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#Regained a positive outlook; improved self-determination/decision-making ability #A vacation-like period; appreciation for the importance of family #The challenges and sense of accomplishment of solo travel; the pleasure of living spontaneously
After quitting my job, I didn''t plan systematically and just decided to go and think later; that attitude actually made the gap year periodfeel like I spent it better. It wasn''t a time like when I was working, bound by ''I have to do this'' and ''I have to do that.''After taking a gap year I also gained courage,and, freed from the pressure to find a new job quickly, my current self — searching for and considering what I like —has emerged through the gap year time, and I''m so happy about that..
Jeju! I want to live there. Gapyear stay / Park Seon-jin Gapyear family, gapper / 8-week gap year |
Currently, South Korea is,
seeing 60,000 middle and high school students drop out each year, 346,000 people in their twenties idling because they have no dreams, and a one-year turnover rate after employment entering the 40% range,75% of university students are not satisfied with college life, and more than 80% of workers say they do not feel happiness.Although many people tell others to dream, to solve this problem that lacks practical methods and support, we aim to introduce the ''gap year'' to South Korea as well.
''Gap year (Gapyear)''is a time to pause or balance study and work and, through various activities such as volunteering, travel, internships, education, and startups,set a direction for moving forward — a culture encouraged in the United States, Europe, Japan, and elsewhere.
#I wanted to find my identity by considering what kind of person I am, what I like, and what my personality is.
I was worn out from long years of company life and group living, where I considered work and others'' opinions more than myself,and I wanted to find my identity by thinking about what kind of person I am, what I like, and what my personality is. But above all,I participated because I wanted to give myself a vacation.
By the time I joined, I had become lethargic from social life and lost the will to do things,so I had a desire to think about and actively do what I wanted, rather than passively doing tasks assigned to me.
#The goal of my first gap year was, quite literally, to give the exhausted me a time that truly felt like a vacation,and I placed importance on that.
The first gap year I wanted to spend was, quite literally, intended to give the exhausted me a time that genuinely felt like a vacation,and that was the goal and meaning.In Jeju, where I wanted to try living, I had a lot of personal time outside of work hours, so I was able to work satisfactorily.
Seeing domestic and foreign guests staying at the guesthouse, I was moved by people who cherish and diligently live their own lives,and I was deeply inspired and strongly motivated to live my life like them.
# I really liked the people I met during my gap year.
I really liked the people I met during my gap year. The most memorable were the guesthouse owner''s family. We shared the space and chatted with various children.I rediscovered a childlike innocence I had forgotten and felt as if I had become pure like a child.
A staff sister I lived with for about a month was in the same situation and was doing a gap year for similar reasons, so I relied on her a lot.We spent time like close friends and formed a precious bond.
# Jeju travel recommendation: Udo!
Udo, another very famous island of Jeju!
After circling Udo, it felt like I had seen all of Jeju, and it really felt like staying in nature.Every photo is a masterpiece. There are so many great food spots these days that you can also satisfy your appetite, so I recommend it.
# PositiveI was very moved because it felt like I had returned to my true self, and just feeling this was enough.A gap year is a precious time.
Although it was domestic, for someone like me who had never traveled alone even once...Packing, getting to the airport, boarding the plane—everything was exciting, nerve-wracking, and gave me a sense of accomplishment.As someone bad with directions, finding the location after arriving and where to get on the bus was difficult, but...After a few days I learned where to catch public transport, so I wasn''t always just following whatever someone told me.Searching and finding things on my own was a new side of me and a different experience.
Before leaving I had thought I''d be like a monk honing himself, only reading books and observing nature,but after actually spending a few days reading, I found it somewhat more uncomfortable and boring than I had imagined.In my imagination I thought I would enjoy wandering alone, eating alone, and feeling things alone,but I felt much lonelier than I expected when eating alone, going to cafes alone, and sightseeing alone,I discovered that I care a lot about others'' gaze and learned another aspect of my personality.
Because I always had to be confident and appear assertive at work, I often wondered if that had made me this way.I thought that a lot. Writing in my diary,as I focused on myself,until now I had lived thinking I was curt and couldn''t express myself,during my gap year I realized that''s not my personality.
With the interference from other people around me gone,I became much more easygoing, almost as if I had returned to my innocent and positive self who used to laugh and chatter with friends during school days.I was very moved to feel like I had returned to my former self, and just realizing this was enough to be deeply touched.The gap year was a precious time.
#At present, IIf I want to do something, I do it; if I don''t want to, I don''t. When making decisions, I prioritize my own thoughts rather than worrying about others'' opinions.I have come to prioritize them.
Living apart from the household life I used to share with my parents made me reflect on how I always used to grumble at them.I began to reflect on how I treated my parents and came to feel the importance of family. Embarrassingly,as someone in my twenties, I had still been enjoying having my parents take care of my meals, clothes, and cleaning, sodoing chores like cleaning and laundry at the guesthouse was difficult at first but a new experience, and above all,it helped me understand my mother more and became an opportunity to strengthen our bond; that is very precious and I am grateful for it.
After quitting my job, not planning systematically and just deciding to go and think on the way actually made the gap yearseem to have been better. It wasn''t a time like when I worked at a company, chaining myself with ''I have to do this, I have to do that.'' If I wanted to sleep, I slept; if I wanted to listen to music, I listened to music for hours; I read books, wrote in my diary,I allowed myself to be lazy, and when it was time to sightsee, I went sightseeing.Doing what my inner self wanted, spontaneously,was also such a dreamlike time.
Since I spent my first gap year as rest, like a vacation, if I take another gap year next time,I thought I would like to use it to prepare for another kind of life.Coming back from the gap year, I gained courage,and being freed from the pressure to get re-employed quickly, the current me who is finding and pondering what I like,emerging through the gap year makes me so happy..
Before participating, my face always showed tension and I was sensitive. I unintentionally had that expression,and after returning, when I met acquaintances I often heard, ''Your expression has improved.''Seeing the visible change in my appearance made me feel truly relieved, more easygoing, and that much of my stress was relieved. At present, IIf I want to do something, I do it; if I don''t, I don''t. When deciding, I put my own thoughts ahead of worrying about others'' opinions.I have come to prioritize them.
# Tips for people considering a Jeju gap-year stay
Because the bathroom and bedroom are shared, it can be somewhat inconvenient if you want a private space, but...It''s fine if you enjoy it with the mindset of sharing the space.Because I always ate with the owner''s family, there was almost no inconvenience of having to prepare meals alone, and the owner always...made a lot of local Jeju dishes and delicious food, so I gained a lot of weight.
Two months goes by faster than you think, and because this is a region where you can''t predict changes in the weather,if you have plans before departing, it''s good to check the weather, public transportation, and so on.
