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#Increased confidence; began to respect and take pride in myself #Language study in Chile; friends from a wide range of ages #Happiness, confidence, pride
The original purpose of my gap year was to break away, even if only for a short time, from my work life that I had been struggling to endure. My aim was to find some breathing room in life, and through the gap year project I’m happy that I was able to create my own perfect success story. Learn Spanish in Santiago, South America''s fastest-growing economy! Justine — gap year participant (46, office worker) / 4-week gap year |
I had always wished, at least once, to take a wholly personal vacation, but I never had the courage.
Hello, I’m Justine, 46, and currently working (please understand I won’t disclose my Korean name).
I’ve been working for 18 years and, as the father of two children, I always try to live energetically, butMy inner feelings are full of wounds... I’m an ordinary office worker who, like many others, often finds each day overwhelming.
I’ve been extremely busy from the time I go to work until I leave, running for 18 years without properly resting. Of course, as with other office workers,I had always wanted, at least once, to take a completely personal holiday, but I didn’t have the courage.Even if I wanted to go on a family trip, it wasn’t easy to match schedules with the kids.
Originally I wanted to learn a second foreign language once my English conversation skills were adequate. But my English didn’t improve much, and I thought if I just waited, I’d never learn a second language. After much thought I chose Spanish, and after studying for a few months I found it fun and wanted to visit the country. While searching the internet I accidentally discovered the gap year. At first I learned the term ''gap year'' through YouTube videos, and then while searching the internetI came across ''gap year'' again, looked up the project, and decided to join.
* For Justine, who wanted new experiences and some breathing room,activities to enjoy with foreign friends, tailored daily one-on-one personal missions for new experiences and challenges, and a gap year notebook to reflect and make plans were all provided.
I wanted to get away from my always-busy job and have time that was truly my own.
Planning the trip through the gap year was hard at first. Because I had no experience, I didn’t know what or how to prepare, and moreover it was an especially busy time at work so things didn’t come together as I’d imagined. From departure to arrival it was 22 nights and 23 days of vacation — I wanted it to be the best vacation of my life, so I intended to make a perfect plan like the TV show ''Jjannae Tour'', but in reality I just frantically packed and prepared and left in a hurry.
But the gap year projectBecause I carefully read the materials the project manager sent and checked things and packed according to them, there were no inconveniences living locally. The provided materials were so good that there were no major difficulties, butI’m still disappointed that I couldn’t buy a Chile travel guidebook and city maps before I left.
Also, I have a wife and two children (a second-year high school student and a sixth grader), and at first I was worried about going alone.Rather than worrying about being alone in an unfamiliar place, it was the language issue. Because I studied Spanish only on weekends for a short time, my conversational ability was weak, and my English conversation skills were also lacking, so I worried a lot at first, but I was so busy preparing because of work that I think I soon forgot those concerns.
Through this gap year project I wanted to get away from my always-busy job and have time that was truly my own.I wanted to reflect on myself in a place where no one knew me, make new friends, and also check how good my foreign language skills were.My most important goal was to step back from my current lifestyle and take some time to rest, and I think I achieved that goal 200%.
# My gap year began.
On the morning of Saturday, October 27, 2018, after saying goodbye to my family and boarding the limousine bus at Incheon Airport, my gap year began. I departed Incheon Airport, transited through Dallas (Texas, USA), and arrived in Santiago, Chile. It was easy to get from the airport to the homestay (the pickup information provided by the gap year program was detailed, so there were no major inconveniences).
I arrived on Sunday, located the school''s location in advance, and unpacked, so I took it easy on the first day''s schedule. The school and the accommodation were quite close — about 1 km apart, roughly a 10-minute walk. I dislike taking the subway or bus, so I requested a nearby place, and my request was well accommodated, which made me happy.
# A typical day on-site
Finally, on the school''s first day, I finished my first class and attended orientation. Maybe because it was the end of October, there were only about six new students. (The next week more than 20 people joined.) Thanks to that, we got close from day one. Although some people took classes in different groups, from lunchtime after classes ended we grouped together.
There were usually about six of us who gathered, eating lunch together, taking short trips nearby in the afternoons, and traveling to the outskirts on weekends. I met people from Germany (German speakers were the most numerous), the UK, Switzerland, and Brazil, and in the second week I met multinational friends from Japan, Vietnam, France, etc., greeting and talking with them and becoming close. However, my English wasn''t that good, so I often couldn''t understand when they had unusual accents or spoke quickly, which made conversations a bit difficult. Ironically, while I went to learn Spanish, my English conversation skills seemed to improve more.
Classes run from 09:30 to 13:00 with a 20-minute break in the middle.In the afternoon after class hours end, the school offers different activities depending on the day of the week,For people who signed up for extra afternoon classes, activities generally start at around 16:00.
Typically, Mondays are for orientation (new students join every Monday) and watching a movie (in Spanish). From Tuesday onward there are museum visits (art galleries, etc.), salsa dance lessons (Thursday), language exchange (Friday), rafting, horseback riding experiences, visits to wineries, and various other programs; depending on the program they may be paid or free.
On weekends there are 8–9 hour courses so you can go to faraway places, which is nice. If you want, you can also take special trips with other friends.I traveled with eight friends using public transport (subway, intercity buses) to places a bit far away on Saturday.
In my free time I visited various spots around downtown Santiago, watched an opera (I bought cheap tickets so there were no subtitles and I could only watch with my eyes), attended a Beatles tribute show (it was in Spanish, but the music was the Beatles songs we knew, so it was exciting), watched a movie (Fantastic Beasts 2 — I thought it would be in English but it was dubbed in Spanish so the six of us who went were totally disappointed, but it was still a good memory), museums, galleries, horseback riding and outdoor barbecues, a pottery village, and the beautiful sea (the Pacific... it''s stunning).
The students I was with ranged widely in age from 20 to 51, and their occupations were also very diverse.Contrary to my worries about whether I could get along with younger people, everyone there became good friends and only really nice people gathered. While I was there, I tried not to spend time alone as much as possible, attending gatherings with friends and school events almost all the time.When school events didn''t suit me, I often did short trips with other friends and participated in activities to experience various aspects of Chilean culture.
I stay in regular contact with the people I met through the project. We check in with each other via WhatsApp group chats (in Korea it''s KakaoTalk; in South America most use WhatsApp), and share photos of where we live, but chat rooms where I have to use only English and Spanish are both challenging and joyful for me.
The chat groups greatly improved my English skills, and since people are studying Spanish, we sometimes chat in Spanish, so I''m continuously studying two foreign languages. I met friends from Germany, the UK, Switzerland, Japan, France, and Brazil: Anja, Jessica, Liona, Leonie, Lissy, Toshi, Margareta, Royichi, Cristiane, Danilo, Kassia. I got to know these friends by taking classes together, eating lunch together, and doing activities together, and eight of them keep in touch via a group chat. Of course, even if we can''t send birthday gifts, we heat up the chat with congratulatory messages on that day.
# Most importantly, I learned to respect myself and became proud of myself.
My original purpose for the gap year was to step away, even briefly, from the difficult grind of my job and find some breathing room in life, and through the gap year project I''m happy I could create my own perfect success story.
This project gave me the confidence that I can do anything.At first, being in my mid-forties, I wondered if I could do this. Could I be with younger people? We had to use English only—could I really do well? I had many doubts, butNow I have the confidence to show through action first, not just thought.My life at work has also changed to become more confident and lively.
I have gained peace of mind and confidence in handling whatever happens. AndIf there''s one most important thing, it''s that I learned to respect myself and became proud of who I am.
# To prospective participants
I want to say: don''t hesitate and don''t stay in the back—take a step forward first. Don''t wait for someone to come and take your hand,I want to advise you to have the courage to be the one to reach out first, and to join the project proudly and confidently.
When you go to another country nobody knows you, so there''s no need to be embarrassed or insecure. Hold your shoulders back proudly, don''t lower your head, and enjoy your life actively and proactively.
If you want to make another memory, contacting a local YouTuber can be another experience. I emailed a YouTuber who had been traveling the world and was staying in Chile for his second year, but since I was having fun with local friends I only checked his reply the day before I left, so we couldn''t meet and only exchanged greetings by email.
This is my biggest regret after coming back from Chile. It would have been a chance to meet a young traveler who tours the world and hear good stories over a beer. It may not be easy to get such a good opportunity again during the next gap year. Later I cheered him on and contacted him in the YouTube live-chat comments. You might think it''s nothing, butOn the other hand, it also seems like a rather unusual idea for a man in his late forties to contact a YouTuber in their late twenties.
- Packing tips for participants
* The laundry hangers that were common at home... not having them made it really inconvenient when hanging clothes and towels.
* I regret not putting laundry detergent into a small bottle (like a water bottle). I bought the smallest 1kg powdered soap locally and used it, but there was a lot left and it felt wasteful. I stayed in a homestay and gave the leftovers to the host.
* I had trouble because I didn''t bring slippers. (Bring slippers or sandals~)
* There were no chopsticks, so I had to eat instant noodles with a fork.
* Ultra-light padded jacket (wear it when it''s cold because there''s no heating, or sleep in it to stay warm)
* I brought many packets of instant noodles to eat when hungry, but they tasted worse than expected so most were left. Unless you''re going to be alone, if you''ll be socializing with friends it''s more convenient to buy emergency food at the local market.
Carefully check the packing list provided by the gap year program and pack everything so you don''t forget anything~
# I hope some sentence becomes meaningful to someone.
Writing should ideally have introduction, development, turn, and conclusion... and unfold naturally like that, but the piece I wrote can''t be divided into those parts even from the first page. Still,I hope that in some sentence it becomes a meaningful phrase to someone.
I am currently occasionally looking for another gap year program for a different experience. It''s probably unlikely to happen within a year. Because as a working person, taking more than two weeks off is never easy.And I also looked for projects to participate in with my family, but considering that my eldest will be a senior in high school next year, there isn''t much time.
Still, I will be working hard to prepare for a second gap year. So that when the day comes, I can leave without hesitation. There were documents I had to submit in order to get permission from work for personal overseas travel, and I would like to thank the gap year staff who actively helped me prepare those materials.Instead of an overseas travel package or a language school, I chose Korea Gap Year, and I would also like to thank the people who planned the project so I wouldn''t regret it.
Because I talked about it a lot, people around me have become interested in gap years, and that makes me happy. I wish Korea Gap Year endless development and prosperity, and I''ll contact you again when I apply for my second gap year. Be happy every time you breathe. Merry Christmas and Happy New Year~~ ^^ (English written in Korean feels so familiar)
# My Santiago travel recommendations
The school had a weekend activity course to Valparaíso (about a 2-hour intercity bus ride from Santiago), but it wasn''t offered while I was staying there. I tried to go through a travel agency but it was too expensive, so I gave up; then with the help of a British friend, several of us traveled together to the Valparaíso area.
Traveling in a group with a few friends is cheaper and creates unique memories, and at certain spots in Valparaíso you can meet free tour guides.
The meeting place for the Valparaíso free tour is Plaza Aníbal Pinto (about a 20–30 minute walk from the intercity bus stop), and the meeting/start times are 10 AM and 3 PM, twice a day. The tour route is about a 4-hour walk (including lunch), it''s free, and there are two guides, one in English and one in Spanish, so you can choose.
Tipping in addition to the free service is not mandatory, but because we listened to the explanations passionately, I gave a small tip out of gratitude. For transportation, take Metro Line 1 to Pajaritos station; there you''ll find the intercity bus terminal and ticket office to Valparaíso.
We took Turbus; the bus has two floors and there is a restroom on the first floor. You can see wonderful murals in the alleys, but without a guide''s explanation the place won''t be as moving, so I recommend going with a guide.
My gap year is
Experience★★★★★
Like a squirrel running on a wheel.... Escaping that routine allowed me to reflect on myself, and now I have more ease in life (my outward life looks the same, but my inner feelings have become much more peaceful and everything in the world seems better).
Learning★★★(★★)
Spanish classes get 3 stars (which doesn''t mean they were bad); if I evaluate including both classes and local life, it''s 5 stars (the learning time spent living with people of different cultures, languages, and students up to 25 years younger was a precious learning experience that no book could teach).
Environment★★★★★
(Maybe because I applied for a safe area from the beginning) the academy''s facilities were good, the students who attended were nice, the friends I hung out with were great, and the city of Santiago was really lovely.
Safety★★★★★
The public safety situation was good. When moving at night, I only used Uber taxis.
Leisure★★★★★
I spent most of my time with classmates. Rather than studying Spanish, I spent more time with friends going to the opera, performances (music shows), movies, trekking, and traveling.
Capturing the growth journeys
of our participants.
