Before participating in a gap year, I want to say that it''s most important to remind yourself once again ''why am I taking a gap year.'' The more time you spend alone整理ing your thoughts during the gap year, the more you can grow; making use of time outside of working hours is really, really important. A mid-term check is essential to carry out the things you decided before joining the program. Rather than just sightseeing, creating your own memories — such as cultural experiences or talking with French people who can speak English — will stay with you longer. - Paris, France — I want to live there. |
- My French level before participating: Only greetings.
- My French level upon returning: A bit of everyday conversation.
- My advice about language
I think it''s good to study French beforehand. In practice, English doesn''t work well, so there were some inconveniences in daily life. Of course, as you stay there you''ll be able to manage greetings and basic conversation, but to enjoy a higher quality of life it''s better to learn French before you go.
- My advice about meals
I eat breakfast and dinner with the guests or the host aunt. Lunch, if I''m not traveling, is either with the aunt, bought outside, or something I cook myself. If you buy food, at first you don''t have a sense of prices so think carefully before buying. There are many delicious things so you can spend money wastefully. Also, the aunt''s cooking is so good there''s not much to worry about. I brought a few cup ramen, which were very useful — at night I often craved ramen broth.
- Items I was inconvenienced by lacking / convenient items:Running shoes, neck-wallet, thin in-flight slippers / neck pillow
- Items that were convenient to have / items that caused trouble:Fanny pack, international student ID, coat, Mentholatum (lip balm), waterproof phone pouch, laptop, power strip, padlock, wire (cable lock), cup ramen / nail polish, indoor slippers, books, scarves I rarely wear in Korea, clothes I don''t usually wear in Korea
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1. Clothes you rarely wore in Korea you won''t wear in Paris either. ^^
2. Since you may travel to nearby countries on days off, it''s good to bring single-use sample-sized toiletries like shampoo, body wash, toothpaste, cleansing foam, toner, and lotion.
3. If you''re absolutely sure you won''t lose it, it''s better to exchange a lot of cash beforehand.
4. An international student ID is useful not only for discounts but also as a form of identification in many places. It''s simpler than taking out your passport when you need to show ID, and losing it is less risky than losing your passport. The comment about lower risk applies only if the international student ID card doesn''t contain money.
5. In Paris, where pickpockets are common, a fanny pack or neck wallet seems essential. I also brought a waterproof phone pouch and it was fairly useful. It''s best to keep money in your pants'' front pocket or the inner pocket of your coat. If it doesn''t all fit, putting a small amount in a neck wallet is okay. Phone theft is the most common, so always be mindful of your phone. If you put your phone in a waterproof pouch and wear it around your neck like I did, you won''t leave it on tables or put it in your bag, reducing theft risk. However, your neck may hurt if you wear it all day. Also, it''s good to lock your bag because many pickpockets open and rummage through bags. A wire is useful for securing luggage on trains when moving to other countries. There are many pickpockets on trains, too.
6. I''m glad I brought a coat. Wearing a padded jumper or hoodie to the opera or a restaurant is considered impolite. Now that the weather has warmed up, it might be better to bring other smart clothing rather than a heavy coat.
7. Running shoes are essential because your feet will hurt when traveling. Thin in-flight slippers are useful to have, and guesthouses provide indoor slippers so you don''t need to bring them separately.
What I learned from participating in the gap year program.
I think I learned to respect people''s individuality and values by meeting many people. This is the greatest advantage of the gap year program I experienced.
Were there people you met or spent time with through the gap year program?
Seungju and Seonggyu, who had come as guests when I worked as a staff member, joined me on a trip to Italy. I originally planned to travel to Spain, but after getting close with them I changed the plan to Italy and went together.
That connection continued back in Korea and a few days ago the guys came to visit. They are precious connections who came from Daegu to Daejeon saying they were going to join the military soon. Also, a pharmacy businessman I talked with for half a day in Venice—I still keep in touch occasionally via Facebook. There are so many people I met that it''s hard to list them all: a Colombian woman and an Indonesian man I met on the plane to Paris; acquaintances of the owner; and Yoorim, a staff member I worked with, among many others.
What advice would you give to future participants in the gap year program?
Before joining a gap year, I want to say it''s most important to remind yourself once more, ''Why am I taking a gap year?'' The more time you spend alone organizing your thoughts during the gap year, the more you can grow. Use your time outside of work—this is really, really important. Mid-term check-ins are essential to carry out the things you resolved before joining the program. Rather than just sightseeing, making your own memories—such as cultural experiences or talking with French people who know English—will last longer.
How would you compare yourself before and after participating in the gap year program?
Before the gap year, I couldn''t fully live my own life; I measured myself by others'' and society''s standards.
But after participating, I live for myself as the owner of my life, tending to my values and mindset so they don''t waver.
Please tell us about your own travel route during the gap year.
- France, Paris: ★ Luxembourg Gardens, the Montmartre hill by day and night, ★ Sacré-Cœur Basilica, bridges overlooking the Seine, the park on the path from behind Notre-Dame to the Pont des Arts (the ''love bridge''), ★ the incredible performances in the Paris metro, and the L''Entrecôte de Paris steakhouse on the Champs-Élysées.
- Italy: ★ Boboli Gardens in Florence, ★ the Adriatic in Venice—gondolas and any spot with countless visible bridges, ★ Murano Island, and the T-bone steak restaurant Zaza behind the Florence leather market.
- Countries during festival season
- Accommodation recommendation in Italy: Generator Venice hostel in Venice
(★ = highly recommended)
My gap year story in Paris
Last January, I took a leave of absence and did an internship. When the agreed internship period ended, the suddenly empty time felt strange and made me anxious. I envied others'' extracurricular activity experience because everyone seemed to have it. I did those activities for the time being, but as my leave was coming to an end I felt empty. I had forgotten the reason I decided to take the leave (my personal life plan), and I disliked becoming an ordinary college student again. I wanted a preparation period to live my own life...
I wanted to spend the rest of my leave experiencing things I truly wanted and liked. I thought about when in my 23 years I had been truly happy. After thinking it over, I remembered when I was 20 and working at a family restaurant. While others were embarrassed to sing the birthday song, I would genuinely celebrate customers'' birthdays and sing enthusiastically. Recalling other experiences, I realized I liked making people happy with my bright energy.
So I left for Paris wanting to experience the real me once more. I actually worked as a guesthouse staffer and spent an energetic 39 days. Of course it wasn''t all happiness for 39 days straight, but I loved being able to give strength to weary guests returning from trips by sharing my bright energy. It was nice to travel around Paris outside work hours, but I was truly happy when I suggested travel routes to guests inside the guesthouse and helped solve what they needed.
For example, a guest came to me asking for help printing an airplane ticket. So I went to the owner''s house. The owner wasn''t there; only the owner''s wife was. Neither she nor I had ever printed before and we were flustered because it wouldn''t print. We tried again and again, but since we hadn''t done it before, it didn''t work. The guest was anxious and there wasn''t much time left before leaving for the airport. But I didn''t give up. The guest''s problem felt like my own and I wanted to solve it somehow. Although I''m not good with computers, I pressed buttons here and there and kept unplugging and plugging in the cable, and finally it printed. If I had given up then by saying it wouldn''t work and that there would be printers at the airport, that guest''s last memory of the guesthouse would have become their overall memory of the place. Of course this is normal in service work, but because I helped as if it were truly my job, I think it was resolved. I experienced this several times and realized that I like being helpful to others.
Secondly, before taking my gap year I was interested in the job of a tour guide. That job also had elements I liked, so I wanted to try it. But after experiencing it, it didn''t suit me. My stamina isn''t that good, and I don''t particularly enjoy wandering around. A bigger problem is that a tour depends on the guide''s knowledge, disposition, and atmosphere, and I felt no particular excitement revisiting places I''d already been. Except for a few spots I loved, I introduced places without feeling moved. So I concluded it wasn''t for me, and seeing tour guides leading trips made me think you really have to love that work to do it.
Also, while traveling I met people who sincerely asked after travelers'' well-being, and it made me want to warmly welcome foreign visitors in Korea and leave them with good memories of our country. A pilot I met on the way to the guesthouse when I first arrived in Paris watched out for me on the bus, worried I might get off at the wrong stop, and tied up my carry-on so it wouldn''t roll around on the bus. In Italy, while wandering the winding alleys of Venice, an elderly man asked with sincere eyes whether traveling alone was difficult for me, and I was moved thinking, ''How can someone I''ve just met show such sincere concern?''
Also, there was the pharmacy businessman who tried to help me when I was lost on an island, and the grandmother and grandfather who, in pouring rain, spent about 30 minutes asking people for directions and guiding me. Their feelings and looks toward foreign travelers seemed truly sincere. Because I like helping others, I wanted to assist foreign visitors coming to Korea and decided I want to do that kind of work in the future. I hope that because of me, and because of the Korea I introduce, more foreigners will love our country and more Koreans will be proud of it.
And seeing architecture contrasted with ours made me want to promote the unique beauty of our country. In particular, Paris preserves most of its old buildings, and you can feel the effort to maintain them. Walking the streets between those buildings, their grandeur and mystery were incomparable to walking among high-rise buildings in Seoul. Of course maintaining those structures likely causes inconveniences for residents, but I was very envious. I imagined that if Seoul—rather than just certain areas—were filled with hanok (traditional houses), every place would feel novel and beautiful. During about a month and a half in Paris I thought, ''Paris is only about one-sixth the size of Seoul! From what I feel, Seoul also has so many great places! Why isn''t it developed into landmarks like Paris, and why don''t people travel here as much?'' and I wanted to contribute to that.
There were aspects that contrasted with my country, but in many ways there were also similarities. The day after I arrived in Paris, a guest at the guesthouse who was buying luxury goods for clients came by. On my first trip I also followed the luxury shops, but perhaps because I was still young, I found it somewhat shocking. Seeing employees at some luxury stores judge whether to welcome or snub a customer based only on their appearance, race, or looks made me feel sorry for them. It seemed they lived with money as their highest value. Having lived 23 years, I know there are many more beautiful and valuable things, so I felt pity. Also, Parisians are as hurried as people in Seoul, and the behavior of people on the subway was similar.
Perhaps it’s true that you see as much as you know. After traveling, I remembered CEO An Si-jun’s advice to watch movies or read books about a country’s history and culture rather than relying on guidebooks. You really only notice as much as you know and care about. I don’t yet know where my next destination will be, but I felt I should reflect on his words once more.
ⓒKorea Gapyear
Compared to before I went on my gap year, I feel I have matured deeply. The speed of my mental growth has also increased. I have become more relaxed and a little more tolerant, and I have given more serious thought to my life.
The gap year I took near the end of my leave from school, motivated by the idea of actually doing what I wanted, made me feel many things. As guesthouse staff, I met a lot of people. Learning to respect each person’s values and individuality and developing understanding has become a great asset after the gap year. Also, the leave I took with the resolution “I’ll only do what I truly want!” turned into a time to look back on days when I was only busy building my resume and to deeply contemplate my life. Being physically apart from Korea made me feel detached from everyday reality. Because of that, I was able to focus on my inner self and enjoyed having a lot of time alone to think, which I liked.
In Paris, which was very different from Korea, I was able to think about what values I should emphasize going forward, and whereas before my gap year I only thought about the neighborhood where I lived, I now have the ability to expand my view to my country and society as a whole.
The reason I could be so relaxed while living away from home was thanks to the guesthouse owner and his wife (whom I called “sister”), my aunt, Owner Ganji, the grandmother, Taehun, and my fellow staff member Yurim who shared every hardship with me. They showed me great consideration and respect. I am truly grateful to Owner Woosung for letting me combine my days off so I could travel to Italy, for the many worries, handwritten letters, and generous pocket money that made me cry on the train when I was sent off, and for making snacks and delicious drinks himself. I’m very thankful to my aunt who adored me like a daughter with the nickname “Yangyeosi,” to my older ‘sister’ who always coolly and generously understood things from a staff perspective, to Owner Ganji and the grandmother and the cute Taehun who always greeted me brightly when I went out, and I am also very, very grateful to my beloved Yurim, to whom I should have been kinder.
