Gap Year Gambit

Pirouette readers are parents with a sense of adventure. As we’ve often read in these pages, that can mean literal adventure, with families taking time out to hit the road and discover new lands. This blog preaches to the converted when it comes to upending routine to deepen family or cultural ties.

Taking time out however can be a tricky balancing act. Even for those with a passion for renewal, the practicalities can be daunting. “An 18-25 year-old ‘gapper’ [ed: someone taking a ‘gap year’ or time off from studies or work] without responsibilities can live a life on the road with a few thousand pounds and a dog-eared copy of Lonely Planet. For professionals with pensions, mortgages, tax liabilities, investment portfolios, a job they are keen to return to and even a brood of children, upping sticks even for a limited period is a more complicated proposition.” Indeed. Getting your financial house in order before leaving home is key. Considering a gap year for grown-ups? For practical advice, what better place to turn to than the pink pages of the Financial Times?

Romas Viesulas

I divide my time between home in Portugal – taking road trips to Latin America in search of investment opportunities – and London, where I often present the current affairs programme on Monocle 24 Radio. For Pirouette, I'll take my inspiration from The Swiss Family Robinson. Life with kids is certainly an adventure. It can seem easy to feel shipwrecked however on the high seas of a rapidly changing, ever more globalised world. How can we ensure our children have the tools they need to survive, even thrive?

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