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#Became less shy and gained courage #Meaningful connections and information sharing #Felt the joy of learning
I used to be very shy about meeting new people, but through this trip I became able to start conversations with strangers more easilythan before. I didn''t accomplish all the plans I had decided on before joining, and I had some complaints about the project during the trip, butwhen I reached the end and reflected, it was clearly a very important time for meto my ordinary everyday lifeI think it was a good project that brought a small change. - Bonjour! One month living in Paris, France + one month living in Madrid, Spain, the land of the sun Lee Gwan-hyung, GapYear Tribe gapper / 6-week gap year |
# It became a major concern over the years that I didn''t even seem to know myself.
I decided to take a leave of absence from school to have time for myself, and I went on leave.At first, after taking a leave I didn''t know what to do and was wasting time when I discovered a site called GapYearI learned about it and, after much thought, decided to get counseling and received one-on-one sessions.
The counseling didn''t end with one session; after a total of three sessionsthey suggested getting away from daily life and living in another country for a month,so after thinking it over I decided to do it, saved money,applied, and went.
At first I had many worries. I''m the kind of person who overthinks things and even worries deeply about trivial mattersso because of my worrying nature I became even more anxious.Since it was my first time traveling alone, I wondered what and how I should prepare and worried a lotand because I''m the worrying type, the closer it got the more anxious I became.But once I faced it, I realized that wherever you go, places where people live are basically the same.Most people were kind,so I was able to carry out the project without much difficulty.
Before leaving, I referred extensively to the project descriptions provided by GapYear and looked things up on the internet.There were more people traveling to Europe than I expected, so I could get various information and learned simple greetings andphrases needed for daily life, and for items needed for traveling in Europe I checked the internet andpacked a lot from Daiso.
I originally had low self-esteem, and not having a clear personal stance was a big concern.Because I lacked a clear personal viewpoint, I often appeared indecisive in whatever I did,and even I didn''t know myself well.Not knowing things became a major concern as the years went by.
I had low self-esteem, often had very negative thoughts, and felt like I didn’t love myself.As soon as possible.I entered this gap year with the thought that I wanted to fix it quickly.
# I realized that the more you know, the more you see.
For the one-month-in-Paris project, we ate breakfast around 8–9 AM, and from 11 to 1...because the housekeeper needed to clean, you had to get ready before then; if you were feeling tired or wanted to rest a bit longer, you could quietly rest in bed and then go out.
After that, everyone followed their own schedules, and those who wanted to have dinner at the accommodation could come back by 7:30 and eat; if your schedule didn’t match and it was difficult to have dinner at the accommodation,you could let them know in advance and have dinner outside.
At night, you could casually drink wine or beer and talk with people, and after midnight,use of the living room was limited to avoid disturbing the next day’s schedules. There were night tours held at the accommodation every Wednesday and Saturday,so people who wanted to join the tours should come back early in the evening.The live-in Madrid project was similar to Paris but provided only breakfast, and from 12 to 2 PM,cleaning had to be done, so you had to get ready before then and return after 2 PM.
What was good about Paris was that the accommodation provided wine, and every Friday there was a samgyeopsal (pork belly) party; the accommodation also held two night tours each week,which created many opportunities to get close to people. The advantage of the Korean guesthouse was that you could gather at night and talk about things that happened and share various information.It was nice to talk about the things that happened and to share various information.Contrary to my worries, I met so many good people that...I was moved by some people, and even after returning to Korea we kept in touch, which I thought was nice.
Through guided tours, with explanations about religions I didn’t know about and various histories, touring the sightsfelt like a whole new world. Even places I might have passed by alone had many interesting facts,that I could hear, which was amazing, andI realized that the more you know, the more you see.
In Paris there were no other gap year project participants, but I accompanied some people and became close with them,In Madrid there were participants, so we shared common ground and got close quickly, and during the 15 dayswe stuck together every day and wandered around different places. Going alone and going with companions each have their pros and cons,but rather than going alone,I think it’s good to sometimes find companions to go with.
# My gap year tips
(Language)
It''s good to know some basic phrases of the country''s language before going, but since locals often reply in their own language if you ask in it, I recommend using English whenever possible.Simple greetings and etiquette are widely available online, so it''s helpful to look them up.
(Accommodation)
In Paris, the host was friendly and the lady who cooked was skilled and kind, so I don''t think you need to worry much. There are many opportunities to get to know people. I have many good memories, so I definitely recommend it.In Madrid, the accommodation was located in the city center so there was a bit of noise, but the host was kind. The people staying there were nice, but since there are pros and cons, it''s not a place I''d recommend to everyone.
(Meals)
In Paris they served Korean food for breakfast and dinner, so it was cost-effective and I didn''t miss Korean food much while staying there.In Madrid they only provided Korean food for breakfast, but it was fairly decent.Typically, Korean guesthouses seem to provide Korean food only for breakfast.
(What to bring)
For bags, it''s good to bring a small bag for valuables as well as a larger backpack.A picnic mat is nice for sitting on the grass and relaxing on good-weather days.There have been thefts even at Korean guesthouses, so it''s advisable to bring a lock.
# For prospective participants
During my two-month trip I had times when I traveled tightly packed and times when I stayed at the accommodation all day. Some rest is definitely necessary. Of course, when travel time isn''t long, some people want to see even a bit more before returning.There will be people like that, and naturallysome people prefer to follow a very tight personal schedule, but in my opinion being too mechanical when touringfelt like it wasn''t a good idea.
In Paris there''s a Museum Pass — a ticket that allows free admission to museums and galleries.There was a day when I visited three museums and galleries in one day to get my money''s worth. Since I wasn''t interested in art,I only became more tired and my excitement faded.
If you keep touring tightly from place to place,after a few days everything starts to look similar and you may think ''isn''t it all the same anyway,'' leaving your body and mind exhausted and your interest graduallywaning.If you have a bit of spare time, I''d recommend taking it slow and sightseeing at a relaxed pace.
# My Paris destinations
Get off at Opéra station, visit Opéra Garnier, and wander around the nearby city streets.If you keep walking straight ahead, you can get to the Louvre Museum. On the left is the Louvre Museum and on the right isyou can see the Arc de Triomphe du Carrousel and beyond it a Ferris wheel; if you walk toward the arch you can see the Tuileries GardenAfter passing through the garden and arriving near the Ferris wheel, you come to Place de la Concorde.
From there you can see the Arc de Triomphe in the distanceand if you walk toward the arch, you will come to the Champs-Élysées; the arch is at the end of the avenue, and not farfrom this place you can get to the Eiffel Tower.
After some time it doesn''t come to mind clearly, but the things I enjoyed and would recommend areI recommend taking a Bateaux-Mouches river cruise to see the city''s main tourist sites,going to the Eiffel Tower at night to see the five-minute sparkle at every hour and the “White Eiffel” that takes place at 1 a.m.I would also recommend seeing that, and I think it''s nice to go up the Montparnasse Tower to view the night scenery.
If you want to relax by reading a book or taking a walk, at the Luxembourg Gardens or the hill of Montmartreit would be nice to casually have coffee or tea and unwind.Also, I definitely recommend visiting the Palace of Versailles, which is a bit outside Paris, and Monet''s home in Giverny.I recommend that, and I hope you definitely see the festival of lights held at the cathedral in a place called Chartres at nightThat would be great.
# I think it was a good project that brought a small change to my daily life.
At first I was very worried and kept thinking whether I could do it well.But once I actually faced it, I thought it wasn''t such a big deal. Appearance, language, and ways of thinking were different, butafter all, it was a place where people lived, andI was able to do what I wanted to do somehow, even if language didn''t work.
I used to be very shy, but through this trip I became able to speak more easily to strangers than beforeI became able to. I didn''t accomplish all the plans I had decided on before participating, and during the trip I had some complaints about the project, butwhen I reached the end and thought about it, it was definitely a very important time for me, and
it brought to my ordinary daily lifeI think it was a good project that was able to bring a small change.
My gap year is
experience★★★★★
Because you meet a variety of people and spend a long time abroad, many things happen; from experience, I would definitely recommend trying it at least once.
Learning★★★★★
It was fun to learn and use the country''s language, and learning about cultural etiquette while experiencing a culture different from our own was a great opportunity to reflect on many things.
Environment★★★★★
Staying together with other Koreans abroad let me hear many stories, and the atmosphere made it easy to become close quickly, which I liked.
