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#How to live as myself #New dreams and goals #Attitude toward life and the power of positivity
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What impressed me most was the relaxed attitude of the Spanish people. Seeing people play music and laugh while waiting in traffic, I learned the mindset, ''If you can''t avoid it, enjoy it.'' In a culture that accepts people as they are, I gradually learned how to live more true to myself, Respecting myself also gave me more confidence. Now I can live each day more according to my own preferences.
<Learn Spanish in Málaga, the resort city with golden sun and the blue Mediterranean!> Song Su-a''s gap year review
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#Hello, I''m a late-20s office worker who took a break from work to go on a gap year.
Through 1:1 gap year consulting, I decided on childcare volunteering in Vietnam and a one-month stay in Málaga, Spain. After finishing the childcare volunteer gap year in Vietnam, I went straight to Málaga, Spain.
Spain was a country I had wanted to visit since childhood. People around me often said, ''You must visit Spain at least once!'' so I always had a romanticized image of Spain and vaguely thought, ''I''ll go someday.''
During the 1:1 gap year consultation when planning my gap year with the consultant, I answered ''Spain!'' without hesitation to the question ''Which country would you like to go to?'', and so my bucket-list journey to Spain began.
*Ms. Song Su-a wanted to get to know herself better and put herself at the center of her life by trying things she had not done before, so after the Vietnam childcare volunteer gap year, she went on a second gap year to Spain. If you want to learn about yourself but feel at a loss about where, how, or with what to start and lack the courage, I highly recommend 1:1 consulting with a gap year specialist!
A sure way to change my life: gap year 1:1 consulting
#Málaga: a city where I could feel deep relaxation under warm sunlight!
As I mentioned above, the biggest reason I chose the program was that I wanted to go to Spain. However, I did spend some time deciding on the city. It was a happy but fierce deliberation! Since Spain is such an attractive country, the Korea Gap Year website offered various cities to choose from, including Madrid, Barcelona, Valencia, and Málaga.
I hesitated about Barcelona and Madrid because the cost of living is high and there are many tourists and Korean exchange students. So the city I looked into was Málaga.Compared to other big cities, the cost of living was reasonable, and above all, the fact that it''s close to the sea captured my heart!
The Spain I had imagined felt relaxed and lively. I wanted to fully experience Spain''s beautiful beaches, warm weather, and the energetic streets. So after learning about Málaga, I chose it without much hesitation, and in the end I think it was an excellent choice!Málaga, a city where you can feel deep relaxation under warm sunlight! I decided to spend a month here focusing on myself and freely doing the things I hadn''t been able to do until now :)
#A challenge with a new language, and a desire to live for myself!
Goals for this gap year!First: Resting well and taking ample time for myself—enjoying the warm weather and beautiful beaches—is also an achievement.
Second: Use the phrases I learned at the Spanish language school and have real conversations with locals in Spanish. This was my biggest challenge and my own dream! As a beginner in Spanish, deep conversations would be difficult, but the idea of carrying out basic conversations without a translator excited me :)
#Living leisurely and naturally. A time when I could be more myself!
The first thing I felt upon arriving in Málaga was that Spanish people are very relaxed.I think the time in Málaga gave me so much strength that I truly want to go back and live there someday.
The biggest charm I felt in Málaga was the people''s attitude.Once, traffic was jammed for almost an hour, but to my surprise, everyone waited in their cars without getting annoyed; they played music, laughed, and sang. In Korea, impatience and expressions full of complaints would have come first, but in Spain it seemed people naturally showed the mindset ''If you can''t avoid it, enjoy it!!'' through their behavior.I was impressed by how they simply accepted the situation as a single moment, and it made me feel that it’s okay to live life a little more lightly and leisurely.
In a culture that accepts people and situations as they are and treats them without prejudice, I gradually learned how to live more authentically. An attitude of naturalness and ease leads to respecting myself, and because I respected myself I think I gained more confidence!
#Do I really have to do anything to live? - Now I have many things I want to do.
Before participating in the gap year, I don’t think I had a strong desire to ‘want to do something.’I mainly just hoped that ‘the day would end well.’ I was always anxious, and that anxiety often wore me out. So after work I would go straight home and sleep. Work was hard and life was hard, and I wondered, do I really have to do anything?
After visiting Spain,I now feel like I’m starting to have things I want to do one by one! I want to try living abroad, try working overseas, and become more fluent in Spanish. So I plan to study Spanish hard from now on!
And my anxious heart has also become a little more at ease. It’s hard to say it’s completely healed, butThanks to the relaxed mindset of the Spanish people, I was able to learn some of their laid‑back attitude too. It was a grateful time because I could feel myself slowly and gradually becoming more at ease, and I felt the ‘power of positivity.’
Having something in my life that I want to do, something I want to steadily fill and cultivate, is truly precious. After experiencing that time, I finally realized it. Thinking about the things I want to pursue keeps me from staying stuck in anxiety, makes me feel more at ease, and helps me live my days more the way I want.
#Spanish language study in Málaga — here’s my daily routine! 🌿
My days in Málaga, Spain followed the school schedule. Staying for a month while learning the language was really excellent for me because it allowed me to have a steady routine even in a new place.
I had to be at school by 9 every morning, but luckily my accommodation was right in front of the school, so even if I overslept I could arrive relaxed. Usually the first class was from 9 to 11 — 10‑minute break — and then the second class ran until 12:50. After class, I would go back to the accommodation with friends to review Spanish or spend a relaxed time at a café or restaurant.The school was located in the center of Málaga, so everything was within walking distance and I could naturally blend into the city’s daily life.
Málaga’s scenery is beautiful everywhere, so I can confidently recommend it. Nearby towns like Nerja and Marbella are especially charming — be sure to visit them.What made this language course special was that I was able to meet friends from so many different countries.My French flatmate who lived in the same house, a Slovak roommate, and classmates from Switzerland, Italy, the Czech Republic, and the United States — all of them will probably stay in my memory forever.
The best part was that the Malagueta beach was within a 20‑minute walk! In Korea I didn’t have many chances to go to the beach, but in Málaga my friends and I went as if it were right outside our house. Putting on a bikini and a parasol, buying a bottle of zero cola, and lying on the beach — that moment felt like heaven! ⛱️
#My bucket list is still Spain. Another Spain.
If someone goes to Spain, simply being yourself and doing things naturally is enough, so I don’t have any further comments, but
If I have one wish, it’s this: I hope everyone fully and freely enjoys being themselves!
I can still vividly recall the lively streets under the hot sun and the warm, friendly Spanish people. In Korea I lived very conscious of others’ eyes, but in Málaga I could wear what I wanted and do what I wanted without anyone making me feel embarrassed. Next time I visit Málaga, I hope to communicate more deeply with locals with improved Spanish skills — not only Málaga but Seville, Barcelona, Madrid, and more.My bucket list is still Spain — another Spain.
Thank you, Málaga, for giving my anxious heart relaxation and strength like a ray of light!
Muchas gracias!
#My tips for preparing for a Spanish language study trip!
This was my second gap year (I had previously done a children’s volunteer project in Hanoi, Vietnam!), so I think I had already worried plenty about going abroad before the Vietnam gap year. Maybe because of that experience, my fear of living overseas naturally disappeared.
AndI prepared for departure using the checklist provided by the gap year program! I bought essential daily items in Korea beforehand and took them to Spain. I also referred to many YouTube videos and blog posts.In particular, I checked in advance how taxi fares and transportation work! And fortunately, in Spain...I didn''t have much difficulty communicating because there were many locals who spoke English.
Spain has daylight saving time, so the sun sets after 10 PM and the days felt really long. Because of that there were so many things to do, and restaurants and bars stayed open late so I could make the most of my time. I loved ending the day leisurely with friends, eating tapas and having a cocktail.If you go to Spain, I hope you fully enjoy it and make the most of it!
#My Spain Malaga language-study gap year!
Experience ★★★★★
: An unforgettable experience! I want to go to Spain again! No — this experience will definitely make me return!
Learning ★★★★★
: Even though it was my first time learning Spanish, I was able to learn in detail from local teachers!
They teach you step by step, so don''t worry!
Environment ★★★★★
: The streets were all clean, the weather was always bright, and everything was perfect! :)
Safety ★★★★★
: Thanks to daylight saving time the sun sets late, so I never felt that it was dangerous at night!
Because travelers were out and about until late at night, I actually felt it was even safer.
Leisure ★★★★★
: Because the school and accommodation were located in downtown Malaga, the local amenities were perfect!
With restaurants, clubs, and bars nearby, I was able to have a really fulfilling time.
If you''re curious to learn more about the Spanish Malaga language study project that Song Su-a attended?!
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