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#Broadened perspective, developed thinking #Experience of American culture #Realized the value of taking on challenges
No matter how much interaction you''ve had with foreigners in Korea, going abroad and experiencing it is different.Of course, it is also different from a simple trip with friends.The gap-year project brings a broader view of the world anddevelopment of thought to young Koreans. A special cross-country trip across the United States with young people from around the world / Iminyong''s gap-year group/gapper / 4-week gap year |
# I wanted to try something different.
# I hope you think of it as a process to gain new cultural experiences.
This project organizes trips for young people. Since everyone is young, they speak quickly and use slang, so it was very hard to adapt at first. I wasn''t singled out as the only non–English-speaking Asian there.They just thought of me as another tourist, so there was very little looking after me.
Saying this might make you hesitate to apply for the gap year, butI hope you think of it as a process to gain new cultural experiences.However, if you think from a different perspective, if foreign friends don''t see us as non–English speakers and treat us comfortably,it can be an opportunity for us to experience Western culture and a culture different from ours 100%.
Thoseare the parts that gave me pride and a sense of accomplishment after finishing the trip. Because there had been difficult parts to adapt to, the moment when I finally felt like I was truly traveling together was unforgettable.
It was when we arrived in Durango, Colorado, the third city. The trigger was in a very small detail. I just had to change myself. Because of the unfamiliar environment and not being able to understand English, I had been passive and avoided things, but I approached first to start a conversation and made a verbal mistake when I didn''t understand something, and everyone around burst out laughing.
I was actually embarrassed, but they took it as just something funny and it became a story that made us more friendly.Every day is a day of challenge, but the first time is hard and it gets a bit easier after that. ☺
# I hope you''ll think of it as a process for gaining new cultures and experiences.
If you become close with your travel companions, that''s when the real trip begins. For me too, things started to stand out once we became close. The U.S. is a country you really have to travel by car to properly experience. Of course, travel times of 4–5 hours are the norm, though.
One of the things that made this cross-country trip most enjoyable was being able to travel like Americans, like Westerners. During the trip, not only large metropolises but alsowe pass through many small towns along the way. Especially in small towns, it''s hard to find not just Koreans but Asians in general.
They''re literally places enjoyed by Americans.And because I traveled with foreign friends, I was able to go to places or have experiences that I wouldn''t have had if I had come alone or with Koreans.
Among the many cities, there are two that felt the most "American." Excluding the big cities.
Memphis (멤피스)
Memphis is a city in Tennessee where, so to speak, you can feel the soul of Black culture.In every venue, bands made up of Black musicians perform live, and the streets are filled with free spirits You can feel they''re filled with them. It was a feeling I''d never experienced before, yet it felt somehow familiar. Here too, no matter how much I looked around, I was the only one who looked different. From then on, I started to enjoy that.☺
Nashville (내쉬빌)
Nashville is the capital city of Tennessee. Although it''s in the same state as Memphis, the atmosphere is quite different. Being the capital, it has a more modern feel and is less free-spirited than Memphis. Many white people live there, and live pubs mainly play rock music. That day, after partying together at a pub, we jumped into an outdoor pool at dawn and caught a cold.....
# There were so many things I wouldn''t have experienced if I''d traveled alone or with Koreans.
Above all, the best part was traveling through America with friends from different countries.
There were so many things I wouldn''t have experienced if I''d traveled alone or with Koreans.As a Korean, There were many things I couldn''t even have imagined. Of course, not all of them were good, but seeing the same things from a different perspectivewas good.
I''d say the happiest moments were when I felt that I had become close with the friends I traveled with. It wasn''t that we naturally became close over time, butI think it''s correct to say that I took the initiative and mustered the courage to approach them and became close. The point is that unless I reach out, I can''t become close.
As we became closer, we bought each other drinks. Then at the bar where we were sitting, we played games with all the other customers and made good memories. At that moment, being the only Asian felt rather special.
In my case, the unpleasant parts started from misunderstandings. Being the only non-English-speaking Asian, I felt intimidated; when others, just trying to be friendly, made jokes or gave nicknames, those actions were sometimes over-interpreted and taken to mean something else.
In such cases, rather than avoiding it, it''s better to ask directly what they mean.If you avoid it, the other person may start thinking differently than they did at first, and then it becomes a vicious cycle.Rather than saying you feel offended, it''s better to say it sounds strange.
# Everyone was traveling alone.
On the project of traveling across the United States, there were many friends from Australia and New Zealand. The other people were from various countries such as Ireland, Germany, and South Africa.
Everyone was traveling alone. Thereforeall the participants were able to become close with each other.Through the gap year, I now...have come to know friends in countries like Australia and New Zealand.
# My Gap Year TIP
(Language)
Don''t hide. Don''t just smile and avoid people because you can''t speak or understand English. There''s nothing shameful about not being good at English — it''s our second language, so be confident. If you don''t understand what the other person said, calmly ask what they mean and confidently say you don''t know.
When traveling with young people from around the world, their English speaking speed is very fast. During travel, we''re just one of them, so nobody will specially slow down for us — that''s why we need to go up and speak first. If we hide, foreign friends won''t come to us. Don''t be afraid of the parts you don''t understand in English.
You can''t ask every single time, but if you ask now and then and stay with the group, you''ll become close to those friends. Then a shared understanding will form so that even if you don''t fully understand what they''re saying, you can sense and enjoy the atmosphere. Ah — mimicking and learning the slang and expressions that foreign friends use in daily life helps a lot to get closer.
If you are planning a trip, practice speaking as much as you can in the time you have left. The better your conversational skills, the more fun the trip will be. Of course, English isn''t everything, but in foreign countries it''s very natural to talk with strangers. If you can experience that culture, it will be even more enjoyable, right?
(Accommodation)
There weren''t any major inconveniences. Compared to Korea, the facilities might be seen as quite outdated, but it wasn''t particularly uncomfortable. Laundry is done at laundromats, and usually a few travel friends do it together.
(Meals)
Food prices in the U.S. are relatively high. Many accommodations don''t have cooking spaces, so you either eat hotel-provided meals or go out to buy food. Buying food usually costs over $10. Sometimes when I went to big cities I stopped by a Korean grocery store (H Mart) and bought a box of cup noodles to use as emergency food during the trip.
You can carry them on the bus when moving, so it''s not a big inconvenience. If there''s no hot water, you can microwave them, so it''s fine. Also, because the U.S. climate is very dry, staying hydrated is essential. But you can''t drink water for free like in Korea. So you''ll buy water often, and buying small bottles every time gets expensive — when you stop at Walmart during the trip it''s convenient to buy a pack or a large water jug to carry.
(What to bring)
Prepare as you would for a normal overseas trip. But it''s good to bring a little extra cold medicine. Bus travel times are long and you get a lot of air-conditioning, so you''re prone to catching colds. Also, don''t bring too many clothes. Since you visit many places, you''ll shop often.
# For prospective participants
Well...I''m not sure. In the activity I joined, I was the only non-English-speaking Asian. Other activities are likely the same.If that''s the case, steel yourself and take it on with a challenge mindset.
If there had been other non-English-speaking Asians in the gap year I participated in, I probablywouldn''t have had the sense of achievement and pride I have now. That''s because they would have avoided the difficult parts and chosen only the easy ones.Of course, everyone''s standards differ, so the intention and meaning of participating in a gap year project will vary.
Howeverif a gap year is meant to be another kind of challenge, then even if you face situations that are hard to adapt to, don''t avoid them— go up to people first and try to overcome the situation.As you''ll see if you try it, the theme is travel. It is a project that has that theme.If you take the initiative and engage proactively, the hardships won''t be that difficult.
# Advantages of this project
While traveling across the U.S., going to famous cities was nice, butto places in Tennessee like Memphis and Nashville, you can get a sense of an America we don''t often encounter. If you want to see something beyond the America we knew, I highly recommend it.
# The gap year project broadens the world and develops thinking for young Koreans.
People''s motivations for applying to the gap year project may differ, but for me the most important mindset when participating in the program was ''challenge.'' Faced with the new task of finding a job and wondering whether I could do it, the idea of challenge felt very frightening in the powerless routine I was living.
Rather than the grand goal of finding a dream through the gap year, I wanted to gain confidence through a different kind of challenge — travel. So I chose the gap year not as a trip alone, but to expose myself to more difficult and unfamiliar environments.
If among the traveling friends there had been Koreans or other non-English-speaking Asians, I wouldn''t have the sense of accomplishment and confidence I feel now. When I hit a wall, I would have taken the easier path beside me.Now that I''ve completed the gap year project, even though the future is uncertain, I feel that with the confidence gained through challenges and failures during travel I can throw myself into anything.
No matter how much interaction you''ve had with foreigners in Korea, experiencing things by going abroad is different.Of course, it''s also different from a simple trip with friends.The gap year project brings young Korean youth an expansion of the world andthe development of thought.
Not from the perspective of ''foreigners who came from abroad,'' but rather as travel friends who came from different places,being able to travel from the perspective of friends who are together becomes a lifelong memory .
Capturing the growth journeys
of our participants.
