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#Breaking free from productivity obsession, clearing the mind #Discovered a new self, a way to recharge energy #Relief from complexity, comfort
I had an obsession that if I lived lazily and indolently I''d fall behind. You have to empty things to make room for new ones, but I was always trying to fill something. I think my mind was complicated and I was struggling because I didn''t know how to let go. Recharging warm love with children in Hanoi, Vietnam. Im Kyung-ran, gapper (32, office worker) / 12-week gap year. |
I wondered whether I should, at least once, step outside my habitual way of thinking and try a gap year.
Hello~ I''m Im Kyung-ran, who spent a 6-month gap year and returned a few days ago.
(Editor: Im Kyung-ran spent 3 months on language study in the Philippines and 3 months volunteering in Vietnam, totaling a 6-month gap year.)
To put it simply, I''m just a simple person. If I''m in a bad mood, eating a sweet snack makes me forget quickly; if something difficult makes me depressed, after a few days I return to normal. I like this ordinary simplicity.
But after entering my thirties, I found myself still dealing with the worries of my twenties and couldn''t figure out how to live. So through a 6-month gap year I cleared out the excess thoughts.
The reason I chose a gap year was that my previous ways of thinking hadn''t resolved my twenties'' worries.On the contrary, I just had more and more thoughts, my head became cluttered and I was easily fatigued. I was doing what I needed to do well,Living like this seemed to have no particular problems, but if I had to live like this my whole life, I thought maybe I should once step out of my mental framework and try a gap year.
The decisive factor was worrying about whether I''d work at the company until retirement — I didn''t want to live a boring life forever.
* For Im Kyung-ran, who wanted to reflect on and organize her life, a tailored 1:1 personal mission for self-reflection, new perspectives and challenges was provided daily, and a gap-year notebook to reflect and plan was also provided.
# At some point I felt like I''d lost myself
On the day I left for the first project, I wondered what crazy thing I''d done. It wasn''t just tidying up a job and going on a short trip; leaving for a long time and returning made me anxious about how I''d find employment again — everything felt uncertain.
So I read the materials you sent, searched for reviews and examined them one by one, and slowly prepared what to get ready and what I needed — even though I prepared everything, I was still anxious.But once I got there, the things I worried about didn''t come to mind. haha
Before leaving I steadily prepared the necessary items based on the materials sent by Gap Year: I got insurance and vaccinations.
Through this gap year, I...Having worked at the company for a long time, I was living well, but I felt at some point that I''d lost myself, not knowing what the problem was.My goal was to spend my gap year being myself and return as a warmer person. I wanted to learn how to maintain that warmth.
# A day in Vietnam
1. 8:30 ~ 9:00: Morning exercise, following along with the children
2. 9:00 ~ 10:30: Basic English vocabulary class
3. 10:30 ~ 14:30: First toddler lunch time and nap time (volunteers'' lunch and rest time)
4. 14:30 ~ 15:00: Second toddler lunch time (helping the children eat)
5. 15:00 ~ 16:30: Basic vocabulary class and childcare, then the day''s schedule ends.
# I was only trying to fill myself with something and didn''t know how to empty, so my mind felt complicated and I think I was having a hard time.
Because the volunteer activity was a total of 4 hours per day, it was a day with a lot of free time. Also, we only volunteered from Monday to Thursday, so It was nice to work in a more relaxed and free atmosphere than I remember from volunteering in Korea.
Until then, it had always been taken for granted that I should work hard,But taking a break like this and having time to learn in a new environment and focus only on myselfI learned that it is a way to discover new sides of myself I didn''t know and to recharge my energy.
Until then, I had an obsession that I had to do productive and efficient work and that if I lived lazily or sloppily I might fall behind,You have to empty to make room for new things, but I was always trying to fill something and didn''t know how to empty, so I think my mind was confused and it was hard.
After finishing the project and returning to Korea at the airport, I had a glass of iced tea, and the café name that wasn''t visible well when the drink was full became clear after I finished it.
Time spent accumulating for myself is important, but there must be a process of emptying to hold new things, and through the gap year I learned and realized that process, which gave me the strength to return.
# In the last month, the children completely lost their wariness of me.
Memorable events include trips to Halong Bay, Sapa, Da Nang, and Hoi An, and a gathering prepared at the volunteer house to celebrate Vietnam''s Mid-Autumn Festival (Trung Thu). I could see how a holiday is celebrated in another country, and it was fascinating to make a star-shaped lantern because it was my first time making a lantern.
Another memorable thing is that in the last month, when the volunteer work entered its third month, the children completely lost their guard toward me.It was surprising that even some children who used to be shy or unfamiliar when I joked or spoke to them would now greet me first and do the dances together.
There were many people I spent time with: Alizé and John who first volunteered with me at the kindergarten, roommates who shared a room (including Hunna who later volunteered), foreign friends from various countries who joined volunteer activities for different reasons, and Vietnamese locals who worked at local organizations, etc.
# After returning from my gap year
After my gap year, the most noticeable external change was that I gained weight. I used to avoid flour-based foods because they didn''t digest well, but when I wasn''t stressed it was fine to eat them.I thought I had a weak stomach, but stress had made my stomach weak.
Internally, I used to compare myself to others and worry a lot about social standards and what others think, but now even when those things appear I just acknowledge them with ''I see.''I don''t feel the need anymore to worry and adjust my words and actions to meet those standards like I used to. That''s a change I''ve experienced.
# To prospective participants
There is a lot of free time, so most people travel a lot,I hope you fill that time with your own story and have a wonderful gap year.Difficulties adapting to the local environment can be well resolved by talking with the friends you live with or the support staff, and each day will follow as better than the day before.
At first I also struggled and even wanted to adjust my schedule and go back, but feeling strange and having a hard time in an unfamiliar place isn''t strange, so talk about those things, have fun when you want to, and take care of your health — that would be great.
# My gap year tips
- Meeting point
They sent the Noi Bai airport pickup guide and photos of the airport interior in advance during the gap year, so there wasn''t much difficulty finding it.There wasn''t. The pickup driver was holding a sign with my name, so I could recognize him quickly.
- Language
If I didn''t know the vocabulary I could use a translator, but I didn''t have the will to talk that much. So my English didn''t improve significantly, but just by listening my ears opened to it and it was interesting to hear the stories of people with ways of thinking I wasn''t familiar with.
If you''re a beginner in English: try one-on-one conversations, meet friends from as many different countries as possible to listen and get used to accents, study commonly used daily conversation patterns, and if possible study beforehand before coming for volunteer work. Especially work on your listening skills a lot!!!
Finally, if you become interested in a foreign friend and curious, you''ll ask questions regardless of exact understanding, and naturally become closer. What you want to gain here and your interests are as important as pre-study.
- Accommodation
I want to tell you to definitely prepare mosquito repellent, ointment for mosquito bites, and thin long-sleeved clothes. Personally, mosquitoes bit me a lot. Of course I brought medicine, but it''s better to bring plenty.
- Meals
I mainly ate the meals provided at the volunteer house; fried food was served often and the seasoning tended to be salty, but the rice was served well so I enjoyed the meals. I like fruit, so I often bought cheap fruit at the market near the accommodation, and the local food was also tasty. I''ve seen friends who dislike cilantro or whose stomachs don''t agree with local food get sick often, so it''s probably best to refrain from eating out for the first 2–3 weeks.
- What to bring
It was good to bring plenty of cosmetics that suited me. Consumables like cosmetics, toiletries, and other items can be purchased locally, so it''s good to prepare only a few days'' worth. If you just refer to the packing checklist provided by Gap Year, you can go without major inconvenience.It''s also good to bring a Gap Year notebook.
# My recommended travel destinations
I mostly traveled to the well-known popular spots; they were all fine, but Sapa is the most memorable.
My gap year was
Experience★★★★☆
In my case, I had to teach basic English vocabulary classes directly at a kindergarten. You can experience many things such as classes you''ve never tried, living like a local in an unfamiliar city, and meeting foreign friends.
Learning★★★★☆
Surprisingly, I learned a lot from the children. Spending time with them and observing their individual characteristics, expressions, and communication made me realize how much I compared myself to others.
Environment★★★★☆
Near the accommodation where I lived there were markets, supermarkets, and other convenient facilities close by, and there were many nearby places good for outings.
Safety★★★★☆
There was no need to worry about public safety, so I often went out alone comfortably. However, you should be careful about jaywalking, narrow alleys, and late-night hours.
Leisure★★★★☆
There is a lot of free time, so it depends on how you choose to spend it.
I had an obsession that if I lived lazily and indolently I''d fall behind. You have to empty things to make room for new ones, but I was always trying to fill something. I think my mind was complicated and I was struggling because I didn''t know how to let go. Recharging warm love with children in Hanoi, Vietnam. Im Kyung-ran, gapper (32, office worker) / 12-week gap year. |
I wondered whether I should, at least once, step outside my habitual way of thinking and try a gap year.
Hello~ I''m Im Kyung-ran, who spent a 6-month gap year and returned a few days ago.
(Editor: Im Kyung-ran spent 3 months on language study in the Philippines and 3 months volunteering in Vietnam, totaling a 6-month gap year.)
To put it simply, I''m just a simple person. If I''m in a bad mood, eating a sweet snack makes me forget quickly; if something difficult makes me depressed, after a few days I return to normal. I like this ordinary simplicity.
But after entering my thirties, I found myself still dealing with the worries of my twenties and couldn''t figure out how to live. So through a 6-month gap year I cleared out the excess thoughts.
The reason I chose a gap year was that my previous ways of thinking hadn''t resolved my twenties'' worries.On the contrary, I just had more and more thoughts, my head became cluttered and I was easily fatigued. I was doing what I needed to do well,Living like this seemed to have no particular problems, but if I had to live like this my whole life, I thought maybe I should once step out of my mental framework and try a gap year.
The decisive factor was worrying about whether I''d work at the company until retirement — I didn''t want to live a boring life forever.
* For Im Kyung-ran, who wanted to reflect on and organize her life, a tailored 1:1 personal mission for self-reflection, new perspectives and challenges was provided daily, and a gap-year notebook to reflect and plan was also provided.
# At some point I felt like I''d lost myself
On the day I left for the first project, I wondered what crazy thing I''d done. It wasn''t just tidying up a job and going on a short trip; leaving for a long time and returning made me anxious about how I''d find employment again — everything felt uncertain.
So I read the materials you sent, searched for reviews and examined them one by one, and slowly prepared what to get ready and what I needed — even though I prepared everything, I was still anxious.But once I got there, the things I worried about didn''t come to mind. haha
Before leaving I steadily prepared the necessary items based on the materials sent by Gap Year: I got insurance and vaccinations.
Through this gap year, I...Having worked at the company for a long time, I was living well, but I felt at some point that I''d lost myself, not knowing what the problem was.My goal was to spend my gap year being myself and return as a warmer person. I wanted to learn how to maintain that warmth.
# A day in Vietnam
1. 8:30 ~ 9:00: Morning exercise, following along with the children
2. 9:00 ~ 10:30: Basic English vocabulary class
3. 10:30 ~ 14:30: First toddler lunch time and nap time (volunteers'' lunch and rest time)
4. 14:30 ~ 15:00: Second toddler lunch time (helping the children eat)
5. 15:00 ~ 16:30: Basic vocabulary class and childcare, then the day''s schedule ends.
# I was only trying to fill myself with something and didn''t know how to empty, so my mind felt complicated and I think I was having a hard time.
Because the volunteer activity was a total of 4 hours per day, it was a day with a lot of free time. Also, we only volunteered from Monday to Thursday, so It was nice to work in a more relaxed and free atmosphere than I remember from volunteering in Korea.
Until then, it had always been taken for granted that I should work hard,But taking a break like this and having time to learn in a new environment and focus only on myselfI learned that it is a way to discover new sides of myself I didn''t know and to recharge my energy.
Until then, I had an obsession that I had to do productive and efficient work and that if I lived lazily or sloppily I might fall behind,You have to empty to make room for new things, but I was always trying to fill something and didn''t know how to empty, so I think my mind was confused and it was hard.
After finishing the project and returning to Korea at the airport, I had a glass of iced tea, and the café name that wasn''t visible well when the drink was full became clear after I finished it.
Time spent accumulating for myself is important, but there must be a process of emptying to hold new things, and through the gap year I learned and realized that process, which gave me the strength to return.
# In the last month, the children completely lost their wariness of me.
Memorable events include trips to Halong Bay, Sapa, Da Nang, and Hoi An, and a gathering prepared at the volunteer house to celebrate Vietnam''s Mid-Autumn Festival (Trung Thu). I could see how a holiday is celebrated in another country, and it was fascinating to make a star-shaped lantern because it was my first time making a lantern.
Another memorable thing is that in the last month, when the volunteer work entered its third month, the children completely lost their guard toward me.It was surprising that even some children who used to be shy or unfamiliar when I joked or spoke to them would now greet me first and do the dances together.
There were many people I spent time with: Alizé and John who first volunteered with me at the kindergarten, roommates who shared a room (including Hunna who later volunteered), foreign friends from various countries who joined volunteer activities for different reasons, and Vietnamese locals who worked at local organizations, etc.
# After returning from my gap year
After my gap year, the most noticeable external change was that I gained weight. I used to avoid flour-based foods because they didn''t digest well, but when I wasn''t stressed it was fine to eat them.I thought I had a weak stomach, but stress had made my stomach weak.
Internally, I used to compare myself to others and worry a lot about social standards and what others think, but now even when those things appear I just acknowledge them with ''I see.''I don''t feel the need anymore to worry and adjust my words and actions to meet those standards like I used to. That''s a change I''ve experienced.
# To prospective participants
There is a lot of free time, so most people travel a lot,I hope you fill that time with your own story and have a wonderful gap year.Difficulties adapting to the local environment can be well resolved by talking with the friends you live with or the support staff, and each day will follow as better than the day before.
At first I also struggled and even wanted to adjust my schedule and go back, but feeling strange and having a hard time in an unfamiliar place isn''t strange, so talk about those things, have fun when you want to, and take care of your health — that would be great.
# My gap year tips
- Meeting point
They sent the Noi Bai airport pickup guide and photos of the airport interior in advance during the gap year, so there wasn''t much difficulty finding it.There wasn''t. The pickup driver was holding a sign with my name, so I could recognize him quickly.
- Language
If I didn''t know the vocabulary I could use a translator, but I didn''t have the will to talk that much. So my English didn''t improve significantly, but just by listening my ears opened to it and it was interesting to hear the stories of people with ways of thinking I wasn''t familiar with.
If you''re a beginner in English: try one-on-one conversations, meet friends from as many different countries as possible to listen and get used to accents, study commonly used daily conversation patterns, and if possible study beforehand before coming for volunteer work. Especially work on your listening skills a lot!!!
Finally, if you become interested in a foreign friend and curious, you''ll ask questions regardless of exact understanding, and naturally become closer. What you want to gain here and your interests are as important as pre-study.
- Accommodation
I want to tell you to definitely prepare mosquito repellent, ointment for mosquito bites, and thin long-sleeved clothes. Personally, mosquitoes bit me a lot. Of course I brought medicine, but it''s better to bring plenty.
- Meals
I mainly ate the meals provided at the volunteer house; fried food was served often and the seasoning tended to be salty, but the rice was served well so I enjoyed the meals. I like fruit, so I often bought cheap fruit at the market near the accommodation, and the local food was also tasty. I''ve seen friends who dislike cilantro or whose stomachs don''t agree with local food get sick often, so it''s probably best to refrain from eating out for the first 2–3 weeks.
- What to bring
It was good to bring plenty of cosmetics that suited me. Consumables like cosmetics, toiletries, and other items can be purchased locally, so it''s good to prepare only a few days'' worth. If you just refer to the packing checklist provided by Gap Year, you can go without major inconvenience.It''s also good to bring a Gap Year notebook.
# My recommended travel destinations
I mostly traveled to the well-known popular spots; they were all fine, but Sapa is the most memorable.
My gap year was
Experience★★★★☆
In my case, I had to teach basic English vocabulary classes directly at a kindergarten. You can experience many things such as classes you''ve never tried, living like a local in an unfamiliar city, and meeting foreign friends.
Learning★★★★☆
Surprisingly, I learned a lot from the children. Spending time with them and observing their individual characteristics, expressions, and communication made me realize how much I compared myself to others.
Environment★★★★☆
Near the accommodation where I lived there were markets, supermarkets, and other convenient facilities close by, and there were many nearby places good for outings.
Safety★★★★☆
There was no need to worry about public safety, so I often went out alone comfortably. However, you should be careful about jaywalking, narrow alleys, and late-night hours.
Leisure★★★★☆
There is a lot of free time, so it depends on how you choose to spend it.
What makes this project special