Image: vrvic

The world is literally your oyster so when you are studying the map and planning where to jet off to, it’s a good idea to consider what exactly it is that you want to achieve from your time away. If you are after sun, sea, friendly people and an opportunity to meet some fantastic new friends then taking a gap year in Florida could be just the choice for you.

Cheap flights to Florida aren’t too hard to come by and the US State has an abundance of things which make it the perfect gap year destination including beaches, nature and some of the best nightlife a traveller could hope for.

Many people that choose Florida head there with one thing in mind – becoming a prince or a princess! A Disney prince or princess that is! There are a number of programmes available which allow people to land dream jobs at Disney World or one of the other parks owned by Disney in Orlando.

As well as the obvious perks of having free entry to all of the Disney theme parks and incredibly cheap accommodation, employees will learn valuable skills, which are transferable in the work place. If accepted on to the programme, you might be located in the Magic Kingdom but you could also hang out with whales and dolphins at SeaWorld or experience the world of Harry Potter at Universal Orlando Resort. Being a member of the Disney staff is a fun and rewarding experience and we guarantee you will make some wonderful friends!

If Disney isn’t for you, Camp America could be. This popular programme allows people to go and work in an American summer camp and when the summer is over, they are free to travel around the US for up to 10 weeks. Camp is an exciting place to be. As well as getting to interact with the kids and take part in lots of fun activities, it gives you a real insight into the American way of life. The programme attracts people from all over the world who just might make the perfect travelling companions once camp is over. The people at Camp America look after everything for you – placements, visas, travel insurance and they even have a 24 hour helpline should you need any assistance at any time.

Choosing to spend your time in the United States is a fantastic option for your gap year. The country has so much to offer and will leave you with memories, and friends, that will last a lifetime.

This is a featured post.

Since I traded beaches and kangaroos for skyscrapers, stars and stripes to call NY home, I’ve had plenty of opportunities to explore the city with friends visiting from overseas. From those adventures, I’ve put together a list of my favorite free attractions in the city, plus a few tips on how to save and make your stay last longer.

Image: Sarah_Ackerman

Staten Island Ferry

Probably the number one free attraction in NYC, the Staten Island Ferry gives panoramic views of the Manhattan skyline, great photo ops for the Statue of Liberty and the chance to feel the wind in your hair, Titanic-style. All this, for the bargain price of only $0. The ferry runs at least twice per hour from the ferry terminal in lower Manhattan, accessibly by subway or a stroll through the financial district. Get on fast to nab the best spots at the front of the boat.

Museum of Modern Art (MoMA)

Inspired, beautiful or downright weird by turns- one of NYC’s most popular museums, MoMA is free on Friday nights between 4pm and 8pm. Try the upper floors for Dali, Warhol, Picasso and Van Gogh!

Image: ana carina lauriano

Central Park

A NYC icon, Central Park is a mixing pot of all of NYC society. People-watch in the crowd of designer-clad Fifth Avenue housewives with implausibly miniscule dogs, wholesome families, rather ‘unconventional’ park characters and easy-to-spot tourists with bum bags/I Heart NY t-shirts in tow. I’ve tried to count the number of languages I heard in the park in one day and gave up at 15! Alternatively sunbake or wander through the surprisingly wild areas (and forget you’re in a major city) in summer or have a snowball fight and giggle when the ice-skaters fall over in winter.

Image: patrickhashley

Brooklyn Bridge

Another city landmark, the walk across the Brooklyn Bridge takes you above the traffic from City Hall in Manhattan to Brooklyn Heights. The walkway has nice views and information plaques along the way, as well as irritated cyclists (stay in the walking lane or face the wrath!) and cutesy, hand-holding couples who’ve taken up the tradition of securing ‘love padlocks’ to the railings and throwing the key in the river. The walk is around 2 km- leave the heels at home unless you want them wedged in the boards and rug up in winter!

Image: angela n.

Highline Park

This hip, fun testament to NYC design sits above the city, built on an abandoned raised freight train track stretching from Chelsea to the Meatpacking District. Go for great views of the Hudson and surrounding city, laze on the architectural wooden benches and appreciate the reclaimed urban space. Afterwards, search out lunch in the nearby Chelsea Markets. It can get busy in nice weather, but sunset, or dare I suggest sunrise, are good times to visit.

Image: bkusler

TV show audience

Saturday Night Live, Good Morning America, Letterman and The Tyra Banks Show, plus many more, all tape in NYC. Tickets are free and can be requested in advance on some websites, given out by lottery or obtained on the day by queuing. Popular shows are hard to snag, but there are plenty of options and you might just get lucky. See here (http://gonyc.about.com/od/tvtapings/Tickets_for_TV_Show_Tapings.htm

) for an overview on where to begin.

Brooklyn Brewery

Plenty of tourists never make it off the island of Manhattan- evidently they missed the memo that all the cool kids have moved to Brooklyn. Williamsburg in particular is the hipster capital (though the Yuppies are moving in), with great bars, coffee and indie music. The Brooklyn Brewery offers free tours from 1-5pm on Saturday and 1-4pm Sundays. Oh and by the way, the legal drinking age in the USA is 21 years… Bring a passport as foreign driver’s licenses aren’t technically recognized as valid ID.

Image: Casey Fox

More tips:

- Most museums, including the Museum of Natural History, the Met, the Guggenheim and the Whitney can be seen for less than ticket price. Some are technically ‘pay what you like’, some have special times when you can enter for just a donation and others have free entry an hour before closing. See here (http://gonyc.about.com/cs/museums/a/museumdeals.htm) for a complete guide.

- If you will be in the city for more than a couple of days, a 7 day MetroPass ($29) is a cheaper option than paying as you go ($2.25 a trip), especially as you’ll have unlimited, 24-hour access to the whole city. Purchase at any subway station.

- Hostels are a popular option, but websites where you can rent out a room or whole private home can be an even better deal, especially for 2 or more people. Beware Craigslist scams and stay with a reputable website such as Airbnb. I’ve rented a whole apartment in Manhattan $30 each per night- cheaper than a hostel! (Amar here, I can confirm that this is correct because I was at this apartment and Fiona ate all of my Dunkin’ Donuts but that’s a story for another time)

- Broadway tickets can be found for as little as $25-50, versus the normal $100+. Two TKTS booths (one in Times Square) sell discounted tickets the day of the show (though you’ll have to queue), and some theatres sell ‘rush’ tickets a few hours before the show direct from the box office (usually only available to students and paid in cash).

Happy travels!

This article was authored by GYE contributor Fiona Soper. Currently, Fiona is trying to find creative excuses to balance travel with a PhD, brushing up on her Arabic and dreaming of Oman.

The Snow and Cold on Mount Washington, New Hampshire

This city is located in the White Mountains along the east coast of the United States. It has been labelled “Home of the World’s Worst Weather.” Being 1,917 meters above sea level, the city is known for extremely cold temperatures, heavy snowfalls even during summer months and high wind speeds year-round. Geologically, the reason for the extreme weather is due to the height and the location of the city. Nestled in a high valley among the mountain range, the city is situated in a corridor and receives constant winds from both the Atlantic Ocean, and the western side of the mountains.

Papua New Guinea Volcanoes

The country is known for extreme rainfall and volcanic activity. The country is located 160 kilometres north of Australia and is on the south-western Pacific Ocean. Typically 2,000 millimetres of rain will fall per year but some areas receive more; especially during the monsoon season which occurs in the winter. Papua New Guinea is home to “Ulawan” which has been dubbed the “Decade Volcano” due to its recent volcanic activity and its close proximity to human population.

Typhoons in the Philippines

This country experiences many typhoons and earthquakes throughout the year and contains three active volcanoes. The Philippines is located in the Pacific Ring of Fire, which is an area in the Pacific Ocean that is home to high seismic activity and extreme tropical climate. Approximately 30 typhoons will hit the country in a given year.

The Heat in Death Valley, California

Located in the Mohave Desert valley near the California and Nevada border within the USA, this valley has earned its name through its reputation of having extremely hot and dry weather. Temperatures normally reach 49 degrees Celsius during the day. The high temperatures are due to the depth of the valley; the high mountains surrounding it don’t allow for adequate air flow and the air becomes trapped with little room for movement. In addition, the trapped air prohibits clouds from moving in and providing rainfall.

Australian Droughts
According to the Bureau of Meteorology, the south-eastern portion of Australia has experienced extreme drought conditions in the past decade. Tasmania, Victoria and Queensland are the hardest hit areas and have had some of the highest rainfall deficits recorded, which in turn affected both domestic flights and tourism within the country. Between the years 2002 and 2010 the area only received 10% rainfall. Scientists at the National Centre for Atmospheric Research partially blame the recent increase in droughts to the global warming, but this area is known to have natural shifts in rainfall patterns which lead to on going drought conditions.

Image: kevindooley

The United States might actually save the day. Now, I know what you’re thinking: The U.S. is the definition of sprawl, and anywhere that English is spoken can’t be all that exotic. The sites to be seen in America are undoubtedly far apart from one another and the culture is probably the only one you’re most familiar with besides your own. But carefully coordinating flight arrangements, choosing one coast over the other, and making it your mission to finally get to know the culture that’s dominated your television ever since you can remember are ways to make a trip to the land of opportunity an exciting adventure.

The American Midwest is a prime selling point for a humble holiday visit to the States, but if you’re determined to see a beach at some point or at least something else besides cornfields don’t worry I got that covered. In the meantime, allow me to pitch to you the idea of focusing the first part of your visit on the flyover states.

Chicago is a world renowned city and can be the perfect base point for a journey through the heartland. Once the city on the lake wears you out, high speed rail travel currently being built will take you to the river city: St. Louis. St. Louis not only sports the one and only Gateway Arch, it has a zoo considered superior to Chicago’s and only beaten in nationwide ratings by the National Zoo in Washington, DC. It also has an art museum that holds some of the finest collections in the country.

In addition to the cultural perks there are also cultural truths about America that St. Louis will exhibit to you that you may not have the chance to witness in more traditional U.S. destinations. The poverty crisis in the aforementioned land of opportunity is shockingly evident in St. Louis. Anyone who has either the stomach or the desire to see an American reality often hidden from foreign view should visit the Mississippi River metropolis. However be careful, as crime rates in St. Louis’s less affluent districts are notoriously high.

The majesty of Montana, the placidness of the Great Plains, and many other centralized American wonders are only a day or two’s drive away from either Chicago or St. Louis. Even the most remote of Midwestern locations are still close enough to a city that has flights that can take you to either coast for a final leg of the American journey. It’s probably the part of the trip you were waiting for, whether it’s a final week of kicking it back California style or submitting yourself to the pleasures of an all-inclusive resort in the Florida Keys.

From either of these places or any final American destination you choose on either coast, there’s most certainly an international airport close by to arrange your return flight home from. The final stint of ideal American travel hopefully doesn’t diminish the experience of traveling the mostly unassuming yet awe-inspiring Midwest regions of the United States. When the primal pleasures of a luxury cap on your trip wears off, what lingers will be a recollection of the side of America you never knew before – the inside.

This is a featured guest post.