Need help planning my gap year!

Hello travelers,

I am currently a senior in high school hoping to travel for a year before starting college, and I am looking for help planning my trip - and looking for any general tips.

Here is my vague layout:

New Zealand from early September to late December (~4 months)

Thailand + some travel around SEA from early January to late Feb/early Mar. (~2 months)

Japan from after Thailand to end of April. (~2 months)

China early May to end of June (~2 months)

Then see if I want to stay home until school starts in August or travel again.

The thought process behind this schedule is based on weather, and increasing difficulty. Starting in NZ where I already speak the language and will get my bearings for solo traveling, and do some seasonal work. Then SEA where there is an established hostel/backpacking culture where I hope to practice Muay Thai. Then Japan where I have visited before (but this time going to more rural areas and using workaway and practicing my shitty Japanese), then to China where I imagine will be the most difficult to backpack in - I want to sightsee in May before it gets super touristy, then do a month or so in a Shaolin temple in June (hopefully more northern so it won’t be too hot either).

Please correct me if I have any false assumptions, or if you have any feedback.

Thanks!