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#Independence and a confident attitude #Volunteer experience, international friends #A significant asset for future challenges
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After volunteering in Vietnam, I immediately joined a community-building project in Chiang Rai, Thailand! After doing the work myself and seeing the finished project with my own eyes, I felt a sense of accomplishment! It was also a time when I was able to break my own boundaries.
Building a village in Chiang Rai, Thailand with international friends!! Joo Hyun, Korea GapYear Traveler's Review (25 years old)
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# Hello! I’m Joo Hyun, and I just finished 6 months of overseas volunteer work in Vietnam and Thailand during my gap year!
Hello! I am Lee Ju-hyun, who spent a 6-month gap year doing overseas volunteer work in Vietnam and Thailand. I first volunteered for 3 months in child care in Hanoi, Vietnam, then moved to Chiang Rai, Thailand for 3 more months to participate in a village-building volunteer project.
Including the time I spent traveling alone after the projects, I spent about 8 months outside of Korea during my gap year.
Before participating in the gap year volunteer project, I discovered through 1:1 consulting that what I really needed was 'love' and 'stability'.
Through my volunteer work with children in Hanoi, Vietnam, I learned unconditional love from kids much younger than myself, and I saw firsthand how it feels to live freely without worrying about others' opinions. In Chiang Rai, Thailand, I took on the new challenge of village-building volunteer work to overcome my personal struggles with instability.
*For Lee Ju-hyun, who wanted to break out of her own limitations and experience more love and self-discovery, the program provided personalized daily missions to help her feel more love and to learn more about herself, as well as a gap year journal to reflect on and plan for her growth.
# Through this volunteer project in Thailand, my goal was to overcome and conquer the things inside me!
Through this overseas volunteer gap year, my goal was to overcome the helplessness I felt when faced with uncontrollable, unfamiliar, or undesirable situations and environments.
Therefore, this gap year was about stepping into a completely different environment from the familiar one, overcoming it, and growing one step further as a person. My goal was to become more independent both physically and psychologically.
# What preparations did I make before leaving for Chiang Rai, Thailand?
The local volunteer organization had emailed me a list of personal items necessary for outdoor volunteer activities, such as a personal tumbler, tissues, and vitamin effervescent tablets. However, I got too caught up in having fun in Vietnam before heading to Chiang Rai... So, yes, please make sure to read the email carefully haha.
Still, I was able to go to Chiang Rai city in Thailand and buy most of the things I needed. However, if you can prepare in advance, it's best to bring the things you use regularly and the things you need.
# The Best Part of Doing a Gap Year in Thailand: Village Building!
Through this overseas volunteer project, I was able to experience many small but fulfilling tasks as a volunteer, such as repairing the village, building houses, making toilets, painting, mixing cement, and filling in the road in front of the school.
Depending on the task, it could take a day, a few days, or even a whole week. However, in the end, seeing the work we had done come to completion gave me a sense of accomplishment! :)
Through this volunteer work, I was able to break some of the prejudices I had about manual labor and see it as a great challenge and opportunity for myself. As I worked with the other volunteers, I realized that manual labor isn't always difficult or unpleasant. It was really rewarding and fun! :)
# My Daily Routine Abroad!
At 8:00 AM, we have a simple morning meeting during breakfast. The local coordinator checks everyone's condition, gives a briefing on the day's schedule, and informs us of the meeting time and place before heading to the volunteer site, as well as the transportation arrangements. It's essential to attend this morning meeting on time.
For outdoor volunteer activities (like the "Tuk-Tak-Tuk Village Building" project), sometimes we travel to distant places, while other times we stay closer. When the volunteer activity is far away, we eat lunch that was prepared for us in the kitchen. The outdoor activities typically take place from 9:30 AM to 12:00 PM. After lunch and a short break, we resume work from 1:30 PM to around 4:00 or 4:30 PM, and we usually return to the accommodation by 5:00 PM. Dinner starts at 5:00 PM, so we always come back before that. After dinner, we have free time to relax and enjoy personal time.
# I Feel That This Volunteer Experience Will Be a Great Foundation and Asset for My Next Challenge!
As I'm writing this, it's been about two months since I returned from my volunteer work. Now, I can look at all situations differently than before I left for my gap year.
"I still have one semester left, so I have time to prepare for the next challenge." "I want to try a new overseas internship next year, and I need money, but I also have time to earn it and prepare the necessary certifications or language scores." "I did a gap year because I thought I couldn't endure and felt like I was going to die, but now I have gained volunteer experience that I can certify anywhere, and I feel confident about living abroad...!"
I really feel that the experience of this overseas volunteer gap year will surely become a great asset and stepping stone for the next challenge as I write this!!
# People I Met During My Gap Year!
I met a lot of friends during my overseas volunteer period, and I divide my village-building volunteer activities into three quarters based on different projects.
In the first quarter, there was my Canadian friend Kayan, Egyptian friend Zanan, Aleyna from the U.S., Adamantia from Greece, and William from Canada, who I did outdoor volunteer work with. In the second quarter, there was Whitney, Britney, Jude from Mauritius, and Eunju from Korea, who I worked with on indoor volunteer activities. In the third quarter, there was Gabi, Maya, Ally, and Sarah from the U.S., who I did child care with. The outdoor coordinator was Pimnob, Piakong, the indoor coordinator was Nikki, and the child care coordinator was Pikatoon. I just wanted to mention all their names and write them down, and I miss them all so much. I’m still in contact with my friends! haha
Everyone was so independent, with good intentions and open minds, and I was able to share and learn a lot of different ideas from my friends who came to Thailand to volunteer!
# Unlike my past self, I now have the confidence to slowly pursue my own path, even if it’s at my own pace!
I used to be very dependent on others and lacked trust and confidence in myself. I thought I couldn’t do anything on my own. However, after spending more than six months away from home on an overseas volunteer gap year, I became more independent. I adapted better than I expected and had a much better experience than I thought I would. The experiences I gained from this gap year have become valuable assets to me and have built my confidence.
Now, I try to move at my own pace, starting with what I can do, unlike before when I would give up easily and let everything go. I aim to keep going, even if slowly.
In the future, through my six-month overseas volunteer gap year, I will continue living as myself, doing what I want, and I will remember how the negative feelings I had in the past disappeared like a lie. The experience of feeling like things would never get better, only to recover and thrive again during this gap year, has given me hope that even if tough or painful things happen again, I will be able to rise up once more!! :)
# After finishing my final semester, I am planning to challenge myself with an overseas internship.
These experiences were ones I achieved on my own, and they have greatly boosted my confidence. Because of this, after finishing my last semester, I’m planning to challenge myself with a different overseas internship.
Rather than just following what everyone else is doing, like aiming for a large corporation because it’s what people think is best, or preparing for a stable government job or teaching position, I feel that I need to do what I’ll regret not doing, what excites me right now, and what I look forward to doing in the future.
So, I want to challenge myself to pursue what I truly desire, without following other people's desires. It was difficult and overwhelming to make choices on my own, and especially to have the courage to let go, which made it hard to move forward. However, the experiences from my gap year really helped me come to this decision!
# My Recommended Travel Spots in Northern Thailand!
First, I really liked Chiang Rai. It’s small, nature-friendly, and not overly urbanized, but if you look carefully, there are plenty of pretty cafes and restaurants. Finding these hidden gems was a lot of fun! Also, Chiang Rai’s White Temple is a famous attraction not just in this area but all over Thailand. In addition, there are many unique tourist spots in Chiang Rai, such as the Blue Temple, Black House (museum), Big Buddha (a huge and impressive statue), and several natural waterfalls. I hope you’ll explore and visit these places!
Also, if you take a bus for 3 hours from Chiang Rai, you’ll reach Chiang Mai. Chiang Mai, Thailand’s second-largest city, has plenty to see and do. It’s great for solo travelers.
I went by myself during my 3-day day off, and I think 3 days in Chiang Mai was enough.
Lastly, I highly recommend Pai. Pai is a place you can reach by a 3-hour bus ride from Chiang Mai, and true to its reputation as a backpacker’s town, it’s small but free-spirited, very affordable, and despite being a famous destination, there’s no overcharging, making it a great place for both travel and shopping. Personally, I really enjoyed my trip to Pai and stayed there for about 5 days. I met other travelers by chance, sang impromptu at a pub, drank, got body painting, enjoyed a Brazilian party at the resort I was staying at, danced, and had a great time. There are no taxis or buses in Pai, so it was fun to ride a scooter to explore the sights. (However, if you have no experience with scooters or e-bikes, it could be dangerous, so be careful!)
# Tips for Preparing My Own Chiang Rai Village Project in Thailand!
Essential items to bring! Make sure to bring a tumbler! Also, it's a good idea to bring vitamin effervescent tablets to stay hydrated and replenish vitamins when you sweat a lot during volunteer work. You should also pack cold medicine just in case. During the trip, you will be volunteering and staying at different villages on a bi-weekly basis, so it would be a good idea to bring a sleeping bag! If you are going during a non-summer season, it can get chilly at night, so be sure to pack a lightweight padded jacket or long clothing!
Also, if you bring a bag with a zipper to store your laundry, it will be really, really useful!! :)
My Gap Year!
Experience ★★★★★
: I was really happy thanks to the amazing friends I volunteered with, the coordinators, Thai intern friends, and the adorable dogs and cats. No matter where you go, people are adaptable creatures, and even someone as sensitive as me realized I can adapt well. This experience boosted my confidence and also changed my perspective to a more positive one.
Learning ★★★★★
: The volunteer work I did outdoors was rewarding and fun in the end. I had experiences I would never have had in Korea and learned so much!
Environment ★★★
: The environment was different from the city, but more than that, I loved the friends I was with, the people at the organization, and the cute dog (Kuro) and cats living in the local village! I was really happy.
Leisure ★★★★★
: Every weekend, I went out with my friends to the city, stayed in a hostel, ate delicious food, recharged my energy, toured around, and spent some time alone, which was very refreshing! After recharging every weekend, I enjoyed going back to my volunteer work. After three months of weekend trips, I became familiar with Chiang Rai's city center and adapted, which was also nice. Chiang Rai also had charming cafes and tasty restaurants! Whether traveling with friends or spending time alone reading and reflecting, it was a wonderful time! :)
Safety ★★★★
Information on the Gap Year Project in Chiang Rai, Thailand by Joo Hyun, who participated in the gap year program!If you are planning to join the program, make sure to bring some detergent! You can buy some easily once you arrive!
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