As the summer of 2016 came to a close, most 18-year-olds were packing their bags for college while Sadie Traylor was packing everything she would need for the next nine months into a 60L backpack. She was about to embark on the adventure of a lifetime: 9 months backpacking around Asia.
Jumping for joy after landing in Vietnam
Hometown: San Diego, California
Year: First-year
Intended Major(s): Policy Studies and International & Global Studies
What did you do on your gap year?
“I spent my gap year in Asia primarily volunteering. My volunteer projects included teaching, construction work, sustainability projects, and working with marginalized communities. Aside from volunteer projects, I was solo traveling and learning about the cultures of the countries I was traveling through focusing on gender roles and religious influences.”
Teaching school children in Malaysia
Why did you take a gap year?
“My older cousin took a gap year so it seemed like a natural path for me to follow. Seeing how she had changed as a result of her gap year, how much more focused on what she wanted to do, and how much more confident in her abilities she was inspired me to follow her lead. She came home with an evidently more grounded sense of self. Later, I saw how her experiences helped her in her college career in a way that made her so sure of what she wanted to do and so much more focused on how she was going to accomplish those things. That was really inspiring to me.”
Why did you choose to spend 9 months in Asia?
“My decision to go to Asia was largely influenced by a two-week trip to India I went on my junior year of high school. Because it was led by my religious studies teacher, the trip focused on the role religion in India and really the role of religion in Asia in general. Also, we did various volunteer projects focused on helping marginalized communities. I was really enthralled by everything that I was learning and felt passionate about the work that I was doing. By the end of the trip, I knew two weeks was not enough. That’s why I looked to Asia as a place to spend my time; I wanted to learn more about that part of the world, and with the passion that I took away from my initial trip to India I knew there was so much more I could do so much more with that.
Hitchhiking in the back of a tractor with fellow Elon student Claire Thompson (’21)
What is the most adventurous thing you did in Asia?
“The first thing that comes to mind is a trek I went on in the Hmong highlands of Laos. The trek as a whole was a big push for me, especially because it was right at the beginning of my gap year.  Over the course of a few days, I did everything from hitchhiking in a tractor with a pig in the back of it to climbing up a leech-infested mud mountain. I would not have considered myself as an outdoorsy person going into my gap year, so the trek was a courageous leap for me, filled with adventure.  I loved it.  Then later as I became more outdoorsy and adventurous, things that I had previously considered courageous were just natural.”
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How do you feel you have changed as a result of your time in Asia?
“I think that a gap year, in general, is such a unique time because it’s so rare that someone at the age of 18 or 19 really does take even a second to be entirely alone with their own thoughts. We’re so controlled by social media and the influences around us. Especially coming from a rigorous, college-oriented high school, it was really the first time in my life that I was able to entirely reflect on my life at home and who I am and who I want to be. I think I became a much more authentic version of myself and I am extremely grateful for that.”
Biking in Vietnam with fellow Elon student, Claire Thompson (’21)
What is your dream job?
“If we’re dreaming big here then my dream job would be the working for the United Nations. I’m really passionate about helping others. While going on service trips and doing hands-on work is really important and valuable, I think there are ways to reach many more people. I see our government and big organizations such as the UN as great tools to accomplish more. I want to be a part of that.”