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My Senior Gap Year
Chris Herrmann never intended to take a gap year. Certainly not a senior gap year. Life was too comfortable in Perth, Western Australia. Grandchildren were coming along one after another. Living the family dream. But suddenly life threw a spanner in the works. The reality hit. It’s not something that just happens to other people. He was now on his own.
Life is a journey. Not a destination. He knew that. There were however a hundred reasons why not to do this gap year. To give up his home in one of Perth’s most beautiful locations, sell the furniture, sell the car, say goodbye to family and friends. To take off for twelve months backpacking around the other side of the world. What, giving all this up? Surely, you’re too old. And what, travelling solo? But his gut feeling kept saying otherwise. Thankfully his gut feeling won out.
My Senior Gap Year, The Book, tells his story in his own unique style. From pushing himself out of his own comfort zone. From not knowing a word of Spanish to his humorous attempts to communicate with the people he encountered. Navigating his own way around from one country to another. Experiencing every form of transport from a horse and cart to a five star coach. From sleeping on the floor of a Buddhist temple to a mat in the middle of a jungle.
Finding himself left literally penniless in the middle of nowhere in a foreign country. And how his experiences with the people he met, like drugs, waste, terrorism have changed his views. He left with no purpose, other than to step out the door, travel and explore. But then how he turned an opportunity he discovered in the middle of the desert to benefiting charities worth around quarter million dollars. And that was just at the beginning of his journey.
My Senior Gap Year. It’s never too late.
Life is a journey. Not a destination. He knew that. There were however a hundred reasons why not to do this gap year. To give up his home in one of Perth’s most beautiful locations, sell the furniture, sell the car, say goodbye to family and friends. To take off for twelve months backpacking around the other side of the world. What, giving all this up? Surely, you’re too old. And what, travelling solo? But his gut feeling kept saying otherwise. Thankfully his gut feeling won out.
My Senior Gap Year, The Book, tells his story in his own unique style. From pushing himself out of his own comfort zone. From not knowing a word of Spanish to his humorous attempts to communicate with the people he encountered. Navigating his own way around from one country to another. Experiencing every form of transport from a horse and cart to a five star coach. From sleeping on the floor of a Buddhist temple to a mat in the middle of a jungle.
Finding himself left literally penniless in the middle of nowhere in a foreign country. And how his experiences with the people he met, like drugs, waste, terrorism have changed his views. He left with no purpose, other than to step out the door, travel and explore. But then how he turned an opportunity he discovered in the middle of the desert to benefiting charities worth around quarter million dollars. And that was just at the beginning of his journey.
My Senior Gap Year. It’s never too late.
206 pages, Kindle Edition
Published January 11, 2018
2 people are currently reading
5 people want to read
About the author
Chris Herrmann
2 booksChris Herrmann's career has covered both corporate management and the founder of a small business technology start up. Innovation has always been at the forefront of his activities.
His business has been recognised for several Australian Government Small Business, Entrepreneurial and Innovation Awards. His client list has included some of Australia’s top ASX companies including the big four banks, plus Australia’s largest airlines.
He has served as an adviser to Saudi Arabia's Telecommunications management as well as management roles in the telecommunications industry. He has presented at a Chinese University in Kunming on commercialising technology. Chris has served as a member of a State Government Business Development Council advising the Minister for Small Business.
He has been an active participant in community projects including part of the management team of a popular long running annual Sculptures event and an open water swim event. Both events raising funds for Surf Lifesaving. Through Rotary International he has been a member of the organising team for an annual major annual fund raising event.
Chris has written a few other books. There's the "corporatee" type books, one of which Goodreads found and listed here. It was actually based on an excellent very simple employee recognition program ran in his business. This reflects his recognised career in management and leadership. He's also written a couple short biographies for family members. One for each for both his late wife and father. Plus four fairy tale stories. The fairy tale stories go under under a pen name. When asked why, "Blokes don't write fairy tale stories", apparently! They were written for each of his children's weddings. They tell the story of their romance and how they came to be together.
Nearing the age when most start thinking about retiring, Chris took a different direction. With no desire to retire, he took a Gap Year. A Senior Gap Year. Intentionally, he set off to do the exact opposite to his professional past. No structure. No goals. To be free and just explore. Equipped with a new title, a Senior Gap Year Specialist, his next vision is to encourage more people of his age to do similar!
His business has been recognised for several Australian Government Small Business, Entrepreneurial and Innovation Awards. His client list has included some of Australia’s top ASX companies including the big four banks, plus Australia’s largest airlines.
He has served as an adviser to Saudi Arabia's Telecommunications management as well as management roles in the telecommunications industry. He has presented at a Chinese University in Kunming on commercialising technology. Chris has served as a member of a State Government Business Development Council advising the Minister for Small Business.
He has been an active participant in community projects including part of the management team of a popular long running annual Sculptures event and an open water swim event. Both events raising funds for Surf Lifesaving. Through Rotary International he has been a member of the organising team for an annual major annual fund raising event.
Chris has written a few other books. There's the "corporatee" type books, one of which Goodreads found and listed here. It was actually based on an excellent very simple employee recognition program ran in his business. This reflects his recognised career in management and leadership. He's also written a couple short biographies for family members. One for each for both his late wife and father. Plus four fairy tale stories. The fairy tale stories go under under a pen name. When asked why, "Blokes don't write fairy tale stories", apparently! They were written for each of his children's weddings. They tell the story of their romance and how they came to be together.
Nearing the age when most start thinking about retiring, Chris took a different direction. With no desire to retire, he took a Gap Year. A Senior Gap Year. Intentionally, he set off to do the exact opposite to his professional past. No structure. No goals. To be free and just explore. Equipped with a new title, a Senior Gap Year Specialist, his next vision is to encourage more people of his age to do similar!
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Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
January 20, 2018
Ok
Good on him for taking the trip. I'm a similar age, and I feel more inspired to follow suit.
There were a couple of bits where a little better editing and/or proofreading would have helped - but a minor niggle. At least some of the worse mistakes from the blog were fixed. "Columbia" was fixed to "Colombia". Thank you.
On the whole, an interesting book.
I wasn't sure though how to access the pictures from the Kindle edition.
Good on him for taking the trip. I'm a similar age, and I feel more inspired to follow suit.
There were a couple of bits where a little better editing and/or proofreading would have helped - but a minor niggle. At least some of the worse mistakes from the blog were fixed. "Columbia" was fixed to "Colombia". Thank you.
On the whole, an interesting book.
I wasn't sure though how to access the pictures from the Kindle edition.
January 10, 2021
Good on Chris for following through with the idea.
Visited many interesting areas and always remained positive....despite the odd near disaster.
Would have enjoyed it more if it had been edited properly...really didn’t flow too well.
The links to pics and videos were great.
Visited many interesting areas and always remained positive....despite the odd near disaster.
Would have enjoyed it more if it had been edited properly...really didn’t flow too well.
The links to pics and videos were great.
August 2, 2018
Good on Chris for getting out of his comfort zone and setting out on a gap year. A very interesting, inspiring read. Five stars and well worth the money spent. Would recommend it.
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews