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#Realized a life metaphor through challenge #The experience of planning and completing it with a friend #After the uphill comes the downhill — the taste at the end of hardship
Pack light, bring plenty of spending money, don’t push for long distances, look up good restaurants — then you’ll succeed. - Chasing the breeze, chasing dreams: Jeju Blue Bike Journey / 5-day gap year |
- Items I was inconvenienced by not having:Raincoat, rearview mirror, and other bicycle accessories
- Items that were convenient / items that caused trouble:Hat, long-sleeved clothes / deodorant, earphones
- My personal advice for future volunteers regarding what to prepare
For a 5-night, 6-day trip, about 3 short-sleeve shirts, 2 pairs of pants, and 2 long-sleeves seem appropriate.
Through the gap year program I participated in: what was good, what moved me, what I learned, and what I realized.
I ate truly delicious Jeju specialty dishes and local food.
I realized that uphill and downhill aren’t proportional.
I felt the sand of a beautiful beach with my whole body.
What advice would you give to future participants of the gap year program?
Pack light, bring plenty of spending money, don’t push for long distances, look up good restaurants — then you’ll succeed.
ⓒKorea Gapyear
My gap year story in Jeju
Before departure
I planned a Blue Bike cycling trip with friends and gathered information through internet research and reviews about what we needed. Based on the collected information, we created our own travel map with daily distances, locations of cafes and convenience stores to rest at, and guesthouse contact numbers. Using social commerce, we booked guesthouses from the first day to the last at 3–50% off.
The plane departed a little later than scheduled, so by the time we arrived at the airport and reached the Blue Bike headquarters, it was past 3 o’clock. After filling out simple paperwork and hearing the precautions, we set off around 4. We hadn’t had lunch, so we went to the restaurant we’d found in advance, Olle Noodles, to eat.
ⓒKorea Gapyear
Cycling trip
From the first to the third day we rode about 45–50 km per day. We didn’t overdo it and took breaks now and then; it felt like we covered about 1 km every 10 minutes. On the fourth and fifth days we rode around 30 km. Although the itinerary was a relaxed 5 nights and 6 days, one day it rained all day and another day was all uphill, so it didn’t always feel like a leisurely 5-night, 6-day trip — but we were grateful that no one was seriously injured or sick during the trip.
Memorable food
Even though it was well past lunchtime, there was no room to step in and we had to wait 20 minutes. A chaotic atmosphere, a simple menu, and a worn, shabby interior — that was my first impression of Jeju Olle Noodles. But the image of the meat noodles that remains in my head now is generous portions of meat, a rich and deep-flavored broth, and a clean, satisfying taste. It was really delicious.
After the meat noodles, I also remember the Hwanggeumryung Burger we had on the second day. We arrived around 9:30 and went in; the unusual interior and distinctive layout left an impression. It was the kind of restaurant that looked like it had popped out of a comic book and didn’t blend with the surrounding scenery. The menu was unique too. The burger was served in eight pieces and featured a black pork patty with homemade whipped cream for dipping. We ordered one burger, three drinks, a salad, and fries. It wasn’t cheap, but the shop’s concept was clear and the taste felt wholesome.
ⓒKorea Gapyear
