Tranquil Term-Planning future gap year

Hmm... last few months' events have been simple: super bowl, valentines day, visit to Buddhist temple. All in all it has been a fairly unexciting term. Amazing, life changing UWC conversations aside, I have been grinding my school work-Extended Essay, class coursework IA's etc- but I think i will finish today, by handing in my EE.

Last weekend I had off, and got to visit a friend of mine (Chinese ) and stay the night with her family for Chinese New year. Kung Hei Fat Choi!!! (congratulations on getting rich).

I have done a lot of investigating on how to conduct my life after Li Po Chun. Without a clear focus of "what I want to do" or any harmful desire to get a degree as fast as possible, I would like to take advantage of the opportunity posed by my general freeness as a young person, I would like to travel and explore the world before I get trapped in the bustle of goal-oriented life that I have come to know so well. Looking towards my impending graduation I am considering my options.

Current location: Hong Kong

Resources:

$1000 savings,
the ability to speak English,
the vibrancy of youth,
time,
family and friends across the globe,
1 return ticket to New Mexico,
1 laptop
1 Spanish dictionary (borrowed)
1 pocket world atlas
1 modern-English bible (stolen)
1 book indigenous prayers
2 pcs luggage, 1 backpack, 1 camelback,
3 loads laundry
1 GDC
1 iPod
1 pair stilts
1/2 jar nutella
1/4 loaf bread

long term mission: help build a better (more sustainable, more equal, more sensitive and aware) world while growing emotionally and spiritually

Short term mission:

• be accepted to university I like
• then be granted a one year deferment
  
• then use this year to learn Spanish/Latin culture in Spain or Latin America.

Possible realizations: Challenges posed:

• 1 year service project (S.A.) $$$$
• 1 year working (hotel, labor, etc.) $$$, low Spanish speaking skills
• 1 year teaching English $$$, finding job
• 1 wandering around Europe $$$$, time
• any of above, complimented by 4-8
  
• months working in US $$, fear of working in NM for too long
• cruise around Mexico $, might not be so interesting...
  

Current plan: move to Madrid under the wing of my 5th year from UWC USA?, be supported by mother for 1 month (to finish TEFOL English certification)?, then launch my 1 year English teaching career?

Any way, my choices are "the better of goods" rather then the lesser of evils, so things are looking up. I will probably have a much clearer vision of the future after universities give me offers/rejections.