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#Courage to change one's lifestyle, relief from anxiety #Improved English skills, warm connections #The healing effects of a gap year and people's warmth
A Month in Paradise: Living the Beach Life in Sydney, Australia
I gained the courage to change my way of lying even if it’s just temporary. There are so many different ways of living. I thought that there is no right or wrong answer during these situations but as long as I move in the direction of happiness is what’s most important to me.
Kim Da-eun Gap Year Review!
After quitting my job, I lived in Sydney, Australia for a month.
Hello, I am 30 years old and have been working for 9 years. I have been working as a marketing and sales representative at a foreign medical device company. After suffering from burnout and depression since 2022 I decided to resign in June of 2022 after being certain of my answer.
I have been studying languages consistently while working at a foreign company but have not had the opportunity to interact directly with foreigners. I finally made the decision to participate in a project that included interacting in a language learning environment through Korea Gap Year.
In Korea Gap Year, we ensured for Kim Da-eun to have a full experience abroad after quitting her job. We recommended Sydney Language Training for a month as it will give her relaxation and to care for her mentality easing her mind of stressful matters. Surrounding herself in an environment where thriving off of sunshine is a must, we want Kim Da-eun to have a memorable trip! Not sure where to start and make the best change? We recommend a consultation where we can customize your gap year experience!
However, because it was only a month living in Sydney I believe it was a great fit for me as I also wanted to have free time, meet various people, and enjoy the city.
I wanted to get rid of any anxiety that was weighing me down and finally regain some peace of mind.
After quitting my job, I suffered from anxiety thinking if I made the mistake of ruining my career and falling behind especially at my age. Filled with guilt, I even applied to several places after resting at home for a month as I was feeling anxious for myself.
The first step was to get rid of this anxiety I need to physically separate myself from. So, I hoped that through this gap year, I would be able to really think and ensure what kind of life I really wanted for myself, find peace, and finally shake off my anxiety.
Now I can finally say that I need to move in a direction where I can live happily rather than living an average life.
I have always lived my life by plans and sticking to them without a problem. I thought that living an average life meant success so I never thought deeply about whether this was the right direction for me and if I was really happy.
The friends I met from different countries at the language school sometimes had no specific plans and lived carefree. They all started their own journey and worked hard every day towards what they wanted to do. As I watched my friends take different paths, I often thought about why I had never focused on my own path.
I gained the courage to change my way of lying even if it’s just temporary. There are so many different ways of living. I thought that there is no right or wrong answer during these situations but as long as I move in the direction of happiness is what’s most important to me.
These are the times when I became the main character with love and encouragement!
Although I am not the main character in the world, I was deeply moved by the fact that there were people who liked me.
The family I stayed with at the homestay such as Jesse and Greg all gave me endless love and support especially Grandma Gayle, who opened my shy heart. Friends that I met at the language school were a huge part of my life there. I believe because of these people I thank them as I am a shy person, and was able to adapt and live in Australia perfectly. In a way, I will never forget the gratitude I felt by being welcomed and being warmly accepted by strangers in my life.
I’m going to move forward step by step towards what I love!
However, I have gained valuable experiences that I can always recall when times get tough in life. I believe that through these experiences I have my own way to overcome tough times in the future. I was really happy in Australia. I even think my heart is still over there, haha.
After seeing different lifestyles I have encountered during my gap year, I’m going to start taking small steps towards something I like. If I keep the same mindset and take these steps I can't wait to look back in 5 years and see how much has changed :)
After the gap year, I have had positive changes. I used to depend on medications for depression but after three weeks my dosage was lessened. I want to keep these positive changes so they don’t become a short term memory and continue to change my life!
My daily routine!
I wake up at 6:30 in the morning, eat a simple breakfast prepared by my homestay and take the bus for 30 minutes to arrive at the language school. Classes started at 8:30 and we learned about a few topics such as job interviews, online skills, romantic experience, etc as we related grammar and vocabulary to it. Sometimes we sat at our desks and studied but most of the time we played games as well being paired up with foreign friends and talked about certain topics. There was homework sometimes and a test every Monday.
During the afternoon, classes were from 12:30 to 1:15 pm and students could participate in daily activities offered by the language school. I would spend time with friends or take a short trip into the city followed by dinner at 6:30 pm. Mealtimes with my family were the times I could improve my English the most. I remember concentrating the way I would speak trying to focus. It was such a precious time to be able to end the day happily with my family like this :)
Tips for preparing your trip abroad!
I have traveled abroad many times but I have never stayed more than a week so I was a little worried. I was anxious because I didn’t know anything about Australia such as visas, cities, etc. but Korea Gap Year was great enough to help me with the preparation that needed to be done before going!
Experience ★★★★
It was a shame that it was only for a month but I was able to gain a lot of experience and thoughts.
Learning ★★★★
I was able to see and experience different ways of life and it was also very helpful for my language learning.
Environment ★★★★
The cost of living is a bit expensive but the environment of Sydney including the location of the homestay and language school was very good and accessible.
Safety ★★★★★
It was a very safe and nice place as long as you didn’t go out too late.
Leisure ★★★★★
It was nice to be able to have some personal time after class or during weekends.
Capturing the growth journeys
of our participants.
