Gained the 'If not now, when?' mindset, Paris, France — Gap Year Stay Review: 'If Not Now, When Will I Try It?'

#Greater self-confidence; dispelled stereotypes about foreigners #Fulfilled bucket-list items; new goals #A 'If not now, when?' spirit of challenge

Author: Myeong Hyejin
Country / City: Europe/Portugal/Lisbon
Views : 2534

I felt the desire to step out of the familiar spaces I had been living in and, in a strange place where I wouldn''t worry about others'' gazes, to look at myself honestly, and through a gap year project I arrived in Paris.

Paris, France — Gap Year Stay / Myeong Hye-jin, gap-year participant / 8 weeks of gap year

I didn''t have a clear certainty about myself.

[COMME DES PARISIENNES: Living in Paris]

When the initial announcement for the Gap Year Paris stay was posted, it was the most ideal program for me, who had briefly studied French language and literature before transferring to tourism management.

Throughout the four years of university I never took a leave of absence and attended school while participating in the student council.

I think I always socialized with people and attended university enthusiastically, even if others might call that kind of college life boring.

But because of that, I gradually had fewer opportunities to think about myself.

Bound by the role of putting others first, I had no clear certainty about what I liked, what I was good at, or what I wanted to do.

I applied for the gap year stay because I wanted to confront myself honestly.

I wanted to leave the familiar spaces I''d been in and, in a strange place where I wouldn''t worry about others'' attention, look at myself honestly.Through the gap year program, I arrived in Paris.

At first, Paris made me set the goal ''if I can just find my way there, that''s half the success,'' and when I actually arrived, Paris was newer and more unfamiliar than I had imagined.

Because I''d often seen it in the media, I thought it might not be that special in reality, and also since it was my first solo trip, I was scared.

Deciding on my own bucket list.

[Montmartre Hill — Night View]

Even after arriving at my accommodation,I steadily set small goals one by one.Rather than goals, I made a bucket list. I thought of small things that could only be done in Paris: going alone to Montmartre Hill to see the night view, going to Disneyland, visiting towns near Paris, and seeing the Eiffel Tower every day in succession.

Luckily, my role as a staff member was a tour guide, so I was able to study more about Paris and travel around various places.

It was a very stimulating daily life.

[At Disneyland Paris]

By finding and doing each thing I wanted to do like this, I had time alone and naturally time to reflect.And from light conversations that you can only have among strangers in a foreign place to talking with people who have lived in different environments from me, before I knew it I found myself reflecting, gaining a lot, and my range of thought had widened.

Seeing many things gave me new goals and ambitions, and it was such a stimulating daily life that I wanted to engage in more productive activities.

''If not now, when will I try it?''

One of the things was a kind of project I planned with an older woman I was staying with: in the Tuileries Garden we would write foreigners'' names in Hangul as they sound, and we once just went out into the city on a whim to do it.

What I had only thought about trying, I prepared for in the morning with the thought ''if not now, when will I try it?'' and went out at lunchtime.

At first I thought ''even if only one person shows interest, it''s a success,'' and a few people did come up asking us to write their names. Then, looking around, quite a few people were taking photos.

While writing names, some offered to write our names in their own languages, and even black vendors selling Eiffel Tower souvenirs shyly approached and asked if we could write their names.

At the same time, much of the slight fear and prejudice I had toward foreigners disappeared. Although the language didn''t always work well, it was an activity where I stumbled through conversations, was receptive, and gained a lot.

#Giving myself certainty about what I want to do.

In this way, I tried small things I wanted to do without greed, and through that process, when I challenge myself to bigger things in the future, I can think back to that time in Paris and begin courageously,what I do I think I will be able to give myself certainty about the things I want to do and thus find the courage.

I still have a solo trip ahead of me, and I will continue to try new things during the trip.

I will strive to carefully document my gap year.

My gap year is..

Experience ★★★★☆

I had many varied experiences with things I encountered for the first time in my life.

Learning ★★★☆☆

I gained much learning from experience rather than academic study.

Environment ★★★★☆

Personally, the overall atmosphere of the city, the vibe of the accommodation, and the people suited me well.

Safety ★★★☆☆

There will be discomfort and unease in any country if it''s not your homeland. There was a terrorist attack in Paris during the period, but overall There weren''t as many risks as I thought.

Leisure ★★★☆☆

There were some working hours for the gap year activities, but during the two months I was there I had plenty of time to get around Paris.I had free time.

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