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#My impatience disappeared and I became more relaxed #I was able to have time for myself #I broke my preconceived notions and fell for Paris's charm
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I didn''t really know what I truly wanted or what I liked. I lacked understanding of myself. - Paris, France, gap-year stay / Baek Ji-yeon, gap-year person / 8-week gap year |
II was an ordinary student following credentials and job hunting. Of course that''s not necessarily bad, butEven though I was always busy and living diligently during school, I felt like I was falling behind.
During my second year of university I had a lot of worries.''This field isn''t bad, and that field isn''t bad either. What should I do?''As I kept thinking, ''What work suits me?'', a sudden question occurred to me.Why did I think in terms of ''not bad'' instead of ''like'' or ''dislike''..Ididn''t really know what I truly wanted or what I liked. I lacked understanding of myself.I had always gone along with people''s opinions and been led by them. Seeing myself habitually saying ''anything'' or ''anywhere'' without my own thoughts or opinions, I realized I still didn''t know what I truly wanted. I decided to take a leave of absence because I wanted to invest more time in myself.
After taking a leave, I worked part-time, pursued hobbies, and did things I had wanted to do. But spending time like that felt somewhat unsatisfying. Then I learned about a gap year program, and if it was this programAs I had decided when I took a leave, what I most wanted to gain through a gap year wasto know myself.In conclusion, choosing the gap year project was the best choice to find myself.
How to best enjoy the Paris gap year house: protecting myself
As a shy and passive person, I initially had a hard time adapting to the guesthouse. It was very unfamiliar to adapt to a different environment and deal with guests. I lacked confidence in the tasks I was assigned; everything felt difficult and frightening. I used to pride myself on being able to handle anything that came my way, but when I came here I was afraid of everything.
UhEach person may come here with different thoughts, but this place is different from what you might expect. Not in a bad way, but it has a different atmosphere and is a different place than I imagined. However, as you stay, you''ll come to like it and adapt.Before taking a gap year, I hope you come with the goal of changing yourself and the resolve of ''I will definitely do this''.
When I first came to Paris, what I expected was the Eiffel Tower. It''s a symbol of Paris and a landmark that makes anyone want to see it at least once. Until I left Paris the Eiffel Tower remained my favorite. Watching it made me feel good and helped me forget my trivial thoughts. At the Champ de Mars you can sit on the grass and leisurely enjoy the Eiffel Tower. The next place I liked was the Montmartre hill — a place that grows on you each time you go. During the day you can see the wide-open Paris cityscape, and at night, although there aren''t many lights, you can see an atmospheric night view. The Place du Tertre next to Sacré-Cœur exudes Parisian charm in its alleys and is a nice place to walk.
When you have free time like this, it''s best to definitely go outside to see, learn, and feel.It''s important to protect and make use of what''s yours yourself. Work is important, but make sure to take care of your own things and live accordingly.I want to.
Paris, where more people than I expected are enjoying gap years.
Parisian culture was more different from our country than I had expected.In the open and relaxed atmosphere, I also feel like I''ve found a sense of ease. Thinking back to when I was in school in Korea, I was always being pushed around, crushed by exams, and overwhelmed by assignments. Here, you can just lie on the grass and take a nap, walk leisurely while talking, and the streets are full of things to see, feel, and enjoy.
GoodMaybe it''s because I''ve seen and felt good things, but I''ve become less impatient.The part of me that was always afraid of falling behind others disappeared, and I was able to relax and have many chances to think more deeply about myself.As I settled into life here, I saw many things: people showing consideration for others, the ease of smiling at even a stranger when making eye contact, the freedom to express affection with loved ones. Breaking the fixed ideas I had, I found this culture appealing and gradually became drawn to it.My way of thinking and my horizons have broadened. Above all, I have become more relaxed.
Talking with the many different people enjoying a gap year changed my mindset. I met countless people — someone who quit their job to travel, someone traveling the world by motorcycle, newlyweds on their honeymoon, people traveling with friends after taking a leave from school — and through conversations I encountered a variety of perspectives. Every time I heard their stories, it felt as if I had experienced them myself.So meeting people and enjoying moments together was fun. Travelers were very open-minded, so conversations flowed well and we got along. That made it even better.
What we need now is time to reflect.
Now that the gap year is over, I haven''t undergone any huge change. But I found a direction for the things I had been worrying about. Following this direction, now it''s just a matter of resolving them.If I hadn''t applied for this program, I would have spent a meaningless year and been preparing to return to routine school life.Those two months showed me the various paths I could take.
Our society doesn''t give us time to ponder. You just follow the prescribed path. But I think we need time to reflect. If there''s someone like me, I want to tell them not to hesitate and to take time for themselves.
My gap year is
Experience ★★★★★
An experience you can''t have anywhere else. It''s a great opportunity to meet a variety of people.
Learning ★★★★
You feel and learn a lot through conversations.
Environment ★★★★
It''s not a bad environment to live in.
Safety ★★★★
It''s located a one-minute walk from the subway, so I never felt it was dangerous.
Leisure ★★★
It depends on how the individual spends their time. Bringing hobbies that you enjoy isn''t a bad idea.
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