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#Established self-reliance and confidence #Learning to live together and communicate #The grandeur and value of nature
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Not just a simple trip, an opportunity for personal growthIt became. People from various countries and age groups truly striving to protect nature was movingIt was. the great outdoorsthat gives a sense of greatness and a feeling of value, and the power of taking actionI learned. Living together with others, how to be considerate and to communicateI learned.
<Protecting nature with my own hands! Iceland environmental conservation project> Review by gapper Park Seo-hyun
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Hello!
Last July, for one month, in the pristine Nordic country
I took part in an environmental volunteer gap year in Iceland
I''m Park Seo-hyun, a university student who participated. 🙂
#Why I took the gap year
I had been fascinated by Iceland''svast natural landscapes in the Nordic regionand had always dreamed of visiting someday.
When I was a freshman at university, I went on a beach volunteer trip with a service club.At that time, we picked up trash,upcyclingwhile doing
manymeaningful things to learn, so I have fond memoriesthat I had.
While looking for a summer vacation destination with my older cousin,I discovered a meaningful opportunity that could let me experience environmental issues I’m interested in and Iceland’s great outdoors—
the Iceland environmental volunteer gap year project,and I joined right away without much hesitation.
#Thanks to the gap year, I gained confidence.
My cousin and I decided on a one-month project together. Although I had a dependable companion, I felt language anxiety about having to communicate in English, and I was also worried because I had never been apart from my family for such a long time.
However,by following the step-by-step missions and information provided by Korea Gap Year before departure, I gradually gained confidence, and thanks to thorough preparation I was able to ease many of my worries.
#Not just a simple trip, but an opportunity for personal growth
Through the gap year,I wanted to improve my English by interacting with friends from various countries, directly experience Iceland’s beautiful nature, and deeply appreciate the importance of the environment.
Rather than just visiting Iceland as a tourist, I wanted to live in an unfamiliar environment, learn about each other’s cultures, and, through volunteering, reflect on myself and become evena chance to growI wanted to create.
#I volunteered and freely enjoyed my leisure time.
I stayed at two camps in Iceland and participated in volunteer activities.
At both camps, breakfast was simple using the ingredients in each kitchen, and then the full-day schedule began. One camp carried out beach cleaning and trash sorting activities divided into morning and afternoon.
People were divided into two teams that worked in shifts and, according to a weekly schedule (which could change flexibly!), prepared lunch and dinner together and took on shared tasks like house cleaning.
In free time, we did campfires or played board games with others, and on weekends we could experience Iceland’s nature through hikes or excursions organized by the camp.
At the other camp, we prepared lunch boxes, traveled to a forest about 30 minutes from the accommodation, and worked there. We usually left at 9 a.m. and finished around 3 p.m., carrying out tasks like tree planting and forest maintenance under the instruction of the forest manager.
Because the camp was located in the center of town,on weekends we could freely enjoy leisure activities like brunch at a café, walking around the town, or nearby hiking.
#Seeing and feeling the pristine nature and the participants’ sincerity was moving.
Above all, the greatest advantage was being able to fully experience the great outdoorsIt was. In Iceland, you could see almost untouched by human hands undisturbed, pristine naturethat I could see and feel up close, and such participants of various nationalities and ages who had gathered to protect that environment cooperated and sincerely tried, which was very impressive and moving.
In particular, the sight of everyone pulling nets stuck in piles in the beach sand to clean them, and finding pieces of trash with Korean writing on them during trash sorting left a shocking and lasting impression.
Through this experience, I learned the greatness and value of nature, and that protecting the sea and the environment—though it need not be grand—becomes much more powerful when everyone acts together with the same intention.
#Multinational friends I met through the Gap Year project
In weeks 1–2, I met volunteers who came from the U.S. as family units and five students from Austria who came together to film an environmental documentary as their high school graduation project. In addition, participants from various countries such as Mexico, Portugal, the UK, and France gathered.
In weeks 3–4, there were many French participants at the camp, so I became close with friends and also had an introductory experience with French.
#More important than language ability was the desire to communicate.
At first, when speaking in English I felt pressured about grammatical mistakes and felt like I misheard things, so I couldn’t easily start conversations and experienced a lot of language anxiety. Especially in communication with foreigners I met for the first time, I worried a lot about what expressions to use.
But as time passed I realized that conveying my intention was more important than speaking perfectly, and gradually I opened up and spoke more naturally. Not being afraid of mistakes and having the courage to speak often actually brought us closer and made communication enjoyable.
#Iceland July weather & clothing tips
In July you can experience both summer and winter in a single day; the weather fluctuates a lot, so I recommend bringing several warm layers.
#It helped change my life
I’d rate the change in my life 8 out of 10!
Before participating I wasn’t confident communicating in English, but through the project living and collaborating with people of various nationalities, I felt my English skills improve.
On my first long-term stay abroad, with people from different cultures I learned how to live with others, how to be considerate, and how to communicateI was able to learn a lot.
In particular, during trash-sorting activities, seeing microplastics that cannot be removed by hand the seriousness of environmental problemsmade me feel it deeply and led me to become more interested in the issue of microplastics afterward.
Through this project the necessity of environmental protection beyond a simple experienceIt became an opportunity to deeply realize it once again.
#My special gap year story
During my gap year activities, I had an unexpected opportunity at a venue where the Icelandic rock band Kaleo was performing.I participated as a volunteer staff member at a local festival.
I was able to guide people and directly feel the festival atmosphere, and thanks to that I had an unforgettable experience enjoying Kaleo''s live performance up close.
Also at this time in my lifeI camped for the first time and created special memories spending two days in Iceland''s great outdoors. Unplanned coincidences accumulated and made my gap year more colorful and precious.
#Thank you. Korea Gap Year
Thank you for the kind response 😄
I was very worried because it was my first trip abroad as an adult, but the kind replies were very helpful and relieved much of my anxiety.
#My gap year is!
Experience ★★★★★
: Living in Iceland for a monthI learned how to live together with others and made many friends.I learned a variety of skills and knowledge by cooking for myself and participating in workshops taught by the camp leaders.
Learning ★★★★★
: I was reminded about the environment and came to deeply appreciate its importance.
Safety ★★★
: For beach cleanups you may need to cross a fence; be careful not to get pricked by barbed wire. Other than that, overall life was safe.
Leisure ★★★★★
: One camp is located in the middle of the great outdoors and is a really great location for hiking.
Environment ★★★★★
: It''s a great opportunity to experience the wilderness firsthand.You can experience the grandeur of the waterfalls while hiking.
A new challenge, the beginning of growth!
Korea Gap Year accompanies Park Seohyun on her journey.
The project Seohyun attended the project''s
detailed information and various reviews Please click below :)
|
Not just a simple trip, an opportunity for personal growthIt became. People from various countries and age groups truly striving to protect nature was movingIt was. the great outdoorsthat gives a sense of greatness and a feeling of value, and the power of taking actionI learned. Living together with others, how to be considerate and to communicateI learned.
<Protecting nature with my own hands! Iceland environmental conservation project> Review by gapper Park Seo-hyun
|
Hello!
Last July, for one month, in the pristine Nordic country
I took part in an environmental volunteer gap year in Iceland
I''m Park Seo-hyun, a university student who participated. 🙂
#Why I took the gap year
I had been fascinated by Iceland''svast natural landscapes in the Nordic regionand had always dreamed of visiting someday.
When I was a freshman at university, I went on a beach volunteer trip with a service club.At that time, we picked up trash,upcyclingwhile doing
manymeaningful things to learn, so I have fond memoriesthat I had.
While looking for a summer vacation destination with my older cousin,I discovered a meaningful opportunity that could let me experience environmental issues I’m interested in and Iceland’s great outdoors—
the Iceland environmental volunteer gap year project,and I joined right away without much hesitation.
#Thanks to the gap year, I gained confidence.
My cousin and I decided on a one-month project together. Although I had a dependable companion, I felt language anxiety about having to communicate in English, and I was also worried because I had never been apart from my family for such a long time.
However,by following the step-by-step missions and information provided by Korea Gap Year before departure, I gradually gained confidence, and thanks to thorough preparation I was able to ease many of my worries.
#Not just a simple trip, but an opportunity for personal growth
Through the gap year,I wanted to improve my English by interacting with friends from various countries, directly experience Iceland’s beautiful nature, and deeply appreciate the importance of the environment.
Rather than just visiting Iceland as a tourist, I wanted to live in an unfamiliar environment, learn about each other’s cultures, and, through volunteering, reflect on myself and become evena chance to growI wanted to create.
#I volunteered and freely enjoyed my leisure time.
I stayed at two camps in Iceland and participated in volunteer activities.
At both camps, breakfast was simple using the ingredients in each kitchen, and then the full-day schedule began. One camp carried out beach cleaning and trash sorting activities divided into morning and afternoon.
People were divided into two teams that worked in shifts and, according to a weekly schedule (which could change flexibly!), prepared lunch and dinner together and took on shared tasks like house cleaning.
In free time, we did campfires or played board games with others, and on weekends we could experience Iceland’s nature through hikes or excursions organized by the camp.
At the other camp, we prepared lunch boxes, traveled to a forest about 30 minutes from the accommodation, and worked there. We usually left at 9 a.m. and finished around 3 p.m., carrying out tasks like tree planting and forest maintenance under the instruction of the forest manager.
Because the camp was located in the center of town,on weekends we could freely enjoy leisure activities like brunch at a café, walking around the town, or nearby hiking.
#Seeing and feeling the pristine nature and the participants’ sincerity was moving.
Above all, the greatest advantage was being able to fully experience the great outdoorsIt was. In Iceland, you could see almost untouched by human hands undisturbed, pristine naturethat I could see and feel up close, and such participants of various nationalities and ages who had gathered to protect that environment cooperated and sincerely tried, which was very impressive and moving.
In particular, the sight of everyone pulling nets stuck in piles in the beach sand to clean them, and finding pieces of trash with Korean writing on them during trash sorting left a shocking and lasting impression.
Through this experience, I learned the greatness and value of nature, and that protecting the sea and the environment—though it need not be grand—becomes much more powerful when everyone acts together with the same intention.
#Multinational friends I met through the Gap Year project
In weeks 1–2, I met volunteers who came from the U.S. as family units and five students from Austria who came together to film an environmental documentary as their high school graduation project. In addition, participants from various countries such as Mexico, Portugal, the UK, and France gathered.
In weeks 3–4, there were many French participants at the camp, so I became close with friends and also had an introductory experience with French.
#More important than language ability was the desire to communicate.
At first, when speaking in English I felt pressured about grammatical mistakes and felt like I misheard things, so I couldn’t easily start conversations and experienced a lot of language anxiety. Especially in communication with foreigners I met for the first time, I worried a lot about what expressions to use.
But as time passed I realized that conveying my intention was more important than speaking perfectly, and gradually I opened up and spoke more naturally. Not being afraid of mistakes and having the courage to speak often actually brought us closer and made communication enjoyable.
#Iceland July weather & clothing tips
In July you can experience both summer and winter in a single day; the weather fluctuates a lot, so I recommend bringing several warm layers.
#It helped change my life
I’d rate the change in my life 8 out of 10!
Before participating I wasn’t confident communicating in English, but through the project living and collaborating with people of various nationalities, I felt my English skills improve.
On my first long-term stay abroad, with people from different cultures I learned how to live with others, how to be considerate, and how to communicateI was able to learn a lot.
In particular, during trash-sorting activities, seeing microplastics that cannot be removed by hand the seriousness of environmental problemsmade me feel it deeply and led me to become more interested in the issue of microplastics afterward.
Through this project the necessity of environmental protection beyond a simple experienceIt became an opportunity to deeply realize it once again.
#My special gap year story
During my gap year activities, I had an unexpected opportunity at a venue where the Icelandic rock band Kaleo was performing.I participated as a volunteer staff member at a local festival.
I was able to guide people and directly feel the festival atmosphere, and thanks to that I had an unforgettable experience enjoying Kaleo''s live performance up close.
Also at this time in my lifeI camped for the first time and created special memories spending two days in Iceland''s great outdoors. Unplanned coincidences accumulated and made my gap year more colorful and precious.
#Thank you. Korea Gap Year
Thank you for the kind response 😄
I was very worried because it was my first trip abroad as an adult, but the kind replies were very helpful and relieved much of my anxiety.
#My gap year is!
Experience ★★★★★
: Living in Iceland for a monthI learned how to live together with others and made many friends.I learned a variety of skills and knowledge by cooking for myself and participating in workshops taught by the camp leaders.
Learning ★★★★★
: I was reminded about the environment and came to deeply appreciate its importance.
Safety ★★★
: For beach cleanups you may need to cross a fence; be careful not to get pricked by barbed wire. Other than that, overall life was safe.
Leisure ★★★★★
: One camp is located in the middle of the great outdoors and is a really great location for hiking.
Environment ★★★★★
: It''s a great opportunity to experience the wilderness firsthand.You can experience the grandeur of the waterfalls while hiking.
A new challenge, the beginning of growth!
Korea Gap Year accompanies Park Seohyun on her journey.
The project Seohyun attended the project''s
detailed information and various reviews Please click below :)
What makes this project special
