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"While I was always worrying about what others thought and my self-esteem was at rock bottom due to various difficult situations, the alone time and travels I had during my gap year taught me how to truly focus on myself rather than others, and I was able to love myself a bit more." Time to reflect while looking at the sea — Busan Gap Year Stay * This project has ended. |
# The Gap Year Stay program felt really appealing
After becoming a university student, I—who had been running toward the goal of becoming a nurse like everyone else—began to worry about a career path I had never considered before. I lost interest in everything, so I needed time to be alone and think, and that’s when I found out about the Gap Year Stay program.
I love traveling so much that it’s practically a hobby of mine.The Gap Year Stay program, which lets you travel freely during a short break, sounded really appealing, and as soon as I found out I immediately appliedI applied.
# I made good use of my time and spent most of the remaining time traveling.
When I first arrived in Busan everything felt awkward. Seoul’s subway is always packed, but Busan’s subway was always spacious. And the Busan dialect I heard here and there! It was really warm and friendly, but sometimes I couldn’t understand it, which was awkward. Except for the guesthouse cleaning times, all the time was free, and with two days off a week I used my time well and spent most of the remaining time traveling.
I usually enjoy cooking, and it was fun to cook with the guesthouse staff and eat together. The guesthouse I stayed at was a five-minute walk from Haeundae Beach, and since it was peak season in July–August it was bustling with travelers every day.
I generally like noisy places and being around lots of people,I loved the atmosphere itself, so almost every evening I went out to Haeundae Beach to people-watch, watch busking performances, and really enjoy Haeundae.The main street of Haeundae is a bit expensive, but if you walk about ten minutes there are many good restaurants and prices aren’t that high, so I went out to eat a lot of delicious food.
# The best place to travel alone is Dongbaek Island.
After gradually adapting to life in Busan, I—who already liked traveling—traveled around Busan with my boyfriend who lives there. Besides going with him, I also often traveled alone, and for me the best place to travel alone was Dongbaek Island.
If you walk up along the Dongbaek Island promenade you can see the sea at a glance, and the lush trees beside it create a truly beautiful scene. Walking up alone I did a lot of thinking, and looking at the scenery felt like all my worries disappeared and I gained the mental strength to solve them. That’s why Dongbaek Island is the most memorable place I visited.
Besides Dongbaek Island, I visited many places such as Gijang Jukseong Catholic Church, Haeundae Dalmaji-gil, Cheongsapo, Hocheon Village (the filming location for the drama ''Ssam My Way''), Taejongdae, Huinyeoul Culture Village, Nampo-dong, and Gwangalli Waterfront ParkI did. Also, as someone who likes to travel looking for good restaurants, the milmyeon I had in Haeundae was the most delicious, and the sashimi and soju I had at Gwangalli Waterfront Park were unforgettable.
Also, there’s a charcoal-grilled chicken place that (so far) mostly has branches in the Gyeongsang-do region... it’s my favorite chicken ever. If you add ramen noodles to the charcoal chicken and pair it with a draft beer, it’s pure happiness!
And a place I wouldn’t really recommend is a restaurant selling stir-fried octopus, intestines, and shrimp that became famous on social media. It was hyped on SNS so I had high expectations and even waited in line, but perhaps because my expectations were too high, it was less impressive than I thought. Everyone I went with was disappointed that it didn’t taste as good as expected.
# The night view was truly stunning. You can capture an amazing shot!
The place with the most beautiful night view was Hocheon Village. It’s similar to Gamcheon Culture Village, but Gamcheon has become too touristy with too many people, which made it tiring,Hocheon Village is still less famous so there weren’t many people, and above all the night view was truly artistic. You can capture an amazing shot!
Another place where I captured a perfect shot was a cafe on Dalmaji-gil. The cafes are right in front of the sea and most have terraces; sitting in a cafe with the sea as a backdrop and taking a photo looks really pretty!
And Taejongdae, which I personally like so much I went twice! When I went, the hydrangea festival had just passed. Still, many hydrangeas were in bloom so I took lots of photos with them. AndAt the Taejongdae Observatory the wind was strong so it felt refreshing and the sea was beautiful!
# My personal gap year TIP
(Language)
Foreign guests visit occasionally, but Gap Year rarely hosts foreign guests, so you don''t need to speak English.
(Accommodation)
The room I stayed in was really nice. In midsummer, an indoor space with the air conditioning on all day... happiness!
(Meals)
They said the staff member who cooks well will be gone starting next month, so from the next Gap Year onward we''ll probably have to cook ourselves. Ingredients are provided!
(What to bring)
You don''t need to bring a hair dryer, towels, shampoo, conditioner, body wash, toothpaste, etc., as these are shared for guests.
(Travel)
For the Nampo-dong – Taejongdae – Huinnyeoul Culture Village route, I recommend renting a car to get around; it''s hard to visit all three by public transport!
(To prospective participants)
Busan is a great city for traveling alone, traveling with friends, and for living.The Haeundae area is a bit pricey, but if you go a little beyond Haeundae there are many great travel spots, so I recommend exploring several places.
# The greatest thing I gained from this Gap Year project is learning how to love myself.
The greatest thing I gained from this Gap Year project is learning how to love myself.
I was always worried about what others thought and, because of various difficult situations, my self-esteem had hit rock bottom,Through the alone time and travels I had during the Gap Year, I learned how to focus solely on myself instead of others, and I came to love myself more.
Young people my age have probably had similar worries at least once; I''d confidently recommend the Gap Year program to youths going through those struggles.
My Gap Year
Experience ★★★★★
You can experience a way of life in Busan that you wouldn''t ordinarily get to experience.
Learning ★★★★☆
You have a lot of time to think, which gives you a different perspective on the world.
Environment ★★★★☆
Around the guesthouse you''ll find everything—drugstores, convenience stores, restaurants, beaches, etc.
Safety ★★★★☆
Because guests may use the adjoining room, you must look after your own safety.
Leisure★★★★★
Since all time outside working hours is free, there is plenty of time to enjoy leisure activities.
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