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#Gained confidence in interpersonal relationships; found more ease and relaxation in life #Experiences on Jeju Island; communication with a variety of people #Overcame shyness; realized that there are many different ways to live
It may have been because people’s hearts open more easily while traveling, but seeing myself become unhesitant about approaching others gave me a lot of confidence in my interpersonal relationships.
-Jeju, Gap Year Stay / Shin Ji-wan, gap-year traveler / 8-week gap year |
Currently, South Korea is,
each year 60,000 middle and high school students drop out, 346,000 people in their 20s have no dreams and are just idling, and the one-year turnover rate after employment has entered the 40% range,75% of university students are not satisfied with college life, and more than 80% of office workers say they do not feel happy.Although many people tell them to dream, to address this problem that lacks practical methods and support, we want to introduce the ''gap year'' to South Korea.
''Gap year (Gapyear)''is a period to either combine or temporarily pause studies/work and, through various activities such as volunteering, travel, internships, education, or starting a business,set a direction for moving forward — a practice encouraged in the United States, Europe, Japan, and other countries.
# The motivation I needed when I was exhausted from a treadmill-like, routine life
Hello, I''m Shin Ji-wan, who participated in the project ''I Want to Live There, Jeju Gap Year Stay.'' Before joining this project, I was preparing for the civil service exam.I was living a wheel-spinning, routine life and preparing for the civil service (exam).After failing the exam, I needed time to regain my motivation. Then I discovered this project,and thought it was a great opportunity to go to Jeju, a place I normally couldn''t go to,so I applied and participated. In my case, I had enough free time, so I finished the studies I had been doing, made plans in my spare moments, and began the project.
When I first arrived at the guesthouse I felt fear and unfamiliarity from being in a completely new place, but excitement and anticipation coexisted. The awkwardness with the owner only lasted a short time; after learning to clean and going grocery shopping, we quickly became close. Also, since the owner''s family''s living space was the guesthouse, I gradually became friends with the family and adapted that way.
# We communicated with a translator app, but in the end it brought a peculiar sense of accomplishment
Because the guesthouse was located in the city center, half of the guests were Chinese. I didn''t speak Chinese at all and my English wasn''t fluent, so communication wasn''t easy. We managed to communicate with English words and body language, and when that didn''t work we took out Google Translate to translate each other''s language. Through this experience I once again realized how important enthusiasm is when you want to accomplish something. Even while going through awkward moments and misunderstandings, when I persisted in explaining what the other person wanted to know and achieved the result, I felt a strange sense of accomplishment.
# Enjoying Jeju fully and leisurely for 8 weeks
The island of Jeju was bigger than I had thought. So I significantly revised the plan I had made before starting the project. At first I thought I''d stay a short time and then go here and there.But since I wasn''t just going to stay briefly and would be staying for a long eight weeks, I decided not to make the schedule too tight. I changed my mind and decided to choose one place and spend time there fully.
With this relaxed approach, I found myself watching other travelers at destinations and just staring at the sea until the tides changed. I visited the same place all week, sat on the guesthouse sofa all day talking with guests, and came to enjoy the place itself.
Before coming to Jeju I had only one rule: don''t go to theme parks. I didn''t particularly like walking — in fact I tended to dislike it — but in Jeju my mind changed. I found it a place where walking is enjoyable. I could vaguely understand why so many Olle trail travelers come.Paths along the sea that weren''t crowded and without traffic were refreshing and gave energy to every step.
If I had to pick the three places in Jeju I recommend most, in order of preference: Songaksan, Hyeopjae Beach, and Sarabong. Songaksan doesn''t have great public transportation, but if you walk from Sanbangsan it''s not difficult; the Olle trail from Sanbangsan to Songaksan is nice, and the promenade along Songaksan and the sea is also very good.
Hyeopjae Beach was the most beautiful sea I have ever seen. Its clear emerald color is something I will never forget.Sarabong was especially meaningful because it was the first place I visited after arriving in Jeju. It''s a place with personal memories — hesitantly taking the bus to get there and then getting lost on the way back, and after various twists and turns, finally returning to the guesthouse.
# I used to be very shy, but I no longer hesitate to approach people
Actually, until I started the project, the people around me all worried. They asked, ''Can you go there and do well?'' I tend to be shy and take a long time getting to know people, so they were concerned whether I could meet new people every day and adapt well. I was somewhat worried too. But it wasn''t as difficult as I had expected.Maybe because people''s hearts open more while traveling, but seeing myself no longer hesitating to approach others gave me a lot of confidence in my relationships.
Meeting and talking with many people made me realize that the world can be lived in far more ways than I had thought. Not only the various guests who came, but also guide-type visitors who often came to the guesthouse through different connections, our owner, the gap year participants I lived with for a short time, and neighbors I came to greet often.Seeing everyone living in their own way gave me confidence that even if what I''m doing now doesn''t succeed, I can move on to another path.
EspeciallyI don''t think I''ll be able to forget the guesthouse owner who took such good care of me. A kind owner who made sure I didn''t go hungry in a strange place by bringing various foods, helped me finish cleaning early on days without much guesthouse activity, and encouraged me to go out anywhere. Thanks to them, I was able to enjoyably spend eight weeks.
# After the gap year, life has become much more relaxed in daily life
The eight weeks passed quickly, though not too fast. Just as I was getting used to the cleaning, I realized it was almost time to go back. Now, as I look back on the eight weeks of living and bring this to a close...I have not a shred of regret about participating in this project. I don''t doubt that the eight weeks of new experiences in a new place will be a great source of strength for my life going forward.I had hoped to have time to think about how to get through the overwhelming reality ahead, and by taking a gap year...Compared to living each day in a rush, my everyday life has become much more relaxed.
I am grateful to the gap year for giving me the opportunity to have such a good experience, thankful to our owner who treated me kindly, and I also feel grateful to the many guests who shared their stories. I''ll finish by adding that if you''re wondering whether to join the project, I hope you will participate. Thank you for reading my long, imperfect writing.
My gap year is
Experience ★★★★☆
I feel I gained a lot of experience with different kinds of people. Beyond first impressions, it was rare to meet someone who gave the same impression—everyone felt new in their own way.
Learning ★★★★★
I learned a lot about guesthouses. I also learned a lot about how to enjoy traveling.
Environment ★★★☆☆
Aside from the fact that the room I slept in changed every day, it was a very nice place to stay.
Safety ★★★★★
I felt it was very safe.
Leisure ★★★★★
After cleaning was finished, everyone had their own time, so I didn''t feel a lack of leisure.
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We at GapYear love gappers who are on a gap year!
Even if the activities or experiences of gappers during their gap year differ from what you think,abusive comments are not allowed.!:(
For the protection of gappers'' dignity and rights,indiscriminate abusive comments toward gappers
will not only be managed and deleted internally,but will also be actively and strongly responded to,and we plan to do so.
