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#Expanded mindset; broadened scope of dreams #Volunteer work in Vietnam; exposure to a variety of ways of life #Confidence, happiness, sense of accomplishment
Volunteering in Vietnam broadened my way of thinking. I want to think more about and discover what it means to be myself and how I can become someone who helps others, and I set a goal to do that!
Recharging warm love with children in Hanoi, Vietnam Lee Hongju, gap-year participant (gapper, 27) / 6-week gap year |
# I started working right after graduation, and the repetitive routine soon left me feeling disillusioned.
Hello. I''m 27-year-old Lee Hongju, a young person who wants to live authentically and is thinking about how to do that!
After graduating from university, I got a job right awayand I soon became disillusioned with the repetitive working life.Thinking I had rushed into employment without enough self-reflection, I quit my job,I wanted to spend a full year on my own to think about who I am and how I want to live going forward.So after one year, I wanted to use the gap-year project as a stepping stone to step into a new life.
* For Ms. Lee Hongju, who wanted new experiences and to find her career path,daily personalized one-on-one missions that challenged her existing thinking and offered new experiences and relaxation were provided, and a gap-year notebook was also given so she could reflect on herself and make plans.
# The fact that I could meet friends of various nationalities sparked my sense of challenge.
As a university student, I had always wanted to take part in overseas volunteering, but circumstances prevented me from doing so.
So, wanting to try volunteering abroad while I was still relatively young, I chose volunteer work among many projects, and because I had been interested in Vietnam, I chose child volunteer work held in Hanoi. In Vietnam, not only locals but alsothe opportunity to meet friends of diverse nationalities aroused great curiosity and a sense of challenge in me.
I studied in China for a year as a student, and since Vietnam, like China, is in the same Asian region, I didn''t have a big fear about living abroad before departure. Recently many Koreans also travel to Vietnam, so I felt it wasn''t a country with a high barrier to entry. Also,The orientation materials provided by the Korean gap-year organizers were plentiful, so I felt reassured about safety and daily living matters.
# I wanted to experience a bigger world and think more about what it means to be myself.
Through this gap year, I wanted to step away briefly from the narrow Korean societyto experience a larger world and consider what being true to myself means.
Also, the same daily routine every dayI wanted to break out of the repetitive routine and see the potential I can show in unfamiliar places.Because I tend to spend a lot of time quietly reflecting alone, I felt I lacked the assertiveness to express myself through action, so I wanted the experience of directly confronting anything in a new environment.
-
I funded the gap year with money I saved while working, and prepared to depart by reading humanities books about Vietnam to build basic background knowledge about the country. Before leaving, I spent final time with the family and friends I thought I would miss while apart.
# While volunteering in Vietnam, I was able to break free from Korea''s uniform standards.
Volunteering in Vietnam allowed me to break free from the uniform standards of Korea.Meeting a variety of people exposed me to a range of life standards. After spending a month and a half like that, my horizons naturally broadened and I feel I became more at ease.
Also, seeing that I wasn''t intimidated by the new environment and that I ultimately returned to Korea safely,I gained confidence and belief in myself that I can do better in my future life as well.I definitely feel that the radius of my dreams has expanded, as I am now able to concretely consider things I had only vaguely thought about, like working abroad.
-
During the project period, I was able to experience two countries: Vietnam and Cambodia. It''s heartbreaking, but in the small rural villages of Vietnam and Cambodia, children who should be going to school are begging travelers. I can''t easily forget the sight of children, who at an age when they should be seeing and learning more beautiful things, begging for just one dollar.I began to seriously ponder how, as an adult, I could give the children I met during travel and at the volunteer organization a better world.
# My range of dreams has definitely widened.
And My range of dreams has definitely widened.I had vague fears about working or living abroad, but looking back at myself who succeeded and returned, I felt that I am someone who can take on challenges. I began to dream not only of a future in Korea but also of living in places outside Korea.
Also, I became more proactive. When I''m unsure whether to do something or not, I should do it. Thus, The fact that when you throw yourself into something you can gain unexpectedly wonderful connections taught me a great lesson.Because overthinking before acting was both a great strength and a weakness for me, I had many experiences during my gap year that helped compensate for this shortcoming.
Finally, I realized that happiness ultimately comes from relationships with others, and I began to ponder how I can be more accepting of others and live more happily with them.Sometimes I used to avoid people for fear of being hurt, but now I feel it''s a moment to face them rather than avoid them. This issue is still not fully resolved, but just having started to think about it during my gap year feels like a significant gain.
# Precious relationships I met in Vietnam
I gained many precious connections. I realized anew that language isn''t crucial for making friends. Of course, at first I sometimes felt great frustration due to language barriers, but I experienced that if you show sincerity, the other person will eventually understand your heart. Amazingly, I met a friend with a very similar personality, and the deep late-night conversations we shared became truly cherished memories.When we parted, we promised to meet again, and I truly hope that promise comes true.
# Daily routine locally
From Monday to Thursday, volunteer hours were from 8:30 AM to 10:30 AM and from 2:30 PM to 4:00 PM. The time between morning and afternoon was lunch/free time, and after volunteer hours ended, the evenings were entirely free. The volunteer center and the accommodation were at a distance, so we took a bus. From Friday to Sunday, we had no volunteering and could spend personal time—usually I traveled to other cities with friends.
# My travel recommendations!
I visited Sapa, Ha Long Bay, and Ninh Binh near Hanoi.The best destination was Sapa. I took an approximately six-hour sleeping bus from Hanoi, and I was able to truly see and experience how beautiful unspoiled nature is. If you travel to northern Vietnam, you should definitely visit Sapa.
Also, for those going to a project in Vietnam and other Indochina countries (Thailand, Laos, Cambodia), rather than returning to Korea immediately after the project, Personally, I think it''s good to travel around the Indochina countries.During the Vietnamese holiday period, the project was also on break, so I traveled alone to Cambodia, which was a really fun time. In fact, many travelers combine trips around the Indochina countries. The borders touch each other, so you can save a lot on transportation costs, which is great.
# To prospective gappers
I hope you won''t be impatient. When you first arrive, you''ll meet more foreign volunteers than you might expect, and you may be overwhelmed by the English you hear all day long, butI think the most important thing is to clearly remember and keep reminding yourself of your own reason for taking a gap year and to maintain your own pace.Rather than being swept up by other people''s standards, if you stick to your own beliefs you can temporarily escape the endless comparison and competition you experienced in Korea. Also, if you don''t let the new aspects of yourself that emerge in another country and culture pass by unnoticed and instead remember them,I think you''ll be able to discover new possibilities in yourself that had been hidden until now.
# My gap year preparation TIP!
- Language
Conversational English skills can affect life abroad more than you might think (communication with volunteers of other nationalities, communication with local staff). Also, if you know about Western culture such as pop songs and TV shows before departure, it''s easier to form common ground. So memorizing commonly used conversational phrases will make it easier to make friends with foreigners!
- Meals
The food is very tasty, so you probably won''t need to bring Korean food. However, you can easily find Korean food at the nearby Lotte Mart.
- What to bring
It''s good to come prepared with a blanket, power strip, mosquito spray, laundry bag, slippers, and insurance. Since most items can be easily obtained locally, you don''t need to bring a lot of things.
My gap year is
Experience★★★★★
: Meeting locals and friends of various nationalities in a country like Vietnam is a truly special experience.
Learning★★★★
: If you''re interested in the culture and history of the project country, you can learn a lot, and I was also able to have time for self-reflection.
Environment★★★★★
: Because Hanoi is the capital, there were hardly any inconveniences in daily life.
Safety★★
: Hygiene is poorer than in Korea and traffic problems are severe, so you should always be cautious.
Leisure★★★★★
: You can take trips to nearby small towns every weekend.
Volunteering in Vietnam broadened my way of thinking. I want to think more about and discover what it means to be myself and how I can become someone who helps others, and I set a goal to do that!
Recharging warm love with children in Hanoi, Vietnam Lee Hongju, gap-year participant (gapper, 27) / 6-week gap year |
# I started working right after graduation, and the repetitive routine soon left me feeling disillusioned.
Hello. I''m 27-year-old Lee Hongju, a young person who wants to live authentically and is thinking about how to do that!
After graduating from university, I got a job right awayand I soon became disillusioned with the repetitive working life.Thinking I had rushed into employment without enough self-reflection, I quit my job,I wanted to spend a full year on my own to think about who I am and how I want to live going forward.So after one year, I wanted to use the gap-year project as a stepping stone to step into a new life.
* For Ms. Lee Hongju, who wanted new experiences and to find her career path,daily personalized one-on-one missions that challenged her existing thinking and offered new experiences and relaxation were provided, and a gap-year notebook was also given so she could reflect on herself and make plans.
# The fact that I could meet friends of various nationalities sparked my sense of challenge.
As a university student, I had always wanted to take part in overseas volunteering, but circumstances prevented me from doing so.
So, wanting to try volunteering abroad while I was still relatively young, I chose volunteer work among many projects, and because I had been interested in Vietnam, I chose child volunteer work held in Hanoi. In Vietnam, not only locals but alsothe opportunity to meet friends of diverse nationalities aroused great curiosity and a sense of challenge in me.
I studied in China for a year as a student, and since Vietnam, like China, is in the same Asian region, I didn''t have a big fear about living abroad before departure. Recently many Koreans also travel to Vietnam, so I felt it wasn''t a country with a high barrier to entry. Also,The orientation materials provided by the Korean gap-year organizers were plentiful, so I felt reassured about safety and daily living matters.
# I wanted to experience a bigger world and think more about what it means to be myself.
Through this gap year, I wanted to step away briefly from the narrow Korean societyto experience a larger world and consider what being true to myself means.
Also, the same daily routine every dayI wanted to break out of the repetitive routine and see the potential I can show in unfamiliar places.Because I tend to spend a lot of time quietly reflecting alone, I felt I lacked the assertiveness to express myself through action, so I wanted the experience of directly confronting anything in a new environment.
-
I funded the gap year with money I saved while working, and prepared to depart by reading humanities books about Vietnam to build basic background knowledge about the country. Before leaving, I spent final time with the family and friends I thought I would miss while apart.
# While volunteering in Vietnam, I was able to break free from Korea''s uniform standards.
Volunteering in Vietnam allowed me to break free from the uniform standards of Korea.Meeting a variety of people exposed me to a range of life standards. After spending a month and a half like that, my horizons naturally broadened and I feel I became more at ease.
Also, seeing that I wasn''t intimidated by the new environment and that I ultimately returned to Korea safely,I gained confidence and belief in myself that I can do better in my future life as well.I definitely feel that the radius of my dreams has expanded, as I am now able to concretely consider things I had only vaguely thought about, like working abroad.
-
During the project period, I was able to experience two countries: Vietnam and Cambodia. It''s heartbreaking, but in the small rural villages of Vietnam and Cambodia, children who should be going to school are begging travelers. I can''t easily forget the sight of children, who at an age when they should be seeing and learning more beautiful things, begging for just one dollar.I began to seriously ponder how, as an adult, I could give the children I met during travel and at the volunteer organization a better world.
# My range of dreams has definitely widened.
And My range of dreams has definitely widened.I had vague fears about working or living abroad, but looking back at myself who succeeded and returned, I felt that I am someone who can take on challenges. I began to dream not only of a future in Korea but also of living in places outside Korea.
Also, I became more proactive. When I''m unsure whether to do something or not, I should do it. Thus, The fact that when you throw yourself into something you can gain unexpectedly wonderful connections taught me a great lesson.Because overthinking before acting was both a great strength and a weakness for me, I had many experiences during my gap year that helped compensate for this shortcoming.
Finally, I realized that happiness ultimately comes from relationships with others, and I began to ponder how I can be more accepting of others and live more happily with them.Sometimes I used to avoid people for fear of being hurt, but now I feel it''s a moment to face them rather than avoid them. This issue is still not fully resolved, but just having started to think about it during my gap year feels like a significant gain.
# Precious relationships I met in Vietnam
I gained many precious connections. I realized anew that language isn''t crucial for making friends. Of course, at first I sometimes felt great frustration due to language barriers, but I experienced that if you show sincerity, the other person will eventually understand your heart. Amazingly, I met a friend with a very similar personality, and the deep late-night conversations we shared became truly cherished memories.When we parted, we promised to meet again, and I truly hope that promise comes true.
# Daily routine locally
From Monday to Thursday, volunteer hours were from 8:30 AM to 10:30 AM and from 2:30 PM to 4:00 PM. The time between morning and afternoon was lunch/free time, and after volunteer hours ended, the evenings were entirely free. The volunteer center and the accommodation were at a distance, so we took a bus. From Friday to Sunday, we had no volunteering and could spend personal time—usually I traveled to other cities with friends.
# My travel recommendations!
I visited Sapa, Ha Long Bay, and Ninh Binh near Hanoi.The best destination was Sapa. I took an approximately six-hour sleeping bus from Hanoi, and I was able to truly see and experience how beautiful unspoiled nature is. If you travel to northern Vietnam, you should definitely visit Sapa.
Also, for those going to a project in Vietnam and other Indochina countries (Thailand, Laos, Cambodia), rather than returning to Korea immediately after the project, Personally, I think it''s good to travel around the Indochina countries.During the Vietnamese holiday period, the project was also on break, so I traveled alone to Cambodia, which was a really fun time. In fact, many travelers combine trips around the Indochina countries. The borders touch each other, so you can save a lot on transportation costs, which is great.
# To prospective gappers
I hope you won''t be impatient. When you first arrive, you''ll meet more foreign volunteers than you might expect, and you may be overwhelmed by the English you hear all day long, butI think the most important thing is to clearly remember and keep reminding yourself of your own reason for taking a gap year and to maintain your own pace.Rather than being swept up by other people''s standards, if you stick to your own beliefs you can temporarily escape the endless comparison and competition you experienced in Korea. Also, if you don''t let the new aspects of yourself that emerge in another country and culture pass by unnoticed and instead remember them,I think you''ll be able to discover new possibilities in yourself that had been hidden until now.
# My gap year preparation TIP!
- Language
Conversational English skills can affect life abroad more than you might think (communication with volunteers of other nationalities, communication with local staff). Also, if you know about Western culture such as pop songs and TV shows before departure, it''s easier to form common ground. So memorizing commonly used conversational phrases will make it easier to make friends with foreigners!
- Meals
The food is very tasty, so you probably won''t need to bring Korean food. However, you can easily find Korean food at the nearby Lotte Mart.
- What to bring
It''s good to come prepared with a blanket, power strip, mosquito spray, laundry bag, slippers, and insurance. Since most items can be easily obtained locally, you don''t need to bring a lot of things.
My gap year is
Experience★★★★★
: Meeting locals and friends of various nationalities in a country like Vietnam is a truly special experience.
Learning★★★★
: If you''re interested in the culture and history of the project country, you can learn a lot, and I was also able to have time for self-reflection.
Environment★★★★★
: Because Hanoi is the capital, there were hardly any inconveniences in daily life.
Safety★★
: Hygiene is poorer than in Korea and traffic problems are severe, so you should always be cautious.
Leisure★★★★★
: You can take trips to nearby small towns every weekend.
What makes this project special
