Discovered a new side of myself, Paris, France: Gap Year Stay Review

#Became more independent and learned I can handle things on my own #Discovered a new side of myself #Felt a sense of ease and fulfillment in Paris

Author: Lee Seung-hyun
Country / City: Europe/Malta/Valletta
Views : 2837

In Korea I could hardly eat alone. Yet in Paris I even ate a multi-course meal by myself. I used to speak softly and barely talk with strangers, so it felt amazing that at the guesthouse I met new people every day and found myself talking with foreigners outside. I discovered a side of myself I hadn''t known.

-Paris, France, Gap Year Stay / Lee Seung-hyun, gap year participant (gapper) / 8-week gap year

I''ve had the thought ''I want to go to Paris'' for a long time.

So when I heard I would be participating in the gap year stay, I remember running with joy. But afterwards I also felt the responsibility of being guesthouse staff and worries like ''Can I do this well?''

Among the experiences at the guesthouse, the hardest and most daunting task was telling guests about tourist spots, recommended places, and transportation. Because you needed experience, at first I guessed and told people based on feeling and read all kinds of guidebooks. I wanted to see as many places as possible in advance so I could tell guests a lot and give tips. Because of this eagerness, on my first outing I overdid it and walked to many places. After that, being able to tell people ''this place is really great'' or ''it''s not that good'' became very rewarding!

I wanted to see every corner, so much that there would be nowhere I didn''t know, like a local — enough to be able to guide others! I had dreamt since I was youngof blending into Paris.Walking down the Champs-Élysées, going to see the glittering Eiffel Tower,how many times I still get excited imagining standing there after having gone there so many times. On sunny days I''d buy a baguette and sunbathe in the park, and on rainy days I''d sit on an outdoor terrace with a cup of coffee looking over the Parisian scenery—this kind of leisure I couldn''t experience in Korea, and even tourists who stayed only a few days couldn''t enjoy it.

I really have changed.

I took a one-night trip to Brussels, Belgium during a day off. Maybe because Paris had become familiar, I was very excited to go to a new city. In the hostel room where I stayed there were just me and one foreign girl—only the two of us—but on my way back from wandering I bought a beer and invited her, who was lying down, to drink together, and we talked for hours. I felt and was amazed, ''I really have changed.'' That I had gained such courage...

In the field I''m currently working in, experience is valued first, so I couldn''t even consider taking a break, and I didn''t. I thought that if I delayed getting a job even a little, younger people would move up and I would fall behind and have difficulty finding a job.

However, meeting many people—from friends younger than me to older sisters and brothers in their thirties,I came to feel strongly that now is not the time to worry about career paths because of age.There were many who had quit their jobs, those who took a leave of absence from school, and many peers my age who left with the same worries. While working as staff I talked a lot and gave advice, and it was a healing time for me as well.

Before and after participating in the gap year program

In Korea I could hardly eat alone. Yet in Paris Ieven ate a multi-course meal by myself.

I used to speak softly and barely talk with strangers, so it felt amazing that at the guesthouse I met new people every day and found myself talking with foreigners outside.the side of me I didn''t knowI discovered.

My own Paris that I came to know during the gap year

I hardly ever stayed in; I wandered every nook and cranny and experienced Paris with my whole being.

Every month''s first Sundaymuseums and galleries are free to enter, so I saved places that felt a bit wasteful to pay for and used that day to go see them! The tourist spots are almost all grouped together, so on my first day walking around Paris I walked for about 6–7 hours. I went from the Opera to the Louvre and walked to the Eiffel Tower; all the buildings along the streets were beautiful, so I lost track of time while looking around.

And next, on the opposite side, the Île de la Cité where Notre-Dame Cathedral is located,Île de la CitéI toured it, and the Seine flowing right in front was romantic. The area near Saint-Michel station by Notre-Dame Cathedral is a food alley. There are many shops up to the Sorbonne University, and you can eat cheaply, so it''s a recommended spot! If you go further up there is Luxembourg Gardens, where I would read a book or write in my diary while soaking up the sun. The leisure felt there is different from relaxing in parks in our country, so it was a place I often went to with a sandwich.