Projects
|
FAQ
|
Announcements
#Broke free from others' gaze and found my true self #Gained meaningful connections and certainty about life #Felt the importance of taking time for myself
I escaped others'' gaze and found my true self.
-Jeju! Gap Year Stay, for those who need personal healing / Son Jinju, Gap Year Tribe Gapper / 8-week gap year |
Gap year programinReason for participating
‘The me who is conscious of others'' gaze’wanted to break free from.
I wanted to change myself,,as time to change myselfgap yearchose.
Goals I wanted to achieve in the gap year program
Ultimately‘the me others seeescape from‘the real me’knowing what it wantsThis,Finding my true self was the biggest goal of this gap year..
If I compare before and after participating in the gap year program?
Every time I worried about my life, it was so painful, and I was just exhausted and felt hopeless,
now my worries about life will continue from now on, and the more I face them the more they hurt and frighten me,
that I would eventually be able to find answers during long or short gap-year periods I became convinced..
Participant''s experience
There were many gap-year stay programs, but, after all, ‘myself’I thought Jeju was a good place to reflect on ''myself'' overall, , though it was the farthest, I went to Jeju Island. Having no grand illusions about Jeju, I boarded the plane without any thrill, thinking it would just be another place where people live; the thought of leaving made me feel a little light and a little afraid.. I wanted to sort out my thoughts through the gap year, and boarded the plane hoping that all the worries in my head would be resolved..
Thus, ‘myself’ the gap year to find myself began, My everyday life on Jeju Island began.. Jeju, which I had thought would be just the same, truly was a fantastic island.. My choice was, Jeju was the right choice.
The emerald sea seen beyond the window, the sunset viewed from the guesthouse''s rooftop, and the island across from it, even the scenery from the moving bus seeped into me. I uttered exclamations all day,, every place I pointed my camera at became a picture. I still can''t forget the meteors streaking down the black canvas of the night sky. Seeing only such beautiful things, I simply looked and felt — my thoughts disappeared.I told myself I would do it, to definitely see the‘end’was all shattered. Free from compulsions and stress, I really loved staring at the sea with no thoughts at all.
During my free time, I took walks along Hyupjae Beach or visited the traditional five-day market, I often went out with guests and enjoyed short moments together. Being staff wasn''t always easy, but for me, who enjoys meeting people, each day was enjoyable. It felt as if I had met the people I would meet in my whole life23I felt like I had met them all at the age of 23. I often wondered if these fleeting connections would pass by and whether I would see them again. I looked forward to which guest I would be with that day, Even spending just one day together felt like family, so parting was very painful.
Just as I was falling for Jeju''s charm and beginning to forget my original goals, when I came to my senses
I had already, in the process of meeting and sending off many people, ‘the part of me that was conscious of others’had largely disappeared.
Before I knew it, I was telling my life story to someone I had just metand I had, Their encouragement and advice toward me felt more intimate than that of my family.The situation felt so strange. If this place weren''t Jeju, would it have been possible if it weren''t a travel destination?
And above all, the advice I received from strangers I met for the first time in a foreign place, and the way they saw me, came as a bit of a shock.. From the staff I spent the short two months with, without prejudice ‘me’the things I heard when they saw me as a person called ''me'' pointed out things I had never considered,, Having always been used to hearing nagging from friends and parents, I realized it wasn''t mere nagging; it was something I needed to change going forward..
When one worry was resolved like this,, I decided I should achieve the goals I wanted to accomplish before starting my gap year. ‘the real me’knowing what the ''real me'' wants. I opened up my worries to many guests, and they all gave me sincere advice like younger siblings..
The most memorable advice was, ''Discover your charm through many experiences''was.
The meaning is similar, but usually ''find work that suits you'' people usually say, someone, able to attract something ''my charm''The advice to find ''my charm'' made me feel as if my life were tightly hidden somewhere, waiting for me.
Your own travel route during a gap year(Recommended places and itinerary, route)
1. the west and east coasts of Jeju Island
The west coast was dynamic., The east was tranquil.. 바닷가에서의 점프 샷과 셀카봉은 필수!
2. Hyupjae''s Night Sea
I loved Hyupjae''s night sea, the sunsets viewed from the oreums, and Hallasan, which is indispensable when thinking of Jeju.. I still can''t forget the night sea seen from the guesthouse rooftop that met the starlit sky every evening.. The daily reflection, listening to music, and even the connections with people who watched the night sea with me will remain long in my memories..
3. Hallasan
After finishing my gap year
It felt so sad to leave behind wonderful travel spots, great people, and cherished places and return to everyday life.. As the day I left Jeju approached, my feelings grew restless and more wistful, so I found myself staring at the sea for even longer..At first, I wondered what I could gain from taking a gap year like this.,I spent a lot of time thinking about who I was going to meet.,Around the time I was leaving, that reason became clear..
Above all, it was to meet the precious people I had met in Jeju whose connections have continued until now, and ‘myself’ the fact that I had come to meet myself.. ‘myself’that I needed to acknowledge the person called ''myself'' so I could search for a way to live and avoid losing myself by being swayed by others'' opinions‘myself’as for‘myself’the thought that I wanted to live as myself became clear.
Even when I landed at Daegu Airport after leaving Jeju, it still didn''t feel real that I had left Jeju..Seeing the mountain in front of me, I thought of Hallasan.,While looking at the river, I was thinking of Hyeopjae Beach..And I realized that my mindset is the most important thing when looking at something..One by one, every scene and object began to look beautiful..
At first I thought it was because I had been seeing only pretty things in Jeju.,Upon taking a closer look, I realized that although I truly lived in a beautiful place, I had always only complained out of familiarity..Thinking of this place as Jeju made it feel like Jeju..With the energy I gained from Jeju, I feel I can look a bit more broadly at the choices I have to make in life..
'' me'' for. ''me'' I want to say that time for ''me'' is truly precious..
To those who want to take a gap year, I want to tell them to just go for it.!
