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Focus only on your own growth.
GapYear is a time for growth and happiness.
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Time is too short to be swayed by others' words, so always follow the path you believe is right with absolute self-confidence. If you keep moving forward steadfastly, some result will be in your hands. - World trip instead of the college entrance exam / Park Woong — Gap-Year Family Gapper / 23-month world trip |
58th Gap-Year Family GapperPark Woong
Gap year period:January 2014 – December 2015 (total 23 months)
World trip instead of the college entrance exam
Currently, South Korea,
Each year, 60,000 middle and high school students drop out of school; 346,000 people in their 20s with no dreams are just idle; the one-year turnover rate after employment has entered the 40% range,75% of university students are not satisfied with college life, and more than 80% of office workers say they do not feel happy.Although many people tell them to dream, to solve this problem that lacks practical methods and support,we aim to introduce the 'gap year' to South Korea.
'Gap year (Gapyear)'is a time to either balance studies and work or temporarily pause and engage in various activities such as volunteering, traveling, internships, education, and starting a business,a period to set the direction for the future; it is a culture encouraged in the U.S., Europe, Japan, and other countries.
*Check out the variety of experiences on the Gap Year website!(Click)
# Anxiety and doubt while studying for college entrance exams
During my senior year of high school, while studying for college entrance exams, I felt anxiety and doubt about the future.I couldn't shake the feeling that if things continued this way, the next ten years would be completely predictable.I had a concrete doubt: "I'll study hard, get into university, serve in the military, and then look for a job — but standing at the end of that path in my late twenties/early thirties, will I really be satisfied with that choice?"
In response to the question I asked myself, I decided to travel around the world instead of going to university.Let's try doing what I truly want to do.It was a decision driven by that desire and the belief that diverse experiences in youth would become a solid asset no matter what I do later.
# Not an easy start
SeWhile researching how to raise funds for a world trip, I heard that Australia's minimum wage was high, so I prepared for an Australian working holiday. From about two weeks before taking the college entrance exam, I stopped going to school and started studying English and working part-time. With the money I saved, I arrived in unfamiliar Australia in January 2014 and began earning by doing kitchen assistant work, cleaning, housekeeping, and other jobs.
In the early days of settling in, there was an incident where a Korean man I worked with cheated me out of 1.5 million won, and there were many moments when I was exhausted from repetitive labor. I worked day and night, and at times more than 16 hours.After not receiving the wages I had earned, I felt a personal sense of betrayal and a deep loss in a foreign land with nowhere to turn, but I did not give up.
At night I earned living expenses through overnight cleaning, and during the day I repeatedly handed out résumés to restaurants and searched for job listings online. As a result, I secured a stable job at a hotel in northern Australia.
I worked there for six months, volunteered for extra shifts when available, and saved money by not buying anything other than the meals provided by the company. In this way, through a total of 11 months on an Australian working holiday, I was able to save about $20,000 and embark on the trip I had dreamed of.
# I believe the most direct and effective way to confront fear and anxiety in any situation is to diligently do the tasks set for that day.
When I left Korea, my greatest fear was, “Will I actually be able to save money?” I hadn’t gone to university and, saying I would travel the world, I came to unfamiliar Australia before even attending a graduation ceremony, with no family or friends. There was nothing more worrying than not being able to save enough money for my travels. Until my bank balance exceeded 15 million won, I was constantly plagued by worries about unemployment and finances.
The best way to overcome those fears was simply to get up in the morning and do the day’s work. If you’re afraid of not being able to save money, you just earn money; and to earn money you have to work — a simple rule. I believed that faithfully carrying out the tasks given to me each day was the surest way to get closer to my dream.I believe the most direct and effective way to confront fear and anxiety in any situation is to diligently do the tasks set for that day.
# I found myself becoming gradually stronger as I solved problems.
After finishing my Australian working holiday, I set off on the original goal I had left Korea for: traveling around the world. Over one year and one week I wandered through 24 countries and had experiences completely different from what I had learned and felt in Australia.Through meeting a wide variety of people I wouldn’t have met otherwise, I learned about the diversity of life.
In Chile I had my phone stolen by an official at the border, in Mexico I missed a flight because of traffic, and in Argentina I was scammed at a currency exchange — there were many incidents, but...I found myself becoming gradually stronger as I solved those problems.
While traveling in Latin America I was captivated by the very different geography, cultures, and people on the other side of the world, and I spent nine months there.
Cuba, which after the communist revolution and the severing of ties with the United States had little exchange with the outside world for a long time, is still the country I miss most. With no internet, people talked to each other instead of looking at their phones, and I fell for the charm of seeing 1920s old cars still repaired and used — I even stayed two months in the capital, Havana.
Other memories from South America still remain deep in my heart: the sunset I watched over Lake Titicaca, the strenuous climb to Machu Picchu from Cusco, Peru, and the time I spent in Buenos Aires, called “the Europe of South America,” among others.Both the lonely, difficult moments and the joyful, comfortable ones — just as they were — gave me precious feelings I would not have experienced otherwise.
# From Brisbane’s cheapest 10-person dormitory to the airplane
If I had to pick the most memorable moment, it would be the night before I left Australia. I had started my life in Australia in Brisbane’s cheapest 10-person dormitory with no certainty of when I could leave the country, and after going through various things and finally saving all the money, it felt surreal that the next day I would board the plane to begin my travels.
The hardest moments were when I couldn’t remain calm about certain losses — having my phone stolen in Chile, my laptop smashed in Uruguay, and cash stolen in Morocco, among others. But...Looking back, all of those experiences also nourished me.The lonely moments were also part of the flip side of a long journey.
# The biggest gain was 'self-confidence'
GapIf you ask me what has changed the most between before I left and now, I would answer right away: 'self-confidence'.As I accomplished, one by one in real life, the things that others — and even I myself — had doubted I could do,I gained the self-assurance that if it is truly what I want, I can accomplish anything.The confidence that rises when you finally achieve something many people scoffed at or doubted is incomparable.
Finding work in Australia and earning money, wandering alone for over a year on the money I earned, and keeping the promises I made to myself along the way — none of those things was easy, but despite all of thatUltimately,I unfolded my life exactly as I had vowed when leaving Korea and received the precious gift of belief in myself.
#Move forward on the path you believe is right with self-confidence.
A tip for those planning to take a gap year: it's okay to filter out what others add about choosing a different path. Basically,the one and only person who is ultimately responsible for my life is myself.No one else, no matter who they are, cares for and cherishes my life as much as I do.
Therefore, when making important life decisions, the only opinion I should heed is my own.
Life is too short to be swayed by others' words, so always follow the path you think is right with absolute self-confidence. If you keep moving forward steadfastly like that, some result will be in your hands.
#A modest idea that is put into action.
No matter how grand or magnificent an idea is, it means nothing if it is not put into action.Many people plan great things, but few are the ones who turn those plans into action.
I believe an idea that is modest but executed is far more valuable than a grand idea that is never realized. Fill your youthful years with direct action and the experiences that result, rather than vague ideas and thoughts.
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