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#Gained freedom from comparing myself to others #The courage and patience to face myself. #It was a stretch for a new beginning.
It was nice to be able to have time just for myself without worrying about anything for the first time in a long while. Until now I was constantly busy without a break, so I had no time to organize things. This opportunity gave me time to look back on my life so far, say goodbye to what needed to be let go, and resolve to take on new intentions.
- Samyang, Jeju — I want to live there. A romantic place where starlight pours down / 4-week gap year |
After referring to the gap year program information, what additional details were needed before participating or what differed from reality?
There was no mention of required items at all, so it was unclear which supplies were provided and what I should bring.
The specified working hours and types of work were too broad/vague, so it was necessary to discuss them separately with the guesthouse.
Memorable positive experiences (or unpleasant experiences and solutions) while participating in the gap year program
Rather than one particularly memorable special event, living as a traveler every day for almost a month itself
was a memorable experience.
The sea in front of the house©Korea gapyear
Common language: Korean — in practice many people spoke Korean.
Accommodation
- Accommodation location: staff room
- Type of accommodation: separated by gender (there were only female participants)
- My advice to future volunteers about the accommodation:
It''s as comfortable as home. You can go without worrying too much. However, if you get cold easily, be sure to pack warmly.
Meals
- Meal type: occasional self-catering (sometimes cooking)
- My advice to future volunteers regarding meals:
Don''t worry about being polite — just help yourself to what''s in the fridge. The owner stocks the fridge for you,
so make sure to take care of your own meals.
Supplies/Insurance etc.
- Items that were lacking/that would have been useful: none in particular.
- Items that were convenient to have/that caused inconvenience: everything I needed was available.
- My advice to future volunteers regarding what to bring:
Go as if you''re going to a pension (guesthouse). A bed, wardrobe, dressing table, towels, and toiletries are all provided.
Through the gap year program I participated in: good points, things that moved me, things I learned, insights, etc.
For the first time in a long while, without worrying about anythingTime just for me.I was glad to be able to have it. Up until now I had been constantly busy without any rest, so I never had time to sort things out. But this opportunity allowed me to look back on my life so far, say goodbye to what I needed to, and resolve the things I wanted to approach anew.
In a way, I''m at a point where I have to begin a completely new life. After graduating I have to start working. A new beginning requires saying farewell to something, and through the gap year I was able to say goodbye to my life until now and properly welcome a new one.
If there were people you met or spent time with through the gap year program...
First, there was a staff member who worked with the owner; we always ate and worked together, so we spent the most time together and became that much closer. It was amazing that we could meet without knowing each other''s backgrounds and simply be together. Both of them were somewhat similar to me yet in some ways lived completely different lives, so it was a surprising and valuable experience.
With the owner''s daughter©Koreagap year
What advice would you give to future participants of the gap year camp program as a former participant?
The program I joined was called ''I Want to Live There,'' so if I''m giving advice specific to this program,make sure to check what kind of vibe each guesthouse has before you go.The place I stayed had more pensions/holiday houses, so there wasn''t much interaction with guests.I mostly traveled alone and had a lot of time for reflection.Personally it was the perfect place for me, but for participants who want to meet many different people it might have been difficult. It''s best to carefully consider the character of each guesthouse and choose one that suits you.
Comparing before and after participating in the gap year camp,
actually nothing has changed outwardly. However, I feel ready to start something. Like stretching in place before a long marathon, I feel like I''ve faithfully done a short stretch for the road ahead.
Tell us about your own travel route during the gap year (recommended places, schedule, route).
Personally, because I like walking, I mainly walked the Olle trails. Usually an Olle trail is 15–20 km. Since that''s a lot to walk all at once, I chose my own roughly 10 km route that goes through the core part of a course. After walking, eating delicious food is the icing on the cake. A recommended route is to start at the beginning of Course 5 and walk to Gongcheonpo, then eat at ''Yone Restaurant.'' Or start at Samyang Beach on Course 18 and walk to the end, then eat kalguksu at ''Beodeunamu House.''
Geumnung sunset©Korea gap year
Deciding to participate at first wasn''t easy. Many people said that now is the time to do something based on what I''ve done so far. I also wondered whether I should be preparing and challenging myself right away, so I had a lot of doubts about whether taking rest time just for myself was the right thing. But I felt I had neither the courage nor the strength to do anything at the moment. I thought I needed time for myself, so I decided to join.
Even after applying, I apparently remained anxious. Even in things that were going well I kept feeling something was wrong. Until the last day of leaving I questioned whether going was the right choice. Even though it was only a month, seeing myself repeatedly reconsider decisions made me very uneasy.
But as soon as I arrived in Jeju, those anxieties and worries disappeared. Being in a place where no one judged me and where I didn''t have to compare myself to anyone, I realized that the fears surrounding me came from constant comparisons with others, and I felt liberated. I even felt excited at the thought of living freely without comparing myself to anyone. And so my Jeju gap year began.
During the gap year period, each day on the surface repeated the same. Until 11 a.m. I worked attending to guests and cleaning, and after that I had time for myself like traveling. The work wasn''t difficult. The owner was very considerate, so cleaning was just making beds and sweeping floors. The guests didn''t cause much trouble, so I could work happily. The staff who worked with me had arrived earlier and kindly explained things, so I quickly became accustomed.
Entrance to Ttarabi Oreum©Korea gap year
The times I traveled alone were truly so free. I had worried that as a woman traveling alone and getting around by bus it might be dangerous, or that eating alone would be lonely, but maybe because it''s a tourist destination, none of those were much of a problem. On days I wanted to walk I just walked until I was tired; on days I wanted to see the sea I would stand endlessly in front of it; on days I didn''t want to do anything I went to a nearby library and read all day.
On the way back from a tourist spot I sometimes happened upon a beautiful sunset, and while walking the Olle trail I met fellow walkers and chatted. I encountered a cute rainbow, took shelter from sudden hail under a large tree and strangely felt calm. Although the days repeated in the same way, the color of the sky and the sea each day was different, and each day was always special.
And then it passed in the blink of an eye. Actually I had expected that a lot would change in a month—that some decisions would be made or my thoughts would be completely sorted out. But to say I''ve become a completely new person in this month is absurd. I''m still the same as before, and the future is still unclear. I don''t even know whether to add or subtract anything—I find myself back in the same place.
But if you ask what I learned during this month,''Not changing easily. And patience''
Even though I had a premonition that something would change, life often remains unchanged. Even while everyone else is moving forward, there are even more times when I''m the only one standing still. I may have to endure that kind of irritation countless times in the future — like coming across an Olle trail sign that says you''ve only passed 1 km out of 15, despite having walked and walked.
But when I face that overwhelming emptiness, I tell myself I will think of the countless paths I have walked here. That the remaining 14 km, which seems like it will never end, is ultimately the sort of thing that steady steps can reach the end of. That such sincere, steady steps never betray you. And I will remember the patch of blue sky I met on that road, the moment the wind suddenly stopped, the unexpected rainbow, the shadow that faithfully followed me, and the sound of my heartbeat.
