The Big Gap Year Plan

Our overall plan for the year started with a few elements and gradually got filled in. The initial outline included Scotland, Ontario and Florida, Spain, the Martello Tower in Aldeburgh, Suffolk, and a return to Bendrigg Lodge (I worked there for a summer nearly 40 years ago!).

Now it is a detailed 12 month calendar starting mid August 2025 and ending mid August 2026. Here is an idea of what we have planned.

• 6 weeks road trip in Scotland to include Edinburgh Tattoo; North Coast 500; Orkney; Shetland; The Great Glen; Mull; and catching up with some dear friends.

• 4 weeks in North America to include a visit to friends in Ontario, Canada; New York; Philadelphia and the Amish community; overnight train to Orlando; and a week in Florida to see Racheal's first foster carer, her much loved Mama Althea.

• 4 weeks road trip in Europe to include Luxembourg; Italy; Austria and Germany. Passing through France; Switzerland, Czech Republic, Netherlands and Belgium.

• Home for Christmas!!

• A weekend at the Martello Tower, Aldeburgh. (This is a Landmark Trust property. Look them up if you like unusual places to stay.)

• A few nights in London sightseeing and going to shows,

• 2 weeks in Malta, to include the carnival.

• A week in Yorkshire staying in another quirky Landmark Trust property.

• 4 weeks in Spain and Portugal to include a visit to Andorra, Barcelona, and northern Spain.

• A trip to see the bulb fields and the cheese market in the Netherlands.

• 5-6 weeks in South Wales, Devon and Cornwall (via Milton Keynes!) to include some adventurous activities - iFly, Snozone, Surfability, and Wetwheels; LandsEnd; Eden Project; Scilly Isles; Minack Theatre and more.

• Our usual annual camping holiday at Shottisham.

• Keswick, Lake District - duration to be decided.

• The grand finale - Bendrigg Lodge for lots of exciting outdoor activities.

Between Keswick and Bendrigg, there is another entry on the calendar - IEFA. This stands for If Energy and Funds Allow. I'm keeping that one under my hat for now, so watch this space!!

Every trip has to be carefully planned to ensure accommodation will suit our needs whilst fitting into our tight budget. There is no room for spontaneity. I'm booking youth hostels and self catering accommodation a year ahead, Each one carefully checked with emails and phone calls back and forth with property owners and hostel managers. Any public transport we plan to use must be accessible and allow carriage of the additional luggage we need for Racheal - more emails and phone calls!

As well as our Gap Year Calendar, there is a detailed budget spreadsheet, and each separate trip has a planning sheet showing travel times, accommodation details, facilities at each place we will stay and what equipment of our own we will need.

More on that at another time.

It's exciting, but more than a little daunting too!