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#Career reset, improved ability to cope with crises #New inspiration, diverse perspectives #The realization that there is no single right way to live
That I was able to feel things you can''t on a short trip. That their attitudes toward life are so different from ours, and that there''s more than one way to live.I also learned that a long, deep dedication and the effort to preserve old values can make more people become artisans and passionate about their work.
-The magical precious-metal craftsmanship performed by fingers :: Florence Jewelry School / Lee Joo-hee, gapper of the gap year tribe / 8-week gap year |
Q.Please give a brief introduction.
Hello. I''m 30 years old. My daily life working at a company had become tiring and monotonous, so I took a gap year to rest for a while and look for something new.
Q.Why did you choose to spend your gap year at a jewelry school in Florence?
I originally liked jewelry craft, so even while working at the company I enjoyed it as a hobby in a workshop.
Q.So was the work you were doing related to that field?
I worked in design, but it wasn''t jewelry — it was product design for other items.However, the job didn''t fit my aptitude. I realized that doing what the company asked wasn''t just stressful — it simply didn''t suit me.
Q.Is there a difference between the jewelry craft you learned in Korea and what you learned in Florence?
The workshop I attended in Korea was a hobby class aimed at office workers, so it didn''t teach things deeply. In contrast, the jewelry school in Florence has a long history and is specialized, so it was great to learn in depth from artisan teachers.
Also, for metalworking—which I focused on in Korea—I learned basic theory like how to use a saw in one day, and through practice I learned specialized techniques such as soldering metal and crafting in the traditional Florentine style. Above all,I think the biggest difference is being able to learn Florentine traditional designs and craft methods.
Q.What goals did you have when you left to take a gap year in Florence?
First,I wanted to take time to reset my career direction—whether to continue the product design work I''d been doing or to pursue something else.Next,I wanted to put myself in unknown situations to meet new people, gain inspiration and stimulation, and improving my ability to handle crises was also a goal.
Q.So you went to Florence with those goals~
Then, what efforts did you make locally during your gap year to achieve those goals?
I had a mindset of trying to enjoy things as much as possible no matter what situation I was given. If it had been just a simple trip I would have forced myself to go around to different places, but living in one place like Florence made it easy to become lazy. So I deliberately went out to see new things, attended events where I could meet new people, and tried to approach people first.
Q. How was the program''s structure and organization?
It was a traditional school, so the system and organization were good.
As for a typical day, I get up in the morning, go to school at 9:00, and do practical training until 1:00 p.m.
Then I go home, eat, and rest a bit.From 5:00 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. I go back to school and finish the practical training,and after that it''s free time.There are also four teachers,There were thirty students; many were Italian and there were many Japanese, but I was the only Korean (laughs).
Q.Do you need prior knowledge or experience to participate?
If you have some manual dexterity or a good eye, you can participate even without experience.In fact, half the students were learning as a hobby and the other half planned to make it their job.
Q.Please tell us about any memorable people you met during your gap year.
When I first went, I struggled a bit with the language, but fortunately a Japanese female student spoke a little English and Italian. She helped me and we became close; she introduced me to new friends and we stayed close. I also got along well with an Italian male student who enrolled the same day, so the three of us became good friends.
I also remember meeting a Korean couple locally who invited me to their home and took me on outings to nearby areas.
Q.What was the best thing about participating, or what did you learn?
The best part was being able to feel things you can''t on a short trip — realizing that their attitude toward life is different from ours and that there''s more than one way to live.
I also learned that long-term dedication to mastering something and efforts to preserve old values can lead to more artisans and people passionate about their work.
Q.Then what were the strengths and weaknesses of the gap year program you attended?
The advantage was that I was able to achieve the goals I had planned. It was a time to rest while thinking about my career path.Another good thing was that Korea Gapyear connected me with local institutions and addressed inconveniences as they arose, so I could focus on having a gap year tailored for me, as intended by Korea Gapyear.
My regret is that I wish I had prepared for the language issue in advance. If you study Italian for just one month beforehand, you probably won''t have trouble following classes locally.So I studied basic expressions with an Italian book I brought, wrote down expressions I didn''t understand in class to learn them, and went around asking the other students about them.
©Korea Gapyear
Q.Who would you recommend the ''Florence Jewelry School'' program to?
If someone wants to try something different but doesn''t know what to do, going there to experience it can be a good opportunity to cross off options for their career choices, even if it''s not ultimately what they want.
And whether it''s people or thoughts, they''re different.Someone who wants to learn and feel that things are diverse.That''s me.
Having taken a gap year and lived in Florence, I realized that unless you try to experience things for yourself, anywhere—Italy or elsewhere—feels just the same as the Korea I lived in.For example, if there''s an exhibition you like, go see it, and if there''s an opportunity to meet people working in your field, attend and engage; if you actively seek these out, you can make meaningful use of the gap year opportunity, which is hard to come by.
Q.Have there been any changes when comparing before and after having a gap year?
I developed a more diverse perspective on life.It''s a trite thing to say, but it didn''t resonate deeply with me until I experienced it.
Going to an unfamiliar place and seeing people living in different ways, I directly felt that one way of living isn''t bad and another isn''t necessarily better. In short, I realized there is no single correct way to live.
Q.Did you accomplish your goal of setting a direction for your career?
It''s been less than a week since I came back and I''m all over the place, but right now I want to travel more.
Actually, after returning to Korea I was browsing various things on Korea Gapyear''s website.
Also, I definitely realized that unless it''s a means to earn money, I don''t want to stay at a company for a long time.
I had put off deciding whether to continue studying design in graduate school, but while spending my gap year in Florence I decided not to.
Q.What is a gap year to you?
A necessary period of rest.
If I hadn''t had it, I would have become increasingly exhausted and eventually had no energy left.
