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#Learned to love myself, Realized the importance of rest #Farm life in Japan, New challenges, Good connections #Happiness, Refreshment, Satisfaction
By challenging myself with new things and enjoying them wholeheartedly, I came to love myself.I only focused on rest, but it returned such good results — I''m so happy.I''m so pleased with myself for deciding to take a gap year. Diving into green charm! A gap-year stay at a farm in Hokkaido, Japan Kim Ji-eun, gap-year participant (gapper) (23, office worker) / 4-week gap year |
# I''m so pleased with myself for deciding to take a gap year.
Hello, I graduated from a vocational high school and got a job in my third year; I''m now an office worker with five years'' experience. For the first two or three years I worked without knowing much, but I gradually began to get tired and tried to pick up new hobbies like boxing, private French lessons, and embroidery.
But those things didn''t relieve my stress. So...I kept getting more exhausted, so I decided to resign and undertake a gap-year project.I didn''t get any counseling; I looked through websites on my own to decide which project to do, and I talked with friends and acquaintances while wondering whether to take a gap year.
I''m so pleased with myself for deciding to take a gap year.
* For Ms. Kim Ji-eun, who wanted new experiences and leisure,Activities to enjoy with foreign friends and daily tailored 1:1 personal missions for new experiences and challenges were provided, and a gap-year notebook to reflect on oneself and make plans was also provided.
# I came across this while looking for a project suited for rest.
I like the movie Little Forest and the variety show Three Meals a Day, and I dream of a self-sufficient life. And...I came across it while searching for a project that fit my original goal of rest during preparations for the gap year.
I wanted to try living—working, eating, and sleeping—in nature.I also wanted time to meet various people and reflect on myself. I thought it was the perfect project for that.So I had no worries before leaving. I actually thought it would be a wonderful experience. My family worried about radiation, so I ate less seafood than usual.
# If you diligently go through the orientation materials or gap-year notebook provided by the program, it feels like your departure preparations are complete.
As preparation before leaving, I studied basic Japanese conversation as well as hiragana and numbers. I also read the materials sent by the gap-year program and read reviews to think about what I might need.
If you diligently go through the orientation materials and gap-year notebook provided by the program, I think your departure preparations are done.By taking care of the weather, transportation, places I wanted to go, and so on, I realized I had finished all the preparations.
My goal was to rest while reflecting on, learning about, and changing myself. And to love myself. But after about a week I focused purely on rest and spent my time fully enjoying, challenging, experiencing, feeling, laughing, and chatting.
But as I lived with the people there, I naturally began to think about myself. And by challenging new things and enjoying them wholeheartedly, I came to love myself.I only focused on resting, but it returned such good results — I''m so happy.
# A project''s daily routine
I wake up at 6:40 AM, brush my teeth and wash my face, have breakfast at 7, and start morning work at 8. Lunch is at 12, and work ends at 6.
We have a break/tea time once in the morning and once in the afternoon. The work isn''t hard at all; even if it''s tiring, it''s bearable. After work we shower and relax. You can rest in your own room, lie on the living-room sofa, or sit by the fireplace to warm up. Haha. After dinner, we sometimes all have a beer each.They provided all the food, and sometimes when we went to the supermarket we''d share snacks we had bought individually.
# Above all, I felt firsthand how important rest is for people.
The work wasn''t particularly hard, but I loved straightening my back and looking at nature while working, gazing at the night sky at night, lighting a wood fire, and going for walks on a bicycle. And I was touched that they tried to communicate with me even though I couldn''t speak Japanese.
Don''t try to do it well all at once I was surprised when they told me to take it step by step. I always tended to rush to get things done,After that I felt calmer. And people are all different and may not always be to my liking. It was a time when I realized that I needed to accept that person. And above all, I felt firsthand how important rest is for people.
It''s been two weeks since I returned to the company, but even now I''m living happily thinking about the four-week gap year. If you''re exhausted, I really recommend taking a proper rest.
# It was a nonstop, happy time.
The scenery with mountains around is so beautiful — it''s pretty even when it rains, and when the weather is clear a rainbow appears and it''s lovely. The stars at night are truly spectacular. For someone like me who had only lived in a city apartment, simply living there was a challenge and a new experience.Lighting a wood fire, learning to ride a bike, and looking at the stars at night… it was a nonstop happy time.
One day I made Korean seafood pancake (haemul pajeon) and ate it, and another day a friend from Osaka made okonomiyaki for us. This memory was special not only because we made it ourselves but also because it was the first time each of us had made them. It remains a very special memory.
# Memorable people
The sister from Osaka took great care of me during the gap year. She taught me Japanese and even showed me the Osaka dialect.
That sister liked Hokkaido and said she wanted to live there someday. A friend from Tokyo said she wanted to open a bakery. I found it surprising that everyone liked Hokkaido.
Also, while doing the gap year mission (the mission asking ''When are you happy?''), I remember the host Yoko''s answer.Her answer made me feel that she was truly happy, and I wanted to live like her. They made me set new goals from a new perspective, so I remember them.
# After the gap year
After resting well I was truly refreshed. Before, I hated going to work every day, found it bothersome, and didn''t even want to work once I got there,After resting, I want to work hard so I can have that kind of time again, and I also want to try other new things.
And I''m so proud of myself for deciding to take a gap year. I think I''ve succeeded in my goal of ''love myself (럽마셆)''.
# To prospective participants
Don''t worry and enjoy your trip. This place is rest itself. Don''t try to do too much — come with the mindset of ''let''s do nothing.'' I think that will make it an even better rest.
It''s a line from Winnie the Pooh that I like: "Doing nothing often leads to the very best of something." "Doing nothing often brings about something great."
Through this gap year I also learned how important rest is. It would be great to spend the gap year focusing on resting well.
# My gap year TIP
- Language
I went with only basic Japanese — numbers, hiragana, and greetings — but everyone used Japanese and I was a bit surprised that even a friend from Germany spoke Japanese well. But I didn''t stay stuck there and kept asking questions, asking what things meant and how to say certain words in Japanese to get closer.
I even used Google Translate to communicate. The people were so kind that they made a lot of effort to teach me Japanese, and I wrote everything down in a notebook and studied and used it in my spare time. Because of that I became familiar with Japanese more quickly, and with people''s help I could participate in conversations even though my Japanese was clumsy.
The hosts all speak English well, so not knowing Japanese didn''t interfere with the work, but I think I was a bit greedy about Japanese because I wanted to have everyday conversations. However, language might not be important for becoming friends.That''s because whether I couldn''t speak Japanese or English, they did their best to explain things and we laughed and chatted together.
- Accommodation
You live with the host family. Rooms are allocated as one person per room as much as possible, so it''s comfortable. If there''s anything you don''t know or that makes you uncomfortable, ask the hosts and they will tell you everything.
- Meals
Helping with cooking is optional. But meal preparation and cleanup are done together. About five minutes before mealtime, come downstairs and help set spoons/chopsticks, bowls, cups, etc., and help place the food; after eating, wash the dishes and wrap leftover food in plastic wrap. These are simple tasks, so it''s best not to be lazy and just do them together.
I made a seafood pajeon (Korean pancake) with ingredients I bought in Japan and we all ate it together. It was a really fun experience, and maybe because it was delicious it remained a happy memory. Serving Korean food will be a good experience for everyone.
- Packing TIP
1. Slippers: It was annoying having to put on sneakers to go outside to see the stars. It would have been nicer to have comfortable shoes like slippers.
2. Fabric softener: I brought a little of my favorite fabric softener scent. Laundry was done together so I couldn''t use the machine by myself, but I hand-washed socks and underwear and hung them to dry, and it was useful each time. I also sprayed it on as a deodorizer substitute, and it was great.
3. Work sneakers: I had read that work clothes were provided, but I wasn''t sure if shoes were included, so I brought a pair of sneakers I didn''t mind wearing. However, they lent work jumpsuits, work boots, gloves, masks, and hats, so there was nothing to bring. You only need to bring the top and bottom to wear under the work jumpsuit. I designated one set of work clothes and washed and wore it once a week.
- My TIP
It''s a good idea to think about the omiyage (gift-giving) culture and prepare gifts accordingly.
Also, I wanted to give Korean gifts to the friends I spent the last day with, but I hadn''t prepared any, so I was very disappointed and regretful.
# My Hokkaido travel spots
I recommend the hill at Saikaechae, outdoor hot springs, and mountains or parks.
I went to the hill at Saikaechae in the third week of October and there were still flowers. It was very beautiful, but it seems to be different each year, so I recommend checking reviews on Google before you go. Outdoor hot springs can be embarrassing at first, but they''re a really great experience. I plan to build an outdoor hot spring when I have my own house someday. I also recommend climbing lookout points in mountains or parks. The scenery is truly spectacular.
My gap year:
Experience ★★★★★
You can try many new experiences such as lighting a wood fire, open-air hot springs, stargazing, and making wood-fired pizza. You can also do sweaty farm work. And besides the volunteers you work with, you can interact with new people.
Learning ★★★★★
I learned the life motto “Step by Step.” Don''t try to do everything well at once; go slowly and little by little.
Environment ★★★★★
The nature is so beautiful. But to get to even a convenience store you have to drive 30 minutes. However! Because there''s nothing around, the stars are more visible at night. When you look at the stars you won''t even think about convenience stores.
Safety ★★★★☆
At night you can hear sounds that are presumed to be a water deer — it''s kind of scary? The mountain is close, so when driving back at night you may see deer and raccoons. I have never been attacked. Still, don''t walk around outside after it gets dark. It''s pitch black and dangerous.
Leisure★★★★★
Before the weekend they ask where you''d like to go. You decide where to go and then head out on the weekend: an observatory, the sea, a lake, an outdoor hot spring, the supermarket, downtown, shopping, etc. If you say a place you want to go, they''ll say, ''Oh, that''s nice,'' and everyone gets in the car and goes together. Or they''ll drop you off, meet up later, and drive you home. Be sure to pick somewhere you want to visit on the weekend! And good restaurants too!!
