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Paris gap-year stay review: 'I miss the Eiffel Tower I once grew tired of seeing.'

#Recognized my own shortcomings; resolved concerns #Discovered tour guide skills; made future plans #Took time to reflect on myself

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    But if I had only stayed in Korea, I would have just gone with the flow. The frustration of vaguely sensing that something was missing inside me but not knowing exactly what. I couldn''t even think of finding out what that something was, I would have just spent my time being overwhelmed by the circumstances I was givenThat would have been it.

     

    - Paris Gap Year Stay / Han-eul, a gap-year tribe gapper / 8-week gap year

     

     

     

     

     

    # I found the courage to step foot in an unfamiliar place once again.

     

     

     

     

     

    To get away from everyday life to experience new thingsI wanted to try.. So what I thought of and came up with was travel and various experiencesit was.. Simply coming to Paris, France as a visitor would itself be a new experience, but, living there while working would allow me to meet more people, I thought it would be a more special experienceI thought..

    So I chose the Paris Gap Year Stay. Of course, I was afraid of going to an unfamiliar place and working.. However, I had taken a short trip abroad by myself before, After that, I found the courage to step into an unfamiliar place once more. Gap Year StayThrough it, I wanted to reflect on and improve our inner selves.



    # At first, I applied to Gap Year Stay thinking about morning shifts. But then they suddenly told me to be a tour guide. I was so taken aback....

     

     

     

     

    I can''t tell you how nervous and excited I was when I first came to Paris. I laugh when I think about myself then.
    At first, my participation in the Gap Year Stay was confirmed, I had booked the plane ticket and was saving money, but I can''t tell you how conflicted I was.I was still agonizing over it until the day before I left.I knew I had to go, but the thought of being in a new place, I think I was afraid of coming to Paris.
      
    At first, I applied to the Gap Year Stay thinking about morning shiftsI had applied. But they suddenly told me to be a tour guide that''s what they said. I can''t tell you how flustered I was.But the thought I had then was I''ve come this far, so I might as well give it a try it was.
      
    The day I first followed my senior tour guide, I thought it was really fortunate that I had become part of the tour guide staffI did.
    I think my view of being a tour guide changed largely because of my senior''s role.The first sight of Paris at night thrilled me.I wondered if I was dreaming.While I was enjoying the Paris night view, a thought suddenly occurred to me.
    It wasn''t just that the night view alone was nice.Because my senior''s explanation was added to the night viewI think I was able to appreciate it more meaningfully.
      
    From then on, I thought being a tour guide was truly a wonderful job.I felt I really had to work hard. Thanks to the senior taking good care of me, I was able to prepare well and learned a lot.. And then, the much-anticipated day I went out on my first solo tour as a guide, I still remember how nervous I was that day.. Fortunately, because I had rehearsed with the staff I worked with, I was very nervous but completed the tour without any mistakes..
      
    Of the tours, the daytime Île de la Cité tour that runs on Thursdays was my favorite.. It started in the morning and ended around lunchtime, and after the tour we could walk around the city of Paris., because I could see many places I like..



    # Paris really had a lot of great restaurants. This brought me great happiness and enjoyment.

     

     

     

     


    Also, I enjoyed seeking out restaurants in Paris., Eating at restaurants I had discovered in advance with guests I had become friendly with was also a very pleasant experience.. True to its reputation as one of the world''s top culinary cities, Paris had many excellent restaurants., This gave me great happiness and pleasure..
     
    And, very luckily, someone who got along with me, I would go traveling with a coworker and a friend who came as a guest.. I went out of Paris to nearby areas and also visited Nice and Monaco..Traveling with like-minded friends is not usually easy, but, If you can, it can be a really enjoyable trip.
     
    And I''m a tour guide, so my days off tend to be clustered, so 2 nights and 3 daysThough short, we were able to visit as many of the places we wanted as we pleased.Originally, I had no plans after my gap-year stay in Paris.Therefore, I planned to return to Korea immediately after finishing the gap year.But after joining a senior''s tour for the first time, my thoughts changed and, I decided to postpone my return home and travel independently, and began studying various countries.While preparing little by little, I took trips here and there, Even after the gap year ended, I was able to travel enough.



    What I liked
    I met many people in a short time, and I led a busy life, making each day fulfilling

    What moved me
    While doing the gap-year stay and working as a tour guide, there were some rude and ill-mannered people, but most treated me warmly and kindly

    What I learned
    During the gap-year stay, I worked as a tour guide.
    Being a tour guide became a truly unforgettable experience for me. It wasn''t an easy task, having to lead many people and give detailed explanations.. However, I was able to discover abilities that had been latent in me..

    Things I realized
    Through guiding tours, I became convinced that it was a job that really suited me.. So, even though it was my first time, I approached it proactively with a willingness to learn so I wouldn''t make mistakes..
    I also learned how to be confident in front of large groups of people, and how to remain composed..



    # My gap year tip



    (Language) 
    Because it''s a Korean guesthouse, you don''t need the language when working as staff, but once you step outside the guesthouse it''s definitely necessary! It''s how you can enjoy Paris even more.

    (Travel) 
    If you like soccer, you might go to a stadium, If you want to meet new friends, you could go to a pub (Pub), If you want to enjoy your daily life more leisurely, you could go to a park, or go to a café and enjoy a cup of coffee.. Make time to accomplish what you wanted.. It''s important to balance time spent with others and time alone..

    (Pro tip) 
    If you just go there thinking it''s only for fun, you''ll surely regret it and be dissatisfied.It will happen.Since I''ll be working as guesthouse staff,you need a sense of responsibility and an investment of time..그리고 더 좋은 경험이 필요하다면 역시 언어가 필요하겠네요.


    #My personal Paris destinations


    There is a park I liked most in Paris. It''sthe Tuileries Gardenis..Sitting in the Tuileries Garden, watching people pass by and the scenery, I did a lot of thinking..Through quiet contemplation, I reflected on how complacent I had been in Korea,,the concerns I had,and I began to listen to my inner voice.. 

    For that reason, the Tuileries Garden was a truly meaningful place for me..



    #Later, the Eiffel Tower had become something I was tired of, like it is for people who live in Paris. But as I traveled to other countries, I found myself missing the familiar Paris, and I began to want to see the Eiffel Tower I had grown bored of.



    During my gap year, I really didn''t think about anything else..I was glad to have time to think only about myself.. Serious contemplation about the future,The direction of the path I''ve walked so far, and my aptitude for that path, the parts I didn''t know and the parts I need to know, things I need to learn, and I was able to seriously reflect on what I need to work on. Of course I couldn''t find answers to all of these things.
     
    But if I had only stayed in Korea, I would have just gone with the flow. A vague awareness, but the frustrating feeling of not knowing exactly what''s missing inside me. I never even thought to try to identify that something, I would have just spent my time being swept along by the situationThat would have been the case.
     
    But during the gap year, I became clearly aware of things I had never even thought about, and I began to seriously contemplate them. Moreover, I was able not only to stop at worrying but also to gain the strength to choose something and move toward it. It didn''t lead to certainty about the future or definitively decide anything, but, it became an opportunity to set a starting point. I still don''t really know what my future will be like, but, now I can trust and follow my choices.

    Fortunately, since I worked as a tour guide, I adapted to Paris quickly. So wherever I went first, it wasn''t difficult at all.
     
    Later, I became so used to Paris that, like residents, I grew tired of the Eiffel Tower, but when I actually traveled to other countries, I missed the familiar Paris,, and I began to long for the Eiffel Tower I had grown tired of. But this too was a unique experience and perspective. Who would ever get tired of the Eiffel Tower?.
    Every moment in Paris was truly precious and special.


    My gap year was

    experience ★★★★★
    Being a tour guide was a wonderful experience I couldn''t have had anywhere else.

    learning ★★★★★
    I was able to learn many things by meeting and talking with many people..

    Environment★★★★
    Don''t expect to have your own personal space..Group living was a more rewarding experience..

    Safety★★★★
    Not all guests are kind and well-mannered..In central Paris, it can vary depending on how careful you are..

    Leisure★★★
    Depending on how you spend your time, you can have a truly fulfilling experience..



     

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