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#Gained confidence that I can thrive elsewhere #Experience living in Busan; the start of domestic travel #It was a sparkling month in Busan
The month passed in the blink of an eye, and although I''m a bit sad that it''s already time to go home, I''m glad I safely spent the month. I''m happy that my wish to live in Busan came true, and I gained confidence that I can do well in other places in the future. Also, I am filled with a desire to travel more within the country. This trip seems to have been the starting point for domestic travel.
- Haeundae! Gap Year Stay, the place of youth! / Kim Eun-ji, gapyear participant / 4 weeks of gap year |
''I want to go to Busan once. But not briefly — for a long time.''
While thinking that and searching about Busan, I discovered a program run by Gap Year calledGap Year StayI found the program. It offered a chance to live in Busan for a month by staying on as staff at a guesthouse. I thought it was a good time to apply, so I applied with a light heart.
With a bag and a suitcase, while taking the bus from East Seoul Terminal to Haeundae, I read and wondered what I would do in Busan, watched the scenery outside the window, fell into a deep sleep, and before I knew it arrived at Haeundae. Getting off the bus, I felt fluttery at the fact that I had come to Busan,excitementfilled me. I went into the cool-looking blue guesthouse, put down my luggage, and headed to Haeundae Beach.
My first encounter with Haeundae was different from what I had imagined — since it was November the weather was quite chilly and, perhaps because it was the off-season with few tourists, the beach wasn''t crowded. I like quiet places, so I took a leisurely walk around the Haeundae shore and enjoyed some alone time.
The next day I started working at the guesthouse. When I went it wasn''t a busy time with many guests, so it wasn''t hard.After lunch, when I had free time, I would take the Busan travel brochure in the guesthouse and diligently go around here and there. I went by myself, hung out with a friend who came to Busan, found companions to tour with, and had a fun time.
A month of sparkling memories
When I think of Gwangalli,there is an episodeWhen my friend came to Busan, we asked one of the staff sisters where to eat sashimi in Gwangalli and learned about the pojangmacha (street stall) village. They said you could eat sashimi cheaply there, so we went to Gwangalli expecting there to be sashimi centers around the beach, but we couldn''t find any shops, let alone pojangmacha. My friend and I thoroughly searched the beach area but couldn''t find it, so we asked people and finally found the Minrak Sashimi Center! We bought sashimi there and ate it at a pojangmacha; it was so delicious that my friend and I ate it in amazement. With the leftover sashimi ingredients we made maeuntang (spicy fish stew); the broth was refreshingly good, and there was so much that it more than filled our hungry stomachs.
Also, I have many happy memories like driving with the staff sisters and brothers to E-Mart to buy side dishes and cooking ingredients for lunch or dinner, shopping at Busan Premium Outlets, passing over the glittering Gwangandaegyo Bridge at dusk, enjoying the night view from the top of Hwangnyeongsan while looking down over Busan, chatting while eating, and starting yoga with a staff sister so we could exercise together.
The month passed in the blink of an eye, and although I''m a bit sad that it''s already time to go home, I''m glad I safely spent the month. I''m happy that my wish to live in Busan came true, and I gained confidence that I can do well in other places in the future. Anddomestic travelI became full of desire to travel more within the country. This trip seems to have been the starting point for domestic travel.
I would like to express my thanks to Korea Gap Year for giving me the opportunity to stay in Busan.
Thank you :-)
