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#Improved problem-handling skills; a more humble attitude #Living like a local in Paris; meeting a variety of people #The importance of asserting my rights and expressing my emotions; challenges and lessons in relationships
I really loved being able to look at it slowly and like a local. Paris had been a romantic dream of mine for a long time. Paris was my first place visited in Europe. Ten weeks here are so precious.Although I can''t explain it in words right now,I''m sure. There must have been a change in me. And I believe it will certainly help me in my long life. Paris, France — Gap Year Stay Review / Song Ju-young, gap-year family gapper / 10 weeks of gap year |
Currently, South Korea is,
Each year 60,000 middle and high school students drop out, 346,000 people in their twenties are just idling because they have no dreams, 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 workers say they do not feel happy.Many people tell them to dream, but to solve this problem that lacks practical methods and support, we aim to bring the ''gap year'' to South Korea.
''Gap year (Gapyear)''is a time to set a direction for the future by balancing studies and work or by taking a break to engage in various activities such as volunteering, travel, internships, education, or starting a business,and it is a culture encouraged in the U.S., Europe, Japan, and other countries.
# Expecting there would be difficulties, I went to Paris to take on that challenge.
I was the kind of person who wouldn''t deliberately take a service job in Korea. I had never tried part-time work in cafes or other service positions that people my age often do. I wondered if I could do work I hadn''t done in Korea in another country, and since it involved dealing with people I expected it might be even harder and more difficult, so I went to Paris to try it.
# I knew so little about Paris at first, but I learned so much that I was able to give tours to guests and share information with others.
With no ties there, what kind of work would I do as a gapper and how? I hadn''t joined the gap year with any particular expectations, but I was a little curious about what my 10-week experience would be like.Aeroflot, notorious for lost luggage. Fortunately I didn''t lose my baggage. About 18 hours via Moscow. I arrived in Paris late in the evening, around the time the last RER trains were stopping.
From the empty airport I took the Roissy bus to Opéra station, and with poor internet I spent time trying to find the entrance where I could buy an Opéra ticket... One suitcase and one bag on unfamiliar Parisian ground — that was my first challenge. A staff member picked me up as far as the internet phone shop near the terminus of Line 3. Who would the staff I would work with be? What work would I do? I remember spending my first day at the guesthouse with no information at all.
I knew nothing. Up until then... I only saw the Eiffel Tower a week after arriving in Paris, and I learned so much about Paris that I was able to give tours to guests and share information with others.
After going through many tasks, the 10 weeks passed quickly. We had wine parties together; evening shifts where we''d finish the day leaving only the ''PARIS'' neon light on in the guesthouse; after we moved the guesthouse I started my day at 7 a.m. and had morning shifts that required a fresh start to manage guests'' schedules, prepare meals, and clean; and I had a short but roughly two-week experience as a tour staff for the Eiffel Tower, Montmartre night views, and Île de la Cité.
Doing keeper shifts two or three times a week meant checking incoming and outgoing guests, writing letters to guests checking out, handling housekeeping duties like managing guesthouse bedding and overall maintenance, plus planting flowers, fixing doorknobs, unclogging sinks, organizing storage, setting up beds, and repairing things like a MacGyver—I even reinforced the ''male role'' and became a sort of ''Song-Gyver''.
Experiencing all aspects of the guesthouse like this was such a new experience for me compared to the work I''d done before.I didn''t know I could, but once I adapted to the situation I found that I could do everything.So it feels even more special to me. Paris gap year stay...
# I loved being able to look at it slowly and like a local.
If you think about it a little differently, opportunities to stay in Paris this long aren''t easy to come by, so I''m grateful to have had it. I visited areas near Paris, took walks in the park on sunny days, drank milk tea with staff at the bakery near the guesthouse while eating chouquettes and croissants, watched the Eiffel Tower all day, and saw the sparkling hourly light show several times.
I went on a Montmartre night tour, saw the night view from the Montparnasse Tower and its restaurants, viewed the Eiffel Tower from the Printemps department store, strolled the Champs-Élysées, rode a bike around Paris, took advantage of the evening openings at the Orsay and Louvre museums, relaxed on the green chairs in the Tuileries Garden, and rowed a boat in the Versailles gardens.
Other delicious foods, éclairs, an espresso at an outdoor café, a salmon baguette sandwich, kimchi fried rice we made and ate with guests, visiting the Sorbonne University, the Jewish quarter in the Marais, Point Zero in front of Notre-Dame Cathedral, Bateaux-Mouches, the Auchan supermarket we went to so often, pho near Tolbiac station, the Jacobin Ory steak on Rue Saint‑Germain and the pistachio mille‑feuille in the Rodin Garden, a moving amusement park, the National Library of France and the Vanves flea market, etc. — the fact that I could see Paris more slowly over a long period.
I loved being able to look around slowly and for a long time like a local. Paris had always been my dream. Paris was my first place in Europe. Ten weeks here are incredibly precious.
My personal recommended travel spot: the outskirts of Paris!
Places like the Eiffel Tower and Montmartre hill and other central Paris sights are nice, but I preferred the suburbs around Paris.Pontoise and Auvers‑sur‑Oise, Château de Fontainebleau, Chantilly, Monet’s garden in Giverny, a Mont Saint‑Michel tour (the owner arranged it), Moret‑sur‑Loing (Sisley’s village), etc. — these were GOOD PLACES for me to relax!
#I also felt the need to express my rights and feelings and to speak honestly but humbly.
I reconsidered that my tone and actions could be misunderstood negatively by someone, different from my intentions, and through reflection I was able to realize and learn. I guess I became more perceptive and more aware of the community.I felt again that there are truly many different kinds of people in the world, and their thoughts can be very different from mine. Even with the same words, you need language that considers and respects the other person...
I felt I should say when it’s hard, and state what I need when I ask — that it’s necessary to express my rights and feelings and to speak honestly but humbly. Previously, I didn’t show my struggles and quietly did my work; I’m still clumsy at it, though.Compared to before, I now show annoyance and admit I’m struggling more often.
I remember a conversation with the owner. Sometimes you have to be a bear and sometimes a fox... If you try to be only a bear you’ll only suffer and get hurt. You also need to be a fox to receive help and care from others. That remark — that I might need to change some of my personality — stuck with me.I was moved that what I considered simply doing my job was seen by others, by guests, as care, and they expressed gratitude.
#Through various processes I feel I learned a lot, realized things, and grew.
Because of the nature of a guesthouse, various things can happen depending on the situation, and there were tasks that weren’t my part but that I had to do together. When we moved the guesthouse, adapting to a position change, adapting to the atmosphere, adapting as the youngest among new staff, and when my physical condition was at its worst, it was especially hard.
As my body and mind became exhausted, my actions toward other staff I was meeting for the first time sometimes caused misunderstandings contrary to my intentions, and what I thought was considerate could be felt differently by others. I wondered if my way of expressing myself might have been wrong, and during the process of resetting in a new way and adapting to the situation, I learned a lot, realized things, and grew.
Actually, it seems that what was difficult wasn’t so much the tasks the owner assigned or the guesthouse work, but living in harmony with fellow staff. What I tried to do to help other staff even if it made me a bit more strained may have actually become more burdensome for them.
In these relationships, rather than thinking “why should I do something that’s not my job?” I thought more that if we each act warmly and considerately to get through it together, we could work more amicably...Sometimes even if I take a loss, it isn’t all loss for me. What I think of as a loss might become a great help and a stepping stone in my life.
#I think it will certainly be helpful in the long run.
Guests who took special care of me when I was struggling after moving the guesthouse, guests who enjoyed my first tour and followed along, guests who even brought gifts saying they’d picked them up while shopping—these are small things, but the sincerity and exchange of feelings gave me strength and moved me.
As the old saying goes, even if you enter a tiger’s den you can survive if you keep your wits about you — I realized more that I can change depending on the situation and that I can overcome anything.To be honest, I don’t yet know exactly what specific changes there are in me before and after the gap year, or how I will change in the future. Although I can’t put it into words right now...I am certain. There must have been changes in me. And I think it will definitely help in my long life.
#I’m just me. I have come to accept that more.
Before taking a gap year, I tried to change my dependable self. I was confused about who I was. I even tried to live differently from before in a place where no one knew me.In fact, my self here is almost the same. I attempted to change and challenged myself, but my inherent self remains. I’m just me. I have come to accept that more.
But people around me tell me that I have become much brighter; they say I’ve realized that the way others perceive me is different from how I see myself. They say my actions and tone have softened, so I get along more harmoniously with the staff and am friendlier to guests. Maybe that’s the influence of having mainly taken on leadership roles in my past experiences,Looking back, the stubborn, assertive attitude I had about leading others really seems to have changed.
In particular, after moving to another guesthouse and living as the youngest with the senior staff, and mixing with a wider variety of people, I’ve become quicker to pick up social cues and a bit more humble. Through this process I’ve come to know my weaknesses and strengths better and have accepted my own way of being. Being dependable is my distinctive strength.I’m curious, too. What mission will some aspect of my changed self give me in the future, and what results will it bring?
# I am so grateful for every connection.
I actually applied from the start because I wanted to stay with new people and meet connections along the way. It seems I achieved that goal. The owner, rough on the outside but tender inside, who took care of us like family calling us “our Juyeong”; Seunga and the owner’s wife; and Hyerim unnie, from whom I learned a lot and who therefore remains especially memorable.
Songyi, a friend I met for only a very short time but still a connection; Hyunseop oppa, the Korean I first met in Paris who picked me up when I arrived late at night; photographer Mr. Kang (Suhyun oppa), who I didn’t talk with much but made delicious fried rice for me on the day I moved to the guesthouse; the aunt (imo-nim) who is the star of the line “il eopsso~”; Eunbin and Jonghoon, whom I couldn’t take care of much after moving guesthouses and feel even more sorry about; and veteran Hajung unnie, who from the first meeting guided and cared for me a lot, made steamed egg and angel-cheese salad by hand, and even did my makeup.
Owner Gu, who went to England as soon as I arrived; the guesthouse aunt who took good care of me while I was in Paris and thanks to whom I ate many delicious meals— I miss her noodles and japchae so much; Jongwon, whom I met toward the end of the gap-year period and spent time with and am grateful for; Juyeong unnie, whom I remember more because we shared a name and even a hometown—a surprising, not-easy connection; and Jieun, who followed along really well during the handover and whom I’m thankful for, who gives tours with great dedication.
Jin, whom I saw only briefly at the very end and regret that it was so short; and Hyeri unnie, my precious family who has been with me through the gap year from start to finish and still travels with me through thick and thin.My friend-guests who joined me for the first time to see the Bateaux-Mouches and Montparnasse Tower; the veterinarian guests who checked in with Hyeri unnie for the first time; the guests who supported me during my difficult times; the guests who participated in the Paris tours;And the many other guests I met... I am so grateful for all of these connections.
# A collection of precious days is, to me, your ‘gap year.’
I think it’s better to come having let go of expectations rather than bringing a lot of them. That doesn’t mean, though, that you should come without any goals.Think about your own goals, but live each day fully—do the work given to you.Those precious days gathered together are, to me, your ‘gap year.’Meeting people and reflecting on myself both happen in those day-to-day moments. Let’s live earnestly, day by day, moment by moment.
# Light tips
The weather in Paris is unpredictable. Even in April and May people often wear coats, so it’s a good idea to bring a few long garments or coats. There are plenty of Paris travel guidebooks at this guesthouse, so bringing them unnecessarily might just add to your luggage. It’s fine to bring shampoo or simple bath items, or you can buy them here.
You can use the guesthouse PC, but if your personal laptop isn’t too heavy it’s helpful to bring it. You’ll probably take a lot of photos, so it’s good to bring an external hard drive or additional external memory for your phone or camera.
To future gappers I want to say this: Wanting to live a life different from Korea? Coming to the gap year to get away from people? No, no. Here you’ll see and deal with at least as many people as in Korea. It’s not that different, and you need to know how to live with fellow staff and how to interact with guests.
You may have come here wanting to meet many people, but as you meet more, it may start to feel like work and you may get tired of meeting people. However, even if this is hard, there will certainly be learning and growth from being among people. You will clearly see things you can learn from people who are different from you—without even realizing it.
# Three tips for gap year participants
Because of what I wrote, I hope you won’t get too scared or take it all negatively before joining the gap year. I wanted to give sincere advice about parts you might not expect. Don’t forget that during your Paris stay there will surely be more happy and good times—like how I met connections who joined me on my European travels.
1. From the perspective of the successor receiving the handover.
Whether the staff you work with are people you get along with or not, don’t forget from the start that you will be living and working together for ten weeks.
Whatever leadership experience you had in Korea doesn’t really matter here. You are starting again in a reset state, at a phase where you know nothing. You live with new staff you didn’t even know and together complete the work of this guesthouse.
Consideration, communication, empathy, cooperation, compromise—these are all extremely important elements in this context.While the knowledge you already have may help you with your work later, during the handover period you need to give priority and listen more carefully to the advice of those who worked here before you. This is the natural attitude of a newcomer, but it may be a hard point for gappers who are starting their gap year to accept.
Of course, at first it may be very different from the gap year you had imagined. Depending on the situation, your position may not be exact and your free time and schedule may be undefined or subject to change. It may be harder than you expected.
But don''t think you came here with these thoughts alone. The thoughts you''re having are never only yours. Other staff have also gone through difficult times. They didn''t give up on the gap year that felt different; they persevered and overcame it until the end. Don''t face difficulties alone—let''s get through hard times together. You can do it. In fact, you will take responsibility for your choice and carry it through.
It''s natural not to know things at first. It''s natural to make mistakes. Don''t be afraid of these things, and don''t try to do everything perfectly. Admit when you don''t know something and learn little by little. This willingness to learn is important.It almost matches the senior‑junior relationship in Korean workplaces.It might be better to think of life here as another form of social life.
2. From the perspective of working.
Sometimes, because of the nature of a guesthouse, there may be many fluctuating tasks. You may have to do duties beyond your assigned position. Rather than complaining about why you have to do work outside your position or weighing personal gain, it''s better to think of it as managing the home you live in.
In your relationships with guests, you must not forget that you are staff of the guesthouse, not a guest. Your actions and words could, unintentionally, come to represent the entire guesthouse.
3. From the standpoint of the senior handing over responsibilities.
Remember how you felt when you first started your gap year, coming in knowing nothing. You''ve gone through that time, but for your successor everything is new. Just as you found it hard, the incoming gapper will also feel the same strain and loneliness. Do not hold back encouragement and advice so that they can endure and do well during the 10 weeks after your gap year ends.
In particular, it''s important to share experiences that allow empathy—from work matters to personal matters—and to communicate them. When handing over responsibilities, tell them what needs to be done, demonstrate it, and then give the successor time to try it themselves. As you observe them working, provide intermittent feedback during the handover period on any missing parts or areas that need reinforcement; this will be more helpful to the successor.
Perhaps the successor needs emotional communication more than the mere transfer of knowledge. Even if there are behaviors or tones you dislike, be the kind of senior who can take a moment—once, twice, three times—to try to see things from their perspective and give time to understand. That person surely has reasons and a story. Why? Because we are human.
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