Having taken a leave of absence and spent more than a semester doing nothing, I think I’d grown bolder without realizing it. Determined to make the life I’d been dreaming of a reality, I applied without thinking about what would come after. Two months of living in Jeju felt like a very long time to me, so after applying I wondered whether this life would suit me as someone who would soon be a senior. But I had already paid the deposit and bought the plane ticket, and thinking it would be more of a hassle to cancel, I waited for the gap year to begin.
The date drew closer, and I told those around me that I’d be living in Jeju for the next two months and they probably wouldn’t see me for a while. They all worried and said, shouldn’t you be preparing for a job or studying now?At the time I was shaken by their words, but I’m now so proud of and thankful to myself for not giving in.
#I sank into the happiness that life in Jeju gave me.
Life in Jeju was so happy and enjoyable that I had no regrets. Since it was my third visit to Jeju this year alone, I thought I wouldn’t go to the famous spots anymore, but I had decided I definitely wanted to go to Hallasan and Marado. Because I went down to Jeju with hardly any thoughts, my evening routine became recommending places to go the next day with my senior co-worker.
As I gradually got used to living in Jeju, it became a habit to set off without deciding, and on my days off I would at least go to the bus terminal.I’d get on the first departing bus and decide the destination — that became my everyday routine.
On workdays, after my shift ended I’d step out and, since I’d seen the east sea yesterday, decide to go west today, take the west-route bus, and watch the sunset. I’d ride a bus without a plan, watch the scenery until I fell asleep and get off when I woke, or get off because the bus was too hot. My friends heard about my routine and were sometimes jealous and sometimes constantly worried, butI was so immersed in the happiness this life gave me that other people’s worries no longer reached my ears.
#This place was Jeju, and I was on a gap year.
I.I hadn’t left for a gap year with a big goal. I only had one pledge: not to let a single day of my precious time off from school pass meaninglessly. Because of that, while living in Jeju I could be endlessly excited with none of the impatience or pressure I’d felt on the mainland. I could do the work given to me and spend the rest of the time fully enjoying myself and taking care of me.
Most days flowed without plans, but there wasn’t a single day when I felt the emptiness of having wasted the day.I once rode for about an hour and a half to arrive at my favorite seaside, sat for thirty minutes just staring at the sea, then took the bus back — but I didn’t feel that the time was wasted. This place was Jeju, and I was on a gap year.
#I was slowly changing and growing.
I didn’t come on this gap year with big goals or worries, but having time alone naturally led to more time for self-reflection. Andas I met more people than I expected, I got advice, received compliments, and thought a lot about myself.After going through some bad experiences before, I used to be afraid to go out alone, but during the gap year I got around well by myself and even went to every movie theater in Jeju City to watch several films.
Without realizing it, I was gradually changing and growing.
I was more useful than I thought, loved by more people than I expected, and someone who made more people happy than I had imagined.
#There were not only incredible landscapes but also many people.
The reason life in Jeju was so happy was not only the amazing scenery but also the many people.
The older sister I stayed with took great care of me from day one, and an aunt also helped me settle in.
I also met people while traveling: someone like a light who spoke to me and gave me bread and milk when I was walking the Seogwipo Olle Trail with no shops and was starving, and by chance I met that person again on the Handam Coastal Walk — it felt as if I had become a Jeju local.
Also, talking a lot with the owner of the truck café I frequented, I received much advice and began to contemplate my future life more. While drinking tea at that café and chatting with the owner, I became close with other families who gave me rides; I could drive to watch the sunset and have conversations with them.I had the precious experience of meeting many people of different ages who lived very different lives.
Not only the people I met while traveling, but also friends, older sisters, and brothers who came down from the mainland to be with me: a friend who came to climb Hallasan with me helped me relive a school trip from five years ago over a two-night, three-day trip; a club senior who came for a conference made me happy with chicken, sashimi, jokbal, and beer; a sister who came on a business trip delayed her flight so we could have a meal and enjoy watching a movie at a café together; and a brother who came near the end of my stay rented a car and helped relieve the frustrations built up during two months of traveling on foot with a drive.
And in the midst of happy times, when loneliness suddenly came, I was able to feel the preciousness of my family, friends, and loved ones.Thanks to many people, I think I was able to finish my stay in Jeju safely and happily.
After returning and writing a review, looking back on the two months, I realized I was truly happy and that I can see how I have changed.
#Romantic times that will never come again.
Actually, the biggest worries I had while living there were that after the female staff member I lived with left, I might be lonely living alone, and the many laundry worries at the guesthouse on bad-weather days.
Just being able to spend that time happily and without worries means I don''t regret it.
The two months when I''d run straight to the sea on days I longed to see it will be a once-in-a-lifetime romantic period in my life.
Experience ★★★★★
Working at a guesthouse is an uncommon experience, and traveling to a new place every day isn''t easy either.
Learning ★★★★☆
You can learn the job, how to live alone, how to relate to people, and about yourself.
Environment ★★★★☆
The guesthouse is located in a place convenient for traveling around Jeju, making it suitable for getting around and a pleasant environment to stay in.
Safety ★★★☆☆
In winter the sun sets early, non-urban areas are dark, and bus intervals are long, so you need to be careful.
Leisure ★★★★☆
Since working hours aren''t long, with morning shifts it''s nice to go out after finishing work, and with afternoon shifts,you can go out and have fun before coming in to work.
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