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#Confidence that I can do well on my own #Independence, new experiences #Took time to reflect on myself
Through the gap year I had time to myself, and that time became precious; I realized, "I can do well on my own."
Looking back now, although not a lot, seeing myself slowly changing, I think I''ve somewhat achieved many of the goals I had set, if not all. -France Paris gap year stay / Park Juwon, gap-year family gapper / 8-week gap year |
Currently, South Korea is,
Each year, 60,000 middle and high school students drop out of school; 346,000 people in their 20s who have no dreams are just idling; the one-year turnover rate after employment has entered the 40% range.75% of university students are not satisfied with college life, and over 80% of office 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 want to bring the "gap year" to South Korea as well.
*What is a ''gap year''?
A gap year is a period in which one suspends or balances academic studies while engaging in various activities such as travel, volunteering, internships, and education to discover one''s dreams and aptitudes.
# "I can do well on my own."
Exhausted from university life, I took a leave of absence and spent half a year aimlessly earning money, when suddenly I thought, "I''m wasting my time." I hadn''t taken leave to make money but to have my own experiences and meaningful time, yet I had forgotten that. While looking into a working holiday in France, I learned about the gap year and decided to participate.
As someone who gets lonely easily and dislikes being alone, I wanted to develop a more independent nature. In fact, even until the end of the gap year I couldn''t stand being alone, but after the gap year, while traveling alone, being used to always being surrounded by people...Having time to myself made that time precious, and I came to think, "I can do well on my own."
Looking back now, although not a lot, seeing myself slowly changing, I think I''ve somewhat achieved many of the goals I had set, if not all.
# When I first arrived in Europe I was half excited and half afraid.
When I first arrived in Europe I was half excited and half afraid.The excitement of going on my first solo trip abroad for as long as three months andthe fear of whether I could really leave home and live well on my own for three months.
How to do the staff activities — when you first learn, a week goes by quickly, but in that first week I lost count of how many times I thought I wanted to go home. It wasn''t because it was difficult, but because I wondered whether I could carry out the staff activities well here for 10 weeks; I often felt unprepared and questioned whether I had really come to Europe.Thoughts like "I should have studied French" or "I should have studied art" kept floating through my mind. Because I came in such a hurry, the only things I knew about Paris werethe Eiffel Tower and the Louvre Museum, and that made me even more afraid.
However, there were staff members who guided me well and an owner who supported us, so I adapted easily andI often thought, "It''s okay to learn things as you go while wandering around."
# I''m glad I was able to leave new experiences and memories before it was too late.
At first, I made a lot of friends and went out with them often.There were even days when I met exchange-student friends my age and, after booking tickets at 11 p.m. the night before, we went to Disneyland.The Eiffel Tower is usually lit in yellow with white sparkles that shine for five minutes at the top of each hour, but at 1 a.m. the Eiffel Tower shows only the white sparkles without the yellow lights. We called it the ''White Eiffel''.The day I remember most is when we went to the Eiffel Tower at 1 a.m. with guests to see that, drinking on the lawn while watching it.
However, working every day can be exhausting, and I often felt like doing nothing and just staying at home, so there were many weeks when I didn''t go out at all. In fact, this part...was the thing I regretted most during my gap year.
Saying I couldn''t go out because I was tired from staff activities was an excuse — I was too scared and anxious to go out alone. I''m bad with directions and maps, so the first day I went out alone I got lost; when I finally reached my destination I had to leave 30 minutes later, and I took the subway the wrong way and ended up at the terminal and back. There were many mishaps, so I didn''t want to go out anymore and became a homebody.
After spending so much time at home, when the end finally approached I wondered what I''d been doing and mustered the courage to go out a lot by myself. Even places I''d been to before began to show new sides. Only then did I start to feel regret and try to go anywhere with anyone.
Normally, whether guests or staff suggested going somewhere I''d just hesitate and end up not going, but this time I planned and suggested going first and made arrangements. The most fun period was the last week. I had planned to stay in Paris for one week after finishing my gap year and then go elsewhere, but with a renewed mindset I wanted to play and explore more, so I postponed my flight and stayed in Paris for two more weeks after the gap year.
The staff had a big influence on why the last week was so happy. Before leaving Paris I went to Auvers-sur-Oise with the staff and guests — although, contrary to expectations, the wheat fields had been harvested and it was just an empty plain, it was so enjoyable to come and enjoy it together with everyone.I regretted a lot that I hadn''t thought of this before, but...I''m glad I was able to leave new experiences and memories before it was too late.
# My personal Paris spots
When you have time, I recommend exploring the Seine from the first bridge to the last over several days or weeks rather than in a single day. It''s different in the morning, afternoon, and evening, so walking and sitting along the Seine and eating kebab and drinking wine created truly romantic and lovely memories — more so than the Eiffel Tower.
# My gap year TIPS
(Language)
At the very least, it''s good to learn greetings and simple conversation. In particular, I felt the French place value on greetings, so it''s good to memorize simple greetings and expressions of thanks in French rather than in English.
(Staff activities)
Working as accommodation staff means dealing with guests, which can be very stressful. You should think of it as work rather than a trip, and working every day often leaves you too tired to enjoy yourself. Still, don''t be too impatient — I think the best approach is to set one clear goal to accomplish. e.g., visit every park in Paris.
(Meals)
The home-cooked meals are delicious! They tailor the food to travelers'' tastes so it can be quite salty and spicy, but even I, who eat low-salt, enjoyed them!
(What to bring)
I didn''t have winter clothes, so I was very cold. Check the weather carefully and pack accordingly. Paris''s weather fluctuates a lot. Also, Paris is a normal city — it''s convenient to buy everyday items there. In particular, Korean shampoo doesn''t suit the water there and can damage your hair, so it''s better to use French shampoo.
(Tips)
I couldn''t stand being alone, so I wasted a lot of time. I hope you''ll get out and explore a lot when you have time and have many experiences. One regret of mine is that if I had watched films before coming, I might have enjoyed Paris even more. Looking up one movie, book, or author about Paris that you can get into before coming will help you have a more meaningful time.
#Gaining more confidence was also among the things I gained while doing the gap year.onething, I suppose.
I felt the importance of my family more, and I gained a lot of confidence that I can do things on my own.
Because I like taking photos, I took many pictures and being recognized by many people for taking good photos gave me more confidence — I think that''s one of the things I gained during my gap year.
I even decided to make postcards from the photos I took and send them to everyone. I want to learn photography, even as a hobby. I had no dreams and didn''t know what to do, but I found something I can enjoy as a hobby.
Thislike thisGap Year, thank you so much for giving me such a great opportunity!
My gap year is
Experience★★★★★
Spending ten weeks in Paris for my first overseas trip and my first trip to Europe was an incredible experience.
Learning★★★☆☆
I regret not studying French a bit more, but by meeting guests and hearing the stories of people who have already experienced the career path I''m considering, I learned a lot about my career direction.
Environment★★★★★
I stayed very comfortably, just like at my home in Korea.
Safety★★★★☆
It was safer than I had heard before as long as you stay cautious, but because I was short, couldn''t speak English well, and was Asian, there were several instances where I was given less change or was ignored.
Leisure★★☆☆☆
I regret that I couldn''t properly have time to myself, but still, although not as much as when I was in Paris, I saw and experienced more than I would have on a regular trip.I think so.
