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#Feeling like I'm back in my twenties #New experiences, connections #Moved/comforted by people
Through the people I met there, I was sometimes moved and sometimes comforted, and I was able to pull myself together once again. Although going back to Korea didn''t mean that everything would be neatly solved, I accomplished something that not everyone gets to experience, and I''m grateful to have met people with whom I can share those memories. - Paris Gap Year Stay / Kim Ha-min, gap-year family ''gapper'' / 8-week gap year |
#My goal for this gap year was to get a refresh from life in Korea.
Being in Paris for two months with room and board provided, I thought it was a rare opportunity not only for sightseeing but also to experience the life of locals. Rather than a change, it was a challenge to do things I hadn''t had a chance to do in my twenties,My goal for this gap year was to get a refresh from life in Korea.
#I felt like I had returned to my twenties and was able to have new experiences.
I got a job immediately after graduating from university, and after working at a company for more than ten years with a considerable income, I realized that while I had been content with reality and just working, I had no memories of my irreplaceable youth in my twenties.
After quitting my job and doing the things I had wanted to do one by one, I learned about the gap year through an acquaintance''s introduction and on that basis I applied for the gap year. Through the gap yearI felt like I had returned to my twenties and was able to have new experiences.
I was quite surprised to receive the final acceptance notice as a tour staff member for Gap Year Stay. Given my not-so-young age and the fact of living in Paris for over two months, I was both excited and full of worries. (I think the boss took a bit of a gamble too;;)
I naively assumed that the free tours organized by the hostel would move by car, and based on my own judgment I applied and was accepted as a tour staff, but that was a mistaken assumption. After arriving in Paris, taking the subway to get to the accommodation was very exhausting.
It wasn''t because of jet lag or the long journey; in Seoul, especially at rush hour, there are so many people that I would get on and off the subway several times and even collapsed before, so I boarded the Paris subway believing information from blogs that Paris public transportation is clean and transfers are not difficult, but it smelled strongly and was crowded.
After arriving at the accommodation, during an interview with the boss I learned that the tours were conducted by leading people on the subway, and I told him about my condition (trauma from having collapsed in an overcrowded Seoul subway - panic disorder, claustrophobia).
I was very sorry that I hadn''t informed them beforehand, and because staff had already been assigned to roles, I was in a situation where I might have had to return to Korea.
While I emptied my mind and waited for a decision, fortunately a staff member named Eunseong switched to the tour staff, allowing me to stay in Paris doing general staff duties.
As I stayed, it was clear that being a tour staff was an appealing job, but since the Paris subway sometimes stops (there were guests trapped in a tunnel for two hours, and there was also a 10-minute blackout in a tunnel), I urge people who, like me, can''t ride crowded subways not to apply for tour staff, andPeople with such special circumstances must definitely inform Gap Year and the boss in advance.
#I accomplished something that not everyone can experience, and I''m grateful to have met people with whom I can share those memories.
The people you naturally meet at a guesthouse come from various professions and personalities, but with the common denominator of being travelers, we all became friends simply as people traveling.
Hearing life stories and local tales from an elderly gentleman who volunteers in Africa after retiring, local stories from a priest staying in Israel, and the story of a man in his thirties who quit his government job to reconsider his career and then decided to prepare to return to the civil service, I...I was able to imagine the travel destinations and have a precious time to reflect on my own life.
I too left for Paris around the time I had lost confidence because reemployment was not easy. Working as guesthouse staff involves dealing with people and is certainly emotional labor, and not everyone you meet will be a good person, but nevertheless, through the people I met there I was moved, comforted, and able to pull myself together once again.
Although going back to Korea didn''t mean that everything would be clearly solved, I accomplished something that not everyone gets to experience, and I''m grateful to have met people with whom I can share those memories.
#I spent more time entirely for myself.
When I arrived in late January, February is winter so there was little sun, it rained often, and it was colder than I thought, so I kept catching colds. (If you go in winter, make sure to bring cold medicine and masks.)
Winter is cold, so you naturally look for things to do indoors; thanks to that I went to museums a little more, but I mainly spent time in cafes reading books or writing in my diary.I spent more time entirely for myself.
Cafés close earlier than in Korea, so when they closed I would walk endlessly along the Seine, and I was lucky enough to enter a cathedral and, if the timing was right, attend Mass.I had heard that living in Paris makes you find places you like, and I too found places I liked, so I went whenever I had time.
I started to like Paris: I packed sandwiches like a local, lay down and read, looked at the Seine, and enjoyed leisurely time. I''m lazy so I didn''t visit neighboring countries, but after finishing my staff duties I went to Nice and Monaco, which I had been to on business trips when I worked at a company.
In April in Nice, where the weather was like summer, I soaked in memories while feeling a relaxation and romance I hadn''t experienced on business trips.
#My gap year tips
(Language)
It''s good to know not only simple greetings but also numbers and days of the week.
(I recommend memorizing basic conversational phrases and trying them repeatedly at restaurants or shops.)
(Accommodation)
Be sure to bring an electric heating pad or hand warmers in winter.
(Meals)
It''s nice to cook and eat together.
(Supplies)
Cups, spoons, and chopsticks are shared, so if you''re concerned about hygiene I recommend bringing your own tumbler. Shampoo, body wash, etc., are sometimes left by guests and are inexpensive at the supermarket, so there''s no need to bring heavy bottles.
(A word to prospective participants)
Being a staff member is by no means easy. Whether it''s regular duties or tour work, it''s work dealing with people, so keep in mind it''s emotional labor; and if you''re someone who is heavily affected by the weather, I do not recommend working in winter.
Also, depending on how you use your time, it''s certain that you can see more places and have more experiences.
# Through this project I came to appreciate the importance of family and regained my confidence.
It''s true that I felt very drained for the first one to two weeks after arriving in Paris. Maybe because the sun didn''t come out all day and the weather was bleak, or because there was more work than I expected, or the burden of being the eldest — my mood and condition weren''t good. At that time, Eunsung, who asked me if I wanted to go for a cup of coffee, was young but deep-hearted and considerate — a warm friend.
Not only Eunsung but also Yeonggyeong, cheerful and lively, Jangwon, the easygoing youngest, the aunt with a girlish sensibility, and the tsundere boss helped me pull myself together and endure.I want to tell them all thank you.
Through this project I came to appreciate the importance of family and regained my confidence.Meeting various people and talking about travel and life made me think that I, too, have been living earnestly, and it was a time to comfort myself.
As a staff member, having people to empathize with and talk to during good times and bad was a great support in daily life.
Finally, I would like to express my gratitude to GapYear for taking care of and helping me participate in this project.
My gap year
Experience★★★★★
A guesthouse is also a small organization/society.
Learning★★★★★
Memorize numbers and days of the week, and study a little French so you can use it directly in shops and restaurants for a more enjoyable life in Paris.
Environment★★★★☆
If you set your expectations too high, you may be greatly disappointed. (Especially things like cleaning the accommodation are done together by the staff.)
Safety★★★★☆
It''s rare for foreigners to ask us for help (such as for directions). Be cautious of strangers getting too close.
Leisure★★★★★
Visit nearby places you can get to using a transit card (Navigo).
