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#Time to reflect on myself #Rest, new challenges #Felt a sense of maturity and empathy
Through this gap year stay, I had time to reflect on myself.Sometimes, suddenly, memories of things I said thoughtlessly that hurt others, or times I acted without discrimination, embarrassingly come to mind. Once a thought arises, the memories keep following one after another and it becomes distressing.
- Jeju Gap Year Stay / Jeon Hye-young, gap-year family gapper / 8-week gap year |
# I wanted to gain the strength to move forward again.
I am a working professional in my mid-thirties. After working for over ten years, I was very worn out. At my company, employees who have worked long-term for more than ten years are allowed to take a one-year leave of absence, so I boldly took leave without a concrete plan.
Still, since I was taking a year off, I thought I should do something memorable, so while gathering travel information I happened to find a Korean gap year site online. I had heard the word ''gap year'' butI thought it was something only college students did, but after browsing the site I felt that that wasn''t necessarily the case.
The goal of this gap year wasFirst, to give myself a rest.Therefore, travel, which I usually liked, was one way of resting.
Second was to challenge myself with something new.After repeating the same pattern of work for ten years, I felt a bit bored, andI wondered if I was losing my initial enthusiasm.So during the break I began to dream of challenging something new that could bring vitality to my life.
Third was to gain the strength to move forward again.I hoped that during the gap year I could stock up the energy to work passionately again when I returned, like when I was a newbie.
Although it might be considered a late age, I applied to the gap year program thinking it could be an opportunity to look back on my past self and take on new challenges. I had been interested in living in another region for a month, and because there was a gap year stay among the gap year programs, I applied.
In fact, I didn''t target Jeju from the start, but other regions like Seoul, Gyeongju, and Busan had age limits, so I ultimately decided on Jeju.
# I was able to enjoy time doing nothing.
I arrived in Jeju one day before the start date. I took a bus from the airport to the guesthouse. The owner was a young woman and she had children. When I said I hadn''t eaten dinner, she prepared a meal for me. I was hungry and the dinner tasted very good.
The gap year stay started on September 1. After guests checked out, cleaning the rooms became my main duty. I would start cleaning between 10 and 11 and spend about 2–3 hours on cleaning and laundry; after finishing my tasks I would have lunch, prepare, and take the bus to travel.
In weeks 1 and 3 I could rest one day, and in weeks 2 and 4 I could rest two days. At first I really traveled hard. At most I visited three places in a day, but as time went on I limited it to about one place a day; some days I spent a day at the Hallado Library or just rested at the accommodation.
Since my goal wasn''t to have a tightly scheduled trip from the start but to try living in the area, I was able to enjoy times of doing nothing.At first there were things I wasn''t used to and I made mistakes, but as time passed I became accustomed and could clean comfortably.
# I hoped Jeju could be preserved as it is as much as possible.
At the end of August the bus system was reorganized, making it easier to travel by bus. It took a bit longer, but I could get to almost any place I wanted by bus.The theme of this Jeju trip was the sea, oreum (volcanic cones), and history.
The seas of Jeju were beautiful everywhere, but among them the beauty of Gangjeong''s sea was the most outstanding.I stared endlessly at one spot and couldn''t visit all the places I had planned that day, so I had to return to the lodging. And through this trip I discovered the charm of Jeju''s oreums (volcanic cones).
Jeju''s oreums, each with their own beautiful character, number over 360—so even if you climbed one every day for a year you still wouldn''t finish them all; it''s not an exaggeration to call Jeju an island of oreums. In particular Geomun Oreum, Yongnuni Oreum, and Darangshi Oreum were wonderful.
Geomun Oreum felt like exploring a primeval forest; Yongnuni Oreum evoked the grasslands of some part of Europe; and Darangshi Oreum gave me the refreshing feeling of looking down at the land after a hard climb.
I was saddened that this beautiful island Jeju has a heartbreaking history. The 4.3 Memorial Hall, Bukchon Village, Darangshi Oreum—everywhere I set foot were sites of pain. I thought people should not only seek Jeju''s beauty but also learn about Jeju''s suffering.
What made my heart ache as I looked around was that Jeju is gradually changing to resemble some mainland city, with high-rise buildings and theme parks appearing little by little.I hoped that, as much as possible, Jeju could be preserved in its natural state.
# You can''t know everything just by looking at the surface.
Through this Gap Year Stay this time I was glad to be able to see Jeju again. I''ve visited Jeju quite a few times in my life. This was my fifth time. But when I think about it, the previous four times were all group trips like package tours. Even if I didn''t plan or drive, others took me to recommended restaurants and provided sightseeing.
During this gap year period I went to a place called Bukchon. Before going to Bukchon I also visited the 4.3 Memorial Hall and Hanra Library, read ''Suni''s Uncle'' to prepare, and when I toured Bukchon there was much I felt beyond what was visible. After walking around the village and stepping into the nearby memorial hall I thought, ''Oh! This is the place I visited earlier this year!''
It was both funny and a little disheartening to realize what kind of trip I had taken earlier this year.Travel seems to be like that. You have to plan and learn for yourself to fully understand a place. Isn''t that true of everything? You can''t know everything just by looking at the surface.
# My Gap Year TIP
(Accommodation)
They provided a double room with a bathroom, so there was no major inconvenience.
(Meals)
Breakfast, lunch, and dinner were all provided, and since there was usually rice in the rice cooker, you can just serve yourself when mealtime comes.
(What to bring)
In Jeju, as long as you have spare clothes and the personal items you absolutely need, you won''t be greatly inconvenienced. Guesthouses provide many essentials like toiletries and toilet paper.
(To prospective participants)
I was anxious the day before leaving for the gap year. Because there was no in-person pre-meeting, I worried: what if it''s different from what I expected? Will it be safe? Will I do well? But once I arrived in Jeju, I didn''t feel anxious.If you''re hesitating, it might not be a bad idea to just go for it.
# My Jeju travel spots
During this gap year period I saw Jeju''s seas, oreums, and history. All the seas were beautiful, but Gangjeong left the strongest impression. For oreums, Geomun Oreum, Yongnuni Oreum, and Darangshi Oreum remain memorable. Each oreum has a different charm and its own beauty. For history, I recommend reading Hyun Ki-young''s ''Suni''s Uncle'' and visiting the 4.3 Memorial Hall and Bukchon.
# Through this Gap Year Stay, I had time to reflect on myself.
Through this Gap Year Stay, I had time to reflect on myself.Sometimes, out of the blue, words I said carelessly that hurt others and the thoughtless things I did in the past come back to me with embarrassment. Once such a memory appears, it keeps coming back one after another and even becomes distressing.
I decided to let those memories be carried away by the wind of Jeju, throw them into the sea of Jeju, and leave them tucked away in the corners of Jeju''s stone walls. AndI returned home having filled my tired body and mind with a whole lot of positive energy.
BigThere wasn''t a big change, butI feel like I accomplished something.
Through this gap year stay, I had time to reflect on myself.Sometimes, suddenly, memories of things I said thoughtlessly that hurt others, or times I acted without discrimination, embarrassingly come to mind. Once a thought arises, the memories keep following one after another and it becomes distressing.
- Jeju Gap Year Stay / Jeon Hye-young, gap-year family gapper / 8-week gap year |
# I wanted to gain the strength to move forward again.
I am a working professional in my mid-thirties. After working for over ten years, I was very worn out. At my company, employees who have worked long-term for more than ten years are allowed to take a one-year leave of absence, so I boldly took leave without a concrete plan.
Still, since I was taking a year off, I thought I should do something memorable, so while gathering travel information I happened to find a Korean gap year site online. I had heard the word ''gap year'' butI thought it was something only college students did, but after browsing the site I felt that that wasn''t necessarily the case.
The goal of this gap year wasFirst, to give myself a rest.Therefore, travel, which I usually liked, was one way of resting.
Second was to challenge myself with something new.After repeating the same pattern of work for ten years, I felt a bit bored, andI wondered if I was losing my initial enthusiasm.So during the break I began to dream of challenging something new that could bring vitality to my life.
Third was to gain the strength to move forward again.I hoped that during the gap year I could stock up the energy to work passionately again when I returned, like when I was a newbie.
Although it might be considered a late age, I applied to the gap year program thinking it could be an opportunity to look back on my past self and take on new challenges. I had been interested in living in another region for a month, and because there was a gap year stay among the gap year programs, I applied.
In fact, I didn''t target Jeju from the start, but other regions like Seoul, Gyeongju, and Busan had age limits, so I ultimately decided on Jeju.
# I was able to enjoy time doing nothing.
I arrived in Jeju one day before the start date. I took a bus from the airport to the guesthouse. The owner was a young woman and she had children. When I said I hadn''t eaten dinner, she prepared a meal for me. I was hungry and the dinner tasted very good.
The gap year stay started on September 1. After guests checked out, cleaning the rooms became my main duty. I would start cleaning between 10 and 11 and spend about 2–3 hours on cleaning and laundry; after finishing my tasks I would have lunch, prepare, and take the bus to travel.
In weeks 1 and 3 I could rest one day, and in weeks 2 and 4 I could rest two days. At first I really traveled hard. At most I visited three places in a day, but as time went on I limited it to about one place a day; some days I spent a day at the Hallado Library or just rested at the accommodation.
Since my goal wasn''t to have a tightly scheduled trip from the start but to try living in the area, I was able to enjoy times of doing nothing.At first there were things I wasn''t used to and I made mistakes, but as time passed I became accustomed and could clean comfortably.
# I hoped Jeju could be preserved as it is as much as possible.
At the end of August the bus system was reorganized, making it easier to travel by bus. It took a bit longer, but I could get to almost any place I wanted by bus.The theme of this Jeju trip was the sea, oreum (volcanic cones), and history.
The seas of Jeju were beautiful everywhere, but among them the beauty of Gangjeong''s sea was the most outstanding.I stared endlessly at one spot and couldn''t visit all the places I had planned that day, so I had to return to the lodging. And through this trip I discovered the charm of Jeju''s oreums (volcanic cones).
Jeju''s oreums, each with their own beautiful character, number over 360—so even if you climbed one every day for a year you still wouldn''t finish them all; it''s not an exaggeration to call Jeju an island of oreums. In particular Geomun Oreum, Yongnuni Oreum, and Darangshi Oreum were wonderful.
Geomun Oreum felt like exploring a primeval forest; Yongnuni Oreum evoked the grasslands of some part of Europe; and Darangshi Oreum gave me the refreshing feeling of looking down at the land after a hard climb.
I was saddened that this beautiful island Jeju has a heartbreaking history. The 4.3 Memorial Hall, Bukchon Village, Darangshi Oreum—everywhere I set foot were sites of pain. I thought people should not only seek Jeju''s beauty but also learn about Jeju''s suffering.
What made my heart ache as I looked around was that Jeju is gradually changing to resemble some mainland city, with high-rise buildings and theme parks appearing little by little.I hoped that, as much as possible, Jeju could be preserved in its natural state.
# You can''t know everything just by looking at the surface.
Through this Gap Year Stay this time I was glad to be able to see Jeju again. I''ve visited Jeju quite a few times in my life. This was my fifth time. But when I think about it, the previous four times were all group trips like package tours. Even if I didn''t plan or drive, others took me to recommended restaurants and provided sightseeing.
During this gap year period I went to a place called Bukchon. Before going to Bukchon I also visited the 4.3 Memorial Hall and Hanra Library, read ''Suni''s Uncle'' to prepare, and when I toured Bukchon there was much I felt beyond what was visible. After walking around the village and stepping into the nearby memorial hall I thought, ''Oh! This is the place I visited earlier this year!''
It was both funny and a little disheartening to realize what kind of trip I had taken earlier this year.Travel seems to be like that. You have to plan and learn for yourself to fully understand a place. Isn''t that true of everything? You can''t know everything just by looking at the surface.
# My Gap Year TIP
(Accommodation)
They provided a double room with a bathroom, so there was no major inconvenience.
(Meals)
Breakfast, lunch, and dinner were all provided, and since there was usually rice in the rice cooker, you can just serve yourself when mealtime comes.
(What to bring)
In Jeju, as long as you have spare clothes and the personal items you absolutely need, you won''t be greatly inconvenienced. Guesthouses provide many essentials like toiletries and toilet paper.
(To prospective participants)
I was anxious the day before leaving for the gap year. Because there was no in-person pre-meeting, I worried: what if it''s different from what I expected? Will it be safe? Will I do well? But once I arrived in Jeju, I didn''t feel anxious.If you''re hesitating, it might not be a bad idea to just go for it.
# My Jeju travel spots
During this gap year period I saw Jeju''s seas, oreums, and history. All the seas were beautiful, but Gangjeong left the strongest impression. For oreums, Geomun Oreum, Yongnuni Oreum, and Darangshi Oreum remain memorable. Each oreum has a different charm and its own beauty. For history, I recommend reading Hyun Ki-young''s ''Suni''s Uncle'' and visiting the 4.3 Memorial Hall and Bukchon.
# Through this Gap Year Stay, I had time to reflect on myself.
Through this Gap Year Stay, I had time to reflect on myself.Sometimes, out of the blue, words I said carelessly that hurt others and the thoughtless things I did in the past come back to me with embarrassment. Once such a memory appears, it keeps coming back one after another and even becomes distressing.
I decided to let those memories be carried away by the wind of Jeju, throw them into the sea of Jeju, and leave them tucked away in the corners of Jeju''s stone walls. AndI returned home having filled my tired body and mind with a whole lot of positive energy.
BigThere wasn''t a big change, butI feel like I accomplished something.
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