Chunders is You Tube hit on his ‘gap yah’

We’ve all heard them and most people who have taken a Gap Year will have been a ‘travel bore’, it can be hard not to be.


I regularly hear myself start a sentence with ‘when I was in…’, these days I check myself and look closely at the body language of the person I am talking to before I continue.


Many people prepare for Culture Shock when they travel, few prepare for ‘Reverse Culture Shock’; the effect of coming home.


Especially when travelling for an extended period of time it is vital to make sure you think about what happens when you return; it makes the difference between the ‘holiday blues’ disrupting your life for a couple of weeks and reverse culture shock affecting you with months of lethargy. Will you be able to afford being unproductive for months on end after you get back?


A big part of avoiding reverse culture shock is understanding that the amazing experiences you will have can never really be shared with those who were not there (in the same way that no photograph can ever replicate the amazing sights you encounter). Stay in touch with the people you had these experiences with and when the ‘blues’ kick-in contact them.


Don’t blame your friends from home for their lack of interest in your stories, you might be just as uninterested in their tales from the commute they make on the tube every morning…


‘Orlando’ may have proved a big hit on YouTube (Click Here) and I remember seeing a similar sketch at a Burma Campaign comedy show (Click Here), but take the subtle warning; don’t be a ‘gap year bore’ or a ‘gap year boaster’, share your stories with people who want to listen.


The other effective way I find of dealing with reverse culture shock is to start planning your next trip…


At Safe Gap Year our Independent Travel Safety and Cultural Awareness Workshop considers issues of Travel Safety, alongside sessions on Cultural Awareness, Travel Health, Ethical and Responsible Travel, Travel Equipment, Destination Advice, Transport Options, Documentation, Travel Money and Insurance and more.


Please visit our website at http://www.safegapyear.co.uk/.


For more information on any of our services, please call us on 0845 602 55 95 or Contact Us.


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Source – Metro
Date – 25th March 2010