"I came to appreciate the importance of people and became accustomed to new meetings and farewells. On a small scale, I overcame my fear of English and can now start conversations in English; I also got a passport and can go abroad. I think I achieved my goals of dreams and rest. Because of this I had a great time, and a new goal of traveling abroad was born." Let''s introduce my Seoul to foreign friends — Gap Year Stay Seoul! * This project is currently closed. |
# A seemingly small, but not-so-small escape: Gap Year Stay.
I lived in Mokpo for 24 years. And I took a leave of absence one year before graduation.
During my university life I think I was busy participating in clubs and programs, but when I wrote my resume there was nothing to put. I''m at an age where it wouldn''t be strange to jump into the job market tomorrow. Friends around me had jobs, others were preparing for employment. Feeling suffocated and frustrated, I recalled the ''gap year'' I had seen in an old magazine. That''s how I learned about Gap Year Stay, Seoul.
I chose Seoul because it is a place I longed for. It''s where all cultural infrastructure is concentrated — you can learn what you want to learn and do what you want to do.For someone like me who wanted many fun and varied experiences, Mokpo was too small. So if I was going to live somewhere for two months, I thought the central ''Seoul'' was the best fit.
# The start of the gap year: ''Dreams and Rest''
My goal during the gap year was ''dreams and rest'' — to do my best at the given tasks and to try the things I had wanted to do.It sounds grand, but it was simply about escaping my usual environment and freely having fun in a new place.
When the gap year began, daily life at the guesthouse flew by. On the two days I worked I handled check-ins/outs and SNS tasks like posting on the guesthouse blog or Instagram, and I occasionally chatted with guests. On days off I wandered around various parts of Seoul. April passed even faster since I also worked a part-time job.
# Where there are meetings, there are farewells.
There were guests I became close with over the two months: Gio and Elena from Mexico, Mami unnie from Japan, Zhiyong from China, Byungsoo — a British young man who likes Korea, Taesu, Dun unnie from Taiwan, Jacob, a Korean-American from New York, Danan from the Philippines, and more. It was a very fun time as we shared Korean culture and heard about life in their countries.
Some memorable moments include:We played yut and gonggi together and they were better than me; the unnie who marveled that shoes are cheaper in Korea than in Taiwan and bought new shoes; the younger guest who ended up talking with me the most after we discovered common interests like job hunting and League of Legends while hearing about New York students'' lives.
Although those were joyful moments, they were travelers and eventually had to leave and check out. At first the farewells with people I had grown fond of were so sad and unpleasant, but as it repeated I gradually became accustomed. Life at the guesthouse was a series of meetings and farewells.
# If only I were better at English
If there was one regret during the gap year, it was my English ability. I only knew greetings and simple expressions but jumped into the guesthouse headfirst; since it was a foreigner-only accommodation, every day was continuous English. I had to handle English during check-in, answer what they asked, and if I wanted to get closer to them, I needed to be better at English.
Of course, for simple responses I mixed translation apps and body language and got by, but when I tried to have deeper conversations, I struggled because my listening skills were weak. If my listening had been better, I would have used a translator and we would have talked. A funny anecdote that came from this is:A guest kept saying something I couldn''t understand, so Jacob, the Korean-American, interpreted for both sides. (I''m jealous of bilingual people.) Even if you can''t speak well, I recommend at least training your ear.I recommend it!
# The end of the gap year: ''Growth''
I applied, left without much thought, and came to Seoul. And in an instant the two-month gap year was over. If you ask what changed greatly, the answer is ''No'' — because there were no noticeable changes.
But looking back after two months living away from home, life with the foreign guests, the staff, and Youngshim was fun. It was a novel experience for me, who had no experience abroad or raising a large dog. Of course there were many hard and stressful times, but thanks to the staff members I lived with, I think I was able to finish the gap year well.
I came to appreciate the importance of people and became accustomed to new meetings and farewells. On a small scale, I overcame my fear of English and can now start conversations in English; I also got a passport and can go abroad. I think I achieved my goals of dreams and rest. Because of this I had a great time, and a new goal of traveling abroad was born.
I think this was a fairly successful gap year.
# My gap year tips
(Language)
It''s a good idea to study some basic English conversation before coming, and it''s more comfortable if you can understand a fair amount of English. If you live at a guesthouse you''ll inevitably be in an environment where you mingle with foreigners and meet a variety of people. For that reason, your English conversation naturally improves.
Before participating I would only exchange greetings, but now I can somewhat ask about and respond to people''s well‑being.Also, I was more passive because I wasn''t confident about my pronunciation, but I realized pronunciation isn''t that big of an issue, and my fear of speaking English was relieved.
(Accommodation)
There are situations where you might have to sleep in the same room as a guest or move rooms. There''s a difference between coming knowing this and coming without knowing, so it''s good to be aware of it.
(Meals)
All cooking ingredients—like kimchi, rice, and seasonings—are included in the food fee of 20,000 won (per week). Especially kimchi is expensive, so it''s a good idea to get help from the house/host.
(What to bring)
When packing slippers, I recommend three‑stripe slippers. Otherwise Yeongsim (the guesthouse dog) will chew them all up.
(Travel)
Now that it''s summer, I recommend having chimaek (chicken and beer) by the Han River. Bring a mat and go with foreigners, friends, or staff to relax comfortably in a cool spot.
There are several Han River parks,Near the guesthouse is Mangwon Han River Park; if you want a larger spot, go to Yeouido Han River Park.Yeouido Han River Park has evening illuminations, so it''s great for taking photos and the night view is beautiful.
(To prospective participants)
Please study some really basic English conversation before coming. Many guests couldn''t become closer because they couldn''t communicate. Also, aside from guesthouse duties like check‑in/out, tasks such as managing social media and things related to Yeongsim make the work harder than you''d expect.
