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Gap year review: Hands-on village-building in Chiang Rai, Thailand with foreign friends

#Gradually got more comfortable and it became more fun #Unforgettable homestay memories #Felt lucky to enjoy the beautiful scenery

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    "The night view you can see just by sitting and the stars in the sky when lying down were sights that couldn''t be captured in photos. I was so happy to be able to share this moment with these friends. The scenery I saw in the morning after I came to my senses was really beautiful too. It feels like a blessing to be able to enjoy the view in every direction. It was a fun and refreshing experience."

     

    Building a village in Chiang Rai, Thailand with foreign friends

    Jeong Da-yeon, gap-year member (''gapper'') / a 4-week gap year

     

     

     

     

     

    #I was so happy to be able to share this moment with these friends.

     

     

     

     

    I have an unforgettable memory. It was the homestay I went to in the 4th week. Because it was the second homestay, it was often compared to the environment of the first homestay. But as soon as we arrived and drove to the back hill, I was speechless—the place was so beautiful.


    At the hill called Doisa Ngo, it was a place where you could see Laos, Myanmar, and Thailand all at once.In the end they allowed us to spend the last night of the homestay on that hill. In fact, the place had several annexes and was a tourist spot where you could do homestays.


    I remember it was 1,200 baht per person per room. So we were able to all lay out sleeping bags together on the bamboo floor and sleep.The night view you can see just by sitting and the stars overhead when you lie down were sights that couldn''t be captured in photos. I was so happy to be able to share this moment with these friends.


    That night of beer, snacks, singing, and chatting felt like something we wouldn''t be able to experience again for a while. Until I fell asleep I was so soaked in romance... but when dawn came and not long after we lay down, the wind started to blow. It blew so strongly that it seemed to get in through the sleeping bags, and the bamboo floor began to poke us.



    We spent the night wide awake like that. But it wasn''t just me. We had planned to watch the sunrise in the morning, but everyone had dazed, groggy faces instead of waiting tensely. haha


    It''s so funny that even that can become a memory. There were people who had only a single-layer blanket. haha It must have been really miserable. I was lucky to at least have a sleeping bag. However...The scenery I saw after waking up in the morning was really beautiful too. I feel lucky to be able to take in the views in all directions. It was a fun and refreshing experience. 

     

     


    #I got more accustomed to it and it became more fun.


     


     

    If life during the first week was a bit bleak with each person sleeping separately in one bed, the homestay in the second week allowed volunteers doing the same outdoor activities to lie and sleep in the same space, so it felt like we became closer.


    Of course, men and women were separated. Not only for sleeping but because we went to a more rural village, we were cut off from the outside, and an environment was naturally created where we could only do activities among ourselves...At first it was hard to adapt, but over time I got used to it and it became fun.

     

     

     

Why This Project

What makes this project special

#Knowledge & Skills#Art & Inspiration#Love & Relationships#Architectural activities#Nature healing#Finding my presence#Gaining a sense of accomplishment#Real project#Urban planning#Living like a local#Making genuine global friends#Discovering a new me#Discovering my value#Volunteer work#Experiencing Thai culture#One-month stay in Chiang Rai#A journey to find myself#Try planning it myself

Take just one brave step.
GapYear will take care of the rest.