As I actually excavated Roman-era ruins and learned and experienced things on-site, I really felt like I was living a part of history. On the last day of the program I dug up an item that looked important, and the researchers there didn’t know what it was either. It ended like that, but later while traveling I went into the Barcelona History Museum and saw the exact same object on display. When I asked the museum guide what it was, they said it was a game piece used in Roman-era board games similar to chess or janggi. It was really amazing. - Excavating Roman artifacts in Spain’s Balearic Islands! / Shin Hye-il, gap-year participant |
Q.Please briefly introduce yourself.
A. Hello, my name is Shin Hye-il. I finished my third year and am currently on a leave of absence.
Q.How did you decide to take a leave of absence?
A. I didn’t want to go into my fourth year like that. I felt that if I graduated without really knowing what I wanted or how I think about things — in short, without knowing myself — I would end up with nothing. So even if it meant delaying graduation a bit, I wanted to learn more about myself first. I thought that if I knew what kind of person I am, I would be able to make better, happier, and more suitable choices for myself in the future.
Q.What did you do while on leave?
A. I worked part-time to save money, and recently I went to Spain for about a month and a half as part of a gap year.
Q.How did you find out about the gap year?
A. I had known about the concept of a gap year before, but I didn’t know it existed in our country. Then last year I found the website, remembered it, and visited in person earlier this year.
Q.There are many programs at Korea Gap Year; why did you choose the Roman artifact excavation program?
A. There are indeed a lot of programs. I wanted to try them all, but I first applied for consulting to learn more about myself. At the same time I filtered programs that suited me and narrowed it down to about three. I chose the one that felt the most unfamiliar.
Q.What were people’s reactions when you said you were going to Spain?
A. My friends envied me for taking a leave and going to do what I wanted and for going to Spain, but my father didn’t really understand. It was an activity completely unrelated to my major, and although he wasn’t strongly opposed to me going abroad alone as a woman, he was inwardly against it and even suggested I reconsider. Among acquaintances, when I said I was going to participate in an artifact excavation project, some asked, “Huh? Why you?” Honestly, like most people, since it was such an unfamiliar field, some people were puzzled because I couldn’t clearly explain what the activity involved.
Q.So what activities did you mainly do participating in the Roman artifact excavation program?
A. We learned about Roman-era history, but not the entire Roman period. We learned about how the Balearic Islands were connected to the Roman era and which specific period within Roman times it was. Because we learned about the people who lived then and their culture centered on the items I or other participants excavated, it felt much more vivid.
Q.How was life in Spain?
A. During the excavation activities I followed the program schedule, so I didn’t really feel Spanish life. But after the program ended, while traveling around Spain and seeing how Spaniards live, I wondered, “When do these people earn money?” — it’s that relaxed an environment.Spain has a siesta rest time, and people generally seem to live more leisurely.
Q.Before leaving for the gap year program, did you prepare anything special?
A. Apart from saving money by working part-time, I don’t think I prepared anything special. However, when I traveled in Spain I couldn’t understand a lot because I wasn’t good at Spanish, so it was a bit difficult to experience Spanish life. I regret not having learned even a little Spanish beforehand.
Q.Which language is mainly used?
A. Although it''s in Spain, most participants were English speakers, so we mainly used English during the program. After the program, when traveling in Spain, except at tourist sites or places like McDonald''s, we mostly used Spanish.
Q.How was the overall structure and organization of the program?
A. The program runs in sessions: each session lasts seven days, followed by two days off. I did two such sessions. In the mornings we went to the site and did actual excavation work; in the afternoons we returned to the lab to study what had been excavated that morning, learn the history related to those items, and sometimes learn more about Roman history.
Q.You said you did two sessions—were there differences between them?
A. I had originally applied for a program to excavate Roman-era urban ruins for both sessions, but that was canceled. So in the first session we excavated a site called a necropolis, which is like a communal cemetery, and we worked on opening graves. We collected the bones found there and in the afternoons back at the lab we tried to estimate from which century the person was, their sex, and approximate age. In the second session there was a city site near the accommodation where we excavated former house foundations and traces of an old basilica; several participants each took responsibility for one room and dug down to see if anything important was there. I mainly participated in the land-based program. Some other participants did underwater exploration via scuba diving.
Q.You said you excavated at a site related to Roman history—what is its connection to Roman history?
A. The site is related to the middle-to-late Roman period up to its collapse. Most of the artifacts found are things used in that era, such as eating utensils and pottery.
Q.Can you tell me about the people you met during the program?
A. I made a lot of friends, and the person I remember most is my roommate, an older woman from the US. Here''s an episode: usually 7–8 people live in one accommodation, and aside from me everyone else was a major in archaeology or history. Most were from the US, and when they asked me, "You''re not a related major—how did you end up here?" I hesitated and couldn''t answer. Then my roommate said, "You''re doing it as a hobby, right?" and gave me a cool title. That encouraged me and I think I became more committed after that. Most were 22–23 years old, but she was 30.
Another friend was studying history in the US and was very interested in world history and artifacts. When I said I was from Korea, he asked if I knew about the turtle ship and wanted me to talk about it. I told him the story and he really liked it.
Q.Do you have any memorable episodes?
A. The program runs for seven days with two days off. My birthday happened to fall on the first two-day break. We had a birthday party, and the next day everyone celebrated again, partying for two days as if it were my birthday. That joyful experience is my most special memory.
Q.What leisure activities did you do besides the program activities?
A. During the program, rather than spending free time alone, I wanted to get close to the international friends in the program and experience their cultures, so I traveled with friends or went to parties and spent my free time like that.
Q.Among the places you visited, which was your favorite?
A. They were all great! If I had to pick one, the Balearic Islands were wonderful. It is Spain''s largest island, so even though it''s an island you can experience a lot. If I had to pick another place, I''d recommend Seville—it''s a place where you can really feel the essence of Spain.
Q.What was the hardest part of participating in the program?
A. I didn''t know much about the Roman era, so some parts of the classes didn''t resonate with me. Since my first session was at the necropolis, most of the excavated artifacts were human bones. I had to present about them in English, and because I wasn''t familiar with the topic I needed extra time to prepare.
Q.If you had to name the program''s strengths and weaknesses, what would they be?
A. The advantage was that because I was actually excavating Roman-era ruins and learning through the experience, I really felt like I was living as part of history. On the program''s last day I unearthed an object that seemed important, and even the researchers there said they didn''t know what it was. It ended like that, but later when I was traveling and visited the Barcelona History Museum, the exact same object I had excavated was on display there. So I asked the museum guide what it was, and they said it was a playing piece used in Roman-era board games like chess or janggi. It was truly amazing.
The downside was that when I went it was the first session being held this year, so while the program content was okay, I felt the organization was a bit underprepared.
Q.Advice you would give to friends who will participate in this program in the future, or ''who would you recommend it to''.
A. I think it''s good for people who are very interested in history, not necessarily only Roman history. When I participated in the program with a friend who likes history, even when we discovered the same artifact, what I felt and what that friend felt were really different. So if a friend who is interested in history takes part in this program, I think they''ll have an even better time.
Q.Compared before and after taking a gap year, what is the biggest change?
A. I became better at expressing my thoughts more clearly. Through consulting I realized I had many thoughts in my head but couldn''t express them well. So I participated wanting to change myself, and perhaps because I went with that resolve I expressed myself more. Also, instead of a typical trip, I tried a unique kind of travel that others don''t attempt, and by accomplishing those things one by one I gained confidence in myself. Previously, when looking for ''what to do next'' I would only think and not put in much effort, and I didn''t really know what I liked. But I joined this program myself, started it, and saw it through to the end. Thanks to this experience I found what I like and what I want to experience, and I gained the courage to plan and take action on those things.
Q.What is a gap year to Hyeil?
A. Time to think about myself.
Usually when students take a leave they prepare for exams like the TOEIC or build up credentials. Most people do that and think it''s the right thing, so when people around me asked ''What are you doing during your leave?'' and I said I was taking a gap year, some said it was a waste of time. But I think differently. I believe it''s a waste of time to simply follow everyone else and prepare when you don''t really know yourself—what you like and what you want—rather than knowing yourself well and preparing with a clear vision for the future.
Q.If you had to describe this program in one word.
A. Comfort.
I think I can feel that way because it was time spent solely for myself.
