‘MY GAP YEAR LASTED 12 YEARS IN THE END’
Mangala Holland, 50, who lives in Glastonbury, Somerset, took a gap year at 38 after suffering corporate burnout.
I’d never heard of a gap year until I went to university. Coming from a working-class family in Cornwall, people I knew didn’t have the money or means to head off travelling at 18. It was something ‘other people’ did.
Once I graduated and stepped onto the corporate ladder, my life was a treadmill of work and responsibility, punctuated with techno Djing a couple of times a week. It was go-go-go and I was having lots of fun, but as time passed, I became disillusioned and worn out.
Then in 2008, I got the chance to travel to Malawi for two weeks to DJ at a festival. The furthest I’d gone before was on package holidays to Europe. The trip blew my mind. “There’s a whole world out there and I’ve barely seen it,” I thought. Yes, I was earning lots of money and had a good career doing IT training for stockbrokers. But I was unfulfilled – and as I was single
and renting in Manchester, I had no ties to hold me back. The only thing stopping me was me.
“In 12 months, I’m going to take a gap year,” I told bemused family and friends, most of whom were at a very different stage in life. Their overriding reaction was, “You’re so brave – I can’t believe you’re going on your own.”
I decided to start with six months in India, three in south-east Asia and then left the last three free to decide nearer the time. I bought my plane ticket, sold most of my possessions except for my records, and took a sabbatical from my job.
New zest for life
On 1 October 2009, I headed to Delhi, full of excitement and nerves. Within two weeks, I knew I wasn’t ever going to step back onto my old treadmill again. I watched the Dalai Lama
‘There’s a whole world out there’
give a talk, which was such a profound experience. I met so many incredible people who opened my eyes. Some have become my firm friends although I’ll admit many backpackers I crossed paths with were 20 years younger and mostly interested in partying!
I’m glad I didn’t do a gap year at their age as I would not have fully appreciated the opportunity. Plus by not wasting my budget on beer, I could travel further.
It gave me the chance to figure out what was next. I volunteered with Tibetan refugees and trained as a yoga teacher. In fact, my gap year lasted 12 years in the end. I spent five of those in Thailand before relocating to Melbourne, Australia, where I launched a successful online business – women’s empowerment and sexuality coaching – a world away from my old career.
I finally landed back in the UK in 2020. My parents are getting older and I felt a pull to go ‘home’ as my menopause loomed. But I’ve not come back as the same person and returning has also been an adventure. The biggest lesson I’ve learnt is that there’s always a plan B, such as taking a different route when you miss your plane. I’ve also discovered how resourceful I am and that
I can create a life on my terms.
Life really can start in midlife.