit>clean</itunes:explicit>
      <itunes:subtitle><![CDATA[In this Season 10 opener, I sit down with Arjun Malaviya, who began solo traveling on his 17th birthday and visited 100 countries in 13 months. We dig into how his parents’ “experiences over stuff” mindset shaped his love of travel, and how he built  ...]]></itunes:subtitle>
      <itunes:summary><![CDATA[In this Season 10 opener, I sit down with Arjun Malaviya, who began solo traveling on his 17th birthday and visited 100 countries in 13 months. We dig into how his parents’ “experiences over stuff” mindset shaped his love of travel, and how he built a rhythm for constant movement with flexible planning and a strong bias toward local connection. 

Arjun shares practical tools (Rome2Rio, Google Translate, GuruWalk, Facebook travel groups), his budget strategy for making $22K stretch across the globe, and the real safety calculations behind trusting strangers. We also talk about the harder moments, including a kidnapping experience in Myanmar, and what he learned about risk, perspective, and resilience. The episode lands on the bigger why: travel as a pathway to global citizenship, confidence, and the ability to connect with anyone, anywhere.

Connect with Julia & Gap Year Radio:

Listen to more episodes of Gap Year Radio: gapyearradiopodcast.com

Follow us on Instagram: @gapyearradio

Email your gap year questions or comments at gapyearradio@gmail.com

Want to work with Jula on you gap year planning? Visit enroutegapyear.com to learn all about how gap year counseling can help you plan a great year!

If you have a moment, please leave a review so more people can discover Gap Year Radio!

Intro/Outro Music: Quasi Motion by Kevin MacLeod; licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution License More info: https://freemusicarchive.org/music/Kevin_MacLeod/Global_Sampler/Quasi_Motion/
]]></itunes:summary>
      <itunes:duration>0:53:24</itunes:duration>
      <itunes:length>44055977</itunes:length>
      <itunes:keywords></itunes:keywords>
      
      <itunes:season/>
      <itunes:episode/>
      <itunes:episodeType/>
    </item>
    <item>
      <title><![CDATA[Aupair Life in Italy: Nancy's Gap Year as a Nanny in Palermo]]></title>
      <description><![CDATA[Nancy hit pause on her engineering degree and found herself living solo in Palermo, Italy, caring for two kids and soaking in the rich, sensory experience of Sicilian life. In this episode, she shares what it’s really like to be an au pair abroad - from daily routines and bonding with her host family to solo adventures and personal reflection. She also discusses the process of finding a placement through Scotia Personnel, a Canadian agency that helps young people find vetted international opportunities.

What You’ll Learn in This Episode:

How Nancy found her au pair placement through a structured agency

What daily life is like working with a host family in Palermo

The joys of unstructured time, solo exploration, and personal growth

Why a slower pace and cultural immersion can shift your mindset in powerful ways

Honest advice for anyone considering working as an au pair

Resources and Links Mentioned:

Learn more about au pair placements through Scotia Personnel: https://www.scotia-personnel-ltd.com/

Want to plan your own intentional gap year? Visit enroutegapyear.com

Connect with Us:

🎧 Listen to more episodes: gapyearradiopodcast.com
📲 Follow us on Instagram: @gapyearradio
📩 Questions or comments? Email us: gapyearradio@gmail.com
💬 Leave us a review to help more gap year curious folks discover the show!]]></description>
      <guid isPermaLink="false">EI3IC349-HJV2T9</guid>
      <pubDate>Wed, 28 May 2025 11:00:04 GMT</pubDate>
      <enclosure url="http://cast.rocks/hosting/13544/Aupair-Life-in-Italy-Nancy-s-Gap-Year-as-a-Nanny-in-Palermo.mp3" length="20555497" type="audio/mpeg"/>
      <itunes:author></itunes:author>
      <itunes:explicit>clean</itunes:explicit>
      <itunes:subtitle><![CDATA[Nancy hit pause on her engineering degree and found herself living solo in Palermo, Italy, caring for two kids and soaking in the rich, sensory experience of Sicilian life. In this episode, she shares what it’s really like to be an au pair abroad - f ...]]></itunes:subtitle>
      <itunes:summary><![CDATA[Nancy hit pause on her engineering degree and found herself living solo in Palermo, Italy, caring for two kids and soaking in the rich, sensory experience of Sicilian life. In this episode, she shares what it’s really like to be an au pair abroad - from daily routines and bonding with her host family to solo adventures and personal reflection. She also discusses the process of finding a placement through Scotia Personnel, a Canadian agency that helps young people find vetted international opportunities.

What You’ll Learn in This Episode:

How Nancy found her au pair placement through a structured agency

What daily life is like working with a host family in Palermo

The joys of unstructured time, solo exploration, and personal growth

Why a slower pace and cultural immersion can shift your mindset in powerful ways

Honest advice for anyone considering working as an au pair

Resources and Links Mentioned:

Learn more about au pair placements through Scotia Personnel: https://www.scotia-personnel-ltd.com/

Want to plan your own intentional gap year? Visit enroutegapyear.com

Connect with Us:

🎧 Listen to more episodes: gapyearradiopodcast.com
📲 Follow us on Instagram: @gapyearradio
📩 Questions or comments? Email us: gapyearradio@gmail.com
💬 Leave us a review to help more gap year curious folks discover the show!]]></itunes:summary>
      <itunes:duration>0:28:54</itunes:duration>
      <itunes:length>20555497</itunes:length>
      <itunes:keywords></itunes:keywords>
      
      <itunes:season/>
      <itunes:episode/>
      <itunes:episodeType/>
    </item>
    <item>
      <title><![CDATA[Cultivating Creativity – Dillon's Gap Year Exploring Art, Place and Presence]]></title>
      <description><![CDATA[In this episode of Gap Year Radio, Julia talks with Dillon Sheekey, an alum who used his gap year to reconnect with his creativity and develop a deeper sense of presence and purpose. Through three distinct experiences: a semester in the Southwest with ARCC Programs, an immersive art residency at Cow House Studios in Ireland, and a summer job on Nantucket. Dillon explored what it means to live intentionally and grow as both an artist and a human being.

He shares how spending time in nature, disconnecting from technology, and living in a small creative community helped him understand himself in new ways. If you're interested in using a gap year to explore your artistic side, connect with nature, or simply slow down and reflect, this is the episode for you.

What You’ll Learn in This Episode
🎨 Why Dillon wanted to prioritize art and creative expression on his gap year
🌵 How his time in the Southwest with ARCC helped him disconnect from tech and reconnect with the natural world
🖼️ What it’s like to live and create at Cow House Studios in rural Ireland
📷 How darkroom photography and stop-motion film became new creative outlets
🧭 What Dillon learned about presence, purpose, and redefining education outside the classroom
🌍 Why the people and places you surround yourself with matter when you’re shaping your path

Resources and Links Mentioned
📌 Cow House Studios
A residential arts program in Wexford, Ireland
cowhousestudios.com | @cowhousestudios on socials

📌 ARCC Gap Year Programs
Outdoor, service-learning, and cultural immersion programs
arccprograms.com | @arcgap on socials

📌 EnRoute Consulting
Gap year counseling and planning support
enroutegapyear.com

Connect with Us
🎧 More episodes at gapyearradiopodcast.com
📲 Follow us on Instagram: @gapyearradio
📩 Email your questions or comments: gapyearradio@gmail.com
⭐ Leave a review so others can discover Gap Year Radio]]></description>
      <guid isPermaLink="false">83ASVEIR-C07LDI</guid>
      <pubDate>Wed, 14 May 2025 11:00:02 GMT</pubDate>
      <enclosure url="http://cast.rocks/hosting/13544/Cultivating-Creativity-Dillon-s-Gap-Year-Exploring-Art-Place-and-Presence.mp3" length="25070439" type="audio/mpeg"/>
      <itunes:author></itunes:author>
      <itunes:explicit>clean</itunes:explicit>
      <itunes:subtitle><![CDATA[In this episode of Gap Year Radio, Julia talks with Dillon Sheekey, an alum who used his gap year to reconnect with his creativity and develop a deeper sense of presence and purpose. Through three distinct experiences: a semester in the Southwest wit ...]]></itunes:subtitle>
      <itunes:summary><![CDATA[In this episode of Gap Year Radio, Julia talks with Dillon Sheekey, an alum who used his gap year to reconnect with his creativity and develop a deeper sense of presence and purpose. Through three distinct experiences: a semester in the Southwest with ARCC Programs, an immersive art residency at Cow House Studios in Ireland, and a summer job on Nantucket. Dillon explored what it means to live intentionally and grow as both an artist and a human being.

He shares how spending time in nature, disconnecting from technology, and living in a small creative community helped him understand himself in new ways. If you're interested in using a gap year to explore your artistic side, connect with nature, or simply slow down and reflect, this is the episode for you.

What You’ll Learn in This Episode
🎨 Why Dillon wanted to prioritize art and creative expression on his gap year
🌵 How his time in the Southwest with ARCC helped him disconnect from tech and reconnect with the natural world
🖼️ What it’s like to live and create at Cow House Studios in rural Ireland
📷 How darkroom photography and stop-motion film became new creative outlets
🧭 What Dillon learned about presence, purpose, and redefining education outside the classroom
🌍 Why the people and places you surround yourself with matter when you’re shaping your path

Resources and Links Mentioned
📌 Cow House Studios
A residential arts program in Wexford, Ireland
cowhousestudios.com | @cowhousestudios on socials

📌 ARCC Gap Year Programs
Outdoor, service-learning, and cultural immersion programs
arccprograms.com | @arcgap on socials

📌 EnRoute Consulting
Gap year counseling and planning support
enroutegapyear.com

Connect with Us
🎧 More episodes at gapyearradiopodcast.com
📲 Follow us on Instagram: @gapyearradio
📩 Email your questions or comments: gapyearradio@gmail.com
⭐ Leave a review so others can discover Gap Year Radio]]></itunes:summary>
      <itunes:duration>0:25:49</itunes:duration>
      <itunes:length>25070439</itunes:length>
      <itunes:keywords></itunes:keywords>
      
      <itunes:season/>
      <itunes:episode/>
      <itunes:episodeType/>
    </item>
    <item>
      <title><![CDATA[Frequently Wondered Questions FWQ – Why Should I Take a Gap Year? ]]></title>
      <description><![CDATA[Welcome back to another installment of our Frequently Wondered Questions series, where we answer some of the most common questions about gap years.
Today, we're tackling one of the biggest ones: “Why should I take a gap year?”
But instead of hearing the answer from me, we’re handing the mic to the people who know best: gap year alumni. In this episode, you’ll hear from Aliza, Marco, Journey, Katarina, Andrew, and Luke-all sharing what they would say to someone considering taking a gap year.
These are real students who’ve hit pause, taken the leap, and gained perspective-whether they traveled, worked, volunteered, or just took time to grow. Their voices are a powerful reminder that there’s no one way to take a gap year, but plenty of reasons why you should.
If you’re a graduating senior wondering if now is the right time to do something different, this one’s for you.

Resources and Links Mentioned

📌 EnRoute Consulting:
 Need help planning your own gap year? Learn more about working with Julia:
 enroutegapyear.com

📌 Featured Guests’ Episodes:
 Catch the full stories of this episode’s alumni guests in our past interviews:

Aliza: Season 7, Episode 2
Marco: Season 3, Episode 5
Journey: Season 8, Episode 6
Katarina: Season 9, Episode 7
Andrew: Season 4, Episode 2
Luke: Season 7, Episode 4

Connect with Us
🎧 Listen to more episodes of Gap Year Radio: gapyearradiopodcast.com
📲 Follow us on Instagram: @gapyearradio
📩 Email your gap year questions or comments to: gapyearradio@gmail.com
⭐ If you enjoyed this episode, please leave a review—it helps more people discover Gap Year Radio!

]]></description>
      <guid isPermaLink="false">7TEJHJ75-PIUDI</guid>
      <pubDate>Wed, 30 Apr 2025 17:58:04 GMT</pubDate>
      <enclosure url="http://cast.rocks/hosting/13544/Frequently-Wondered-Questions-FWQ-Why-Should-I-Take-a-Gap-Year-.mp3" length="10194894" type="audio/mpeg"/>
      <itunes:author></itunes:author>
      <itunes:explicit>clean</itunes:explicit>
      <itunes:subtitle><![CDATA[Welcome back to another installment of our Frequently Wondered Questions series, where we answer some of the most common questions about gap years.
Today, we're tackling one of the biggest ones: “Why should I take a gap year?”
But instead of hearing  ...]]></itunes:subtitle>
      <itunes:summary><![CDATA[Welcome back to another installment of our Frequently Wondered Questions series, where we answer some of the most common questions about gap years.
Today, we're tackling one of the biggest ones: “Why should I take a gap year?”
But instead of hearing the answer from me, we’re handing the mic to the people who know best: gap year alumni. In this episode, you’ll hear from Aliza, Marco, Journey, Katarina, Andrew, and Luke-all sharing what they would say to someone considering taking a gap year.
These are real students who’ve hit pause, taken the leap, and gained perspective-whether they traveled, worked, volunteered, or just took time to grow. Their voices are a powerful reminder that there’s no one way to take a gap year, but plenty of reasons why you should.
If you’re a graduating senior wondering if now is the right time to do something different, this one’s for you.

Resources and Links Mentioned

📌 EnRoute Consulting:
 Need help planning your own gap year? Learn more about working with Julia:
 enroutegapyear.com

📌 Featured Guests’ Episodes:
 Catch the full stories of this episode’s alumni guests in our past interviews:

Aliza: Season 7, Episode 2
Marco: Season 3, Episode 5
Journey: Season 8, Episode 6
Katarina: Season 9, Episode 7
Andrew: Season 4, Episode 2
Luke: Season 7, Episode 4

Connect with Us
🎧 Listen to more episodes of Gap Year Radio: gapyearradiopodcast.com
📲 Follow us on Instagram: @gapyearradio
📩 Email your gap year questions or comments to: gapyearradio@gmail.com
⭐ If you enjoyed this episode, please leave a review—it helps more people discover Gap Year Radio!

]]></itunes:summary>
      <itunes:duration>0:10:41</itunes:duration>
      <itunes:length>10194894</itunes:length>
      <itunes:keywords></itunes:keywords>
      
      <itunes:season/>
      <itunes:episode/>
      <itunes:episodeType/>
    </item>
    <item>
      <title><![CDATA[A Purposeful Pause: Connor’s Internship Experience in Boston]]></title>
      <description><![CDATA[Not every gap year takes place before college - and not every gap experience involves travel. In this episode of Gap Year Radio, we explore what it looks like to bring intentionality into a mid-college gap year, through the lens of Connor’s experience with the College for Social Innovation’s Gap Semester in the City.

Like many students, Connor’s college journey hasn’t been a straight line. After stepping away from his four-year degree, his break left him feeling aimless after a while. He knew he needed something different - something more intentional. A friend led him to the College for Social Innovation’s Semester in the City, where he spent a semester living, interning, and learning in Boston. 

In this conversation, Connor shares how this experience helped him reconnect with his values, gain confidence, and envision new possibilities for his academic and career journey. From learning how to navigate a new city to developing a deeper understanding of social impact work, Connor’s story is a powerful reminder that growth happens when we step outside of the expected path.


What You’ll Learn in This Episode
🧭 Why Connor hit pause on college to gain clarity and direction
 🏙️ What it’s like to live and work in Boston through the College for Social Innovation
 💼 How his internship with Boston Cares helped him build confidence and professional skills
 🤝 The importance of community, mentorship, and values-driven learning
 🧠 How a gap semester helped Connor reflect, recharge, and reimagine his next steps

Resources and Links Mentioned
📌 College for Social Innovation – Gap Semester in the City
📌 EnRoute Consulting:
 Need guidance designing a purposeful gap year or semester? Connect with Julia at enroutegapyear.com

Connect with Us
🎧 Listen to more episodes of Gap Year Radio: gapyearradiopodcast.com
📲 Follow us on Instagram: @gapyearradio
📩 Email your gap year questions or comments to: gapyearradio@gmail.com
⭐ If you have a moment, please leave us a review—so more people can discover Gap Year Radio!
🎶Thank you to Kevin Macleod for the use of Quasi Motion in our intro and outro music :Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0]]></description>
      <guid isPermaLink="false">A1T25ABY-B138FR</guid>
      <pubDate>Wed, 16 Apr 2025 10:00:03 GMT</pubDate>
      <enclosure url="http://cast.rocks/hosting/13544/A-Purposeful-Pause-Connor-s-Internship-Experience-in-Boston.mp3" length="23972671" type="audio/mpeg"/>
      <itunes:author></itunes:author>
      <itunes:explicit>clean</itunes:explicit>
      <itunes:subtitle><![CDATA[Not every gap year takes place before college - and not every gap experience involves travel. In this episode of Gap Year Radio, we explore what it looks like to bring intentionality into a mid-college gap year, through the lens of Connor’s experienc ...]]></itunes:subtitle>
      <itunes:summary><![CDATA[Not every gap year takes place before college - and not every gap experience involves travel. In this episode of Gap Year Radio, we explore what it looks like to bring intentionality into a mid-college gap year, through the lens of Connor’s experience with the College for Social Innovation’s Gap Semester in the City.

Like many students, Connor’s college journey hasn’t been a straight line. After stepping away from his four-year degree, his break left him feeling aimless after a while. He knew he needed something different - something more intentional. A friend led him to the College for Social Innovation’s Semester in the City, where he spent a semester living, interning, and learning in Boston. 

In this conversation, Connor shares how this experience helped him reconnect with his values, gain confidence, and envision new possibilities for his academic and career journey. From learning how to navigate a new city to developing a deeper understanding of social impact work, Connor’s story is a powerful reminder that growth happens when we step outside of the expected path.


What You’ll Learn in This Episode
🧭 Why Connor hit pause on college to gain clarity and direction
 🏙️ What it’s like to live and work in Boston through the College for Social Innovation
 💼 How his internship with Boston Cares helped him build confidence and professional skills
 🤝 The importance of community, mentorship, and values-driven learning
 🧠 How a gap semester helped Connor reflect, recharge, and reimagine his next steps

Resources and Links Mentioned
📌 College for Social Innovation – Gap Semester in the City
📌 EnRoute Consulting:
 Need guidance designing a purposeful gap year or semester? Connect with Julia at enroutegapyear.com

Connect with Us
🎧 Listen to more episodes of Gap Year Radio: gapyearradiopodcast.com
📲 Follow us on Instagram: @gapyearradio
📩 Email your gap year questions or comments to: gapyearradio@gmail.com
⭐ If you have a moment, please leave us a review—so more people can discover Gap Year Radio!
🎶Thank you to Kevin Macleod for the use of Quasi Motion in our intro and outro music :Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0]]></itunes:summary>
      <itunes:duration>0:24:11</itunes:duration>
      <itunes:length>23972671</itunes:length>
      <itunes:keywords></itunes:keywords>
      
      <itunes:season/>
      <itunes:episode/>
      <itunes:episodeType/>
    </item>
    <item>
      <title><![CDATA[Frequently Wondered Questions FWQ: How Do I Budget for My Gap Year?]]></title>
      <description><![CDATA[In this episode of Gap Year Radio, host Julia Rogers dives into the essential topic of budgeting for your gap year. From understanding what your gap year expenses might look like to exploring creative ways to fund your adventure, Julia provides actionable advice for planning a gap year on a budget. Whether you're looking to save, earn, or find funding options like scholarships and grants, this episode covers it all. Tune in for tips on how to manage your finances so you can enjoy a fulfilling gap year without breaking the bank.

What You’ll Learn in This Episode:
-Understanding your gap year expenses 
-Ways to save and earn money for your gap year 
-Tips for low-cost and free gap year experiences 
-How to approach funding your gap year with a strategic mindset 

Resources:
Gap Year Association - Find scholarships, programs, and funding opportunities: gapyearassociation.org

Gap Year Association page on Financial Aid and Scholarships - Check out their list at Gapyearassociation.org

Budgeting Apps: Use tools like Mint, YNAB (You Need a Budget), or PocketGuard to track your spending.

Connect with Us:
🎧 Listen to more episodes of Gap Year Radio: gapyearradiopodcast.com
📲 Follow us on Instagram: @gapyearradio
🌍 Email your gap year questions or comments: gapyearradio@gmail.com
✍️ Leave a review so more people can discover Gap Year Radio!

]]></description>
      <guid isPermaLink="false">2YV8VEBW-DEYD5CD</guid>
      <pubDate>Thu, 03 Apr 2025 00:18:28 GMT</pubDate>
      <enclosure url="http://cast.rocks/hosting/13544/Frequently-Wondered-Questions-FWQ-How-Do-I-Budget-for-My-Gap-Year-.mp3" length="13981463" type="audio/mpeg"/>
      <itunes:author></itunes:author>
      <itunes:explicit>clean</itunes:explicit>
      <itunes:subtitle><![CDATA[In this episode of Gap Year Radio, host Julia Rogers dives into the essential topic of budgeting for your gap year. From understanding what your gap year expenses might look like to exploring creative ways to fund your adventure, Julia provides actio ...]]></itunes:subtitle>
      <itunes:summary><![CDATA[In this episode of Gap Year Radio, host Julia Rogers dives into the essential topic of budgeting for your gap year. From understanding what your gap year expenses might look like to exploring creative ways to fund your adventure, Julia provides actionable advice for planning a gap year on a budget. Whether you're looking to save, earn, or find funding options like scholarships and grants, this episode covers it all. Tune in for tips on how to manage your finances so you can enjoy a fulfilling gap year without breaking the bank.

What You’ll Learn in This Episode:
-Understanding your gap year expenses 
-Ways to save and earn money for your gap year 
-Tips for low-cost and free gap year experiences 
-How to approach funding your gap year with a strategic mindset 

Resources:
Gap Year Association - Find scholarships, programs, and funding opportunities: gapyearassociation.org

Gap Year Association page on Financial Aid and Scholarships - Check out their list at Gapyearassociation.org

Budgeting Apps: Use tools like Mint, YNAB (You Need a Budget), or PocketGuard to track your spending.

Connect with Us:
🎧 Listen to more episodes of Gap Year Radio: gapyearradiopodcast.com
📲 Follow us on Instagram: @gapyearradio
🌍 Email your gap year questions or comments: gapyearradio@gmail.com
✍️ Leave a review so more people can discover Gap Year Radio!

]]></itunes:summary>
      <itunes:duration>0:16:03</itunes:duration>
      <itunes:length>13981463</itunes:length>
      <itunes:keywords></itunes:keywords>
      
      <itunes:season/>
      <itunes:episode/>
      <itunes:episodeType/>
    </item>
    <item>
      <title><![CDATA[Duke’s Gap Year Program in Action: Katarina’s Adventures from Moldova to Mount Kilimanjaro]]></title>
      <description><![CDATA[It’s college decision season! If you’re considering a gap year but wondering how to fund it—or if colleges even support it—this episode is for you. Duke University is one of the few schools in the U.S. that doesn’t just allow students to take a gap year—it actually funds them.
Today, we’re diving into a firsthand account of what it’s like to participate in the Duke Gap Year Program, one of the most innovative university-supported gap year initiatives in the country.
My guest, Katarina, was accepted to Duke but decided to take advantage of the school’s gap year funding to design her own unique experience. What followed was a year of pivots, problem-solving, and unforgettable learning.

With Duke’s support, she:
- Backpacked through 15 countries
- Interned at the National Bank of Moldova (yes, she landed that job through a cold email!)
- Summited Mount Kilimanjaro on a last-minute adventure
- Built a global network of friends and mentors—all by staying flexible and open to change

In this episode, we’ll break down how the Duke Gap Year Program gave her the freedom to plan a meaningful year, the challenges she faced along the way, and how she leveraged creativity and adaptability to make it all happen.
If you’re curious about how to balance structure and flexibility in your gap year, or want to hear how Duke is leading the way in making gap years more accessible - this is the episode for you!

What You’ll Learn in This Episode

🎒 How Duke’s Gap Year Program works & what it provides for students
🌍 How Katarina adapted when her original plans fell through
✈️ The reality of planning a last-minute, multi-country backpacking trip
📩 How she landed an internship at the National Bank of Moldova—by sending a cold email
🏔️ Why she said YES to climbing Mount Kilimanjaro (even though it terrified her)
🤝 How she built a global network of friends & travel buddies along the way
💡 Her advice for anyone considering a gap year but unsure where to start

Resources and Links Mentioned

📌 Duke Gap Year Program – Learn more about how Duke supports and funds gap years: dukegapyear.duke.edu

📌 Eurail Pass – The train pass Katarina used for her 3-month backpacking trip: eurail.com

📌 Hostelworld – The go-to site for booking hostels: hostelworld.com

📌 Gap Year Planning Help – Need guidance in structuring your gap year? Work with Julia at EnRouteGapYear.com

Connect with Us
🎧 Listen to more episodes of Gap Year Radio: gapyearradiopodcast.com

📲 Follow us on Instagram: @gapyearradio

📩 Email your gap year questions or comments at: gapyearradio@gmail.com

⭐ If you have a moment, please leave a review—it helps more people discover Gap Year Radio!
]]></description>
      <guid isPermaLink="false">CGJBKQ1A-Z0EJYVI</guid>
      <pubDate>Wed, 19 Mar 2025 10:00:01 GMT</pubDate>
      <enclosure url="http://cast.rocks/hosting/13544/Duke-s-Gap-Year-Program-in-Action.mp3" length="33540673" type="audio/mpeg"/>
      <itunes:author></itunes:author>
      <itunes:explicit>clean</itunes:explicit>
      <itunes:subtitle><![CDATA[It’s college decision season! If you’re considering a gap year but wondering how to fund it—or if colleges even support it—this episode is for you. Duke University is one of the few schools in the U.S. that doesn’t just allow students to take a gap y ...]]></itunes:subtitle>
      <itunes:summary><![CDATA[It’s college decision season! If you’re considering a gap year but wondering how to fund it—or if colleges even support it—this episode is for you. Duke University is one of the few schools in the U.S. that doesn’t just allow students to take a gap year—it actually funds them.
Today, we’re diving into a firsthand account of what it’s like to participate in the Duke Gap Year Program, one of the most innovative university-supported gap year initiatives in the country.
My guest, Katarina, was accepted to Duke but decided to take advantage of the school’s gap year funding to design her own unique experience. What followed was a year of pivots, problem-solving, and unforgettable learning.

With Duke’s support, she:
- Backpacked through 15 countries
- Interned at the National Bank of Moldova (yes, she landed that job through a cold email!)
- Summited Mount Kilimanjaro on a last-minute adventure
- Built a global network of friends and mentors—all by staying flexible and open to change

In this episode, we’ll break down how the Duke Gap Year Program gave her the freedom to plan a meaningful year, the challenges she faced along the way, and how she leveraged creativity and adaptability to make it all happen.
If you’re curious about how to balance structure and flexibility in your gap year, or want to hear how Duke is leading the way in making gap years more accessible - this is the episode for you!

What You’ll Learn in This Episode

🎒 How Duke’s Gap Year Program works & what it provides for students
🌍 How Katarina adapted when her original plans fell through
✈️ The reality of planning a last-minute, multi-country backpacking trip
📩 How she landed an internship at the National Bank of Moldova—by sending a cold email
🏔️ Why she said YES to climbing Mount Kilimanjaro (even though it terrified her)
🤝 How she built a global network of friends & travel buddies along the way
💡 Her advice for anyone considering a gap year but unsure where to start

Resources and Links Mentioned

📌 Duke Gap Year Program – Learn more about how Duke supports and funds gap years: dukegapyear.duke.edu

📌 Eurail Pass – The train pass Katarina used for her 3-month backpacking trip: eurail.com

📌 Hostelworld – The go-to site for booking hostels: hostelworld.com

📌 Gap Year Planning Help – Need guidance in structuring your gap year? Work with Julia at EnRouteGapYear.com

Connect with Us
🎧 Listen to more episodes of Gap Year Radio: gapyearradiopodcast.com

📲 Follow us on Instagram: @gapyearradio

📩 Email your gap year questions or comments at: gapyearradio@gmail.com

⭐ If you have a moment, please leave a review—it helps more people discover Gap Year Radio!
]]></itunes:summary>
      <itunes:duration>0:38:16</itunes:duration>
      <itunes:length>33540673</itunes:length>
      <itunes:keywords></itunes:keywords>
      
      <itunes:season/>
      <itunes:episode/>
      <itunes:episodeType/>
    </item>
    <item>
      <title><![CDATA[Frequently Wondered Questions FWQ: Making the Most of Unstructured Time on Your Gap Year]]></title>
      <description><![CDATA[In this installment of Frequently Wondered Questions on Gap Year Radio, host Julia Rogers discusses how to effectively utilize unstructured time during a gap year. 

From short periods of downtime to longer stretches at your disposal, Julia offers practical advice on using this time to develop new skills, rest, and even earn money. She emphasizes the importance of reflection, setting goals, and staying organized with time-blocking techniques. Additionally, Julia introduces the 'three P's' – people, place, and purpose – as key factors in creating a meaningful and fulfilling unstructured portion of your gap year experience.

Timestamps:
00:00 Introduction to Gap Year Radio
00:15 Understanding Unstructured Time
02:58 Strategies for Short Unstructured Periods
05:50 Managing Longer Unstructured Periods
06:16 The Three P's: People, Place, and Purpose
11:06 Practical Tips for Structuring Your Time
18:58 Concluding Thoughts and Resources

Resources:

Gap Year Webinar March 13: Register at enroutegapyear.com

Gap Year Parent Webinar Series: Register Here: enroutegapyear.com/parents

Bliss bean on Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/c/TheBlissBean

EnRoute Consulting: Julia's gap year counseling service- if you are interested in working together, get in touch at enroutegapyear.com

Connect with Us

🎧 Listen to more episodes of Gap Year Radio: gapyearradiopodcast.com

📲 Follow us on Instagram: @gapyearradio

🌍 Email your gap year questions or comments at gapyearradio@gmail.com

✍️If you have a moment, please leave a review so more people can discover Gap Year Radio!

]]></description>
      <guid isPermaLink="false">GOSBD6NT-FPF1OR</guid>
      <pubDate>Wed, 05 Mar 2025 18:23:56 GMT</pubDate>
      <enclosure url="http://cast.rocks/hosting/13544/FWQ-Making-the-Most-of-Unstructured-Time-on-Your-Gap-Year.mp3" length="16456591" type="audio/mpeg"/>
      <itunes:author></itunes:author>
      <itunes:explicit>clean</itunes:explicit>
      <itunes:subtitle><![CDATA[In this installment of Frequently Wondered Questions on Gap Year Radio, host Julia Rogers discusses how to effectively utilize unstructured time during a gap year. 

From short periods of downtime to longer stretches at your disposal, Julia offers pr ...]]></itunes:subtitle>
      <itunes:summary><![CDATA[In this installment of Frequently Wondered Questions on Gap Year Radio, host Julia Rogers discusses how to effectively utilize unstructured time during a gap year. 

From short periods of downtime to longer stretches at your disposal, Julia offers practical advice on using this time to develop new skills, rest, and even earn money. She emphasizes the importance of reflection, setting goals, and staying organized with time-blocking techniques. Additionally, Julia introduces the 'three P's' – people, place, and purpose – as key factors in creating a meaningful and fulfilling unstructured portion of your gap year experience.

Timestamps:
00:00 Introduction to Gap Year Radio
00:15 Understanding Unstructured Time
02:58 Strategies for Short Unstructured Periods
05:50 Managing Longer Unstructured Periods
06:16 The Three P's: People, Place, and Purpose
11:06 Practical Tips for Structuring Your Time
18:58 Concluding Thoughts and Resources

Resources:

Gap Year Webinar March 13: Register at enroutegapyear.com

Gap Year Parent Webinar Series: Register Here: enroutegapyear.com/parents

Bliss bean on Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/c/TheBlissBean

EnRoute Consulting: Julia's gap year counseling service- if you are interested in working together, get in touch at enroutegapyear.com

Connect with Us

🎧 Listen to more episodes of Gap Year Radio: gapyearradiopodcast.com

📲 Follow us on Instagram: @gapyearradio

🌍 Email your gap year questions or comments at gapyearradio@gmail.com

✍️If you have a moment, please leave a review so more people can discover Gap Year Radio!

]]></itunes:summary>
      <itunes:duration>0:20:35</itunes:duration>
      <itunes:length>16456591</itunes:length>
      <itunes:keywords></itunes:keywords>
      
      <itunes:season/>
      <itunes:episode/>
      <itunes:episodeType/>
    </item>
    <item>
      <title><![CDATA[Mindfulness, Music & Monasteries: Getting Zen with Ben]]></title>
      <description><![CDATA[In this episode of Gap Year Radio, host Julia Rogers speaks with Ben, a gap year alum who integrated mindfulness practices into his varied experiences. Ben recounts his journey, highlighting his residency at Zen monasteries in the US and Japan, a farm stay in Costa Rica, and learning audio engineering. He shares insights into how these experiences enhanced his personal growth, creativity, and approach to college. Listen to Ben's wisdom for advice on incorporating mindfulness into gap years and balancing diverse interests with intentionality and community support.

Resources:

Dharma Gates: Resource for finding meditation retreats: https://www.dharma-gates.org/

The Rec W: Audio Engineering program

Zen Mountain Monastery, New York: https://zmm.org/

EnRoute Consulting: Julia's gap year counseling service- if you are interested in working together, get in touch at enroutegapyear.com

Connect with Us

🎧 Listen to more episodes of Gap Year Radio: gapyearradiopodcast.com

📲 Follow us on Instagram: @gapyearradio

🌍 Email your gap year questions or comments at gapyearradio@gmail.com

✍️If you have a moment, please leave a review so more people can discover Gap Year Radio!

]]></description>
      <guid isPermaLink="false">E9SLM70X-C9DX6R</guid>
      <pubDate>Wed, 19 Feb 2025 12:00:02 GMT</pubDate>
      <enclosure url="http://cast.rocks/hosting/13544/Mindfulness-Music-Monasteries-Getting-Zen-with-Ben.mp3" length="38899857" type="audio/mpeg"/>
      <itunes:author></itunes:author>
      <itunes:explicit>clean</itunes:explicit>
      <itunes:subtitle><![CDATA[In this episode of Gap Year Radio, host Julia Rogers speaks with Ben, a gap year alum who integrated mindfulness practices into his varied experiences. Ben recounts his journey, highlighting his residency at Zen monasteries in the US and Japan, a far ...]]></itunes:subtitle>
      <itunes:summary><![CDATA[In this episode of Gap Year Radio, host Julia Rogers speaks with Ben, a gap year alum who integrated mindfulness practices into his varied experiences. Ben recounts his journey, highlighting his residency at Zen monasteries in the US and Japan, a farm stay in Costa Rica, and learning audio engineering. He shares insights into how these experiences enhanced his personal growth, creativity, and approach to college. Listen to Ben's wisdom for advice on incorporating mindfulness into gap years and balancing diverse interests with intentionality and community support.

Resources:

Dharma Gates: Resource for finding meditation retreats: https://www.dharma-gates.org/

The Rec W: Audio Engineering program

Zen Mountain Monastery, New York: https://zmm.org/

EnRoute Consulting: Julia's gap year counseling service- if you are interested in working together, get in touch at enroutegapyear.com

Connect with Us

🎧 Listen to more episodes of Gap Year Radio: gapyearradiopodcast.com

📲 Follow us on Instagram: @gapyearradio

🌍 Email your gap year questions or comments at gapyearradio@gmail.com

✍️If you have a moment, please leave a review so more people can discover Gap Year Radio!

]]></itunes:summary>
      <itunes:duration>0:39:32</itunes:duration>
      <itunes:length>38899857</itunes:length>
      <itunes:keywords></itunes:keywords>
      
      <itunes:season/>
      <itunes:episode/>
      <itunes:episodeType/>
    </item>
    <item>
      <title><![CDATA[Frequently Wondered Questions: FWQ: Who Takes a Gap Year?]]></title>
      <description><![CDATA[One of the biggest myths about gap years? That they’re only for certain types of students. In this episode, host Julia Rogers breaks down this misconception and explores how gap time can benefit students from all backgrounds and academic paths.

From high achievers on the brink of burnout to hands-on learners seeking real-world experience, Julia shares key student profiles that thrive on a gap year, offering insight into why intentional time off can lead to greater success -whether that’s in college, career training, or another post-secondary pathway.

If you’ve ever wondered who actually takes a gap year and why, this episode will challenge conventional wisdom's outdated assumptions about life after high school.

What You’ll Learn in This Episode:

-Why the traditional “straight to college” model doesn’t work for everyone.

-Six key student profiles that thrive on a gap year.

-How a gap year can make the transition to college easier, not harder.

-Why students who take gap time feel more confident and intentional about their next steps.

Resources and Links Mentioned:

EnRoute Consulting – Learn more about working with Julia as a gap year counselor (enroutegapyear.com).

Connect with Us
🎧 Listen to more episodes of Gap Year Radio wherever you find your favorite pods
📲 Follow us on Instagram: @gapyearradio
📩 Email us your gap year questions: gapyearradio@gmail.com]]></description>
      <guid isPermaLink="false">7K95EP21-O7UV7VI</guid>
      <pubDate>Thu, 06 Feb 2025 19:20:36 GMT</pubDate>
      <enclosure url="http://cast.rocks/hosting/13544/Frequently-Wondered-Questions-FWQ-Who-Takes-a-Gap-Year-.mp3" length="18527312" type="audio/mpeg"/>
      <itunes:author></itunes:author>
      <itunes:explicit>clean</itunes:explicit>
      <itunes:subtitle><![CDATA[One of the biggest myths about gap years? That they’re only for certain types of students. In this episode, host Julia Rogers breaks down this misconception and explores how gap time can benefit students from all backgrounds and academic paths.

From ...]]></itunes:subtitle>
      <itunes:summary><![CDATA[One of the biggest myths about gap years? That they’re only for certain types of students. In this episode, host Julia Rogers breaks down this misconception and explores how gap time can benefit students from all backgrounds and academic paths.

From high achievers on the brink of burnout to hands-on learners seeking real-world experience, Julia shares key student profiles that thrive on a gap year, offering insight into why intentional time off can lead to greater success -whether that’s in college, career training, or another post-secondary pathway.

If you’ve ever wondered who actually takes a gap year and why, this episode will challenge conventional wisdom's outdated assumptions about life after high school.

What You’ll Learn in This Episode:

-Why the traditional “straight to college” model doesn’t work for everyone.

-Six key student profiles that thrive on a gap year.

-How a gap year can make the transition to college easier, not harder.

-Why students who take gap time feel more confident and intentional about their next steps.

Resources and Links Mentioned:

EnRoute Consulting – Learn more about working with Julia as a gap year counselor (enroutegapyear.com).

Connect with Us
🎧 Listen to more episodes of Gap Year Radio wherever you find your favorite pods
📲 Follow us on Instagram: @gapyearradio
📩 Email us your gap year questions: gapyearradio@gmail.com]]></itunes:summary>
      <itunes:duration>0:19:58</itunes:duration>
      <itunes:length>18527312</itunes:length>
      <itunes:keywords></itunes:keywords>
      
      <itunes:season/>
      <itunes:episode/>
      <itunes:episodeType/>
    </item>
    <item>
      <title><![CDATA[Abby & Elena: Student and Parent Perspectives on Gapping]]></title>
      <description><![CDATA[In this episode of Gap Year Radio, host Julia Rogers chats with Abby, a gap year alum and current aerospace engineering student, and her mom, Elena, about Abby’s incredible year of exploration and growth. From volunteering at an elephant sanctuary in Thailand to road-tripping through 10 National Parks, Abby’s experiences shaped her confidence, independence, and readiness for college and beyond.

Elena shares her perspective as a supportive parent, offering tips on researching programs, addressing common concerns, and empowering independence. Together, they discuss scaffolding gap year experiences, overcoming challenges, and why a gap year is valuable for all students, including high-achievers who know what's next.

What You’ll Learn in This Episode

🌍 How Abby’s gap year journey unfolded across Thailand, East Africa, and the U.S.

🌍 Why structured programs like Pacific Discovery and ARCC helped build her confidence for independent travel.

🌍 Elena’s advice for parents: how to research gap year programs and support independence.

🌍 How Abby’s gap year shaped her mindset for college and prepared her for a career in aerospace engineering.

🌍The value of “being bad” at something—and how it fosters resilience and growth.

Resources and Links Mentioned

Pacific Discovery: Explore immersive adventure and service programs around the world.

ARCC Programs: Offering gap year and teen travel programs focused on global education and service.

Gap Year Association: Resources for planning a gap year, including fairs, program directories, and alumni support.

Connect with Us

🎧 Listen to more episodes of Gap Year Radio: gapyearradiopodcast.com

📲 Follow us on Instagram: @gapyearradio

🌍 Email your gap year questions or comments at gapyearradio@gmail.com

✍️If you have a moment, please leave a review so more people can discover Gap Year Radio! 

🎶Intro/Outro Music: Quasi Motion by Kevin MacLeod; licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution License More info: https://freemusicarchive.org/music/Kevin_MacLeod/Global_Sampler/Quasi_Motion/]]></description>
      <guid isPermaLink="false">AP9LW69E-W29</guid>
      <pubDate>Tue, 28 Jan 2025 19:01:11 GMT</pubDate>
      <enclosure url="http://cast.rocks/hosting/13544/Abby-Elena-Student-and-Parent-Perspectives-on-Gapping.mp3" length="33669429" type="audio/mpeg"/>
      <itunes:author></itunes:author>
      <itunes:explicit>clean</itunes:explicit>
      <itunes:subtitle><![CDATA[In this episode of Gap Year Radio, host Julia Rogers chats with Abby, a gap year alum and current aerospace engineering student, and her mom, Elena, about Abby’s incredible year of exploration and growth. From volunteering at an elephant sanctuary in ...]]></itunes:subtitle>
      <itunes:summary><![CDATA[In this episode of Gap Year Radio, host Julia Rogers chats with Abby, a gap year alum and current aerospace engineering student, and her mom, Elena, about Abby’s incredible year of exploration and growth. From volunteering at an elephant sanctuary in Thailand to road-tripping through 10 National Parks, Abby’s experiences shaped her confidence, independence, and readiness for college and beyond.

Elena shares her perspective as a supportive parent, offering tips on researching programs, addressing common concerns, and empowering independence. Together, they discuss scaffolding gap year experiences, overcoming challenges, and why a gap year is valuable for all students, including high-achievers who know what's next.

What You’ll Learn in This Episode

🌍 How Abby’s gap year journey unfolded across Thailand, East Africa, and the U.S.

🌍 Why structured programs like Pacific Discovery and ARCC helped build her confidence for independent travel.

🌍 Elena’s advice for parents: how to research gap year programs and support independence.

🌍 How Abby’s gap year shaped her mindset for college and prepared her for a career in aerospace engineering.

🌍The value of “being bad” at something—and how it fosters resilience and growth.

Resources and Links Mentioned

Pacific Discovery: Explore immersive adventure and service programs around the world.

ARCC Programs: Offering gap year and teen travel programs focused on global education and service.

Gap Year Association: Resources for planning a gap year, including fairs, program directories, and alumni support.

Connect with Us

🎧 Listen to more episodes of Gap Year Radio: gapyearradiopodcast.com

📲 Follow us on Instagram: @gapyearradio

🌍 Email your gap year questions or comments at gapyearradio@gmail.com

✍️If you have a moment, please leave a review so more people can discover Gap Year Radio! 

🎶Intro/Outro Music: Quasi Motion by Kevin MacLeod; licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution License More info: https://freemusicarchive.org/music/Kevin_MacLeod/Global_Sampler/Quasi_Motion/]]></itunes:summary>
      <itunes:duration>0:39:58</itunes:duration>
      <itunes:length>33669429</itunes:length>
      <itunes:keywords></itunes:keywords>
      
      <itunes:season/>
      <itunes:episode/>
      <itunes:episodeType/>
    </item>
    <item>
      <title><![CDATA[Welcome to Season 9: Looking Back, Looking Forward]]></title>
      <description><![CDATA[Welcome back to Gap Year Radio! After a 2024 hiatus, we’re thrilled to kick off Season 9 with a very special episode. Big changes are in the air, and we’re sharing all the updates, memories, and excitement for what’s ahead!

✨ Life Updates
Margo tied the knot! 
Julia welcomed a golden retriever puppy to her family! 

✨ Reliving Podcast Memories
This episode is bittersweet as we celebrate Margo’s incredible contributions to Gap Year Radio. She’s stepping away from the mic to focus on new adventures, but not before reminiscing about her favorite podcast moments.

✨ Exciting Updates & What’s Next

The USA Gap Year Fairs are happening NOW, and we’re talking all things gap year planning! Whether you’re exploring programs, looking for advice, or ready to take the leap, we’ve got you covered.

Julia is taking the reins as your solo host, and we can’t wait to share what’s in store for Season 9. Expect inspiring stories, fresh perspectives, and a brand-new short-format series to answer all your FAQs!

You can find Gap Year Radio on instagram and facebook @gapyearradio or online at gapyearradiopodcast.com

You can email us your gap year questions or comments at gapyearradio@gmail.com

And lastly you can download our show wherever you find your favorite podcasts, and if you have a moment, we’d love for you to leave us a review on Apple Podcasts so more people can discover Gap Year Radio! 
]]></description>
      <guid isPermaLink="false">AJEC00T3-N0ICNMI</guid>
      <pubDate>Fri, 10 Jan 2025 02:42:05 GMT</pubDate>
      <enclosure url="http://cast.rocks/hosting/13544/Welcome-to-Season-9-Looking-Back-Looking-Forward.mp3" length="23355668" type="audio/mpeg"/>
      <itunes:author></itunes:author>
      <itunes:explicit>clean</itunes:explicit>
      <itunes:subtitle><![CDATA[Welcome back to Gap Year Radio! After a 2024 hiatus, we’re thrilled to kick off Season 9 with a very special episode. Big changes are in the air, and we’re sharing all the updates, memories, and excitement for what’s ahead!

✨ Life Updates
Margo tied ...]]></itunes:subtitle>
      <itunes:summary><![CDATA[Welcome back to Gap Year Radio! After a 2024 hiatus, we’re thrilled to kick off Season 9 with a very special episode. Big changes are in the air, and we’re sharing all the updates, memories, and excitement for what’s ahead!

✨ Life Updates
Margo tied the knot! 
Julia welcomed a golden retriever puppy to her family! 

✨ Reliving Podcast Memories
This episode is bittersweet as we celebrate Margo’s incredible contributions to Gap Year Radio. She’s stepping away from the mic to focus on new adventures, but not before reminiscing about her favorite podcast moments.

✨ Exciting Updates & What’s Next

The USA Gap Year Fairs are happening NOW, and we’re talking all things gap year planning! Whether you’re exploring programs, looking for advice, or ready to take the leap, we’ve got you covered.

Julia is taking the reins as your solo host, and we can’t wait to share what’s in store for Season 9. Expect inspiring stories, fresh perspectives, and a brand-new short-format series to answer all your FAQs!

You can find Gap Year Radio on instagram and facebook @gapyearradio or online at gapyearradiopodcast.com

You can email us your gap year questions or comments at gapyearradio@gmail.com

And lastly you can download our show wherever you find your favorite podcasts, and if you have a moment, we’d love for you to leave us a review on Apple Podcasts so more people can discover Gap Year Radio! 
]]></itunes:summary>
      <itunes:duration>0:25:03</itunes:duration>
      <itunes:length>23355668</itunes:length>
      <itunes:keywords></itunes:keywords>
      
      <itunes:season/>
      <itunes:episode/>
      <itunes:episodeType/>
    </item>
    <item>
      <title><![CDATA[Ep. 809 Mindful Volunteering Part II: Student Voices]]></title>
      <description><![CDATA[This episode we are super excited to welcome two more guests for our Mindful Volunteering Part 2 episode, Emily and Andrei. These two are former students of Claire Bennet from our Mindful Volunteering Part 1 episode and are currently in the midst of their gap year through the Princeton Novogratz Bridge Year Program in Udaipur, India. They spend some time telling us about the Novogratz Program and how their long-term service/work sites have been set up. Additionally, they reflect upon their perspectives on service, both before their gap year as well as how their time in India has changed their perspectives, and they also give some great advice for things that you can do to make a shorter-term service placement effective if you only have a bit of time. 

If you want to learn more about Princeton Novogratz Bridge Year program you can find them only at oip.princeton.edu/our-programs/novogratz-bridge-year or on Instagram @novogratzbridgeyear.]]></description>
      <guid isPermaLink="false">HF2BS9AT-FX0F6R</guid>
      <pubDate>Mon, 11 Dec 2023 14:00:02 GMT</pubDate>
      <enclosure url="http://cast.rocks/hosting/13544/Learning-Service-Part-2.mp3" length="32820576" type="audio/mpeg"/>
      <itunes:author></itunes:author>
      <itunes:explicit>clean</itunes:explicit>
      <itunes:subtitle><![CDATA[This episode we are super excited to welcome two more guests for our Mindful Volunteering Part 2 episode, Emily and Andrei. These two are former students of Claire Bennet from our Mindful Volunteering Part 1 episode and are currently in the midst of  ...]]></itunes:subtitle>
      <itunes:summary><![CDATA[This episode we are super excited to welcome two more guests for our Mindful Volunteering Part 2 episode, Emily and Andrei. These two are former students of Claire Bennet from our Mindful Volunteering Part 1 episode and are currently in the midst of their gap year through the Princeton Novogratz Bridge Year Program in Udaipur, India. They spend some time telling us about the Novogratz Program and how their long-term service/work sites have been set up. Additionally, they reflect upon their perspectives on service, both before their gap year as well as how their time in India has changed their perspectives, and they also give some great advice for things that you can do to make a shorter-term service placement effective if you only have a bit of time. 

If you want to learn more about Princeton Novogratz Bridge Year program you can find them only at oip.princeton.edu/our-programs/novogratz-bridge-year or on Instagram @novogratzbridgeyear.]]></itunes:summary>
      <itunes:duration>0:36:29</itunes:duration>
      <itunes:length>32820576</itunes:length>
      <itunes:keywords></itunes:keywords>
      
      <itunes:season/>
      <itunes:episode/>
      <itunes:episodeType/>
    </item>
    <item>
      <title><![CDATA[Ep. 808 Mindful Volunteering: All About "Learning Service" with Claire Bennett]]></title>
      <description><![CDATA[On this episode of Gap Year Radio we are so excited to welcome Claire Bennet, co-author of the book Learning Service: The Essential Guide to Volunteering Abroad. On this episode, she discusses with us the many nuances of international service, aid and development, voluntourism, and other topics related to volunteering abroad. She reframes for us what is often referred to as "Service Learning", to describe this restructuring of the ideology into "Learning Service", where learning really is prioritized before everything else. 

You can follow along on the principles from Learning Service on Instagram @learning.service and on their website https://learningservice.info . ]]></description>
      <guid isPermaLink="false">53RIVZ9L-K7QFR</guid>
      <pubDate>Mon, 20 Nov 2023 14:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
      <enclosure url="http://cast.rocks/hosting/13544/Ep.-808-Mindful-Volunteering-All-About-Learning-Service.mp3" length="41134680" type="audio/mpeg"/>
      <itunes:author></itunes:author>
      <itunes:explicit>clean</itunes:explicit>
      <itunes:subtitle><![CDATA[On this episode of Gap Year Radio we are so excited to welcome Claire Bennet, co-author of the book Learning Service: The Essential Guide to Volunteering Abroad. On this episode, she discusses with us the many nuances of international service, aid an ...]]></itunes:subtitle>
      <itunes:summary><![CDATA[On this episode of Gap Year Radio we are so excited to welcome Claire Bennet, co-author of the book Learning Service: The Essential Guide to Volunteering Abroad. On this episode, she discusses with us the many nuances of international service, aid and development, voluntourism, and other topics related to volunteering abroad. She reframes for us what is often referred to as "Service Learning", to describe this restructuring of the ideology into "Learning Service", where learning really is prioritized before everything else. 

You can follow along on the principles from Learning Service on Instagram @learning.service and on their website https://learningservice.info . ]]></itunes:summary>
      <itunes:duration>0:46:32</itunes:duration>
      <itunes:length>41134680</itunes:length>
      <itunes:keywords></itunes:keywords>
      
      <itunes:season/>
      <itunes:episode/>
      <itunes:episodeType/>
    </item>
    <item>
      <title><![CDATA[Ep. 807 Ethical Animal Volunteering with Nora Livingstone of Animal Experience International]]></title>
      <description><![CDATA[On today's pod we are excited to welcome Nora Livingstone, the cofounder and volunteer coordinator of Animal Experience International, which is an organization that offers ethical and life-changing trips for students, professionals, and animal lovers to volunteer around the world with organizations that are working ethically and sustainability for animal conservation. Nora is a Nature Canada Woman for Nature and is on the advisory board of the Orangutan Project and the Women’s Advisory Council of JourneyWoman. Nora holds FEMA certifications for volunteering, leadership, and deployment during natural disasters, and has volunteered with animals all over the world. This episode discusses some of the ethics around volunteering with animals and pitfalls to look out for as you are looking at your own potential volunteering experience, as well as the five freedoms of animal welfare and how those fit into the Fair Trade Learning Standards for the Gap Year Association.

You can learn more about Animal Experience International online at https://www.animalexperienceinternational.com/.]]></description>
      <guid isPermaLink="false">DQEMQU0Z-PIOOGVI</guid>
      <pubDate>Mon, 30 Oct 2023 13:00:03 GMT</pubDate>
      <enclosure url="http://cast.rocks/hosting/13544/Ep.-807-Ethical-Animal-Volunteering-with-Nora-Livingstone.mp3" length="52809691" type="audio/mpeg"/>
      <itunes:author></itunes:author>
      <itunes:explicit>clean</itunes:explicit>
      <itunes:subtitle><![CDATA[On today's pod we are excited to welcome Nora Livingstone, the cofounder and volunteer coordinator of Animal Experience International, which is an organization that offers ethical and life-changing trips for students, professionals, and animal lovers ...]]></itunes:subtitle>
      <itunes:summary><![CDATA[On today's pod we are excited to welcome Nora Livingstone, the cofounder and volunteer coordinator of Animal Experience International, which is an organization that offers ethical and life-changing trips for students, professionals, and animal lovers to volunteer around the world with organizations that are working ethically and sustainability for animal conservation. Nora is a Nature Canada Woman for Nature and is on the advisory board of the Orangutan Project and the Women’s Advisory Council of JourneyWoman. Nora holds FEMA certifications for volunteering, leadership, and deployment during natural disasters, and has volunteered with animals all over the world. This episode discusses some of the ethics around volunteering with animals and pitfalls to look out for as you are looking at your own potential volunteering experience, as well as the five freedoms of animal welfare and how those fit into the Fair Trade Learning Standards for the Gap Year Association.

You can learn more about Animal Experience International online at https://www.animalexperienceinternational.com/.]]></itunes:summary>
      <itunes:duration>0:58:05</itunes:duration>
      <itunes:length>52809691</itunes:length>
      <itunes:keywords></itunes:keywords>
      
      <itunes:season/>
      <itunes:episode/>
      <itunes:episodeType/>
    </item>
    <item>
      <title><![CDATA[Ep. 806 Trailblazer Journey Fleishman Tackles the PCT on Her Gap Year]]></title>
      <description><![CDATA[Happy Gap Year Exploration Month! In this special before-and-after episode of Gap Year Radio, we embark on an awe-inspiring conversation with Journey Fleishman, a remarkable gap year student who undertook the incredible feat of hiking the entire Pacific Crest Trail (PCT) in the Western US. 

Julia and Journey take a deep dive into the challenges, triumphs, and transformative experiences that Journey encountered during her epic adventure. Part I was recorded before she hit the trail and Part II was recorded after she finished the hike. The resulting conversation takes us through her decision to embark on this ambitious journey, discussing her motivations, preparations, and the support network that helped her along the way. 

We delve into the physical and mental challenges of hiking over 2,650 miles, from the southern border of California to the northern border of Washington, experiencing the diverse landscapes and climates that the PCT offers.

The episode explores the personal growth and self-discovery that Journey experienced during her time on the trail, shedding light on how this epic adventure transformed her perspective on life, nature, and her own capabilities. Journey shares anecdotes of encounters with fellow hikers, illustrating the strong sense of community that exists within the PCT hiking culture.

Listeners will gain insights into the practical aspects of long-distance hiking, including gear choices and the daily rhythm of a thru-hiker's life. By the way, her top gear choices are the REI Magma 15 sleeping bag, her ULA Circuit pack, and her trusty ground pad!

Whether you're an experienced hiker, aspiring adventurer, or simply someone looking for inspiration, this episode of Gap Year Radio is a captivating and motivational exploration of an extraordinary gap year experience. Journey Fleishman's Pacific Crest Trail adventure reminds us all that the path less traveled can lead to remarkable personal growth and unforgettable adventures.]]></description>
      <guid isPermaLink="false">4UGSRAZB-AHJV2T9</guid>
      <pubDate>Mon, 16 Oct 2023 12:00:01 GMT</pubDate>
      <enclosure url="http://cast.rocks/hosting/13544/Ep.-806-Trailblazer-Journey-Fleishman-Tackles-the-PCT-on-Her-Gap-Year.mp3" length="40304722" type="audio/mpeg"/>
      <itunes:author></itunes:author>
      <itunes:explicit>clean</itunes:explicit>
      <itunes:subtitle><![CDATA[Happy Gap Year Exploration Month! In this special before-and-after episode of Gap Year Radio, we embark on an awe-inspiring conversation with Journey Fleishman, a remarkable gap year student who undertook the incredible feat of hiking the entire Paci ...]]></itunes:subtitle>
      <itunes:summary><![CDATA[Happy Gap Year Exploration Month! In this special before-and-after episode of Gap Year Radio, we embark on an awe-inspiring conversation with Journey Fleishman, a remarkable gap year student who undertook the incredible feat of hiking the entire Pacific Crest Trail (PCT) in the Western US. 

Julia and Journey take a deep dive into the challenges, triumphs, and transformative experiences that Journey encountered during her epic adventure. Part I was recorded before she hit the trail and Part II was recorded after she finished the hike. The resulting conversation takes us through her decision to embark on this ambitious journey, discussing her motivations, preparations, and the support network that helped her along the way. 

We delve into the physical and mental challenges of hiking over 2,650 miles, from the southern border of California to the northern border of Washington, experiencing the diverse landscapes and climates that the PCT offers.

The episode explores the personal growth and self-discovery that Journey experienced during her time on the trail, shedding light on how this epic adventure transformed her perspective on life, nature, and her own capabilities. Journey shares anecdotes of encounters with fellow hikers, illustrating the strong sense of community that exists within the PCT hiking culture.

Listeners will gain insights into the practical aspects of long-distance hiking, including gear choices and the daily rhythm of a thru-hiker's life. By the way, her top gear choices are the REI Magma 15 sleeping bag, her ULA Circuit pack, and her trusty ground pad!

Whether you're an experienced hiker, aspiring adventurer, or simply someone looking for inspiration, this episode of Gap Year Radio is a captivating and motivational exploration of an extraordinary gap year experience. Journey Fleishman's Pacific Crest Trail adventure reminds us all that the path less traveled can lead to remarkable personal growth and unforgettable adventures.]]></itunes:summary>
      <itunes:duration>0:45:09</itunes:duration>
      <itunes:length>40304722</itunes:length>
      <itunes:keywords></itunes:keywords>
      
      <itunes:season/>
      <itunes:episode/>
      <itunes:episodeType/>
    </item>
    <item>
      <title><![CDATA[Ep. 805 Talking Gap Year Exploration Month & Where to Travel in 2024 with Julia & Margo]]></title>
      <description><![CDATA[Happy October, and welcome to Gap Year Exploration Month! Julia and Margo are excited to chat with the listeners this episode about the many opportunities coming up this month to #explorethegapyear, as well as trending gap year destinations for 2024, helpful apps and hot travel tips, working holiday visas, sustainability, slow travel, and much more.  Visit www.gapyearradiopodcast.com for more information on Gap Year Exploration Month and other helpful resources from the episode!]]></description>
      <guid isPermaLink="false">KU5HPN1D-EP14I</guid>
      <pubDate>Mon, 02 Oct 2023 16:38:45 GMT</pubDate>
      <enclosure url="http://cast.rocks/hosting/13544/Ep.-805-Talking-Gap-Year-Exploration-Month-Where-to-Travel-in-2024.mp3" length="47383885" type="audio/mpeg"/>
      <itunes:author></itunes:author>
      <itunes:explicit>clean</itunes:explicit>
      <itunes:subtitle><![CDATA[Happy October, and welcome to Gap Year Exploration Month! Julia and Margo are excited to chat with the listeners this episode about the many opportunities coming up this month to #explorethegapyear, as well as trending gap year destinations for 2024, ...]]></itunes:subtitle>
      <itunes:summary><![CDATA[Happy October, and welcome to Gap Year Exploration Month! Julia and Margo are excited to chat with the listeners this episode about the many opportunities coming up this month to #explorethegapyear, as well as trending gap year destinations for 2024, helpful apps and hot travel tips, working holiday visas, sustainability, slow travel, and much more.  Visit www.gapyearradiopodcast.com for more information on Gap Year Exploration Month and other helpful resources from the episode!]]></itunes:summary>
      <itunes:duration>0:51:42</itunes:duration>
      <itunes:length>47383885</itunes:length>
      <itunes:keywords></itunes:keywords>
      
      <itunes:season/>
      <itunes:episode/>
      <itunes:episodeType/>
    </item>
    <item>
      <title><![CDATA[Ep. 804 Gap Year Accessibility with Johileny Meran: Empowering Students with Disabilities to Travel the World]]></title>
      <description><![CDATA[Join us as traveler and disability advocate Johileny Meran shares invaluable insights on how to empower students with disabilities to explore the world. We discuss her study abroad experience in London, receive tips for creating more inclusive gap year experiences and feel reaffirmed in the transformative impact of international experiences for all. Johileny is a graduate of NYU's College of Arts and Science, having received a bachelor's of Arts in Global Public Health/Sociology with a minor in Disabilities Studies.

Johileny Travel tips:

Take photos of any equipment that gets loaded on the plane in case it is damaged out of your sight.

Go on short trips to get used to navigating travel with your equipment and luggage.

Get to know your equipment inside and out in order to make your own repairs and make sure your travel/medical insurance covers your equipment. 

Enjoy your travels! It is so worth it.

Resources for Gap Year and College Aged Travelers with Disabilities:

Mobility USA library of resources for people traveling with a disability. 

NYU Accessibility in Study Abroad is a resource for NYU students traveling abroad and features 

AccessibleGO is a full-service travel platform dedicated to helping people with disabilities make the most out of their travels.]]></description>
      <guid isPermaLink="false">E4IZJ3Q3-YKQPVI</guid>
      <pubDate>Mon, 03 Jul 2023 10:00:02 GMT</pubDate>
      <enclosure url="http://cast.rocks/hosting/13544/Ep.-804-Gap-Year-Accessibility-with-Johileny-Meran.mp3" length="40124703" type="audio/mpeg"/>
      <itunes:author></itunes:author>
      <itunes:explicit>clean</itunes:explicit>
      <itunes:subtitle><![CDATA[Join us as traveler and disability advocate Johileny Meran shares invaluable insights on how to empower students with disabilities to explore the world. We discuss her study abroad experience in London, receive tips for creating more inclusive gap ye ...]]></itunes:subtitle>
      <itunes:summary><![CDATA[Join us as traveler and disability advocate Johileny Meran shares invaluable insights on how to empower students with disabilities to explore the world. We discuss her study abroad experience in London, receive tips for creating more inclusive gap year experiences and feel reaffirmed in the transformative impact of international experiences for all. Johileny is a graduate of NYU's College of Arts and Science, having received a bachelor's of Arts in Global Public Health/Sociology with a minor in Disabilities Studies.

Johileny Travel tips:

Take photos of any equipment that gets loaded on the plane in case it is damaged out of your sight.

Go on short trips to get used to navigating travel with your equipment and luggage.

Get to know your equipment inside and out in order to make your own repairs and make sure your travel/medical insurance covers your equipment. 

Enjoy your travels! It is so worth it.

Resources for Gap Year and College Aged Travelers with Disabilities:

Mobility USA library of resources for people traveling with a disability. 

NYU Accessibility in Study Abroad is a resource for NYU students traveling abroad and features 

AccessibleGO is a full-service travel platform dedicated to helping people with disabilities make the most out of their travels.]]></itunes:summary>
      <itunes:duration>0:48:40</itunes:duration>
      <itunes:length>40124703</itunes:length>
      <itunes:keywords></itunes:keywords>
      
      <itunes:season/>
      <itunes:episode/>
      <itunes:episodeType/>
    </item>
    <item>
      <title><![CDATA[Ep. 803 The Gap Year Sex Talk with Sarah Byrden of The Elemental Self]]></title>
      <description><![CDATA[We are thrilled to have Sarah Bryden of the Elemental Self on this episode to discuss sexual education, emerging sexuality and healthy relationships to self and others with emerging adults and gap year students in mind. 

For gap year students themselves, we will discuss how to frame your sexual health in the context of you gap year experience; Sarah will share some wisdom about how to frame sexuality in your gap experiences. For parents, caregivers and educators, Sarah highlights some important reminders about having open and honest conversations about these topics to ensure that young adults are equipped with the knowledge and tools they need to navigate their relationships safely and with confidence. Join us for this enlightening discussion!

Sarah's Bio: Sarah Byrden is a somatic practitioner, educator and wilderness guide and has been facilitating in these mediums for over 20 years. She has dedicated over 2 decades to deep study and apprenticeship in western and non-western modalities, and teaches from her own life-long journey in the realms that she offers.   Her 2nd TEDx talk, based on the perspective and approach shared in this podcast, has garnered nearly 3 million views. Along with her company The Elemental Self,  Sarah is the founder of The Body of Sex, a sex-education and empowerment mission for college-aged students and adults of all ages. She lives in the unceded Tewa territory of Santa Fe, NM.]]></description>
      <guid isPermaLink="false">K0OTNO63-F80K9</guid>
      <pubDate>Mon, 08 May 2023 13:04:46 GMT</pubDate>
      <enclosure url="http://cast.rocks/hosting/13544/Ep.-803-The-Gap-Year-Sex-Talk-with-Sarah-Byrden.mp3" length="42941419" type="audio/mpeg"/>
      <itunes:author></itunes:author>
      <itunes:explicit>clean</itunes:explicit>
      <itunes:subtitle><![CDATA[We are thrilled to have Sarah Bryden of the Elemental Self on this episode to discuss sexual education, emerging sexuality and healthy relationships to self and others with emerging adults and gap year students in mind. 

For gap year students themse ...]]></itunes:subtitle>
      <itunes:summary><![CDATA[We are thrilled to have Sarah Bryden of the Elemental Self on this episode to discuss sexual education, emerging sexuality and healthy relationships to self and others with emerging adults and gap year students in mind. 

For gap year students themselves, we will discuss how to frame your sexual health in the context of you gap year experience; Sarah will share some wisdom about how to frame sexuality in your gap experiences. For parents, caregivers and educators, Sarah highlights some important reminders about having open and honest conversations about these topics to ensure that young adults are equipped with the knowledge and tools they need to navigate their relationships safely and with confidence. Join us for this enlightening discussion!

Sarah's Bio: Sarah Byrden is a somatic practitioner, educator and wilderness guide and has been facilitating in these mediums for over 20 years. She has dedicated over 2 decades to deep study and apprenticeship in western and non-western modalities, and teaches from her own life-long journey in the realms that she offers.   Her 2nd TEDx talk, based on the perspective and approach shared in this podcast, has garnered nearly 3 million views. Along with her company The Elemental Self,  Sarah is the founder of The Body of Sex, a sex-education and empowerment mission for college-aged students and adults of all ages. She lives in the unceded Tewa territory of Santa Fe, NM.]]></itunes:summary>
      <itunes:duration>0:48:34</itunes:duration>
      <itunes:length>42941419</itunes:length>
      <itunes:keywords></itunes:keywords>
      
      <itunes:season/>
      <itunes:episode/>
      <itunes:episodeType/>
    </item>
    <item>
      <title><![CDATA[Ep. 802 Managing Personal Safety on Your Gap Year with Dave Dennis of Cornerstone Safety Group]]></title>
      <description><![CDATA[Today on the pod we have Dave Dennis joining us from Cornerstone Safety Group. Dave is co-founder and Executive Director of Cornerstone Safety Group, a risk management services company supporting travel and experiential education organizations. With a master’s degree in risk management and 27 years of experience in domestic and international operations, Dave has been the Vice President of Risk Management at some of the industry’s largest companies, responded to thousands of incidents, and consulted for more than 60 organizations developing customized risk management systems.  

This episode provides an overview of how to look at personal safety when it comes to a gap year experience. Whether you are considering going with a structured program provider for your gap time or venturing out on a more independent or self-designed experience, this episode will provide you with resources and food for thought as you go about assessing these potential experiences. Additionally, we discuss mental, physical, and emotional health when it comes to a gap year and how to plan ahead to ensure that you are taking care of yourself to the best of your ability during this time. 

Dave brings with him to the pod nearly three decades of experience working in the travel/experiential education realm and provides some invaluable resources and insights to the listeners!

You can find Dave and the folks at Cornerstone Safety Group online at cornerstonesafetygroup.org and on LinkedIn as well as by email at info@cornerstonesafetygroup.org. ]]></description>
      <guid isPermaLink="false">8G3ZDFT4-8WIPB9</guid>
      <pubDate>Mon, 24 Apr 2023 15:20:04 GMT</pubDate>
      <enclosure url="http://cast.rocks/hosting/13544/Ep.-802-Managing-Personal-Safety-on-Your-Gap-Year-with-Dave-Dennis.mp3" length="46566984" type="audio/mpeg"/>
      <itunes:author></itunes:author>
      <itunes:explicit>clean</itunes:explicit>
      <itunes:subtitle><![CDATA[Today on the pod we have Dave Dennis joining us from Cornerstone Safety Group. Dave is co-founder and Executive Director of Cornerstone Safety Group, a risk management services company supporting travel and experiential education organizations. With  ...]]></itunes:subtitle>
      <itunes:summary><![CDATA[Today on the pod we have Dave Dennis joining us from Cornerstone Safety Group. Dave is co-founder and Executive Director of Cornerstone Safety Group, a risk management services company supporting travel and experiential education organizations. With a master’s degree in risk management and 27 years of experience in domestic and international operations, Dave has been the Vice President of Risk Management at some of the industry’s largest companies, responded to thousands of incidents, and consulted for more than 60 organizations developing customized risk management systems.  

This episode provides an overview of how to look at personal safety when it comes to a gap year experience. Whether you are considering going with a structured program provider for your gap time or venturing out on a more independent or self-designed experience, this episode will provide you with resources and food for thought as you go about assessing these potential experiences. Additionally, we discuss mental, physical, and emotional health when it comes to a gap year and how to plan ahead to ensure that you are taking care of yourself to the best of your ability during this time. 

Dave brings with him to the pod nearly three decades of experience working in the travel/experiential education realm and provides some invaluable resources and insights to the listeners!

You can find Dave and the folks at Cornerstone Safety Group online at cornerstonesafetygroup.org and on LinkedIn as well as by email at info@cornerstonesafetygroup.org. ]]></itunes:summary>
      <itunes:duration>0:42:42</itunes:duration>
      <itunes:length>46566984</itunes:length>
      <itunes:keywords></itunes:keywords>
      
      <itunes:season/>
      <itunes:episode/>
      <itunes:episodeType/>
    </item>
    <item>
      <title><![CDATA[Ep. 802 Managing Personal Safety on Your Gap Year with Dave Dennis of Cornerstone Safety Group]]></title>
      <description><![CDATA[Today on the pod we have Dave Dennis joining us from Cornerstone Safety Group. Dave is co-founder and Executive Director of Cornerstone Safety Group, a risk management services company supporting travel and experiential education organizations. With a master’s degree in risk management and 27 years of experience in domestic and international operations, Dave has been the Vice President of Risk Management at some of the industry’s largest companies, responded to thousands of incidents, and consulted for more than 60 organizations developing customized risk management systems.  

This episode provides an overview of how to look at personal safety when it comes to a gap year experience. Whether you are considering going with a structured program provider for your gap time or venturing out on a more independent or self-designed experience, this episode will provide you with resources and food for thought as you go about assessing these potential experiences. Additionally, we discuss mental, physical, and emotional health when it comes to a gap year and how to plan ahead to ensure that you are taking care of yourself to the best of your ability during this time. 

Dave brings with him to the pod nearly three decades of experience working in the travel/experiential education realm and provides some invaluable resources and insights to the listeners!

You can find Dave and the folks at Cornerstone Safety Group online at cornerstonesafetygroup.org and on LinkedIn as well as by email at info@cornerstonesafetygroup.org. ]]></description>
      <guid isPermaLink="false">52FU0RO8-SRU23XR</guid>
      <pubDate>Mon, 24 Apr 2023 14:58:37 GMT</pubDate>
      <enclosure url="http://cast.rocks/hosting/13544/Ep.-802-Managing-Personal-Safety-on-Your-Gap-Year-with-Dave-Dennis.mp3" length="46566984" type="audio/mpeg"/>
      <itunes:author></itunes:author>
      <itunes:explicit>clean</itunes:explicit>
      <itunes:subtitle><![CDATA[Today on the pod we have Dave Dennis joining us from Cornerstone Safety Group. Dave is co-founder and Executive Director of Cornerstone Safety Group, a risk management services company supporting travel and experiential education organizations. With  ...]]></itunes:subtitle>
      <itunes:summary><![CDATA[Today on the pod we have Dave Dennis joining us from Cornerstone Safety Group. Dave is co-founder and Executive Director of Cornerstone Safety Group, a risk management services company supporting travel and experiential education organizations. With a master’s degree in risk management and 27 years of experience in domestic and international operations, Dave has been the Vice President of Risk Management at some of the industry’s largest companies, responded to thousands of incidents, and consulted for more than 60 organizations developing customized risk management systems.  

This episode provides an overview of how to look at personal safety when it comes to a gap year experience. Whether you are considering going with a structured program provider for your gap time or venturing out on a more independent or self-designed experience, this episode will provide you with resources and food for thought as you go about assessing these potential experiences. Additionally, we discuss mental, physical, and emotional health when it comes to a gap year and how to plan ahead to ensure that you are taking care of yourself to the best of your ability during this time. 

Dave brings with him to the pod nearly three decades of experience working in the travel/experiential education realm and provides some invaluable resources and insights to the listeners!

You can find Dave and the folks at Cornerstone Safety Group online at cornerstonesafetygroup.org and on LinkedIn as well as by email at info@cornerstonesafetygroup.org. ]]></itunes:summary>
      <itunes:duration>0:42:42</itunes:duration>
      <itunes:length>46566984</itunes:length>
      <itunes:keywords></itunes:keywords>
      
      <itunes:season/>
      <itunes:episode/>
      <itunes:episodeType/>
    </item>
    <item>
      <title><![CDATA[Ep. 801 Sustainability on Your Gap Year with Arantxa López Martínez and Daniel Ponce Taylor]]></title>
      <description><![CDATA[Happy Earth Month and Welcome to Season Eight of Gap Year Radio!

As we navigate the era of climate change, it's become increasingly crucial for us to consider the impact of our travel on the environment. With this in mind, let's delve into the world of sustainable travel and explore why it matters now more than ever before. Our guests Daniel Ponce-Taylor and Arantxa López Martínez are both world travelers, program directors and sustainability experts. This is a great episode to jump start your sustainable gap year thinking!

Find our full show notes will sustainable gap year tips at gapyearradiopodcast.com

You can find Arantxa and Spanish gap year online at SpanishGapYear.com

You can find Daniel online at ioi.ngo

You can find Gap Year Radio on instagram and facebook @gapyearradio or online at www.gapyearradiopodcast.com. You can email us your gap year questions or comments at gapyearradio@gmail.com

You can download our show wherever you find your favorite podcasts, and if you have a moment, we’d love for you to leave us a review on Apple Podcasts so more people can discover Gap Year Radio!

Intro/Outro Music: Quasi Motion by Kevin MacLeod; licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution License More info: https://freemusicarchive.org/music/Kevin_MacLeod/Global_Sampler/Quasi_Motion/

]]></description>
      <guid isPermaLink="false">FTKHQRFF-HYQFR</guid>
      <pubDate>Mon, 10 Apr 2023 11:00:01 GMT</pubDate>
      <enclosure url="http://cast.rocks/hosting/13544/Ep.-801-Sustainability-on-Your-Gap-Year.mp3" length="46837507" type="audio/mpeg"/>
      <itunes:author></itunes:author>
      <itunes:explicit>clean</itunes:explicit>
      <itunes:subtitle><![CDATA[Happy Earth Month and Welcome to Season Eight of Gap Year Radio!

As we navigate the era of climate change, it's become increasingly crucial for us to consider the impact of our travel on the environment. With this in mind, let's delve into the world ...]]></itunes:subtitle>
      <itunes:summary><![CDATA[Happy Earth Month and Welcome to Season Eight of Gap Year Radio!

As we navigate the era of climate change, it's become increasingly crucial for us to consider the impact of our travel on the environment. With this in mind, let's delve into the world of sustainable travel and explore why it matters now more than ever before. Our guests Daniel Ponce-Taylor and Arantxa López Martínez are both world travelers, program directors and sustainability experts. This is a great episode to jump start your sustainable gap year thinking!

Find our full show notes will sustainable gap year tips at gapyearradiopodcast.com

You can find Arantxa and Spanish gap year online at SpanishGapYear.com

You can find Daniel online at ioi.ngo

You can find Gap Year Radio on instagram and facebook @gapyearradio or online at www.gapyearradiopodcast.com. You can email us your gap year questions or comments at gapyearradio@gmail.com

You can download our show wherever you find your favorite podcasts, and if you have a moment, we’d love for you to leave us a review on Apple Podcasts so more people can discover Gap Year Radio!

Intro/Outro Music: Quasi Motion by Kevin MacLeod; licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution License More info: https://freemusicarchive.org/music/Kevin_MacLeod/Global_Sampler/Quasi_Motion/

]]></itunes:summary>
      <itunes:duration>0:51:45</itunes:duration>
      <itunes:length>46837507</itunes:length>
      <itunes:keywords></itunes:keywords>
      
      <itunes:season/>
      <itunes:episode/>
      <itunes:episodeType/>
    </item>
    <item>
      <title><![CDATA[Season Eight Preview with Margo and Julia]]></title>
      <description><![CDATA[We're back! Julia and Margo are feeling rejuvenated after their gap year from the pod and are excited to bring you new and exciting content this upcoming season. Tune in here for a preview of all the guests, themes, and ideas that you can look forward to this season, as well as a recap of all that your cohosts have been up to for the last year! 

Intro/Outro Music: Quasi Motion by Kevin MacLeod; licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution License More info: https://freemusicarchive.org/music/Kevin_MacLeod/Global_Sampler/Quasi_Motion/]]></description>
      <guid isPermaLink="false">2VVYB3LG-BEF2BJ4</guid>
      <pubDate>Mon, 27 Mar 2023 13:00:04 GMT</pubDate>
      <enclosure url="http://cast.rocks/hosting/13544/Ep.-802-Season-Eight-Preview-with-Margo-and-Julia.mp3" length="27903192" type="audio/mpeg"/>
      <itunes:author></itunes:author>
      <itunes:explicit>clean</itunes:explicit>
      <itunes:subtitle><![CDATA[We're back! Julia and Margo are feeling rejuvenated after their gap year from the pod and are excited to bring you new and exciting content this upcoming season. Tune in here for a preview of all the guests, themes, and ideas that you can look forwar ...]]></itunes:subtitle>
      <itunes:summary><![CDATA[We're back! Julia and Margo are feeling rejuvenated after their gap year from the pod and are excited to bring you new and exciting content this upcoming season. Tune in here for a preview of all the guests, themes, and ideas that you can look forward to this season, as well as a recap of all that your cohosts have been up to for the last year! 

Intro/Outro Music: Quasi Motion by Kevin MacLeod; licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution License More info: https://freemusicarchive.org/music/Kevin_MacLeod/Global_Sampler/Quasi_Motion/]]></itunes:summary>
      <itunes:duration>0:29:52</itunes:duration>
      <itunes:length>27903192</itunes:length>
      <itunes:keywords></itunes:keywords>
      
      <itunes:season/>
      <itunes:episode/>
      <itunes:episodeType/>
    </item>
    <item>
      <title><![CDATA[GYEM and Funding Your Gap Year 101]]></title>
      <description><![CDATA[Today on the pod, your co-hosts Julia and Margo come together to get excited for Gap Year Exploration Month (which begins today)! We discuss the various opportunities this month to #explorethegapyear, and how you can remain engaged through this exciting month of opportunities. Additionally we delve into the somewhat daunting task of funding your gap year. We provide you with various ideas and tools to make your gap year dreams become a reality. 

Intro/Outro Music: Quasi Motion by Kevin MacLeod; licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution License More info: https://freemusicarchive.org/music/Kevin_MacLeod/Global_Sampler/Quasi_Motion/]]></description>
      <guid isPermaLink="false">GF9ZPYMQ-ZV9529</guid>
      <pubDate>Tue, 01 Feb 2022 13:00:05 GMT</pubDate>
      <enclosure url="http://cast.rocks/hosting/13544/Ep.-801-GYEM-and-Funding-Your-Gap-Year-101.mp3" length="33648325" type="audio/mpeg"/>
      <itunes:author></itunes:author>
      <itunes:explicit>clean</itunes:explicit>
      <itunes:subtitle><![CDATA[Today on the pod, your co-hosts Julia and Margo come together to get excited for Gap Year Exploration Month (which begins today)! We discuss the various opportunities this month to #explorethegapyear, and how you can remain engaged through this excit ...]]></itunes:subtitle>
      <itunes:summary><![CDATA[Today on the pod, your co-hosts Julia and Margo come together to get excited for Gap Year Exploration Month (which begins today)! We discuss the various opportunities this month to #explorethegapyear, and how you can remain engaged through this exciting month of opportunities. Additionally we delve into the somewhat daunting task of funding your gap year. We provide you with various ideas and tools to make your gap year dreams become a reality. 

Intro/Outro Music: Quasi Motion by Kevin MacLeod; licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution License More info: https://freemusicarchive.org/music/Kevin_MacLeod/Global_Sampler/Quasi_Motion/]]></itunes:summary>
      <itunes:duration>0:35:33</itunes:duration>
      <itunes:length>33648325</itunes:length>
      <itunes:keywords></itunes:keywords>
      
      <itunes:season/>
      <itunes:episode/>
      <itunes:episodeType/>
    </item>
    <item>
      <title><![CDATA[Ep. 706 Sam Ballard on Dynamy Internship Year]]></title>
      <description><![CDATA[This episode features Sam Ballard, an alum of Dynamy Internship Year's class of 2021. Sam spent both his fall and spring semesters of his gap year with Dynamy, a domestic gap year program based in Worcester, Massachusetts. Sam was able to participate in two very different internship opportunities in Worcester during his year, with his fall semester being at an automotive shop and his spring semester being at a digital marketing agency. Sam shares with us the many insights gained from these two unique working opportunities, as well as more about the structure of the program at Dynamy and how that has not only helped to direct his studies in college this year but furthermore allowed him to develop many useful life skills that have proved incredibly helpful now at college!]]></description>
      <guid isPermaLink="false">JNTK2L6M-4MQUXR</guid>
      <pubDate>Mon, 06 Dec 2021 17:59:54 GMT</pubDate>
      <enclosure url="http://cast.rocks/hosting/13544/Ep.-706-Sam-Ballard-on-Dynamy-Internship-Year.mp3" length="34463088" type="audio/mpeg"/>
      <itunes:author></itunes:author>
      <itunes:explicit>clean</itunes:explicit>
      <itunes:subtitle><![CDATA[This episode features Sam Ballard, an alum of Dynamy Internship Year's class of 2021. Sam spent both his fall and spring semesters of his gap year with Dynamy, a domestic gap year program based in Worcester, Massachusetts. Sam was able to participate ...]]></itunes:subtitle>
      <itunes:summary><![CDATA[This episode features Sam Ballard, an alum of Dynamy Internship Year's class of 2021. Sam spent both his fall and spring semesters of his gap year with Dynamy, a domestic gap year program based in Worcester, Massachusetts. Sam was able to participate in two very different internship opportunities in Worcester during his year, with his fall semester being at an automotive shop and his spring semester being at a digital marketing agency. Sam shares with us the many insights gained from these two unique working opportunities, as well as more about the structure of the program at Dynamy and how that has not only helped to direct his studies in college this year but furthermore allowed him to develop many useful life skills that have proved incredibly helpful now at college!]]></itunes:summary>
      <itunes:duration>0:37:28</itunes:duration>
      <itunes:length>34463088</itunes:length>
      <itunes:keywords></itunes:keywords>
      
      <itunes:season/>
      <itunes:episode/>
      <itunes:episodeType/>
    </item>
    <item>
      <title><![CDATA[Ep. 705 Kevin Fagan on Where There Be Dragons]]></title>
      <description><![CDATA[Today on the pod we have Kevin Fagan joining us, a gap year alum who participated in Where There Be Dragons' Andes and Amazon semester for his fall term, and then spent the second half of his gap year solo backpacking through Europe. Kevin shares with us some highlights from his semester in South America with Dragons and some of his biggest takeaways from this experience, as well as how that semester helped launch him into more independent travels and adventures for his spring semester. Kevin is a recent graduate of Gonzaga University and is now working in sustainability consulting in the Spokane, Washington area, and as someone who is five years out from these experiences is able to share with us how his gap year continues to impact his passions and career path today.

Intro/Outro Music: Quasi Motion by Kevin MacLeod; licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution License More info: https://freemusicarchive.org/music/Kevin_MacLeod/Global_Sampler/Quasi_Motion/]]></description>
      <guid isPermaLink="false">37UOAZLF-LCO3L3D</guid>
      <pubDate>Mon, 15 Nov 2021 14:00:04 GMT</pubDate>
      <enclosure url="http://cast.rocks/hosting/13544/Ep.-705-Kevin-Fagan-on-Where-There-Be-Dragons.mp3" length="39907272" type="audio/mpeg"/>
      <itunes:author></itunes:author>
      <itunes:explicit>clean</itunes:explicit>
      <itunes:subtitle><![CDATA[Today on the pod we have Kevin Fagan joining us, a gap year alum who participated in Where There Be Dragons' Andes and Amazon semester for his fall term, and then spent the second half of his gap year solo backpacking through Europe. Kevin shares wit ...]]></itunes:subtitle>
      <itunes:summary><![CDATA[Today on the pod we have Kevin Fagan joining us, a gap year alum who participated in Where There Be Dragons' Andes and Amazon semester for his fall term, and then spent the second half of his gap year solo backpacking through Europe. Kevin shares with us some highlights from his semester in South America with Dragons and some of his biggest takeaways from this experience, as well as how that semester helped launch him into more independent travels and adventures for his spring semester. Kevin is a recent graduate of Gonzaga University and is now working in sustainability consulting in the Spokane, Washington area, and as someone who is five years out from these experiences is able to share with us how his gap year continues to impact his passions and career path today.

Intro/Outro Music: Quasi Motion by Kevin MacLeod; licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution License More info: https://freemusicarchive.org/music/Kevin_MacLeod/Global_Sampler/Quasi_Motion/]]></itunes:summary>
      <itunes:duration>0:42:59</itunes:duration>
      <itunes:length>39907272</itunes:length>
      <itunes:keywords></itunes:keywords>
      
      <itunes:season/>
      <itunes:episode/>
      <itunes:episodeType/>
    </item>
    <item>
      <title><![CDATA[Ep. 704 Tufts 1+4 and Amigos Alum Luke Pangan Petrosky]]></title>
      <description><![CDATA[In 2019, Luke participated in the Tufts 1+4 Bridge Year program with Amigos de las Américas in Cuenca, Ecuador. He lived with a host family and worked at Fundación Crea tu Espacio, a non-profit that aids migrants during their transitory periods. Some of his responsibilities included working at daycare centers for toddlers, organizing fundraisers, facilitating workshops, and assisting with a community-based project to build an auxiliary location for the Fundación. Luke also talks about how his gap year offered him the space to explore his sexual orientation and ethnic identity. tells us why his bridge year was one of the most challenging and rewarding experiences of his life.

You can find Gap Year Radio on instagram and facebook @gapyearradio or online at gapyearradiopodcast.com

You can email us your gap year questions or comments at gapyearradio@gmail.com

And lastly you can download our show wherever you find your favorite podcasts, and if you have a moment, we’d love for you to leave us a review on Apple Podcasts so more people can discover Gap Year Radio!]]></description>
      <guid isPermaLink="false">721S9CI-98VDRNEW</guid>
      <pubDate>Mon, 01 Nov 2021 10:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
      <enclosure url="http://cast.rocks/hosting/13544/Ep.-704-Tufts-1-4-and-Amigos-Alum-Luke-Pangan-Petrosky.mp3" length="28433728" type="audio/mpeg"/>
      <itunes:author></itunes:author>
      <itunes:explicit>clean</itunes:explicit>
      <itunes:subtitle><![CDATA[In 2019, Luke participated in the Tufts 1+4 Bridge Year program with Amigos de las Américas in Cuenca, Ecuador. He lived with a host family and worked at Fundación Crea tu Espacio, a non-profit that aids migrants during their transitory periods. Some ...]]></itunes:subtitle>
      <itunes:summary><![CDATA[In 2019, Luke participated in the Tufts 1+4 Bridge Year program with Amigos de las Américas in Cuenca, Ecuador. He lived with a host family and worked at Fundación Crea tu Espacio, a non-profit that aids migrants during their transitory periods. Some of his responsibilities included working at daycare centers for toddlers, organizing fundraisers, facilitating workshops, and assisting with a community-based project to build an auxiliary location for the Fundación. Luke also talks about how his gap year offered him the space to explore his sexual orientation and ethnic identity. tells us why his bridge year was one of the most challenging and rewarding experiences of his life.

You can find Gap Year Radio on instagram and facebook @gapyearradio or online at gapyearradiopodcast.com

You can email us your gap year questions or comments at gapyearradio@gmail.com

And lastly you can download our show wherever you find your favorite podcasts, and if you have a moment, we’d love for you to leave us a review on Apple Podcasts so more people can discover Gap Year Radio!]]></itunes:summary>
      <itunes:duration>0:33:26</itunes:duration>
      <itunes:length>28433728</itunes:length>
      <itunes:keywords></itunes:keywords>
      
      <itunes:season/>
      <itunes:episode/>
      <itunes:episodeType/>
    </item>
    <item>
      <title><![CDATA[Ep. 703 Jenae Edwards on Art, Skateboarding and Exploring the Bahamas]]></title>
      <description><![CDATA[Listen to our conversation with Jenae Edwards, who tells us all about how she filled an unexpected covid gap year with meaning. ⁠
⁠
Jenae used her gap time to create art and delve deeper into my love of art, while picking up a new skill of skateboarding and learning a lot from the community on her island. She says her perspective of home has completely changed as a result of spending her gap time in the Bahamas...how you wonder? Well take a listen to find out! 

You can find Gap Year Radio on instagram and facebook @gapyearradio or online at gapyearradiopodcast.com

You can email us your gap year questions or comments at gapyearradio@gmail.com

And lastly you can download our show wherever you find your favorite podcasts, and if you have a moment, we’d love for you to leave us a review on Apple Podcasts so more people can discover Gap Year Radio! ]]></description>
      <guid isPermaLink="false">IXANNC2L-Q2RZFR</guid>
      <pubDate>Mon, 18 Oct 2021 14:05:27 GMT</pubDate>
      <enclosure url="http://cast.rocks/hosting/13544/ep.-703-Jenae-Edwards-on-Art-Skateboarding-and-Exploring-the-Bahamas.mp3" length="31714403" type="audio/mpeg"/>
      <itunes:author></itunes:author>
      <itunes:explicit>clean</itunes:explicit>
      <itunes:subtitle><![CDATA[Listen to our conversation with Jenae Edwards, who tells us all about how she filled an unexpected covid gap year with meaning. ⁠
⁠
Jenae used her gap time to create art and delve deeper into my love of art, while picking up a new skill of skateboard ...]]></itunes:subtitle>
      <itunes:summary><![CDATA[Listen to our conversation with Jenae Edwards, who tells us all about how she filled an unexpected covid gap year with meaning. ⁠
⁠
Jenae used her gap time to create art and delve deeper into my love of art, while picking up a new skill of skateboarding and learning a lot from the community on her island. She says her perspective of home has completely changed as a result of spending her gap time in the Bahamas...how you wonder? Well take a listen to find out! 

You can find Gap Year Radio on instagram and facebook @gapyearradio or online at gapyearradiopodcast.com

You can email us your gap year questions or comments at gapyearradio@gmail.com

And lastly you can download our show wherever you find your favorite podcasts, and if you have a moment, we’d love for you to leave us a review on Apple Podcasts so more people can discover Gap Year Radio! ]]></itunes:summary>
      <itunes:duration>0:34:18</itunes:duration>
      <itunes:length>31714403</itunes:length>
      <itunes:keywords></itunes:keywords>
      
      <itunes:season/>
      <itunes:episode/>
      <itunes:episodeType/>
    </item>
    <item>
      <title><![CDATA[Ep. 702 Aliza Saunders on Her Social Justice Gap Year with Tivnu]]></title>
      <description><![CDATA[Episode 702 brings you our conversation with Aliza Saunders, a 18/19 alum of Tinvu: Building Justice. Tivnu is a nine-month gap year program focused on social justice engagement. ⁠ ⁠ Participants create a community living together, discovering the Pacific Northwest, and exploring the bond between Jewish life and social justice while working with Portland’s cutting-edge grassroots organizations.⁠

You can find Gap Year Radio on instagram and facebook @gapyearradio or online at www.gapyearradiopodcast.com. You can email us your gap year questions or comments at gapyearradio@gmail.com

You can download our show wherever you find your favorite podcasts, and if you have a moment, we’d love for you to leave us a review on Apple Podcasts so more people can discover Gap Year Radio!]]></description>
      <guid isPermaLink="false">6TU6HHVF-05XKO6R</guid>
      <pubDate>Mon, 04 Oct 2021 10:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
      <enclosure url="http://cast.rocks/hosting/13544/Ep.-702-Aliza-Saunders-on-her-social-justice-gap-year-with-Tivnu.mp3" length="21611909" type="audio/mpeg"/>
      <itunes:author></itunes:author>
      <itunes:explicit>clean</itunes:explicit>
      <itunes:subtitle><![CDATA[Episode 702 brings you our conversation with Aliza Saunders, a 18/19 alum of Tinvu: Building Justice. Tivnu is a nine-month gap year program focused on social justice engagement. ⁠ ⁠ Participants create a community living together, discovering the Pa ...]]></itunes:subtitle>
      <itunes:summary><![CDATA[Episode 702 brings you our conversation with Aliza Saunders, a 18/19 alum of Tinvu: Building Justice. Tivnu is a nine-month gap year program focused on social justice engagement. ⁠ ⁠ Participants create a community living together, discovering the Pacific Northwest, and exploring the bond between Jewish life and social justice while working with Portland’s cutting-edge grassroots organizations.⁠

You can find Gap Year Radio on instagram and facebook @gapyearradio or online at www.gapyearradiopodcast.com. You can email us your gap year questions or comments at gapyearradio@gmail.com

You can download our show wherever you find your favorite podcasts, and if you have a moment, we’d love for you to leave us a review on Apple Podcasts so more people can discover Gap Year Radio!]]></itunes:summary>
      <itunes:duration>0:24:08</itunes:duration>
      <itunes:length>21611909</itunes:length>
      <itunes:keywords></itunes:keywords>
      
      <itunes:season/>
      <itunes:episode/>
      <itunes:episodeType/>
    </item>
    <item>
      <title><![CDATA[Ep. 701 Dan Schmidt on Creative Covid Gapping and Solving Cold Cases]]></title>
      <description><![CDATA[We open our newest season with covid gapper Dan Schmidt who has a super interesting gap year story. As a creative, Dan expanded his professional skill set by spending a large chunk of his year as a videographer for the Adventures with Purpose YouTube channel. He helped bring the channel from 250,000 subscribers to over 1 million, all while traveling the country, learning to pilot drones and solving missing person cases through AWP efforts.

Adventures With Purpose specializes in raising submerged vehicles out of bodies of water. AWP got started as an environmental operation but has since helped solve 10 Cold Cases, providing answers and closure for families seeking answers.  They have also removed 100+ vehicles from lakes and rivers since 2019.

You can find us here at Gap Year Radio on instagram and facebook @gapyearradio or online at gapyearradiopodcast.com

You can email us your gap year questions or comments at gapyearradio@gmail.com

And lastly you can download our show wherever you find your favorite podcasts, and if you have a moment, we’d love for you to leave us a review on Apple Podcasts so more people can discover Gap Year Radio! 
]]></description>
      <guid isPermaLink="false">7N0DPYJC-WAMUNMI</guid>
      <pubDate>Mon, 20 Sep 2021 15:34:08 GMT</pubDate>
      <enclosure url="http://cast.rocks/hosting/13544/EP.-701-Dan-Schmidt-on-Creative-Covid-Gapping-and-Solving-Cold-Cases.mp3" length="36794317" type="audio/mpeg"/>
      <itunes:author></itunes:author>
      <itunes:explicit>clean</itunes:explicit>
      <itunes:subtitle><![CDATA[We open our newest season with covid gapper Dan Schmidt who has a super interesting gap year story. As a creative, Dan expanded his professional skill set by spending a large chunk of his year as a videographer for the Adventures with Purpose YouTube ...]]></itunes:subtitle>
      <itunes:summary><![CDATA[We open our newest season with covid gapper Dan Schmidt who has a super interesting gap year story. As a creative, Dan expanded his professional skill set by spending a large chunk of his year as a videographer for the Adventures with Purpose YouTube channel. He helped bring the channel from 250,000 subscribers to over 1 million, all while traveling the country, learning to pilot drones and solving missing person cases through AWP efforts.

Adventures With Purpose specializes in raising submerged vehicles out of bodies of water. AWP got started as an environmental operation but has since helped solve 10 Cold Cases, providing answers and closure for families seeking answers.  They have also removed 100+ vehicles from lakes and rivers since 2019.

You can find us here at Gap Year Radio on instagram and facebook @gapyearradio or online at gapyearradiopodcast.com

You can email us your gap year questions or comments at gapyearradio@gmail.com

And lastly you can download our show wherever you find your favorite podcasts, and if you have a moment, we’d love for you to leave us a review on Apple Podcasts so more people can discover Gap Year Radio! 
]]></itunes:summary>
      <itunes:duration>0:38:52</itunes:duration>
      <itunes:length>36794317</itunes:length>
      <itunes:keywords></itunes:keywords>
      
      <itunes:season/>
      <itunes:episode/>
      <itunes:episodeType/>
    </item>
    <item>
      <title><![CDATA[Ep. 607 Ethan Knight of the Gap Year Assocation]]></title>
      <description><![CDATA[Today on the pod we are excited to have Ethan Knight, founding director of the Gap Year Association. Julia and Margo take some time to talk to Ethan about the history of the Gap Year Association (GYA), his personal path that brought him here, the meaning of life, climate based gap years, and the current state of the field after a challenging pandemic year. 

You can find Ethan and his colleagues at the Gap Year Association online at https://www.gapyearassociation.org/ or on Instagram and Facebook @gapyearassociation. ]]></description>
      <guid isPermaLink="false">D0BYD3PH-CMOBT9</guid>
      <pubDate>Mon, 03 May 2021 15:20:29 GMT</pubDate>
      <enclosure url="http://cast.rocks/hosting/13544/Ep.-607-Ethan-Knight-of-the-Gap-Year-Association.mp3" length="45630672" type="audio/mpeg"/>
      <itunes:author></itunes:author>
      <itunes:explicit>clean</itunes:explicit>
      <itunes:subtitle><![CDATA[Today on the pod we are excited to have Ethan Knight, founding director of the Gap Year Association. Julia and Margo take some time to talk to Ethan about the history of the Gap Year Association (GYA), his personal path that brought him here, the mea ...]]></itunes:subtitle>
      <itunes:summary><![CDATA[Today on the pod we are excited to have Ethan Knight, founding director of the Gap Year Association. Julia and Margo take some time to talk to Ethan about the history of the Gap Year Association (GYA), his personal path that brought him here, the meaning of life, climate based gap years, and the current state of the field after a challenging pandemic year. 

You can find Ethan and his colleagues at the Gap Year Association online at https://www.gapyearassociation.org/ or on Instagram and Facebook @gapyearassociation. ]]></itunes:summary>
      <itunes:duration>0:50:58</itunes:duration>
      <itunes:length>45630672</itunes:length>
      <itunes:keywords></itunes:keywords>
      
      <itunes:season/>
      <itunes:episode/>
      <itunes:episodeType/>
    </item>
    <item>
      <title><![CDATA[Ep. 606 Vanesia Dedmon on Carpe Mundi, Morocco and Spain]]></title>
      <description><![CDATA[Today on the pod we have Vanesia Dedmon joining us to share about her semester with Carpe Mundi in Spring of 2019 in Spain and Morocco. She shares with us some of her biggest takeaways from her time abroad, as well as a few highlight memories from homestays and trekking in the Atlas Mountains of Morocco, to a week on foot on the Camino de Santiago in Spain, to name a few. ]]></description>
      <guid isPermaLink="false">HOIG50IY-V1V2T9</guid>
      <pubDate>Tue, 13 Apr 2021 00:16:41 GMT</pubDate>
      <enclosure url="http://cast.rocks/hosting/13544/Ep.-606-Vanesia-Dedmon-on-Carpe-Mundi.mp3" length="24669528" type="audio/mpeg"/>
      <itunes:author></itunes:author>
      <itunes:explicit>clean</itunes:explicit>
      <itunes:subtitle><![CDATA[Today on the pod we have Vanesia Dedmon joining us to share about her semester with Carpe Mundi in Spring of 2019 in Spain and Morocco. She shares with us some of her biggest takeaways from her time abroad, as well as a few highlight memories from ho ...]]></itunes:subtitle>
      <itunes:summary><![CDATA[Today on the pod we have Vanesia Dedmon joining us to share about her semester with Carpe Mundi in Spring of 2019 in Spain and Morocco. She shares with us some of her biggest takeaways from her time abroad, as well as a few highlight memories from homestays and trekking in the Atlas Mountains of Morocco, to a week on foot on the Camino de Santiago in Spain, to name a few. ]]></itunes:summary>
      <itunes:duration>0:38:00</itunes:duration>
      <itunes:length>24669528</itunes:length>
      <itunes:keywords></itunes:keywords>
      
      <itunes:season/>
      <itunes:episode/>
      <itunes:episodeType/>
    </item>
    <item>
      <title><![CDATA[Ep. 605 Gap Year Alum Maytal Agasi on Israel, East Africa and Having a Life of Adventure]]></title>
      <description><![CDATA[Maytal Agasi took a gap year because she wanted to break out of the classroom and have an adventure in the real world. And boy, did she! Maytal spent her gap year working on a sustainable farm in Israel with Eco-Israel, traveling and participating in service-learning projects in East Africa with Carpe Diem Education and working closer to home as well.

 Maytal tells us that her gap time away from formal education gave her an outlet for the first time in her life to learn effectively. 

Through these experiences, her ambitions shifted completely. Originally aiming to major in art history, her time in Israel transformed her into a proud environmentalist and permaculturalist. Her experience in East Africa offered her a chance for a big adventure -  to travel in a new place while learning about the culture through ethical service projects and homestays. 

Maytal took her gap time a couple years ago, long before the pandemic upended the way we can travel. She tells us how her gap time prepared her for the challenges of the pandemic and how she took the pandemic disruption as an opportunity to have another adventure. 

You can find Eco Israel at https://eco-israel.org/ and Carpe Diem Education at carpediemeducation.org.

You can find Gap Year Radio on instagram and facebook @gapyearradio or online at www.gapyearradiopodcast.com. You can email us your gap year questions or comments at gapyearradio@gmail.com

You can download our show wherever you find your favorite podcasts, and if you have a moment, we’d love for you to leave us a review on Apple Podcasts so more people can discover Gap Year Radio!]]></description>
      <guid isPermaLink="false">53UAEZD7-88MPLDI</guid>
      <pubDate>Mon, 29 Mar 2021 13:43:10 GMT</pubDate>
      <enclosure url="http://cast.rocks/hosting/13544/Ep.-605-Gap-Year-Alum-Maytal-Agasi.mp3" length="28140091" type="audio/mpeg"/>
      <itunes:author></itunes:author>
      <itunes:explicit>clean</itunes:explicit>
      <itunes:subtitle><![CDATA[Maytal Agasi took a gap year because she wanted to break out of the classroom and have an adventure in the real world. And boy, did she! Maytal spent her gap year working on a sustainable farm in Israel with Eco-Israel, traveling and participating in ...]]></itunes:subtitle>
      <itunes:summary><![CDATA[Maytal Agasi took a gap year because she wanted to break out of the classroom and have an adventure in the real world. And boy, did she! Maytal spent her gap year working on a sustainable farm in Israel with Eco-Israel, traveling and participating in service-learning projects in East Africa with Carpe Diem Education and working closer to home as well.

 Maytal tells us that her gap time away from formal education gave her an outlet for the first time in her life to learn effectively. 

Through these experiences, her ambitions shifted completely. Originally aiming to major in art history, her time in Israel transformed her into a proud environmentalist and permaculturalist. Her experience in East Africa offered her a chance for a big adventure -  to travel in a new place while learning about the culture through ethical service projects and homestays. 

Maytal took her gap time a couple years ago, long before the pandemic upended the way we can travel. She tells us how her gap time prepared her for the challenges of the pandemic and how she took the pandemic disruption as an opportunity to have another adventure. 

You can find Eco Israel at https://eco-israel.org/ and Carpe Diem Education at carpediemeducation.org.

You can find Gap Year Radio on instagram and facebook @gapyearradio or online at www.gapyearradiopodcast.com. You can email us your gap year questions or comments at gapyearradio@gmail.com

You can download our show wherever you find your favorite podcasts, and if you have a moment, we’d love for you to leave us a review on Apple Podcasts so more people can discover Gap Year Radio!]]></itunes:summary>
      <itunes:duration>0:32:41</itunes:duration>
      <itunes:length>28140091</itunes:length>
      <itunes:keywords></itunes:keywords>
      
      <itunes:season/>
      <itunes:episode/>
      <itunes:episodeType/>
    </item>
    <item>
      <title><![CDATA[Ep. 604 Rising Earth Immersion with Alison Sever and Kaylah Brathwaite]]></title>
      <description><![CDATA[Today on the pod we have Alison Sever, Program Director of Rising Earth Immersion at the Eco-Institute at Pickards Mountain, as well as Kaylah Brathwaite, Fall 2020 alum of the Rising Earth Immersion Program. This program is a holistic environmental leadership program that focuses on social justice, spirituality, and mindfulness. Alison and Kaylah tell us more about the philosophy and curriculum behind the REI program, as well as their own personal gap year and justice origin stories.

You can find Rising Earth Immersion online at https://eco-institute.org/rising-earth-transformative-permaculture-immersion and on Instagram @the.eco.institute.

You can find Gap Year Radio on Instagram and Facebook @gapyearradio or online at www.gapyearradiopodcast.com.

You can email us your gap year questions or comments at gapyearradio@gmail.com. You can download our show wherever you find your favorite podcasts, and if you have a moment, we'd love for you to leave us a review on Apple Podcasts so more people can discover Gap Year Radio!]]></description>
      <guid isPermaLink="false">1VSUSPSG-3XV9RUD</guid>
      <pubDate>Mon, 15 Mar 2021 15:04:58 GMT</pubDate>
      <enclosure url="http://cast.rocks/hosting/13544/Ep.-604-Rising-Earth-Immersion-with-Alison-Sever-and-Kaylah-Brathwaite.mp3" length="36763896" type="audio/mpeg"/>
      <itunes:author></itunes:author>
      <itunes:explicit>clean</itunes:explicit>
      <itunes:subtitle><![CDATA[Today on the pod we have Alison Sever, Program Director of Rising Earth Immersion at the Eco-Institute at Pickards Mountain, as well as Kaylah Brathwaite, Fall 2020 alum of the Rising Earth Immersion Program. This program is a holistic environmental  ...]]></itunes:subtitle>
      <itunes:summary><![CDATA[Today on the pod we have Alison Sever, Program Director of Rising Earth Immersion at the Eco-Institute at Pickards Mountain, as well as Kaylah Brathwaite, Fall 2020 alum of the Rising Earth Immersion Program. This program is a holistic environmental leadership program that focuses on social justice, spirituality, and mindfulness. Alison and Kaylah tell us more about the philosophy and curriculum behind the REI program, as well as their own personal gap year and justice origin stories.

You can find Rising Earth Immersion online at https://eco-institute.org/rising-earth-transformative-permaculture-immersion and on Instagram @the.eco.institute.

You can find Gap Year Radio on Instagram and Facebook @gapyearradio or online at www.gapyearradiopodcast.com.

You can email us your gap year questions or comments at gapyearradio@gmail.com. You can download our show wherever you find your favorite podcasts, and if you have a moment, we'd love for you to leave us a review on Apple Podcasts so more people can discover Gap Year Radio!]]></itunes:summary>
      <itunes:duration>0:40:26</itunes:duration>
      <itunes:length>36763896</itunes:length>
      <itunes:keywords></itunes:keywords>
      
      <itunes:season/>
      <itunes:episode/>
      <itunes:episodeType/>
    </item>
    <item>
      <title><![CDATA[Ep. 603 Americorps NCCC with current Corps members Emma McSalis and Amelie Cook]]></title>
      <description><![CDATA[In this episode, you are going to hear from two exceptional Americorps NCCC members, Emma and Amelie. 

Emma and Amelie are currently in the middle of their service year and tell us all about the projects they have completed and a few that are still in front of them. Something similar across all NCCC experiences is the diversity of projects Corps members participate in - from disaster relief to trail building to volunteering at the Humane Society to vaccine distribution, these young women and their teams are making the US a better place one project at a time. They'll tell us more about the experience and what to expect as a Corps member. 

Find NCCC at https://www.americorps.gov/serve/fit-finder/americorps-nccc and on istagram at @americorpsnccc

You can find Gap Year Radio on instagram and facebook @gapyearradio or online at www.gapyearradiopodcast.com. 

You can email us your gap year questions or comments at gapyearradio@gmail.com
You can download our show wherever you find your favorite podcasts, and if you have a moment, we’d love for you to leave us a review on Apple Podcasts so more people can discover Gap Year Radio!]]></description>
      <guid isPermaLink="false">HM3D3FOZ-KUTYB9</guid>
      <pubDate>Mon, 01 Mar 2021 14:06:51 GMT</pubDate>
      <enclosure url="http://cast.rocks/hosting/13544/Ep.-603-Ep.-603-Americorps-NCCC.mp3" length="36546533" type="audio/mpeg"/>
      <itunes:author></itunes:author>
      <itunes:explicit>clean</itunes:explicit>
      <itunes:subtitle><![CDATA[In this episode, you are going to hear from two exceptional Americorps NCCC members, Emma and Amelie. 

Emma and Amelie are currently in the middle of their service year and tell us all about the projects they have completed and a few that are still  ...]]></itunes:subtitle>
      <itunes:summary><![CDATA[In this episode, you are going to hear from two exceptional Americorps NCCC members, Emma and Amelie. 

Emma and Amelie are currently in the middle of their service year and tell us all about the projects they have completed and a few that are still in front of them. Something similar across all NCCC experiences is the diversity of projects Corps members participate in - from disaster relief to trail building to volunteering at the Humane Society to vaccine distribution, these young women and their teams are making the US a better place one project at a time. They'll tell us more about the experience and what to expect as a Corps member. 

Find NCCC at https://www.americorps.gov/serve/fit-finder/americorps-nccc and on istagram at @americorpsnccc

You can find Gap Year Radio on instagram and facebook @gapyearradio or online at www.gapyearradiopodcast.com. 

You can email us your gap year questions or comments at gapyearradio@gmail.com
You can download our show wherever you find your favorite podcasts, and if you have a moment, we’d love for you to leave us a review on Apple Podcasts so more people can discover Gap Year Radio!]]></itunes:summary>
      <itunes:duration>0:38:04</itunes:duration>
      <itunes:length>36546533</itunes:length>
      <itunes:keywords></itunes:keywords>
      
      <itunes:season/>
      <itunes:episode/>
      <itunes:episodeType/>
    </item>
    <item>
      <title><![CDATA[Ep. 602 Gapping in Israel with Author and Israel Gap Year Expert Phyllis Folb and Young Judea Alum Ayden Novick]]></title>
      <description><![CDATA[In this episode, we continue to #explorethegapyear this Gap Year Exploration Month by learning about the diversity of gap year opportunities in Israel. 

Beyond the religious and cultural significance of the country, travel to Israel offers the opportunity to delve into its natural beauty, foodie culture, tech-startup excitement, archeological landmarks, and plenty of adventure. First we speak with gap alum Ayden Novick who spent his year with Young Judea in both Jerusalem and Tel Aviv. 

Next you'll hear from Phyllis Folb, a gap year expert and executive director of the American Israel Gap Year Association. She also just wrote a book called Find Your Right Direction: The Israel Gap Year Guide. 

Find Phyllis at https://www.instagram.com/israelgapyear/ and aigya.org

Find Young Judea at youngjudea.org 

Connect with Gap Year Radio:
www.gapyearradiopodcast.com
email gapyearradio@gmail.com
Insta: https://www.instagram.com/gapyearradio/

]]></description>
      <guid isPermaLink="false">5GJAH7AD-SLZBYB9</guid>
      <pubDate>Mon, 15 Feb 2021 15:05:55 GMT</pubDate>
      <enclosure url="http://cast.rocks/hosting/13544/Ep.-602-Gapping-in-Israel-with-Phyllis-Folb-and-Alum-Ayden-Novick.mp3" length="43084163" type="audio/mpeg"/>
      <itunes:author></itunes:author>
      <itunes:explicit>clean</itunes:explicit>
      <itunes:subtitle><![CDATA[In this episode, we continue to #explorethegapyear this Gap Year Exploration Month by learning about the diversity of gap year opportunities in Israel. 

Beyond the religious and cultural significance of the country, travel to Israel offers the oppor ...]]></itunes:subtitle>
      <itunes:summary><![CDATA[In this episode, we continue to #explorethegapyear this Gap Year Exploration Month by learning about the diversity of gap year opportunities in Israel. 

Beyond the religious and cultural significance of the country, travel to Israel offers the opportunity to delve into its natural beauty, foodie culture, tech-startup excitement, archeological landmarks, and plenty of adventure. First we speak with gap alum Ayden Novick who spent his year with Young Judea in both Jerusalem and Tel Aviv. 

Next you'll hear from Phyllis Folb, a gap year expert and executive director of the American Israel Gap Year Association. She also just wrote a book called Find Your Right Direction: The Israel Gap Year Guide. 

Find Phyllis at https://www.instagram.com/israelgapyear/ and aigya.org

Find Young Judea at youngjudea.org 

Connect with Gap Year Radio:
www.gapyearradiopodcast.com
email gapyearradio@gmail.com
Insta: https://www.instagram.com/gapyearradio/

]]></itunes:summary>
      <itunes:duration>0:44:08</itunes:duration>
      <itunes:length>43084163</itunes:length>
      <itunes:keywords></itunes:keywords>
      
      <itunes:season/>
      <itunes:episode/>
      <itunes:episodeType/>
    </item>
    <item>
      <title><![CDATA[Ep. 601 Gap Year Exploration Month with the Bliss Bean's Beatrice Naujalyte]]></title>
      <description><![CDATA[We kick off Season Six (when did that happen?!) with an overview of Gap Year Exploration Month with youtuber Beatrice Naujalyte of the Bliss Bean. Beatrice will walk us through all  the exciting ways to #explorethegapyear in February! 

Gap Year Exploration Month, or GYEM (pronounced “gem”), is a time to share information, recognize, support, and celebrate those who are considering or have taken a gap year. For the month of February, educators, program providers, industry groups, gap year alumni, and others come together to grow awareness of the gap year option and its benefits. 

More info:
GapYearExplorationMonth.com

Find Beatrice at www.theblissbean.com

You can find Gap Year Radio on instagram and facebook @gapyearradio or online at www.gapyearradiopodcast.com. You can email us your gap year questions or comments at gapyearradio@gmail.com

You can download our show wherever you find your favorite podcasts, and if you have a moment, we’d love for you to leave us a review on Apple Podcasts so more people can discover Gap Year Radio! 

]]></description>
      <guid isPermaLink="false">3E2Y7P7Q-YSRR7LD</guid>
      <pubDate>Mon, 01 Feb 2021 10:00:02 GMT</pubDate>
      <enclosure url="http://cast.rocks/hosting/13544/Ep.-601-Gap-Year-Exploration-Month-2021.mp3" length="43523897" type="audio/mpeg"/>
      <itunes:author></itunes:author>
      <itunes:explicit>clean</itunes:explicit>
      <itunes:subtitle><![CDATA[We kick off Season Six (when did that happen?!) with an overview of Gap Year Exploration Month with youtuber Beatrice Naujalyte of the Bliss Bean. Beatrice will walk us through all  the exciting ways to #explorethegapyear in February! 

Gap Year Expl ...]]></itunes:subtitle>
      <itunes:summary><![CDATA[We kick off Season Six (when did that happen?!) with an overview of Gap Year Exploration Month with youtuber Beatrice Naujalyte of the Bliss Bean. Beatrice will walk us through all  the exciting ways to #explorethegapyear in February! 

Gap Year Exploration Month, or GYEM (pronounced “gem”), is a time to share information, recognize, support, and celebrate those who are considering or have taken a gap year. For the month of February, educators, program providers, industry groups, gap year alumni, and others come together to grow awareness of the gap year option and its benefits. 

More info:
GapYearExplorationMonth.com

Find Beatrice at www.theblissbean.com

You can find Gap Year Radio on instagram and facebook @gapyearradio or online at www.gapyearradiopodcast.com. You can email us your gap year questions or comments at gapyearradio@gmail.com

You can download our show wherever you find your favorite podcasts, and if you have a moment, we’d love for you to leave us a review on Apple Podcasts so more people can discover Gap Year Radio! 

]]></itunes:summary>
      <itunes:duration>0:30:13</itunes:duration>
      <itunes:length>43523897</itunes:length>
      <itunes:keywords></itunes:keywords>
      
      <itunes:season/>
      <itunes:episode/>
      <itunes:episodeType/>
    </item>
    <item>
      <title><![CDATA[Ep. 507 Gap Year Alumni Survey Results with Researcher Kempie Blythe and 2021 Program Preview]]></title>
      <description><![CDATA[Margo and Julia close out Season Five of Gap Year Radio by looking behind and looking ahead. 

We talk to international educational consultant Kempie Blythe about the results of the 2020 Gap Year Alumni Survey, a massive nation-wide survey conducted by the Gap Year Association. Kempie gives us a highlight reel of survey results that showcase the benefits and outcomes of the gap year option. 

Afterwards, Julia and Margo give an overview of gap year opportunities on offer for winter/spring 2021 and the safety protocols programs have in place to manage covid risk for students and communities. If you are taking a gap year or gap semester and looking information on what is possible, this episode is a must-listen! 

Resources we cite include:
Gap Year Association: gapyearassociation.org
GoOverseas: gooverseas.com
Ladder: https://ladder.to/
Let's Gapp

‌You‌ ‌can‌ ‌find‌ ‌us‌ ‌here‌ ‌at‌ ‌Gap‌ ‌Year‌ ‌Radio‌ ‌on‌ ‌instagram‌ ‌and‌ ‌facebook‌ ‌@gapyearradio‌ ‌or‌ ‌online‌ ‌at‌ ‌gapyearradiopodcast.com‌ ‌
 ‌
You‌ ‌can‌ ‌email‌ ‌us‌ ‌your‌ ‌gap‌ ‌year‌ ‌questions‌ ‌or‌ ‌comments‌ ‌at‌ ‌‌gapyearradio@gmail.com‌ ‌
If‌ ‌you‌ ‌have‌ ‌a‌ ‌moment,‌ ‌we’d‌ ‌love‌ ‌for‌ ‌you‌ ‌to‌ ‌leave‌ ‌us‌ ‌a‌ ‌review‌ ‌on‌ ‌Apple‌ ‌Podcasts‌ ‌so‌ ‌more‌ ‌people‌ ‌can‌ ‌discover‌ ‌Gap‌ ‌Year‌ ‌Radio!‌ ‌ ‌

]]></description>
      <guid isPermaLink="false">3U5AXN6N-H19VN29</guid>
      <pubDate>Mon, 14 Dec 2020 15:38:58 GMT</pubDate>
      <enclosure url="http://cast.rocks/hosting/13544/Ep.-507-Gap-Year-Alumni-Survey-Results-and-2021-Program-Preview.mp3" length="46367863" type="audio/mpeg"/>
      <itunes:author></itunes:author>
      <itunes:explicit>clean</itunes:explicit>
      <itunes:subtitle><![CDATA[Margo and Julia close out Season Five of Gap Year Radio by looking behind and looking ahead. 

We talk to international educational consultant Kempie Blythe about the results of the 2020 Gap Year Alumni Survey, a massive nation-wide survey conducted  ...]]></itunes:subtitle>
      <itunes:summary><![CDATA[Margo and Julia close out Season Five of Gap Year Radio by looking behind and looking ahead. 

We talk to international educational consultant Kempie Blythe about the results of the 2020 Gap Year Alumni Survey, a massive nation-wide survey conducted by the Gap Year Association. Kempie gives us a highlight reel of survey results that showcase the benefits and outcomes of the gap year option. 

Afterwards, Julia and Margo give an overview of gap year opportunities on offer for winter/spring 2021 and the safety protocols programs have in place to manage covid risk for students and communities. If you are taking a gap year or gap semester and looking information on what is possible, this episode is a must-listen! 

Resources we cite include:
Gap Year Association: gapyearassociation.org
GoOverseas: gooverseas.com
Ladder: https://ladder.to/
Let's Gapp

‌You‌ ‌can‌ ‌find‌ ‌us‌ ‌here‌ ‌at‌ ‌Gap‌ ‌Year‌ ‌Radio‌ ‌on‌ ‌instagram‌ ‌and‌ ‌facebook‌ ‌@gapyearradio‌ ‌or‌ ‌online‌ ‌at‌ ‌gapyearradiopodcast.com‌ ‌
 ‌
You‌ ‌can‌ ‌email‌ ‌us‌ ‌your‌ ‌gap‌ ‌year‌ ‌questions‌ ‌or‌ ‌comments‌ ‌at‌ ‌‌gapyearradio@gmail.com‌ ‌
If‌ ‌you‌ ‌have‌ ‌a‌ ‌moment,‌ ‌we’d‌ ‌love‌ ‌for‌ ‌you‌ ‌to‌ ‌leave‌ ‌us‌ ‌a‌ ‌review‌ ‌on‌ ‌Apple‌ ‌Podcasts‌ ‌so‌ ‌more‌ ‌people‌ ‌can‌ ‌discover‌ ‌Gap‌ ‌Year‌ ‌Radio!‌ ‌ ‌

]]></itunes:summary>
      <itunes:duration>0:45:48</itunes:duration>
      <itunes:length>46367863</itunes:length>
      <itunes:keywords></itunes:keywords>
      
      <itunes:season/>
      <itunes:episode/>
      <itunes:episodeType/>
    </item>
    <item>
      <title><![CDATA[Ep. 506 Tyler Newman on Year of Mastery]]></title>
      <description><![CDATA[Joining us on the pod today is Tyler Newman, a current gapper and founder of a gap year program called Year of Mastery, which is an opportunity for students to unlock their fullest potential through 12 months of passion exploration. She tells us more about her accessible, student led peer support model that gives students the platform they need to succeed in their gap year. She also discusses her other personal endeavors, including tutoring in her free time, as well as the other projects she has recently founded. She shares about Afro Puff Chronicles, which gives womxn of color a platform to speak their truth through a celebration of art and writing, and her upcoming Women of Color virtual conference in March. ]]></description>
      <guid isPermaLink="false">APLDURO5-RQKT9</guid>
      <pubDate>Mon, 30 Nov 2020 14:00:04 GMT</pubDate>
      <enclosure url="http://cast.rocks/hosting/13544/Ep.-506-Tyler-Newman-on-Year-of-Mastery.mp3" length="35533776" type="audio/mpeg"/>
      <itunes:author></itunes:author>
      <itunes:explicit>clean</itunes:explicit>
      <itunes:subtitle><![CDATA[Joining us on the pod today is Tyler Newman, a current gapper and founder of a gap year program called Year of Mastery, which is an opportunity for students to unlock their fullest potential through 12 months of passion exploration. She tells us more ...]]></itunes:subtitle>
      <itunes:summary><![CDATA[Joining us on the pod today is Tyler Newman, a current gapper and founder of a gap year program called Year of Mastery, which is an opportunity for students to unlock their fullest potential through 12 months of passion exploration. She tells us more about her accessible, student led peer support model that gives students the platform they need to succeed in their gap year. She also discusses her other personal endeavors, including tutoring in her free time, as well as the other projects she has recently founded. She shares about Afro Puff Chronicles, which gives womxn of color a platform to speak their truth through a celebration of art and writing, and her upcoming Women of Color virtual conference in March. ]]></itunes:summary>
      <itunes:duration>0:38:52</itunes:duration>
      <itunes:length>35533776</itunes:length>
      <itunes:keywords></itunes:keywords>
      
      <itunes:season/>
      <itunes:episode/>
      <itunes:episodeType/>
    </item>
    <item>
      <title><![CDATA[Ep. 505 Life on the Road with Jane and Jason of J2Guides]]></title>
      <description><![CDATA[Today on the pod we are excited to host Jane and Jason Sarouhan, long time gap year counselors and co-founders of J2Guides. Many students this year have opted for the cross country road trip as a part of their gap year, and Jane and Jason have begun their own van life adventure this year with their daughter. They share with the listeners the fun adventures of life on the road, as well as what students might need to consider when planning their road trip.]]></description>
      <guid isPermaLink="false">FGRD7VSG-QYQFR</guid>
      <pubDate>Mon, 16 Nov 2020 14:00:02 GMT</pubDate>
      <enclosure url="http://cast.rocks/hosting/13544/Ep.-505-Life-on-the-Road-with-Jane-and-Jason-of-J2Guides.mp3" length="57504984" type="audio/mpeg"/>
      <itunes:author></itunes:author>
      <itunes:explicit>clean</itunes:explicit>
      <itunes:subtitle><![CDATA[Today on the pod we are excited to host Jane and Jason Sarouhan, long time gap year counselors and co-founders of J2Guides. Many students this year have opted for the cross country road trip as a part of their gap year, and Jane and Jason have begun  ...]]></itunes:subtitle>
      <itunes:summary><![CDATA[Today on the pod we are excited to host Jane and Jason Sarouhan, long time gap year counselors and co-founders of J2Guides. Many students this year have opted for the cross country road trip as a part of their gap year, and Jane and Jason have begun their own van life adventure this year with their daughter. They share with the listeners the fun adventures of life on the road, as well as what students might need to consider when planning their road trip.]]></itunes:summary>
      <itunes:duration>0:57:37</itunes:duration>
      <itunes:length>57504984</itunes:length>
      <itunes:keywords></itunes:keywords>
      
      <itunes:season/>
      <itunes:episode/>
      <itunes:episodeType/>
    </item>
    <item>
      <title><![CDATA[Ep. 504 Staying Active Post-Election with Justice in June's Bryanna Wallace and Autumn Gupta]]></title>
      <description><![CDATA["It all started with a conversation." That's how Justice in June co-founder Bryanna Wallace describes the genesis of the massively successful Justice in June resource. The conversation was a heart-to-heart with her best friend from college Autumn Gupta after the murder of George Floyd earlier this year. After this conversation, Autumn leapt into action to create a resource to help people become better allies to the black community. What started off as a google doc has grown into a website, an educational tool and another modality to ensure people continue active anti-racist education and action. 

In our conversation, we hear about the origin of Justice in June, how people can plug into the resource and their strategies for getting through this week and beyond, no matter the outcome of the election!

You can find Justice in June online online at justiceinjune.org on Twitter and Instagram @justiceinjune

And you can find us here at Gap Year Radio on Instagram and Facebook @gapyearradio or online at gapyearradiopodcast.com.

You can email us your gap year questions or comments at gapyearradio@gmail.com. And, something new we’re trying out… if you have gap year planning questions please email us a voice memo of your question and we may use it in an upcoming episode!]]></description>
      <guid isPermaLink="false">51IY120W-AHE61OR</guid>
      <pubDate>Mon, 02 Nov 2020 14:24:41 GMT</pubDate>
      <enclosure url="http://cast.rocks/hosting/13544/Ep.-504-Staying-Engaged-Post-Election-with-Justice-in-June.mp3" length="70531875" type="audio/mpeg"/>
      <itunes:author></itunes:author>
      <itunes:explicit>clean</itunes:explicit>
      <itunes:subtitle><![CDATA["It all started with a conversation." That's how Justice in June co-founder Bryanna Wallace describes the genesis of the massively successful Justice in June resource. The conversation was a heart-to-heart with her best friend from college Autumn Gup ...]]></itunes:subtitle>
      <itunes:summary><![CDATA["It all started with a conversation." That's how Justice in June co-founder Bryanna Wallace describes the genesis of the massively successful Justice in June resource. The conversation was a heart-to-heart with her best friend from college Autumn Gupta after the murder of George Floyd earlier this year. After this conversation, Autumn leapt into action to create a resource to help people become better allies to the black community. What started off as a google doc has grown into a website, an educational tool and another modality to ensure people continue active anti-racist education and action. 

In our conversation, we hear about the origin of Justice in June, how people can plug into the resource and their strategies for getting through this week and beyond, no matter the outcome of the election!

You can find Justice in June online online at justiceinjune.org on Twitter and Instagram @justiceinjune

And you can find us here at Gap Year Radio on Instagram and Facebook @gapyearradio or online at gapyearradiopodcast.com.

You can email us your gap year questions or comments at gapyearradio@gmail.com. And, something new we’re trying out… if you have gap year planning questions please email us a voice memo of your question and we may use it in an upcoming episode!]]></itunes:summary>
      <itunes:duration>0:48:58</itunes:duration>
      <itunes:length>70531875</itunes:length>
      <itunes:keywords></itunes:keywords>
      
      <itunes:season/>
      <itunes:episode/>
      <itunes:episodeType/>
    </item>
    <item>
      <title><![CDATA[Ep. 503 Anusha Goel on Virtual Gapping with Global Citizen Academy]]></title>
      <description><![CDATA[Have you ever wondered what it's like to be a covid gap year student? Are you curious what you'd do on a virtual gap year program? Today we hear from current gap year student Anushka Goel, who is participating in Global Citizen Academy. 

Global Citizen Academy is the virtual offering from Global Citizen Year, an organization that aims to build the next generation of global leaders. Anushka tells us how she is building that skill set alongside her virtual internship with OXFAM. 

You can find Global Citizen Academy online at globalcitizenyear.org on Twitter and Instagram @globalcitizenyr. 

And you can find us here at Gap Year Radio on Instagram and Facebook @gapyearradio or online at gapyearradiopodcast.com.

You can email us your gap year questions or comments at gapyearradio@gmail.com. And, something new we’re trying out… if you have gap year planning questions please email us a voice memo of your question and we may use it in an upcoming episode! ]]></description>
      <guid isPermaLink="false">FM710Y8E-PFD2T9</guid>
      <pubDate>Mon, 19 Oct 2020 13:53:52 GMT</pubDate>
      <enclosure url="http://cast.rocks/hosting/13544/Ep.-503-Anushka-Goel-on-Virtual-Gapping-with-Global-Citizen-Academy.mp3" length="28884294" type="audio/mpeg"/>
      <itunes:author></itunes:author>
      <itunes:explicit>clean</itunes:explicit>
      <itunes:subtitle><![CDATA[Have you ever wondered what it's like to be a covid gap year student? Are you curious what you'd do on a virtual gap year program? Today we hear from current gap year student Anushka Goel, who is participating in Global Citizen Academy. 

Global Citi ...]]></itunes:subtitle>
      <itunes:summary><![CDATA[Have you ever wondered what it's like to be a covid gap year student? Are you curious what you'd do on a virtual gap year program? Today we hear from current gap year student Anushka Goel, who is participating in Global Citizen Academy. 

Global Citizen Academy is the virtual offering from Global Citizen Year, an organization that aims to build the next generation of global leaders. Anushka tells us how she is building that skill set alongside her virtual internship with OXFAM. 

You can find Global Citizen Academy online at globalcitizenyear.org on Twitter and Instagram @globalcitizenyr. 

And you can find us here at Gap Year Radio on Instagram and Facebook @gapyearradio or online at gapyearradiopodcast.com.

You can email us your gap year questions or comments at gapyearradio@gmail.com. And, something new we’re trying out… if you have gap year planning questions please email us a voice memo of your question and we may use it in an upcoming episode! ]]></itunes:summary>
      <itunes:duration>0:28:58</itunes:duration>
      <itunes:length>28884294</itunes:length>
      <itunes:keywords></itunes:keywords>
      
      <itunes:season/>
      <itunes:episode/>
      <itunes:episodeType/>
    </item>
    <item>
      <title><![CDATA[Ep. 502 Caleb Kyle of Outward Bound Costa Rica]]></title>
      <description><![CDATA[Joining us today on the pod is Caleb Kyle, who spent last year on a gap year adventuring in the outdoors through New Zealand and Costa Rica. He discusses with us the two programs he participated in, and explains the experience one can have with Outward Bound in Costa Rica. He received numerous useful certifications during the program, and also shares with us the struggles they faced when the pandemic cut their time in Central America short. ]]></description>
      <guid isPermaLink="false">IJK63SY8-DDVX6R</guid>
      <pubDate>Mon, 05 Oct 2020 13:00:02 GMT</pubDate>
      <enclosure url="http://cast.rocks/hosting/13544/Ep.-502-Caleb-Kyle-of-Outward-Bound-Costa-Rica.mp3" length="31913712" type="audio/mpeg"/>
      <itunes:author></itunes:author>
      <itunes:explicit>clean</itunes:explicit>
      <itunes:subtitle><![CDATA[Joining us today on the pod is Caleb Kyle, who spent last year on a gap year adventuring in the outdoors through New Zealand and Costa Rica. He discusses with us the two programs he participated in, and explains the experience one can have with Outwa ...]]></itunes:subtitle>
      <itunes:summary><![CDATA[Joining us today on the pod is Caleb Kyle, who spent last year on a gap year adventuring in the outdoors through New Zealand and Costa Rica. He discusses with us the two programs he participated in, and explains the experience one can have with Outward Bound in Costa Rica. He received numerous useful certifications during the program, and also shares with us the struggles they faced when the pandemic cut their time in Central America short. ]]></itunes:summary>
      <itunes:duration>0:33:02</itunes:duration>
      <itunes:length>31913712</itunes:length>
      <itunes:keywords></itunes:keywords>
      
      <itunes:season/>
      <itunes:episode/>
      <itunes:episodeType/>
    </item>
    <item>
      <title><![CDATA[Ep. 501 Katy Oliveira of Collegehood Advice]]></title>
      <description><![CDATA[Ok, so here's what we know in September of 2020: There are a TON of students taking a gap year this year! And they are finding creative and meaningful ways to spend their year. 

We want to help students make the most of their gap year this year- especially if was unexpected. With that in mind, we invited College Success Expert Katy Oliveira to tell us about skill-building. 

Katy walks us through the three sets of skills that college students need to be able to thrive on campus and how to build those skills on your gap year.

Find Katy at collegehoodadvice.com or on instagram @collegehoodadvice 

Follow Gap Year Radio on instagram @gapyearradio ]]></description>
      <guid isPermaLink="false">8K2XO5UO-M3AC3DI</guid>
      <pubDate>Mon, 21 Sep 2020 11:00:02 GMT</pubDate>
      <enclosure url="http://cast.rocks/hosting/13544/EP.-501-Katy-Oliveira-of-Collegehood-Advice-.mp3" length="46779664" type="audio/mpeg"/>
      <itunes:author></itunes:author>
      <itunes:explicit>clean</itunes:explicit>
      <itunes:subtitle><![CDATA[Ok, so here's what we know in September of 2020: There are a TON of students taking a gap year this year! And they are finding creative and meaningful ways to spend their year. 

We want to help students make the most of their gap year this year- esp ...]]></itunes:subtitle>
      <itunes:summary><![CDATA[Ok, so here's what we know in September of 2020: There are a TON of students taking a gap year this year! And they are finding creative and meaningful ways to spend their year. 

We want to help students make the most of their gap year this year- especially if was unexpected. With that in mind, we invited College Success Expert Katy Oliveira to tell us about skill-building. 

Katy walks us through the three sets of skills that college students need to be able to thrive on campus and how to build those skills on your gap year.

Find Katy at collegehoodadvice.com or on instagram @collegehoodadvice 

Follow Gap Year Radio on instagram @gapyearradio ]]></itunes:summary>
      <itunes:duration>0:47:51</itunes:duration>
      <itunes:length>46779664</itunes:length>
      <itunes:keywords></itunes:keywords>
      
      <itunes:season/>
      <itunes:episode/>
      <itunes:episodeType/>
    </item>
    <item>
      <title><![CDATA[Ep. 407 Julia & Margo on Gap Years vs. Coronavirus feat. Drew Beasley]]></title>
      <description><![CDATA[Today on the pod we are rounding out Season Four of Gap Year Radio with a feature from your cohosts, Margo and Julia. We discuss gap year and college planning in the time of COVID, something we know so many high school seniors are grappling with this year. For the second half of the show you will hear from Drew Beasley, a gap year alumni who started college both with and without gap time, and speaks to the important that time abroad had on his future, and his current work helping to promote the gap year movement.]]></description>
      <guid isPermaLink="false">1XPNKTTH-F7Z4ZPV</guid>
      <pubDate>Mon, 11 May 2020 18:51:49 GMT</pubDate>
      <enclosure url="http://cast.rocks/hosting/13544/Ep.-407-Julia-Margo-on-Gap-Years-vs.-Coronavirus-feat.-Drew-Beasley-.mp3" length="32996856" type="audio/mpeg"/>
      <itunes:author></itunes:author>
      <itunes:explicit>clean</itunes:explicit>
      <itunes:subtitle><![CDATA[Today on the pod we are rounding out Season Four of Gap Year Radio with a feature from your cohosts, Margo and Julia. We discuss gap year and college planning in the time of COVID, something we know so many high school seniors are grappling with this ...]]></itunes:subtitle>
      <itunes:summary><![CDATA[Today on the pod we are rounding out Season Four of Gap Year Radio with a feature from your cohosts, Margo and Julia. We discuss gap year and college planning in the time of COVID, something we know so many high school seniors are grappling with this year. For the second half of the show you will hear from Drew Beasley, a gap year alumni who started college both with and without gap time, and speaks to the important that time abroad had on his future, and his current work helping to promote the gap year movement.]]></itunes:summary>
      <itunes:duration>0:38:53</itunes:duration>
      <itunes:length>32996856</itunes:length>
      <itunes:keywords></itunes:keywords>
      
      <itunes:season/>
      <itunes:episode/>
      <itunes:episodeType/>
    </item>
    <item>
      <title><![CDATA[Ep. 406 Gary Robinson on Wellness While Planning for Gap Year or College]]></title>
      <description><![CDATA[Joining us on the podcast is Gary Robinson of P3 Mental Health. For the last twenty years  Gary has been the Director of Counseling at Hartwick College, and has dedicated himself for over 30 years to helping high school and college-aged students to maximize their potential and overcome barriers to learning. He has also spent a number of years working with various gap year and summer programs for field staff training as well as crisis management consulting while students are in the field. He discusses with us the current mental health climate in regards to COVID-19 as well as suggesting a number of wellness tips to help people through this challenging time.]]></description>
      <guid isPermaLink="false">7N94QMFB-HDJ9K9</guid>
      <pubDate>Mon, 27 Apr 2020 16:53:33 GMT</pubDate>
      <enclosure url="http://cast.rocks/hosting/13544/Ep.-406-Gary-Robinson-on-Wellness-While-Planning-for-Gap-Year-or-College.mp3" length="35952517" type="audio/mpeg"/>
      <itunes:author></itunes:author>
      <itunes:explicit>clean</itunes:explicit>
      <itunes:subtitle><![CDATA[Joining us on the podcast is Gary Robinson of P3 Mental Health. For the last twenty years  Gary has been the Director of Counseling at Hartwick College, and has dedicated himself for over 30 years to helping high school and college-aged students to m ...]]></itunes:subtitle>
      <itunes:summary><![CDATA[Joining us on the podcast is Gary Robinson of P3 Mental Health. For the last twenty years  Gary has been the Director of Counseling at Hartwick College, and has dedicated himself for over 30 years to helping high school and college-aged students to maximize their potential and overcome barriers to learning. He has also spent a number of years working with various gap year and summer programs for field staff training as well as crisis management consulting while students are in the field. He discusses with us the current mental health climate in regards to COVID-19 as well as suggesting a number of wellness tips to help people through this challenging time.]]></itunes:summary>
      <itunes:duration>0:45:12</itunes:duration>
      <itunes:length>35952517</itunes:length>
      <itunes:keywords></itunes:keywords>
      
      <itunes:season/>
      <itunes:episode/>
      <itunes:episodeType/>
    </item>
    <item>
      <title><![CDATA[Ep. 405 Francesca Eremeeva on Taking a Political Gap Year]]></title>
      <description><![CDATA[Franny Eremeeva's political journey started when she received an email from Hillary Clinton's presidential campaign asking "Do you want to be a fellow?" 

She volunteered and interned on Clinton's presidential campaign during her gap year in addition to traveling to East Africa and Italy. She went on to intern at the Council on Foreign Relations and for Massachusetts Senator Elizabeth Warren (heard of her?). 

Now, she's about to graduate from Mount Holyoke College with a degree in international relations and a fire in her belly to change the world. In this episode of Gap Year Radio, Franny shares her wisdom for how to secure positions with election campaigns and cause-based organizations and how to make the most of the opportunity once you are there. 

For more information and resources for how to get involved in Election 2020 as a young person, visit election2020gapyear.com]]></description>
      <guid isPermaLink="false">AJMQUFHY-Q71RA4I</guid>
      <pubDate>Mon, 13 Apr 2020 14:58:56 GMT</pubDate>
      <enclosure url="http://cast.rocks/hosting/13544/Ep.-405-Francesca-Eremeeva-on-Taking-a-Political-Gap-Year.mp3" length="36915549" type="audio/mpeg"/>
      <itunes:author></itunes:author>
      <itunes:explicit>clean</itunes:explicit>
      <itunes:subtitle><![CDATA[Franny Eremeeva's political journey started when she received an email from Hillary Clinton's presidential campaign asking "Do you want to be a fellow?" 

She volunteered and interned on Clinton's presidential campaign during her gap year in addition ...]]></itunes:subtitle>
      <itunes:summary><![CDATA[Franny Eremeeva's political journey started when she received an email from Hillary Clinton's presidential campaign asking "Do you want to be a fellow?" 

She volunteered and interned on Clinton's presidential campaign during her gap year in addition to traveling to East Africa and Italy. She went on to intern at the Council on Foreign Relations and for Massachusetts Senator Elizabeth Warren (heard of her?). 

Now, she's about to graduate from Mount Holyoke College with a degree in international relations and a fire in her belly to change the world. In this episode of Gap Year Radio, Franny shares her wisdom for how to secure positions with election campaigns and cause-based organizations and how to make the most of the opportunity once you are there. 

For more information and resources for how to get involved in Election 2020 as a young person, visit election2020gapyear.com]]></itunes:summary>
      <itunes:duration>0:38:09</itunes:duration>
      <itunes:length>36915549</itunes:length>
      <itunes:keywords></itunes:keywords>
      
      <itunes:season/>
      <itunes:episode/>
      <itunes:episodeType/>
    </item>
    <item>
      <title><![CDATA[Ep. 404 Focusing on Environmental Sustainability with Gap Year Alum Ivy Jones ]]></title>
      <description><![CDATA[Gap year alum Ivy Jones spent her gap year expanding her knowledge and experience in environmental sustainability. 

She began her year with a Thinking Beyond Borders semester spent in Guatemala and Costa Rica where she learned about education systems, sustainable agriculture and eco-tourism. Inspired by her experience with TBB, she dove deeper into environmental issues with Ecoswell, a grassroots organization based in Peru. There she assisted the organization in projects to support eco-tourism, reforestation and sustainable living. Her gap year informed her course of study at college and changed the ways she lives her daily life in order to have a lighter footprint on the planet. 

Find Gap Year Radio on instagram @gapyearradio

Find Thinking Beyond Borders at thinkingbeyondborders.org

Find EcoSwell at ecoswell.org

Find Marion Taylor (gap year counselor) at TaylortheGap.com 

Full show notes available at gapyearradiopodcast.com ]]></description>
      <guid isPermaLink="false">9L6PSBJY-F647VI</guid>
      <pubDate>Mon, 16 Mar 2020 14:25:14 GMT</pubDate>
      <enclosure url="http://cast.rocks/hosting/13544/Ep.-404-Focusing-on-Environmental-Sustainability.mp3" length="20674378" type="audio/mpeg"/>
      <itunes:author></itunes:author>
      <itunes:explicit>clean</itunes:explicit>
      <itunes:subtitle><![CDATA[Gap year alum Ivy Jones spent her gap year expanding her knowledge and experience in environmental sustainability. 

She began her year with a Thinking Beyond Borders semester spent in Guatemala and Costa Rica where she learned about education system ...]]></itunes:subtitle>
      <itunes:summary><![CDATA[Gap year alum Ivy Jones spent her gap year expanding her knowledge and experience in environmental sustainability. 

She began her year with a Thinking Beyond Borders semester spent in Guatemala and Costa Rica where she learned about education systems, sustainable agriculture and eco-tourism. Inspired by her experience with TBB, she dove deeper into environmental issues with Ecoswell, a grassroots organization based in Peru. There she assisted the organization in projects to support eco-tourism, reforestation and sustainable living. Her gap year informed her course of study at college and changed the ways she lives her daily life in order to have a lighter footprint on the planet. 

Find Gap Year Radio on instagram @gapyearradio

Find Thinking Beyond Borders at thinkingbeyondborders.org

Find EcoSwell at ecoswell.org

Find Marion Taylor (gap year counselor) at TaylortheGap.com 

Full show notes available at gapyearradiopodcast.com ]]></itunes:summary>
      <itunes:duration>0:20:53</itunes:duration>
      <itunes:length>20674378</itunes:length>
      <itunes:keywords></itunes:keywords>
      
      <itunes:season/>
      <itunes:episode/>
      <itunes:episodeType/>
    </item>
    <item>
      <title><![CDATA[Ep. 403 Disaster Relief Volunteering with Riley and Josiah, All Hands and Hearts Alums]]></title>
      <description><![CDATA[When disaster strikes, we are all asked to give money to help in the immediate aftermath. But once a disaster zone shifts to a recovery zone, you are also able to donate time and your own sweat. In this episode, we speak with Josiah Johnson and Riley Piva, two incredible gap year alums who dedicated time to disaster recovery with the international relief organization All Hands and Hearts. They open up about the experience volunteering in disaster relief, the mental health benefits of serving others and how you can get involved! 

Visit allhandsandhearts.org for more information about getting involved with their projects.

You can find Gap Year Radio online at gapyearradiopodcast.com or on instagram and facebook @gapyearradio. Drop us a line at gapyearradio@gmail.com! ]]></description>
      <guid isPermaLink="false">FGNJEJT8-ZY3NMI</guid>
      <pubDate>Mon, 02 Mar 2020 15:21:05 GMT</pubDate>
      <enclosure url="http://cast.rocks/hosting/13544/Ep.-403-Disaster-Relief-Volunteering.mp3" length="42914221" type="audio/mpeg"/>
      <itunes:author></itunes:author>
      <itunes:explicit>clean</itunes:explicit>
      <itunes:subtitle><![CDATA[When disaster strikes, we are all asked to give money to help in the immediate aftermath. But once a disaster zone shifts to a recovery zone, you are also able to donate time and your own sweat. In this episode, we speak with Josiah Johnson and Riley ...]]></itunes:subtitle>
      <itunes:summary><![CDATA[When disaster strikes, we are all asked to give money to help in the immediate aftermath. But once a disaster zone shifts to a recovery zone, you are also able to donate time and your own sweat. In this episode, we speak with Josiah Johnson and Riley Piva, two incredible gap year alums who dedicated time to disaster recovery with the international relief organization All Hands and Hearts. They open up about the experience volunteering in disaster relief, the mental health benefits of serving others and how you can get involved! 

Visit allhandsandhearts.org for more information about getting involved with their projects.

You can find Gap Year Radio online at gapyearradiopodcast.com or on instagram and facebook @gapyearradio. Drop us a line at gapyearradio@gmail.com! ]]></itunes:summary>
      <itunes:duration>0:42:27</itunes:duration>
      <itunes:length>42914221</itunes:length>
      <itunes:keywords></itunes:keywords>
      
      <itunes:season/>
      <itunes:episode/>
      <itunes:episodeType/>
    </item>
    <item>
      <title><![CDATA[Ep. 402 Andrew Buchanan on the Morehead Cain Scholarship and his Self-Designed Gap Year]]></title>
      <description><![CDATA[Andrew Buchanan joins us on the pod to discuss the Morehead Cain Scholarship, a program that provides a fully funded four year undergraduate degree at UNC Chapel Hill, as well as offers funding for a gap year. As the first gap year recipient of the scholarship, Andrew discusses with us his travels with his dad and brother, his NOLS course in Patagonia, and then his solo travels throughout Asia. ]]></description>
      <guid isPermaLink="false">DT5PH360-Y6NU3DI</guid>
      <pubDate>Mon, 17 Feb 2020 17:49:13 GMT</pubDate>
      <enclosure url="http://cast.rocks/hosting/13544/Ep.-402-Andrew-Buchanan-on-Morehead-Cain-and-a-Self-Designed-Gap-Year.mp3" length="48180864" type="audio/mpeg"/>
      <itunes:author></itunes:author>
      <itunes:explicit>clean</itunes:explicit>
      <itunes:subtitle><![CDATA[Andrew Buchanan joins us on the pod to discuss the Morehead Cain Scholarship, a program that provides a fully funded four year undergraduate degree at UNC Chapel Hill, as well as offers funding for a gap year. As the first gap year recipient of the s ...]]></itunes:subtitle>
      <itunes:summary><![CDATA[Andrew Buchanan joins us on the pod to discuss the Morehead Cain Scholarship, a program that provides a fully funded four year undergraduate degree at UNC Chapel Hill, as well as offers funding for a gap year. As the first gap year recipient of the scholarship, Andrew discusses with us his travels with his dad and brother, his NOLS course in Patagonia, and then his solo travels throughout Asia. ]]></itunes:summary>
      <itunes:duration>0:49:32</itunes:duration>
      <itunes:length>48180864</itunes:length>
      <itunes:keywords></itunes:keywords>
      
      <itunes:season/>
      <itunes:episode/>
      <itunes:episodeType/>
    </item>
    <item>
      <title><![CDATA[Ep. 401 #ExploretheGapYear During Gap Year Exploration Month!]]></title>
      <description><![CDATA[February is Gap Year Exploration Month! There are so many fun ways to explore the opportunities of the gap year option this month. This episode, we open Season Four by chatting all about Gap Year Exploration Month events happening every day this month!

For more info and events schedule, go to www.gapyearexplorationmonth.com and follow the hashtag #explorethegapyear

Gap Year Radio is running a contest in February to win a copy of The Complete Guide to the Gap Year by Kristin White! Simply follow @gapyearradio on insta and comment on a contest post with #explorethegapyear

Some exciting scholarships and contests going on in Feb:
Gap Year Association Alumni instagram contest ($500)
Gap Year Association Future Gapper Instagram Contest ($500)
USA Gap Year Fairs Ambassador Scholarship ($3000)
Travel Access Project Grant ($3000)

Full details on our show notes at www.gapyearradiopodcast.com]]></description>
      <guid isPermaLink="false">H9UOF1NV-6P3NMI</guid>
      <pubDate>Mon, 03 Feb 2020 14:32:12 GMT</pubDate>
      <enclosure url="http://cast.rocks/hosting/13544/Ep.-401-ExploretheGapYear-During-Gap-Year-Exploration-Month-.mp3" length="31032241" type="audio/mpeg"/>
      <itunes:author></itunes:author>
      <itunes:explicit>clean</itunes:explicit>
      <itunes:subtitle><![CDATA[February is Gap Year Exploration Month! There are so many fun ways to explore the opportunities of the gap year option this month. This episode, we open Season Four by chatting all about Gap Year Exploration Month events happening every day this mont ...]]></itunes:subtitle>
      <itunes:summary><![CDATA[February is Gap Year Exploration Month! There are so many fun ways to explore the opportunities of the gap year option this month. This episode, we open Season Four by chatting all about Gap Year Exploration Month events happening every day this month!

For more info and events schedule, go to www.gapyearexplorationmonth.com and follow the hashtag #explorethegapyear

Gap Year Radio is running a contest in February to win a copy of The Complete Guide to the Gap Year by Kristin White! Simply follow @gapyearradio on insta and comment on a contest post with #explorethegapyear

Some exciting scholarships and contests going on in Feb:
Gap Year Association Alumni instagram contest ($500)
Gap Year Association Future Gapper Instagram Contest ($500)
USA Gap Year Fairs Ambassador Scholarship ($3000)
Travel Access Project Grant ($3000)

Full details on our show notes at www.gapyearradiopodcast.com]]></itunes:summary>
      <itunes:duration>0:21:32</itunes:duration>
      <itunes:length>31032241</itunes:length>
      <itunes:keywords></itunes:keywords>
      
      <itunes:season/>
      <itunes:episode/>
      <itunes:episodeType/>
    </item>
    <item>
      <title><![CDATA[Ep. 307 Charlie Taibi of Year On]]></title>
      <description><![CDATA[Joining us on the pod is Charlie Taibi, CEO of the gap year program Year On, a three part program that helps students gain the confidence, clarity, and direction they need to succeed in college and beyond. Charlie discusses with us the core principles of the Year On program, how he got to where he is today, and inspires us with his recent working sabbatical. Charlie has big ideas for the future of the gap year and shares his wisdom and dreams with the listeners of the pod. ]]></description>
      <guid isPermaLink="false">A5X3X2JP-ZC40A4I</guid>
      <pubDate>Mon, 23 Dec 2019 16:29:38 GMT</pubDate>
      <enclosure url="http://cast.rocks/hosting/13544/EP.-307-Charlie-Taibi-of-Year-On.mp3" length="26620296" type="audio/mpeg"/>
      <itunes:author></itunes:author>
      <itunes:explicit>clean</itunes:explicit>
      <itunes:subtitle><![CDATA[Joining us on the pod is Charlie Taibi, CEO of the gap year program Year On, a three part program that helps students gain the confidence, clarity, and direction they need to succeed in college and beyond. Charlie discusses with us the core principle ...]]></itunes:subtitle>
      <itunes:summary><![CDATA[Joining us on the pod is Charlie Taibi, CEO of the gap year program Year On, a three part program that helps students gain the confidence, clarity, and direction they need to succeed in college and beyond. Charlie discusses with us the core principles of the Year On program, how he got to where he is today, and inspires us with his recent working sabbatical. Charlie has big ideas for the future of the gap year and shares his wisdom and dreams with the listeners of the pod. ]]></itunes:summary>
      <itunes:duration>0:33:27</itunes:duration>
      <itunes:length>26620296</itunes:length>
      <itunes:keywords></itunes:keywords>
      
      <itunes:season/>
      <itunes:episode/>
      <itunes:episodeType/>
    </item>
    <item>
      <title><![CDATA[Ep. 306 Rough Magic Author Lara Prior Palmer on Horse Racing in Mongolia, Writing a Memoir and Being Brave]]></title>
      <description><![CDATA[Today we welcome bestselling author Lara Prior Palmer to talk about the gap year that inspired her book, Rough Magic.  At the age of nineteen, Lara Prior-Palmer discovered a website devoted to “the world’s longest, toughest horse race”―an annual competition of endurance and skill that involves dozens of riders racing a series of twenty-five wild ponies across 1,000 kilometers of Mongolian grassland.  Lara ultimately became the youngest and first-ever woman to win the race. Margo, Julia and Lara discuss the entirety of Lara's gap year, what it was like competing as a woman and why she thinks all young people should consider the magical uncertainty of gap time.  

***CONTEST ALERT***

We are running an Instagram contest to give away a copy of Lara's book!  The contest runs through Monday, December 16th 2019 so the winner will get their copy just in time for the holidays. 

Want in? 

Follow @gapyearradio on instagram and tag someone you want to travel with too. If you already follow us, tag two people you want to travel with and/or who you think should take a gap year. 

Winner will be announced on December 17th 2019!
]]></description>
      <guid isPermaLink="false">9UPHMU2X-TLC8FR</guid>
      <pubDate>Mon, 09 Dec 2019 16:00:40 GMT</pubDate>
      <enclosure url="http://cast.rocks/hosting/13544/EP.-306-Rough-Magic-Author.mp3" length="37979798" type="audio/mpeg"/>
      <itunes:author></itunes:author>
      <itunes:explicit>clean</itunes:explicit>
      <itunes:subtitle><![CDATA[Today we welcome bestselling author Lara Prior Palmer to talk about the gap year that inspired her book, Rough Magic.  At the age of nineteen, Lara Prior-Palmer discovered a website devoted to “the world’s longest, toughest horse race”―an annual comp ...]]></itunes:subtitle>
      <itunes:summary><![CDATA[Today we welcome bestselling author Lara Prior Palmer to talk about the gap year that inspired her book, Rough Magic.  At the age of nineteen, Lara Prior-Palmer discovered a website devoted to “the world’s longest, toughest horse race”―an annual competition of endurance and skill that involves dozens of riders racing a series of twenty-five wild ponies across 1,000 kilometers of Mongolian grassland.  Lara ultimately became the youngest and first-ever woman to win the race. Margo, Julia and Lara discuss the entirety of Lara's gap year, what it was like competing as a woman and why she thinks all young people should consider the magical uncertainty of gap time.  

***CONTEST ALERT***

We are running an Instagram contest to give away a copy of Lara's book!  The contest runs through Monday, December 16th 2019 so the winner will get their copy just in time for the holidays. 

Want in? 

Follow @gapyearradio on instagram and tag someone you want to travel with too. If you already follow us, tag two people you want to travel with and/or who you think should take a gap year. 

Winner will be announced on December 17th 2019!
]]></itunes:summary>
      <itunes:duration>0:40:00</itunes:duration>
      <itunes:length>37979798</itunes:length>
      <itunes:keywords></itunes:keywords>
      
      <itunes:season/>
      <itunes:episode/>
      <itunes:episodeType/>
    </item>
    <item>
      <title><![CDATA[Ep. 305 Learning How to Leverage Money for Good with Marco Marsans ]]></title>
      <description><![CDATA[Marco Marsans spent his gap year on four continents, expanding his understanding of himself as well as the mechanisms that make the global economy run. Marco learned that by understanding the functions of micro and macro economies, he can affect positive change in the world. In his captivating interview, Marco details how traveling in Asia, working with refugees in Costa Rica and interning at a private equity firm in Amsterdam informed his thinking on how to dismantle global inequities. ]]></description>
      <guid isPermaLink="false">1SV67K6J-FS6PQFR</guid>
      <pubDate>Mon, 25 Nov 2019 17:03:02 GMT</pubDate>
      <enclosure url="http://cast.rocks/hosting/13544/EP.-305-Learning-How-to-Leverage-Money-for-Good-with-Marco-Marsans-.mp3" length="34063977" type="audio/mpeg"/>
      <itunes:author></itunes:author>
      <itunes:explicit>clean</itunes:explicit>
      <itunes:subtitle><![CDATA[Marco Marsans spent his gap year on four continents, expanding his understanding of himself as well as the mechanisms that make the global economy run. Marco learned that by understanding the functions of micro and macro economies, he can affect posi ...]]></itunes:subtitle>
      <itunes:summary><![CDATA[Marco Marsans spent his gap year on four continents, expanding his understanding of himself as well as the mechanisms that make the global economy run. Marco learned that by understanding the functions of micro and macro economies, he can affect positive change in the world. In his captivating interview, Marco details how traveling in Asia, working with refugees in Costa Rica and interning at a private equity firm in Amsterdam informed his thinking on how to dismantle global inequities. ]]></itunes:summary>
      <itunes:duration>0:31:51</itunes:duration>
      <itunes:length>34063977</itunes:length>
      <itunes:keywords></itunes:keywords>
      
      <itunes:season/>
      <itunes:episode/>
      <itunes:episodeType/>
    </item>
    <item>
      <title><![CDATA[Ep. 304 Emma Hulme on Conserving the American West with American Conservation Experience]]></title>
      <description><![CDATA[Joining us on the pod is Emma Hulme, who spent her post-college gap time with the American Conservation Experience (or ACE), a branch of Americorps that coordinates and trains volunteers to undertake practical environmental restoration projects in America’s national parks, forests, wildlife refuges and other public lands. 

Emma tells us about how her three month stint with ACE turned into nearly a year of service in various parts of the west, and led her to her current adventures abroad and taking the leap to push outside of her comfort zone.

Intro/Outro Music: Quasi Motion by Kevin MacLeod; licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution License More info: https://freemusicarchive.org/music/Kevin_MacLeod/Global_Sampler/Quasi_Motion/]]></description>
      <guid isPermaLink="false">A21M5AY8-87U8FR</guid>
      <pubDate>Mon, 11 Nov 2019 13:53:31 GMT</pubDate>
      <enclosure url="http://cast.rocks/hosting/13544/EP.-304-Emma-Hulme-on-Conserving-the-American-West.mp3" length="30347184" type="audio/mpeg"/>
      <itunes:author></itunes:author>
      <itunes:explicit>clean</itunes:explicit>
      <itunes:subtitle><![CDATA[Joining us on the pod is Emma Hulme, who spent her post-college gap time with the American Conservation Experience (or ACE), a branch of Americorps that coordinates and trains volunteers to undertake practical environmental restoration projects in Am ...]]></itunes:subtitle>
      <itunes:summary><![CDATA[Joining us on the pod is Emma Hulme, who spent her post-college gap time with the American Conservation Experience (or ACE), a branch of Americorps that coordinates and trains volunteers to undertake practical environmental restoration projects in America’s national parks, forests, wildlife refuges and other public lands. 

Emma tells us about how her three month stint with ACE turned into nearly a year of service in various parts of the west, and led her to her current adventures abroad and taking the leap to push outside of her comfort zone.

Intro/Outro Music: Quasi Motion by Kevin MacLeod; licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution License More info: https://freemusicarchive.org/music/Kevin_MacLeod/Global_Sampler/Quasi_Motion/]]></itunes:summary>
      <itunes:duration>0:35:30</itunes:duration>
      <itunes:length>30347184</itunes:length>
      <itunes:keywords></itunes:keywords>
      
      <itunes:season/>
      <itunes:episode/>
      <itunes:episodeType/>
    </item>
    <item>
      <title><![CDATA[Ep. 303 Gap Years x College Admissions with Skyler Adams of Northwestern University]]></title>
      <description><![CDATA[Ever wonder what colleges think about the gap year option? This episode we are joined by Skyler Adams, Assistant Director of Undergraduate Admissions at Northwestern University. 

Skyler tells about the gap year from the admissions perspective and how to think about a gap year as it relates to applying for college. We also discuss the ideal deferral plan, how deferring can impact financial aid and why a gap year won't help get you into college. 

Intro/Outro Music: Quasi Motion by Kevin MacLeod; licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution License More info: https://freemusicarchive.org/music/Kevin_MacLeod/Global_Sampler/Quasi_Motion/]]></description>
      <guid isPermaLink="false">AXRG6C8X-KU766R</guid>
      <pubDate>Mon, 28 Oct 2019 12:59:01 GMT</pubDate>
      <enclosure url="http://cast.rocks/hosting/13544/EP.-303-Gap-Years-x-College-Admissions.mp3" length="32382185" type="audio/mpeg"/>
      <itunes:author></itunes:author>
      <itunes:explicit>clean</itunes:explicit>
      <itunes:subtitle><![CDATA[Ever wonder what colleges think about the gap year option? This episode we are joined by Skyler Adams, Assistant Director of Undergraduate Admissions at Northwestern University. 

Skyler tells about the gap year from the admissions perspective and ho ...]]></itunes:subtitle>
      <itunes:summary><![CDATA[Ever wonder what colleges think about the gap year option? This episode we are joined by Skyler Adams, Assistant Director of Undergraduate Admissions at Northwestern University. 

Skyler tells about the gap year from the admissions perspective and how to think about a gap year as it relates to applying for college. We also discuss the ideal deferral plan, how deferring can impact financial aid and why a gap year won't help get you into college. 

Intro/Outro Music: Quasi Motion by Kevin MacLeod; licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution License More info: https://freemusicarchive.org/music/Kevin_MacLeod/Global_Sampler/Quasi_Motion/]]></itunes:summary>
      <itunes:duration>0:34:34</itunes:duration>
      <itunes:length>32382185</itunes:length>
      <itunes:keywords></itunes:keywords>
      
      <itunes:season/>
      <itunes:episode/>
      <itunes:episodeType/>
    </item>
    <item>
      <title><![CDATA[Ep. 302 Dividing Up Your Gap Year with Mackenzie Burke]]></title>
      <description><![CDATA[This episode you are going to hear from Mackenzie Burke, a gap year alumni who participated in three distinct program during her gap time. She chats about the various passions and interests these three segments served for her, from the plains of East Africa, to researching life under the sea in Timor-Leste, to living on her own in Cusco Peru. Additionally she shares with us a bit more about the independence progression that she intentionally set up for herself during this year.]]></description>
      <guid isPermaLink="false">4VJ0JMH4-K21EMI</guid>
      <pubDate>Mon, 14 Oct 2019 15:39:31 GMT</pubDate>
      <enclosure url="http://cast.rocks/hosting/13544/Ep.-302-Breaking-Up-Your-Gap-Year-with-Mackenzie-Burke.mp3" length="26770256" type="audio/mpeg"/>
      <itunes:author></itunes:author>
      <itunes:explicit>clean</itunes:explicit>
      <itunes:subtitle><![CDATA[This episode you are going to hear from Mackenzie Burke, a gap year alumni who participated in three distinct program during her gap time. She chats about the various passions and interests these three segments served for her, from the plains of East ...]]></itunes:subtitle>
      <itunes:summary><![CDATA[This episode you are going to hear from Mackenzie Burke, a gap year alumni who participated in three distinct program during her gap time. She chats about the various passions and interests these three segments served for her, from the plains of East Africa, to researching life under the sea in Timor-Leste, to living on her own in Cusco Peru. Additionally she shares with us a bit more about the independence progression that she intentionally set up for herself during this year.]]></itunes:summary>
      <itunes:duration>0:29:26</itunes:duration>
      <itunes:length>26770256</itunes:length>
      <itunes:keywords></itunes:keywords>
      
      <itunes:season/>
      <itunes:episode/>
      <itunes:episodeType/>
    </item>
    <item>
      <title><![CDATA[Ep. 301 Gap Year Entrepreneurs Kris, Anika And Cecilia]]></title>
      <description><![CDATA[Welcome to Season Three of Gap Year Radio! We are excited to bring you a brand new season of exciting interviews. Our premiere episode features three entrepreneurs who launched successful social ventures as a result of their gap year experiences. 

You’ll hear from Kris Cody of PAKA Apparel, Anika Funk of Banana Backpacks and Cecilia Polanco of So Good Pupusas. Although these three stories are unique to each of their personal journeys, they share a common thread of their gap time influencing their worldviews, and eventually, their enterprising career paths. As Kris says,” Taking a gap year in of itself is an entrepreneurial act.” 

Note to listeners: Use coupon code GAPYEAR for discounts on PAKA and Banana Backpacks gear!]]></description>
      <guid isPermaLink="false">AEMRII0W-UTYB9</guid>
      <pubDate>Mon, 30 Sep 2019 13:45:58 GMT</pubDate>
      <enclosure url="http://cast.rocks/hosting/13544/Ep.-301-Gap-Year-Entrepreneurs-Kris-Anika-And-Cecilia.mp3" length="54807005" type="audio/mpeg"/>
      <itunes:author></itunes:author>
      <itunes:explicit>clean</itunes:explicit>
      <itunes:subtitle><![CDATA[Welcome to Season Three of Gap Year Radio! We are excited to bring you a brand new season of exciting interviews. Our premiere episode features three entrepreneurs who launched successful social ventures as a result of their gap year experiences. 

Y ...]]></itunes:subtitle>
      <itunes:summary><![CDATA[Welcome to Season Three of Gap Year Radio! We are excited to bring you a brand new season of exciting interviews. Our premiere episode features three entrepreneurs who launched successful social ventures as a result of their gap year experiences. 

You’ll hear from Kris Cody of PAKA Apparel, Anika Funk of Banana Backpacks and Cecilia Polanco of So Good Pupusas. Although these three stories are unique to each of their personal journeys, they share a common thread of their gap time influencing their worldviews, and eventually, their enterprising career paths. As Kris says,” Taking a gap year in of itself is an entrepreneurial act.” 

Note to listeners: Use coupon code GAPYEAR for discounts on PAKA and Banana Backpacks gear!]]></itunes:summary>
      <itunes:duration>0:55:24</itunes:duration>
      <itunes:length>54807005</itunes:length>
      <itunes:keywords></itunes:keywords>
      
      <itunes:season></itunes:season>
      <itunes:episode></itunes:episode>
      <itunes:episodeType></itunes:episodeType>
    </item>
    <item>
      <title><![CDATA[Ep. 208 Gap Year Preparation with Professional Gap Year Counselors]]></title>
      <description><![CDATA[How does one prepare for a transformative experience like a gap year? For our Season Two finale, we invited three professional gap year counselors; Jason Sarouhan of the Center for Interim Programs, Marion Taylor of Taylor the Gap and Susan Staley of Free to Roam Adventures, to discuss what they think are the most important ways to prepare for a gap year. We'll cover mental and physical preparation as well as tips for staying safe on your gap time.

Intro/Outro Music: Quasi Motion by Kevin MacLeod; licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution License More info: https://freemusicarchive.org/music/Kevin_MacLeod/Global_Sampler/Quasi_Motion/]]></description>
      <guid isPermaLink="false">59NUKLJN-7C4BO6R</guid>
      <pubDate>Mon, 13 May 2019 13:49:07 GMT</pubDate>
      <enclosure url="http://cast.rocks/hosting/13544/Ep.-208-Gap-Year-Preparation-with-Professional-Gap-Year-Counselors.mp3" length="38679832" type="audio/mpeg"/>
      <itunes:author></itunes:author>
      <itunes:explicit>clean</itunes:explicit>
      <itunes:subtitle><![CDATA[How does one prepare for a transformative experience like a gap year? For our Season Two finale, we invited three professional gap year counselors; Jason Sarouhan of the Center for Interim Programs, Marion Taylor of Taylor the Gap and Susan Staley of ...]]></itunes:subtitle>
      <itunes:summary><![CDATA[How does one prepare for a transformative experience like a gap year? For our Season Two finale, we invited three professional gap year counselors; Jason Sarouhan of the Center for Interim Programs, Marion Taylor of Taylor the Gap and Susan Staley of Free to Roam Adventures, to discuss what they think are the most important ways to prepare for a gap year. We'll cover mental and physical preparation as well as tips for staying safe on your gap time.

Intro/Outro Music: Quasi Motion by Kevin MacLeod; licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution License More info: https://freemusicarchive.org/music/Kevin_MacLeod/Global_Sampler/Quasi_Motion/]]></itunes:summary>
      <itunes:duration>0:40:06</itunes:duration>
      <itunes:length>38679832</itunes:length>
      <itunes:keywords></itunes:keywords>
      
      <itunes:season></itunes:season>
      <itunes:episode></itunes:episode>
      <itunes:episodeType></itunes:episodeType>
    </item>
    <item>
      <title><![CDATA[Ep. 207 Jacqueline Contino on A Wildlife Focused Gap Year in South Africa]]></title>
      <description><![CDATA[Joining Margo on the pod is Jacqueline Contino, who spent a life-changing post-undergraduate gap year in South Africa through the program Oyster Worldwide. After studying a pre-veterinary track in college, she ended up participating in two separate programs in South Africa during her gap time, first studying wildlife veterinary medicine. It was during this first stint in the country where she discovered that maybe there was a different path calling to her, and she was able to return to the same place in South Africa to pursue her now dreams of becoming a park ranger.]]></description>
      <guid isPermaLink="false">9YZNGMED-A1NHFR</guid>
      <pubDate>Mon, 29 Apr 2019 14:03:03 GMT</pubDate>
      <enclosure url="http://cast.rocks/hosting/13544/Jacqueline-Oyster.mp3" length="29721000" type="audio/mpeg"/>
      <itunes:author></itunes:author>
      <itunes:explicit>clean</itunes:explicit>
      <itunes:subtitle><![CDATA[Joining Margo on the pod is Jacqueline Contino, who spent a life-changing post-undergraduate gap year in South Africa through the program Oyster Worldwide. After studying a pre-veterinary track in college, she ended up participating in two separate p ...]]></itunes:subtitle>
      <itunes:summary><![CDATA[Joining Margo on the pod is Jacqueline Contino, who spent a life-changing post-undergraduate gap year in South Africa through the program Oyster Worldwide. After studying a pre-veterinary track in college, she ended up participating in two separate programs in South Africa during her gap time, first studying wildlife veterinary medicine. It was during this first stint in the country where she discovered that maybe there was a different path calling to her, and she was able to return to the same place in South Africa to pursue her now dreams of becoming a park ranger.]]></itunes:summary>
      <itunes:duration>0:33:05</itunes:duration>
      <itunes:length>29721000</itunes:length>
      <itunes:keywords></itunes:keywords>
      
      <itunes:season></itunes:season>
      <itunes:episode></itunes:episode>
      <itunes:episodeType></itunes:episodeType>
    </item>
    <item>
      <title><![CDATA[Ep. 206 Planning Your Independent Gap Year]]></title>
      <description><![CDATA[Joining us in this episode is Sasha Landauer and Jiyoung Jeong and of Gapyearly, who start us off by telling us a bit more about their own independent gap years post high school before beginning their undergraduate education at Stanford University. They now c0-direct the online gap year platform Gapyearly, which offers firsthand feedback of gap year experiences and free support for prospective gap parents as well as students who are considering gap time. They have recently co-written a Gap Year Planning Guide in partnership with the Gap Year Association, with special editing and design assistance from Erin Aucar of Amigos, who also joins us on the episode to walk us through this incredible resource for future gappers out there.]]></description>
      <guid isPermaLink="false">730WMKPR-0D4PLDI</guid>
      <pubDate>Mon, 15 Apr 2019 05:30:49 GMT</pubDate>
      <enclosure url="http://cast.rocks/hosting/13544/GapYearly-Interview.mp3" length="43519861" type="audio/mpeg"/>
      <itunes:author></itunes:author>
      <itunes:explicit>clean</itunes:explicit>
      <itunes:subtitle><![CDATA[Joining us in this episode is Sasha Landauer and Jiyoung Jeong and of Gapyearly, who start us off by telling us a bit more about their own independent gap years post high school before beginning their undergraduate education at Stanford University. T ...]]></itunes:subtitle>
      <itunes:summary><![CDATA[Joining us in this episode is Sasha Landauer and Jiyoung Jeong and of Gapyearly, who start us off by telling us a bit more about their own independent gap years post high school before beginning their undergraduate education at Stanford University. They now c0-direct the online gap year platform Gapyearly, which offers firsthand feedback of gap year experiences and free support for prospective gap parents as well as students who are considering gap time. They have recently co-written a Gap Year Planning Guide in partnership with the Gap Year Association, with special editing and design assistance from Erin Aucar of Amigos, who also joins us on the episode to walk us through this incredible resource for future gappers out there.]]></itunes:summary>
      <itunes:duration>0:46:49</itunes:duration>
      <itunes:length>43519861</itunes:length>
      <itunes:keywords></itunes:keywords>
      
      <itunes:season></itunes:season>
      <itunes:episode></itunes:episode>
      <itunes:episodeType></itunes:episodeType>
    </item>
    <item>
      <title><![CDATA[Ep. 205 Elisabeth Mulder on Gap at Glen Brook]]></title>
      <description><![CDATA[Elisabeth Mulder joins Margo on the pod to discuss her gap semester spent in New Hampshire with Gap at Glen Brook. From spending two days solo in the woods, to returning as a summer camp counselor at Glen Brook and now heading back this summer for her third stint of time, Elisabeth's passion for her experience with Gap at Glen Brook is inspiring. ]]></description>
      <guid isPermaLink="false">HG5D6F4B-X647VI</guid>
      <pubDate>Mon, 01 Apr 2019 04:37:01 GMT</pubDate>
      <enclosure url="http://cast.rocks/hosting/13544/Elisabeth-Mulder-from-Gap-at-Glen-Brook.mp3" length="28876656" type="audio/mpeg"/>
      <itunes:author></itunes:author>
      <itunes:explicit>clean</itunes:explicit>
      <itunes:subtitle><![CDATA[Elisabeth Mulder joins Margo on the pod to discuss her gap semester spent in New Hampshire with Gap at Glen Brook. From spending two days solo in the woods, to returning as a summer camp counselor at Glen Brook and now heading back this summer for he ...]]></itunes:subtitle>
      <itunes:summary><![CDATA[Elisabeth Mulder joins Margo on the pod to discuss her gap semester spent in New Hampshire with Gap at Glen Brook. From spending two days solo in the woods, to returning as a summer camp counselor at Glen Brook and now heading back this summer for her third stint of time, Elisabeth's passion for her experience with Gap at Glen Brook is inspiring. ]]></itunes:summary>
      <itunes:duration>0:32:47</itunes:duration>
      <itunes:length>28876656</itunes:length>
      <itunes:keywords></itunes:keywords>
      
      <itunes:season></itunes:season>
      <itunes:episode></itunes:episode>
      <itunes:episodeType></itunes:episodeType>
    </item>
    <item>
      <title><![CDATA[Ep. 204 Andre and Tiger on the City Year Experience]]></title>
      <description><![CDATA[As an American, there are so many ways to give back right here in the US on a gap year. One of them is City Year, an 11 month long service program that some people call "the domestic Peace Corps." Volunteers spend their year mentoring students in a high-need school in one of twenty-nine CY cities across the country. Andre Morgan and Tiger Mar share their experiences as City Year volunteers in New Orleans and Boston.   ]]></description>
      <guid isPermaLink="false">794AWVH3-0OD2T9</guid>
      <pubDate>Mon, 18 Mar 2019 09:00:05 GMT</pubDate>
      <enclosure url="http://cast.rocks/hosting/13544/Ep.-204-Andre-and-Tiger-on-the-City-Year-Experience.mp3" length="51591889" type="audio/mpeg"/>
      <itunes:author></itunes:author>
      <itunes:explicit>clean</itunes:explicit>
      <itunes:subtitle><![CDATA[As an American, there are so many ways to give back right here in the US on a gap year. One of them is City Year, an 11 month long service program that some people call "the domestic Peace Corps." Volunteers spend their year mentoring students in a h ...]]></itunes:subtitle>
      <itunes:summary><![CDATA[As an American, there are so many ways to give back right here in the US on a gap year. One of them is City Year, an 11 month long service program that some people call "the domestic Peace Corps." Volunteers spend their year mentoring students in a high-need school in one of twenty-nine CY cities across the country. Andre Morgan and Tiger Mar share their experiences as City Year volunteers in New Orleans and Boston.   ]]></itunes:summary>
      <itunes:duration>0:35:49</itunes:duration>
      <itunes:length>51591889</itunes:length>
      <itunes:keywords></itunes:keywords>
      
      <itunes:season></itunes:season>
      <itunes:episode></itunes:episode>
      <itunes:episodeType></itunes:episodeType>
    </item>
    <item>
      <title><![CDATA[Ep. 203 Holly Morrison of Art History Abroad]]></title>
      <description><![CDATA[Julia and Margo take a break while on the road for the USA Gap Year Fairs to talk all things art history with Holly Morrison, a former Art History Abroad alumni who has now turned her passions in the field into her adult career. With a fascinating take on the "heart, mind, and soul" of a gap year through her own personal gap year journey post-high school, Holly shares her deep passion for travel and art history with us and all the adventures that an AHA semester can entail!]]></description>
      <guid isPermaLink="false">DVXB864R-3Z0K9</guid>
      <pubDate>Mon, 04 Mar 2019 04:33:07 GMT</pubDate>
      <enclosure url="http://cast.rocks/hosting/13544/EP.-203-Holly-Morrison-of-Art-History-Abroad.mp3" length="27416867" type="audio/mpeg"/>
      <itunes:author></itunes:author>
      <itunes:explicit>clean</itunes:explicit>
      <itunes:subtitle><![CDATA[Julia and Margo take a break while on the road for the USA Gap Year Fairs to talk all things art history with Holly Morrison, a former Art History Abroad alumni who has now turned her passions in the field into her adult career. With a fascinating ta ...]]></itunes:subtitle>
      <itunes:summary><![CDATA[Julia and Margo take a break while on the road for the USA Gap Year Fairs to talk all things art history with Holly Morrison, a former Art History Abroad alumni who has now turned her passions in the field into her adult career. With a fascinating take on the "heart, mind, and soul" of a gap year through her own personal gap year journey post-high school, Holly shares her deep passion for travel and art history with us and all the adventures that an AHA semester can entail!]]></itunes:summary>
      <itunes:duration>0:27:37</itunes:duration>
      <itunes:length>27416867</itunes:length>
      <itunes:keywords></itunes:keywords>
      
      <itunes:season></itunes:season>
      <itunes:episode></itunes:episode>
      <itunes:episodeType></itunes:episodeType>
    </item>
    <item>
      <title><![CDATA[Ep. 202 Kelly Daniels of Seamester on Spending a Gap Year Sailing ]]></title>
      <description><![CDATA[Ever think about spending your gap year on the ocean? Kelly Daniels spends at least 3 months of the year on a sailboat in the British Virgin Islands. That's because she caught the sailing bug in college and has spent her career since helping young people develop skills around water sports, including sailing and SCUBA diving. In our interview, Kelly will tell us about her personal journey, the student experience on Seamester and what to pack if you join a shipboard gap year program! ]]></description>
      <guid isPermaLink="false">D7ALVEXX-BXIRUDI</guid>
      <pubDate>Mon, 18 Feb 2019 04:01:34 GMT</pubDate>
      <enclosure url="http://cast.rocks/hosting/13544/Kelly-Daniels-of-Seamester-on-gap-year-sailing-programs.mp3" length="40281704" type="audio/mpeg"/>
      <itunes:author></itunes:author>
      <itunes:explicit>clean</itunes:explicit>
      <itunes:subtitle><![CDATA[Ever think about spending your gap year on the ocean? Kelly Daniels spends at least 3 months of the year on a sailboat in the British Virgin Islands. That's because she caught the sailing bug in college and has spent her career since helping young pe ...]]></itunes:subtitle>
      <itunes:summary><![CDATA[Ever think about spending your gap year on the ocean? Kelly Daniels spends at least 3 months of the year on a sailboat in the British Virgin Islands. That's because she caught the sailing bug in college and has spent her career since helping young people develop skills around water sports, including sailing and SCUBA diving. In our interview, Kelly will tell us about her personal journey, the student experience on Seamester and what to pack if you join a shipboard gap year program! ]]></itunes:summary>
      <itunes:duration>0:39:46</itunes:duration>
      <itunes:length>40281704</itunes:length>
      <itunes:keywords></itunes:keywords>
      
      <itunes:season></itunes:season>
      <itunes:episode></itunes:episode>
      <itunes:episodeType></itunes:episodeType>
    </item>
    <item>
      <title><![CDATA[Ep. 201 Gap Year Exploration Month with USA Gap Year Fairs and Travel Access Project ]]></title>
      <description><![CDATA[February is Gap Year Exploration Month and we are inviting you to #explorethegapyear with us! 

First we speak with Alia Pialtos of USA Gap Year Fairs. USA Gap Year Fairs organizes events across the US for students to discover gap year programs. Every winter, USA GYF travels to 41 locations from sea to shining sea. There are 20 fairs in February, so check usagapyearfairs.org to find one near you! We also speak with gap year alum Vicky Berman, who tells us about the fairs from a student perspective.

Next we speak with Jenn Miller of Travel Access Project, whose mission is to "put a gap year on every resume." Pretty cool, huh? In addition to providing resources for independent gappers, TAP is giving away 10 $3,000 scholarships this year to gappers. That could be you! Listen to our interview for details on how to apply. 

Remember to follow the #explorethegapyear hashtag in Feb to see testimonials from gap year students, get promos for gap year programs and receive the heads up for events happening in your area. Visit gapyearexplorationmonth.com for more details. 

Intro/Outro Music: Quasi Motion by Kevin MacLeod; licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution License More info: https://freemusicarchive.org/music/Kevin_MacLeod/Global_Sampler/Quasi_Motion/]]></description>
      <guid isPermaLink="false">G83O0FG9-GMN29</guid>
      <pubDate>Fri, 01 Feb 2019 10:00:13 GMT</pubDate>
      <enclosure url="http://cast.rocks/hosting/13544/Gap-Year-Exploration-Month-with-USA-Gap-Year-Fairs-and-Travel-Access-Project.mp3" length="44820640" type="audio/mpeg"/>
      <itunes:author></itunes:author>
      <itunes:explicit>clean</itunes:explicit>
      <itunes:subtitle><![CDATA[February is Gap Year Exploration Month and we are inviting you to #explorethegapyear with us! 

First we speak with Alia Pialtos of USA Gap Year Fairs. USA Gap Year Fairs organizes events across the US for students to discover gap year programs. Ever ...]]></itunes:subtitle>
      <itunes:summary><![CDATA[February is Gap Year Exploration Month and we are inviting you to #explorethegapyear with us! 

First we speak with Alia Pialtos of USA Gap Year Fairs. USA Gap Year Fairs organizes events across the US for students to discover gap year programs. Every winter, USA GYF travels to 41 locations from sea to shining sea. There are 20 fairs in February, so check usagapyearfairs.org to find one near you! We also speak with gap year alum Vicky Berman, who tells us about the fairs from a student perspective.

Next we speak with Jenn Miller of Travel Access Project, whose mission is to "put a gap year on every resume." Pretty cool, huh? In addition to providing resources for independent gappers, TAP is giving away 10 $3,000 scholarships this year to gappers. That could be you! Listen to our interview for details on how to apply. 

Remember to follow the #explorethegapyear hashtag in Feb to see testimonials from gap year students, get promos for gap year programs and receive the heads up for events happening in your area. Visit gapyearexplorationmonth.com for more details. 

Intro/Outro Music: Quasi Motion by Kevin MacLeod; licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution License More info: https://freemusicarchive.org/music/Kevin_MacLeod/Global_Sampler/Quasi_Motion/]]></itunes:summary>
      <itunes:duration>0:45:38</itunes:duration>
      <itunes:length>44820640</itunes:length>
      <itunes:keywords></itunes:keywords>
      
      <itunes:season></itunes:season>
      <itunes:episode></itunes:episode>
      <itunes:episodeType></itunes:episodeType>
    </item>
    <item>
      <title><![CDATA[Happy New Year from Margo and Julia]]></title>
      <description><![CDATA[Margo and Julia recap their favorite travels of 2018, discuss the upcoming USA Gap Year Fairs and wrap up Season 1 of Gap Year Radio. 

Make sure to check out an upcoming USA Gap Year Fair in your area this winter (they start in Philly on Jan 5 and end in Denver March 2) See the schedule at usagapyearfairs.org 

Stay tuned for Season 2 of Gap Year Radio coming February 4, 2019. Happy New Year! ]]></description>
      <guid isPermaLink="false">6BGCMX0O-5CANHFR</guid>
      <pubDate>Mon, 31 Dec 2018 18:04:07 GMT</pubDate>
      <enclosure url="http://cast.rocks/hosting/13544/Happy-New-Year-from-Margo-and-Julia.mp3" length="16001465" type="audio/mpeg"/>
      <itunes:author></itunes:author>
      <itunes:explicit>clean</itunes:explicit>
      <itunes:subtitle><![CDATA[Margo and Julia recap their favorite travels of 2018, discuss the upcoming USA Gap Year Fairs and wrap up Season 1 of Gap Year Radio. 

Make sure to check out an upcoming USA Gap Year Fair in your area this winter (they start in Philly on Jan 5 and e ...]]></itunes:subtitle>
      <itunes:summary><![CDATA[Margo and Julia recap their favorite travels of 2018, discuss the upcoming USA Gap Year Fairs and wrap up Season 1 of Gap Year Radio. 

Make sure to check out an upcoming USA Gap Year Fair in your area this winter (they start in Philly on Jan 5 and end in Denver March 2) See the schedule at usagapyearfairs.org 

Stay tuned for Season 2 of Gap Year Radio coming February 4, 2019. Happy New Year! ]]></itunes:summary>
      <itunes:duration>0:15:19</itunes:duration>
      <itunes:length>16001465</itunes:length>
      <itunes:keywords></itunes:keywords>
      
      <itunes:season></itunes:season>
      <itunes:episode></itunes:episode>
      <itunes:episodeType></itunes:episodeType>
    </item>
    <item>
      <title><![CDATA[Ep. 106 John and Eamonn's Gap Year on the Appalachian Trail]]></title>
      <description><![CDATA[John O'Connor and Eamonn Mazur were friends throughout their high school days in Massachusetts, and were able to turn a small seedling of an idea to hike the Appalachian Trail start to finish on their gap year into a reality. After many months of preparation, and differing pursuits in the fall of their gap year, they embarked on the adventure of a lifetime in March of this year. In this episode, they talk to Margo about their experience on trail and how the many ups and downs of the Appalachian Trail have impacted them in where they are today.]]></description>
      <guid isPermaLink="false">5QDKLDTS-IQZ1TT9</guid>
      <pubDate>Mon, 17 Dec 2018 18:37:08 GMT</pubDate>
      <enclosure url="http://cast.rocks/hosting/13544/EP-6.-John-and-Eamonn-s-Gap-Year-on-the-Appalachian-Trail.mp3" length="33735589" type="audio/mpeg"/>
      <itunes:author></itunes:author>
      <itunes:explicit>clean</itunes:explicit>
      <itunes:subtitle><![CDATA[John O'Connor and Eamonn Mazur were friends throughout their high school days in Massachusetts, and were able to turn a small seedling of an idea to hike the Appalachian Trail start to finish on their gap year into a reality. After many months of pre ...]]></itunes:subtitle>
      <itunes:summary><![CDATA[John O'Connor and Eamonn Mazur were friends throughout their high school days in Massachusetts, and were able to turn a small seedling of an idea to hike the Appalachian Trail start to finish on their gap year into a reality. After many months of preparation, and differing pursuits in the fall of their gap year, they embarked on the adventure of a lifetime in March of this year. In this episode, they talk to Margo about their experience on trail and how the many ups and downs of the Appalachian Trail have impacted them in where they are today.]]></itunes:summary>
      <itunes:duration>0:38:33</itunes:duration>
      <itunes:length>33735589</itunes:length>
      <itunes:keywords></itunes:keywords>
      
      <itunes:season></itunes:season>
      <itunes:episode></itunes:episode>
      <itunes:episodeType></itunes:episodeType>
    </item>
    <item>
      <title><![CDATA[Ep. 105 Father Son Gap Year Memories with Michael and Ron Shaich]]></title>
      <description><![CDATA[It's Thanksgiving week, so we wanted to bring you an episode that celebrates family. Michael's gap year story is as much about family as some of the amazing adventures he did independently. Michael joined structured programs in Asia and Africa, but also interned and traveled with friends and family. In this episode Michael and his dad Ron join us to talk about their gap year experiences (Ron took one as a young man too) and how they agree that a gap year is one of the best investments that you can make in your future. ]]></description>
      <guid isPermaLink="false">7DDETRH9-V42T9</guid>
      <pubDate>Mon, 19 Nov 2018 09:00:01 GMT</pubDate>
      <enclosure url="http://cast.rocks/hosting/13544/Ep.-5-Father-and-Son-Gap-Year-Memories-with-Michael-and-Ron-Shaich.mp3" length="45930722" type="audio/mpeg"/>
      <itunes:author></itunes:author>
      <itunes:explicit>clean</itunes:explicit>
      <itunes:subtitle><![CDATA[It's Thanksgiving week, so we wanted to bring you an episode that celebrates family. Michael's gap year story is as much about family as some of the amazing adventures he did independently. Michael joined structured programs in Asia and Africa, but a ...]]></itunes:subtitle>
      <itunes:summary><![CDATA[It's Thanksgiving week, so we wanted to bring you an episode that celebrates family. Michael's gap year story is as much about family as some of the amazing adventures he did independently. Michael joined structured programs in Asia and Africa, but also interned and traveled with friends and family. In this episode Michael and his dad Ron join us to talk about their gap year experiences (Ron took one as a young man too) and how they agree that a gap year is one of the best investments that you can make in your future. ]]></itunes:summary>
      <itunes:duration>0:46:22</itunes:duration>
      <itunes:length>45930722</itunes:length>
      <itunes:keywords></itunes:keywords>
      
      <itunes:season></itunes:season>
      <itunes:episode></itunes:episode>
      <itunes:episodeType></itunes:episodeType>
    </item>
    <item>
      <title><![CDATA[Ep. 104 Brad Gillings of Youth International]]></title>
      <description><![CDATA[Brad Gillings is the founder of Youth International, an experiential learning program that combines authentic international travel, cultural exchange, home stays with local families, volunteer community service work, and outdoor expeditions.  Brad spent much of his early twenties traveling - first for 9 months with Up with People, then on his own in teaching in Japan and backpacking through much of Asia and Africa. He then found himself back in the US volunteering with NCCC, an arm of Americorps. 

Brad talks with us about how Youth International combines the ethos of NCCC with the rugged backpacking he came to love as a young man, and how after all these years he is still SO enthusiastic and passionate about the power of travel.  ]]></description>
      <guid isPermaLink="false">C2WVFB9C-2RO1OR</guid>
      <pubDate>Mon, 05 Nov 2018 00:57:21 GMT</pubDate>
      <enclosure url="http://cast.rocks/hosting/13544/Ep-4.-Brad-Gillings-of-Youth-International.mp3" length="42953693" type="audio/mpeg"/>
      <itunes:author></itunes:author>
      <itunes:explicit>clean</itunes:explicit>
      <itunes:subtitle><![CDATA[Brad Gillings is the founder of Youth International, an experiential learning program that combines authentic international travel, cultural exchange, home stays with local families, volunteer community service work, and outdoor expeditions.  Brad sp ...]]></itunes:subtitle>
      <itunes:summary><![CDATA[Brad Gillings is the founder of Youth International, an experiential learning program that combines authentic international travel, cultural exchange, home stays with local families, volunteer community service work, and outdoor expeditions.  Brad spent much of his early twenties traveling - first for 9 months with Up with People, then on his own in teaching in Japan and backpacking through much of Asia and Africa. He then found himself back in the US volunteering with NCCC, an arm of Americorps. 

Brad talks with us about how Youth International combines the ethos of NCCC with the rugged backpacking he came to love as a young man, and how after all these years he is still SO enthusiastic and passionate about the power of travel.  ]]></itunes:summary>
      <itunes:duration>0:29:49</itunes:duration>
      <itunes:length>42953693</itunes:length>
      <itunes:keywords></itunes:keywords>
      
      <itunes:season></itunes:season>
      <itunes:episode></itunes:episode>
      <itunes:episodeType></itunes:episodeType>
    </item>
    <item>
      <title><![CDATA[Ep. 103 Michelle's Gap Year in Latin America]]></title>
      <description><![CDATA[Gap year student and Travel Access Project grant recipient Michelle Zhang used her year to become fluent in Spanish while spending time in Guatemala, Mexico, Columbia and Peru. She began by studying at a language school on the shores of Lake Atitlan in Guatemala and bonding with her host family. She then went on to intern in Oaxaca Mexico with the EnVia Foundation, an organization that empowers women through microloans. 

As if that wasn't enough, she then went on to backpack solo for ten weeks in Columbia and Peru, making friends and conquering challenging treks along the way. ¡Vamos a escucharlo!]]></description>
      <guid isPermaLink="false">B9G9M03A-OJKBJ4I</guid>
      <pubDate>Mon, 22 Oct 2018 00:38:58 GMT</pubDate>
      <enclosure url="http://cast.rocks/hosting/13544/Ep.-3-Michelle-s-Gap-Year-in-Latin-America.mp3" length="83895093" type="audio/mpeg"/>
      <itunes:author></itunes:author>
      <itunes:explicit>clean</itunes:explicit>
      <itunes:subtitle><![CDATA[Gap year student and Travel Access Project grant recipient Michelle Zhang used her year to become fluent in Spanish while spending time in Guatemala, Mexico, Columbia and Peru. She began by studying at a language school on the shores of Lake Atitlan  ...]]></itunes:subtitle>
      <itunes:summary><![CDATA[Gap year student and Travel Access Project grant recipient Michelle Zhang used her year to become fluent in Spanish while spending time in Guatemala, Mexico, Columbia and Peru. She began by studying at a language school on the shores of Lake Atitlan in Guatemala and bonding with her host family. She then went on to intern in Oaxaca Mexico with the EnVia Foundation, an organization that empowers women through microloans. 

As if that wasn't enough, she then went on to backpack solo for ten weeks in Columbia and Peru, making friends and conquering challenging treks along the way. ¡Vamos a escucharlo!]]></itunes:summary>
      <itunes:duration>0:58:15</itunes:duration>
      <itunes:length>83895093</itunes:length>
      <itunes:keywords></itunes:keywords>
      
      <itunes:season></itunes:season>
      <itunes:episode></itunes:episode>
      <itunes:episodeType></itunes:episodeType>
    </item>
    <item>
      <title><![CDATA[Ep. 102 Ryan Allen of Irish Gap Year]]></title>
      <description><![CDATA[Ryan Allen spent most of his twenties studying, teaching and traveling abroad (a self-described "gap decade"). A passionate surfer, Ryan chased waves in New Zealand, Norway and elsewhere. He eventually made his way to the famous waves of northwest Ireland, where he went on to found Irish Gap year with his business partner, Killian O'Kelly. 

In our interview Ryan shares how he came to become an experiential educator and describes the student experience of Irish Gap Year.  ]]></description>
      <guid isPermaLink="false">3WLLUOPH-JGOJEMI</guid>
      <pubDate>Mon, 08 Oct 2018 01:35:56 GMT</pubDate>
      <enclosure url="http://cast.rocks/hosting/13544/Ep.-2-Ryan-Allen-of-Irish-Gap-Year.mp3" length="90348590" type="audio/mpeg"/>
      <itunes:author></itunes:author>
      <itunes:explicit>clean</itunes:explicit>
      <itunes:subtitle><![CDATA[Ryan Allen spent most of his twenties studying, teaching and traveling abroad (a self-described "gap decade"). A passionate surfer, Ryan chased waves in New Zealand, Norway and elsewhere. He eventually made his way to the famous waves of northwest Ir ...]]></itunes:subtitle>
      <itunes:summary><![CDATA[Ryan Allen spent most of his twenties studying, teaching and traveling abroad (a self-described "gap decade"). A passionate surfer, Ryan chased waves in New Zealand, Norway and elsewhere. He eventually made his way to the famous waves of northwest Ireland, where he went on to found Irish Gap year with his business partner, Killian O'Kelly. 

In our interview Ryan shares how he came to become an experiential educator and describes the student experience of Irish Gap Year.  ]]></itunes:summary>
      <itunes:duration>1:02:44</itunes:duration>
      <itunes:length>90348590</itunes:length>
      <itunes:keywords></itunes:keywords>
      
      <itunes:season></itunes:season>
      <itunes:episode></itunes:episode>
      <itunes:episodeType></itunes:episodeType>
    </item>
    <item>
      <title><![CDATA[Ep. 101 Lily's Gap Year in Bali]]></title>
      <description><![CDATA[Lily Slaughter graduated from high school in the picturesque town of Stowe, Vermont. She knew for a while that she wanted to take a gap year. Her wanderlust and desire to do good led her to Bali, where a plan to teach English for a couple months ballooned into a eight-month-long stay with the community. In this episode, she talks to Julia about her experience and how it has changed her world forever.

Lily is now the US Chair for WINS, the foundation arm of Volunteer in Bali that helps send rural Balinese students to school. Consider sponsoring a student by visiting wins.foundation/en/

Intro music: Quasi Motion by Kevin MacLeod 

Follow us! Instagram, Facebook and Twitter @gapyearradio]]></description>
      <guid isPermaLink="false">IR5PNSH2-F2YB9</guid>
      <pubDate>Mon, 24 Sep 2018 03:25:32 GMT</pubDate>
      <enclosure url="http://cast.rocks/hosting/13544/Ep.-1-Lily-s-Gap-Year-in-Bali.mp3" length="112276905" type="audio/mpeg"/>
      <itunes:author></itunes:author>
      <itunes:explicit>clean</itunes:explicit>
      <itunes:subtitle><![CDATA[Lily Slaughter graduated from high school in the picturesque town of Stowe, Vermont. She knew for a while that she wanted to take a gap year. Her wanderlust and desire to do good led her to Bali, where a plan to teach English for a couple months ball ...]]></itunes:subtitle>
      <itunes:summary><![CDATA[Lily Slaughter graduated from high school in the picturesque town of Stowe, Vermont. She knew for a while that she wanted to take a gap year. Her wanderlust and desire to do good led her to Bali, where a plan to teach English for a couple months ballooned into a eight-month-long stay with the community. In this episode, she talks to Julia about her experience and how it has changed her world forever.

Lily is now the US Chair for WINS, the foundation arm of Volunteer in Bali that helps send rural Balinese students to school. Consider sponsoring a student by visiting wins.foundation/en/

Intro music: Quasi Motion by Kevin MacLeod 

Follow us! Instagram, Facebook and Twitter @gapyearradio]]></itunes:summary>
      <itunes:duration>0:46:46</itunes:duration>
      <itunes:length>112276905</itunes:length>
      <itunes:keywords></itunes:keywords>
      
      <itunes:season></itunes:season>
      <itunes:episode></itunes:episode>
      <itunes:episodeType></itunes:episodeType>
    </item>
    <item>
      <title><![CDATA[Get to Know Margo and Julia]]></title>
      <description><![CDATA[Welcome to Gap Year Radio, the show that brings you information and inspiration to plan a life-changing gap year adventure!

Gap Year Radio is a new podcast hosted by Julia Rogers and Margo Brookfield, gap year experts who want to bring you stories from students, travelers and educators who can get you off the conveyor belt and on the path to self exploration before, during or after college.

New episodes every 2 weeks! Make sure you subscribe to be notified.

Premiere episode debuts 9/24/2018 with Irish Gap Year’s Ryan Allen. 

Follow us on Instagram: @gapyearradio

Intro/Outro Music: Quasi Motion by Kevin MacLeod; licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution License More info: https://freemusicarchive.org/music/Kevin_MacLeod/Global_Sampler/Quasi_Motion/]]></description>
      <guid isPermaLink="false">EJJ4QM7Q-9I19K9</guid>
      <pubDate>Wed, 05 Sep 2018 19:54:53 GMT</pubDate>
      <enclosure url="http://cast.rocks/hosting/13544/Gap-Year-Radio-Preview-with-Margo-and-Julia.mp3" length="104057400" type="audio/mpeg"/>
      <itunes:author></itunes:author>
      <itunes:explicit>clean</itunes:explicit>
      <itunes:subtitle><![CDATA[Welcome to Gap Year Radio, the show that brings you information and inspiration to plan a life-changing gap year adventure!

Gap Year Radio is a new podcast hosted by Julia Rogers and Margo Brookfield, gap year experts who want to bring you stories f ...]]></itunes:subtitle>
      <itunes:summary><![CDATA[Welcome to Gap Year Radio, the show that brings you information and inspiration to plan a life-changing gap year adventure!

Gap Year Radio is a new podcast hosted by Julia Rogers and Margo Brookfield, gap year experts who want to bring you stories from students, travelers and educators who can get you off the conveyor belt and on the path to self exploration before, during or after college.

New episodes every 2 weeks! Make sure you subscribe to be notified.

Premiere episode debuts 9/24/2018 with Irish Gap Year’s Ryan Allen. 

Follow us on Instagram: @gapyearradio

Intro/Outro Music: Quasi Motion by Kevin MacLeod; licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution License More info: https://freemusicarchive.org/music/Kevin_MacLeod/Global_Sampler/Quasi_Motion/]]></itunes:summary>
      <itunes:duration>0:43:21</itunes:duration>
      <itunes:length>104057400</itunes:length>
      <itunes:keywords></itunes:keywords>
      
      <itunes:season></itunes:season>
      <itunes:episode></itunes:episode>
      <itunes:episodeType></itunes:episodeType>
    </item>
  </channel>
</rss>