The British call it "gap year", or just the sabbatical year. But it shouldn't be confused with a vacation.

Widespread in England, seen in Italy with (still) too much distrust, the sabbatical year is a "free" year. A year in which we move away from everyday life, from work, from studies. It is done to travel, to draw dreams. To imagine the future, and to learn life. Sometimes behind the house, sometimes after the ocean.

But how do you ask for a gap year and how do you make the most of it? Let's find out together.

Il blocco dei viaggi a causa della pandemia non sembra arrestarsi e così la cosa migliore è dedicarsi al proprio Paese e dato che ci ritroviamo in Italia non è per niente male! Mi sono chiesto più di una volta se valesse la pena organizzare in Italia dei viaggi come quelli che organizzo insieme a SiVola.it in giro per il mondo e la risposta è stata affermativa, ma con i dovuti accorgimenti!

Inizia una nuova stagione di Tuk Tuk, il podcast che ti porta in giro per il mondo a scoprire le storie più assurde e originali, oltre che un vero e proprio viaggio tra i colori, i profumi e le leggende di quelle terre. Il podcast è nato durante il primo lockdown come idea di viaggio mentale, attraverso le parole dei protagonisti. Ogni episodio trattava di un particolare Paese e di una storia legata a chi veniva intervistato. Questa nuova stagione si chiama "WANNA GO" e tratta di tutti quei luoghi dove non sono mai stato ma che un giorno vorrei visitare. Mi metto per una volta nei panni dell'ascoltatore che, con sincera curiosità si affaccia per la prima volta fantasticando di mete lontane.

Gli inglesi lo chiamano “gap year”, per noi è l’anno sabbatico. Ma non va confuso con una vacanza.

Diffuso in Inghilterra, visto in Italia con (ancora) troppa diffidenza, l’anno sabbatico è un anno “libero”. Un anno in cui ci si allontana dalla quotidianità, dal lavoro, dagli studi. Lo si fa per viaggiare, per disegnare sogni. Per immaginarsi il futuro, e per imparare la vita. Talvolta dietro casa, talvolta dopo l’oceano.

Ma come si chiede un anno sabbatico e come lo si sfrutta al meglio? Scopriamolo insieme.

Sono ormai settimane che sentiamo parlare di vaccini e forse siamo davvero arrivati al punto in cui ci si può finalmente chiedere come cambierà il mondo dei viaggi senza dover a tutti i costi fare degli scongiuri. L’Inghilterra ha iniziato proprio pochi giorni fa a somministrare le prime dosi seguita a stretto giro dagli Stati Uniti. Cina e Russia invece hanno già iniziato da tempo. In Italia si parla di un V-Day già dal 27 dicembre... Tutto vero, la luce in fondo al tunnel pare essere ormai vicina al netto di recenti e "strane" pericolose mutazioni del virus, ma la domanda che attanaglia i viaggiatori di tutto il mondo è: nei prossimi mesi sarà obbligatoria o no la vaccinazione per entrare in uno stato o addirittura per salire su un aereo?

Un’esperienza unica nel cuore della nostra Italia: un itinerario in bicicletta tra le colline umbre tra uliveti e vitigni, città d'arte e natura selvatica. Non dovrai preoccuparti di nulla se non goderti una bella pedalata in compagnia!

Sei pronto a vivere un emozionante viaggio on the road verso gli affascinanti fiordi occidentali d'Islanda nel periodo migliore dell'anno per godere della fioritura viola dei lupini e per avvistare i mitici puffin? E allora salta a bordo, non fare la pulcinella di mare!

There are very few places in the world that make my heart beat faster than Nepal. This small state perched in the Himalayan mountains has always impressed me. And how could it be otherwise? It has it all. Except for the sea even if in ancient times the sea was also present in these mountains. There is a lot of nature in the Himalayan mountains, the forests rich in rivers and streams, the lakes and even the low plain on the border with India where in the jungle you can admire rhinos, elephants and even tigers.

Patagonia is the South American region between Chile and Argentina that reaches the end of the world in what is more commonly called Tierra del Fuego. It is a region so vast and so fascinating that it can be considered as a separate territory despite being divided between the two South American countries: during my trip around the world I was lucky enough to be able to cross it first on the Chilean coast and then going up from the Tierra del Fuego to the border in Argentina.

How many times has it happened to you to find yourself for a long stopover at an airport and not knowing what to do? Indeed, to be honest, as good wanderlusters you actually knew what to do, that is to take, go out and explore the nearest city! With about 70 planes that I take a year now, this opportunity happens to me more and more often and so after Munich and Dubai, it also happened in Istanbul! But it was a great thing to come to my aid here ...

Let's make it clear that the Tokyo Digital Art Museum curated by teamLab - a Japanese collective known internationally for its huge digital artworks and formed not only by artists, but also programmers, engineers, CG animators, mathematicians and architects - it is not a museum. Or at least not in the terms with which we know museums: entering those 10,000 square meters and observing the over 50 works of art, goes beyond the traditional concept of a museum because there are no boundaries between the visitor and the surrounding space that immerses the public in works impressive three-dimensional. A totally engaging, 360-degree artistic experience.

Australia is absolutely one of the most expensive countries in the world. The economy is strongly developing, and so its prices are constantly rising. For instance, sleeping in a hostel in the big cities in a dormitory for ten people costs on average $28 per night.

How to do it then? Here are several tips, that I’ve learned myself, to save as much as possible in one of the most beautiful lands of the world.

During my experience in Nepal, I had the opportunity to meet Charlie, an Irish boy who took root in Kathmandu. He has lived in the Nepalese capital for about ten years and during my return to this country, I was a guest at his home for a couple of days, now in the Himalayan mountains. Here he has a humble home, four cows, a lot of lands to cultivate, and even some puppy dogs.

Charlie is first and foremost a friend, as well as a person who was very important to the guys of Human Traction. His small bubble, his temple, was an opportunity to tackle together important issues of life and the crossroads that brought him there.

A Baba is not just a character to be photographed among the temples of Kathmandu, nor is he a stoner who smokes chillum from morning to night.No, the world of baba is very different, with Charlie we will discover a small part of it.

In my tour of the world, I decided to make many small dreams that I had been harboring for some time. Among these was to participate in a meditation school. I started to get interested in meditation after I went to Burma in 2011. The dictatorship was still there and few tourists visited it. If you were lucky enough to find monks who could speak English, it was then possible to chat and explore many issues.

Today I take you to discover a country that is much desired but is not extremely touristy indeed! I'm talking about Bolivia a buffer state between Peru and Chile on the Pacific Ocean side and between Paraguay, Argentina, and Brazil on the continental side. Bolivia is an extremely interesting but very poor territory with many things to see especially in terms of landscapes and nature. The Salar de Uyuni salt desert is obviously very famous but in reality, there is a lot more to visit and admire such as the Amazon Forest.

It is the turn of a new itinerary in a place that I know very well having crossed it from the south, from the border with Mauritania to Tangier, in the north. And then the Atlas and its desert to the east, while to the west the waves of the Atlantic Ocean delimit its borders. I'm obviously talking about Morocco.

In this strange and particular historical moment, we just have to travel only with the mind or start preparing for when this terrible situation will finally be over and finally the borders will be reopened. So I would start from the basics and in this article I would like to tell you something more about the choice of the backpack because it is anything but trivial since there are so many backpacks and types on the market.

The journey is an extraordinary experience, one of those to be done at least once in a lifetime. It is necessary to approach it with the right humility and, above all, not to consider oneself as an expert traveling just for having traveled all those kilometers. Clearly, it is a journey that tests and strengthens, above all your self-esteem and awareness, so leave and possibly alone because one of the greatest gifts of the journey is new friendships.

From my long experience around the world, I want to give you some small suggestions, useful and above all objective.

It is the most controversial topic, the one on which pages and pages of internet forums and guides fill up. The backpack is personal and as such must be respected. It is said that it should not exceed 15% of your body weight and it is absolutely a correct indication, but then you have to deal with the season in which you start. I started walking in the summer to reach my destination in the winter and I struggled a lot to stay under fifteen kilos. True, I had the computer with me which alone added two kilos, however, everything I had with me came in handy and proved indispensable. Try to leave with a backpack of up to 40 liters and do not cram it as it could be useful to have space for food and liquids. If you leave in the warm months from May to October inclusive, you will need only two or three t-shirts, two pairs of fast-dry trousers which, with the zip-off, can be transformed into Bermuda shorts and then a sweatshirt for the evening on the peaks. Don't forget a waterproof jacket, preferably in Goretex. It is important to have reinforced anti-blister socks with you, even if, in my opinion, the only true method of preventing blisters is only the petroleum jelly on the feet every morning. The foot in fact must stay hydrated but not wet.

Like the backpack, these are also an absolutely personal choice, but a couple of suggestions may be useful to you. In summer it is very hot so you will have to give priority to perspiration: Goretex is not the best choice. If you leave in those months, consider buying shoes that are at least half the size because the foot can swell. Also, walk on the first, soften them with at least fifty miles of walking as new shoes are generally tough and blisters are much more likely to occur. If, on the other hand, you leave in the autumn or spring months, consider waterproofing as a priority since the most important thing is to keep your feet as dry as possible and therefore in this case the Goretex shoe will be the best choice. High or low, hiking or running? They are very personal choices, I personally prefer the trekking high tops to protect the ankles even if, obviously, the racing ones are more comfortable, but the same have a sole that will easily be damaged and will make you lose grip as you approach Santiago. When you go out to choose them, bring with you a pair of shoes that have been widely used over time: the seller, studying the sole and its consumption, will be able to advise you as not all walk in the same way.

Other important infoIf you undertake the journey in the months from September to April you must think that you also have a 100 gram down jacket and a waterproof windproof jacket, possibly in Goretex. A water bottle will also be essential to reduce the environmental impact of the thousands of plastic bottles sold along the way. Snowshoes chapter: personally I have always hated them but in these two thousand kilometers I have used them extensively and actually I have been able to have a great help both in terms of balance and posture and of relief on climbs and descents.

The emotions that the Torres del Paine trek gave me are difficult to explain. However, I tried to tell you through the story of a night, the one between the fifth and sixth day (read the post here).Now, since it is one of the most famous treks in the world, I try with this article to tell you about my experience in a sort of diary, hoping to be of help to those who want to try their hand at the big Q circuit, but not only.

The available circuits:There are three of them, the most famous, popular, and affordable is the W circuit, which is the one in the southern part of the park that includes the best highlights. I tell you about it in the diary of days 1/2/3Recommended duration: 3 nights / 4 daysDifficulty: medium

The great circuit O, which includes the entire natural park, obviously including the W.Difficulty: medium-highDuration: minimum 6 nights / 7 days

Circuit Q, or the most extensive, or the "mochillero" because it avoids any paid means and is, therefore, the cheapest. Consider half a day more than the O circuit.Medium / high difficultyMinimum 6 nights / 7 daysRecommended 8 nights / 9 days

When to go: the best period is from October to April and above all, it is the only period in which you can have the choice on the circuit to go. In fact, from the 15th of April, the Q and the O are not passable except with an authorized guide.

And it happens that when one seeks perhaps he has no time to find.And it happens that suddenly Chiapas arrives.A proud region of mainland Mexico. A Zapatista region that until a few years ago claimed independence under the orders of the sub commander Marcos. A sub commander who commanded.Yes, because the people could remove it at the first mistake. The people were in charge. Ideologies that have had easy ground in Latin America, yet still latent under corrupt and usurpable governments.

Not infrequently riots still happen in this area as the day I decided to leave San Cristobal de Las Casas for Palenque and the peasants in revolt blocked the road.And so another day in this navel of the world.Yes, because San Cristobal is just that. A village that has literally bewitched me. Its music, its colors, its people, it's Buena Vibra. A country like many others, we have thousands of them in Italy. The problem is that young people no longer populate them.Wonderful countries with history and traditions lived only during the holidays a few months a year.San Cristobal is the same: only it is populated by young and old, coming from all over the world, every day of the year. From every angle.Each with its own story, each with its own vibration.Among the streets of the café, a center is a meeting place for poets and rioters, musicians and writers. A small stage and anyone can go up. To recite, to sing, to declaim, or to have his say.Jazz, rock, and electronic evenings.Live music concerts in the middle of the night inside a bakery.The energy of this place is simply crazy and exudes in its pastel-colored houses in the center of a lush valley.Tourism is present here, massive, but for the first time non-invasive, it seems respectful of the local culture like a shy spectator who limits himself to the final applause after an opera.All around nature is overwhelming as a force: canyons, woods, lakes, and waterfalls.History and culture, like the village of San Juan de Chamula where ancient Mayan rites are practiced inside its Christian church based on a religious syncretism that I had never been able to experience in my world tour. Indigenous groups that allow visits, but not photography, the latter steals the soul. Candles and pine needles on the ground instead of benches. Many saints lined up one after the other with a mirror in their hands. The Christ who is placed to the right of John the Baptist, much more important here under his benevolence towards the water, the true treasure of this area.The locals still dress traditionally, the men with hats, the women with a black fur skirt. Sitting on the ground they sing songs interspersed with burps to throw out all negative energies.I look into a corner, a shaman rotates a rooster on the candles before twisting its neck and sacrificing it.I am fascinated by these rituals and how people get involved in them. I do not understand why, on the other hand, they are rituals that appear meaningless, but living them live, being able to observe their participation, hits me hard in the soul.I thought I would stop only a few days instead of those afternoons, in which the clouds turned black and then poured rain to make the streets full rivers, before opening up to the setting sun, became different and I could no longer leave.When I did I headed to Palenque, not far away, in the jungle, to discover Mayan ruins of breathtaking beauty. The jungle, like Angkor Wat, has allowed the conservation of this site to this day.Real jungle with howler monkeys that in the middle of the night make it seem like a jaguar behind the hut.The Mexico I was looking for in the end I found, basically, in the south, on the border with Guatemala. A place I would like to return to one day.In Chiapas, a region I had time to find just when I stopped looking.