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#I came to love my life again. #People who love me just as I am. #I can live at my own pace.
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Strongly recommended by Korea Gap Year participant Kim Jun-hwi 👏👏👏
Baby Turtle Conservation Project in Bali, Indonesia |
"I definitely want to recommend this program to those going through a hard time or considering going abroad alone."
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Hello :)
I recently was in Bali.Baby turtle conservation projectI''m Kim Jun-hwi, and I just returned after completing it.
Before leaving for a gap year in Bali, unexpected wounds from relationships all rushed in at once, and I suffered from depression and even alopecia areata. It became so hard to go to work every morning, and I kept thinking, "Is it okay to live like this?" I felt like I would really fall apart unless I left somewhere, so I decided to quit my job and immediately went on a ''gap year.''
Among the many programs, Bali''sbaby turtle conservation projectwas chosen because I normally like nature and animals,
and because I thought, "If I do something that helps the world even a little, maybe my life could get better?"
# A day with the baby turtles
We cleaned the turtle tanks and released the hatchlings into the sea. Spending the whole day by the ocean gradually calmed me. In particular, watching the turtles head toward the waves in their own different ways made me think a lot. Some turtles ran straight into the rough waves, while others hesitated for a long time before finally taking a single step. Watching them I realized anew the obvious but important fact: if even turtles are all different, aren''t people all different too?
I always thought I was slower than others and felt impatient, but actually I was just going at my own pace. Like a turtle slowly moving while looking around. After that day I felt, "I can just go at my own speed too!"
# Regaining trust in people
Volunteering itself was meaningful, but what gave me even greater comfort were the BalinesepeopleThey were. In Korea, I''ve often been hurt while being kind, but in Bali it was the opposite. There were people who treated me several times more warmly than what I gave. Especially there was a local motherly figure called ''Mama'' who hugged me tightly and said, "While you''re here, I hope you always feel comfortable and not anxious." I felt moved thinking, ''There really are people in this world who will love me as I am.''
# Immersed in Balinese culture
Besides turtle conservation activities, I had experiences that let me feel local culture with my whole body, such as learning traditional Balinese dance, participating in ceremonies, and trekking. Especially, the priest performed a ceremony for us and made bracelets, which was both amazing as a full cultural experience unique to Bali and somehow soothing. When I let go and spent each day with the mindset, "From now on, I am a Balinese person," I think I received much more insight and gifts there.
# A new perspective, and the meaning of happiness
If someone is going through a hard time like I did or is considering going abroad alone, I really want to recommend this program. Honestly, I wasn''t very interested in overseas travel before. But through this Bali gap year I learned that there are really diverse people in the world and that happiness isn''t something grand.
What still remains in my memory is that the people I met in Bali were always smiling even while doing hard work. They were content with what they had and loved their lives within that. Watching them, I decided to try loving my life again. I hope this writing brings a little courage and comfort to someone reading it. If your heart is tired, taking a pause and looking at the world with a ''gap year'' might be a truly great gift.
Capturing the growth journeys
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