59th Gap Year Tribe — GapperIm Chung-man

Gap year period:July 2014–August 2016 (a total of 26 months)

1,200 km pilgrimage over 50 days

Currently, South Korea is:

Each year 60,000 middle and high school students drop out, 346,000 people in their twenties have no dreams and just idle, and the job turnover rate within one year of employment has entered the 40% range,75% of university students are not satisfied with university life, and over 80% of employees say they do not feel happy.Many people tell them to 'dream,' but to address this problem that lacks practical methods and support,we aim to introduce the 'gap year' to South Korea.

Gap year (Gapyear)is a period for combining or temporarily pausing studies and work to engage in various activities such as volunteering, travel, internships, education, and starting a business,It is a time to set the direction for the future and is a cultural practice recommended in the U.S., Europe, Japan, and elsewhere.

*Check out the variety of experiences on the Gap Year homepage!(click)

# I had no idea what dreams I wanted to pursue or what career to choose.

Until recently, during a two-year leave of absence I was able to freely try the things I wanted. The reason I took a two-year leave with one semester remaining was mainly because I regretted not having many varied experiences due to preparing three times for the college entrance exam and a transfer in my early twenties. I chose the science track because I liked math, but after taking the entrance exam and trying to decide on a major, I couldn't decide which major to choose.I had no idea what dreams I wanted to pursue or what career to choose. I thought about it a lot, but I had no sense of what I liked or what I was good at.

At that time, I think getting more varied experiences and reading more books would have actually helped me find a career path, but because I only focused on the immediate entrance exam, I couldn't see a clear direction. When I was retaking the exam alone, I sometimes became very depressed, so for the third time I attended a cram school while preparing.

Even on the third exam there wasn't much improvement in my score, but without a clear goal I couldn't keep preparing for the entrance exam, so I chose a university and department according to my score. However, once I started attending that school, I found the mismatched studies even harder. I still had lingering attachment to the entrance exams, and only then did I realize I liked English and began to find direction for my dream and prepare for a transfer.

Transfer exams heavily emphasize English, so I decided to prepare. I decided to change from the ill-fitting electrical engineering department to either business administration or English literature.At that time, my dream was to become someone who helps students who, like me, are uncertain about their dreams or career paths. To do that, I thought I needed to be a role model for someone, so I began to study hard.

After preparing for the first six months for transfer, I failed all the first exams. But this time my goals and dreams were clear, so I could be more motivated and focus on studying. I felt like I was letting my parents down, so until May I worked part-time while earning tuition and studying, and after that I focused on studyingI enrolled in the university I wanted after seven years. After attending three semesters and before my final semester, I chose to take a leave of absence to experience the world outside the well.

# Raising money for a gap year

I didn't receive an allowance when I was young. My parents only gave me money for meals and transportation when necessary, and from age 20 I always worked part-time jobs at pet groomers, PC bangs, restaurants, wedding halls, hotels, and so on. However, from age 24 while preparing for the transfer they gave me a small allowance.

While preparing for the transfer, I saved about 7 million won through part-time work. Feeling really sorry toward my parents, I started earning money for the transfer academy fees; during my studies my parents covered the academy fees, and because I had no opportunity to spend money while studying, I saved steadily. The money I saved was used for living expenses after passing the transfer and for a London internship and travel in Europe.

After that, I worked as an intern in the university's international office for six months to earn living expenses. What made the international office internship better than other part-time jobs was that I was responsible for assisting foreign students on campus, so I could meet students from various countries and become friendly with them. As a result, while handling administrative tasks I was able to use foreign languages and learn about their cultures, which was meaningful and allowed me to earn the amount of money I needed.

# My lifeI decided there was no need to compare myself to anyone and to spend my time wisely.

After taking the college entrance exam three times and entering school, I was relatively older than others. Since I had also prepared for transfer admission, I was truly among the older students at school. Having a gap year made me anxious at times because I was always older than others in extracurricular activities and other programs.

My close friends and younger peers began to get jobs one by one, and I worried whether, having taken a gap year, I could find a respectable job at a relatively later age and live well. Above all, I often wondered whether choosing this path would make me happy.

I was scared, but I believed in myself. Comparing myself to others right now could make me anxious about starting late, but I decided that since this is my life, rather than comparing myself to someone else, if I find what I truly want and am good at and live each day meaningfully, my life will never feel wasted and I won't need to compare myself to anyone. I resolved to cherish the time given to me.

#I wanted to take on unique challenges and meet a more diverse range of people rather than go on a predictable trip.

After a one-semester leave of absence, I applied for a winter 2015 internship program in London and visited a European country for the first time. As a business major, visiting the birthplace of the Industrial Revolution in the United Kingdom was an opportunity to experience the culture of a developed country firsthand, and I also prepared to take the dream solo trip around Europe before I began serious job hunting.

For about a month, I interned in the marketing team of an education company on weekdays, and on weekends I traveled to nearby towns or explored central London. The UK is famous for its museums, many of which have free admission, so I visited them often.Traveling around central London, I experienced culture and art, and interning in the marketing team allowed me to directly feel and experience the company atmosphere — a valuable experience.

During the London internship and the trip with my friend, I came to appreciate and feel joy for the precious people in my life.

After the internship ended, while traveling in Barcelona I decided to walk the Camino de Santiago from León to Santiago de Compostela — about 300 km.The remaining timeI wanted to meet more diverse people and take on unusual challenges rather than go on a predictable trip.Also, since I had been serving as an accompanist at church since I was 20, I wanted to walk the places where Jacob, one of Jesus' disciples, preached the gospel.

On the first day, not knowing anything, I walked 50 km over 12 hours and suffered severe foot pain as an aftereffect. Still, while walking the Camino de Santiago I met people from various countries, listened to their lives, and had time to share my values and life with theirs. And finally...When I arrived at my destination, the Santiago Cathedral, three things came to mind first.

Grateful to my parents for my health

珍贵的人际关系

我的下一项人生清单

事实上，旅途中感受到的一切，远比抵达时那一瞬间的成就感更有价值，也更持久。然而，回到家开始认真求职后，朝圣之旅带给我的余韵也渐渐淡去。

# 请回答1988

间隔年里学到和经历的一切，或许都是为了我接下来要讲述的这个项目。去年走过部分朝圣路线后，我一直把有朝一日再回来的愿望放在心里。我也遗憾自己没能走完全程，而且我想再次踏上旅程，结识并交流形形色色的人，在个人挑战中成长。

后来我突然想到：“我能不能不等以后，就现在出发？”我开始思考，能否把自己的感受分享给更多人，能否帮助到别人；同时，我也想把间隔年里的所有经历付诸实践。最终，我决定一边旅行，一边开展一个能运用所学帮助他人的项目。我思考了自己喜欢什么、擅长什么，以及能为公众做些什么。

作为一名1988年出生的人，我参加了第88次献血活动，而朝圣之旅让我想到了大约800公里的路程。我开始琢磨，收集88张献血证，捐给癌症患儿，同时宣传能够行走的感恩与旅行的快乐。我曾听说，我们国家献血人数不足，有时还要进口血液；尽管技术不断进步，但骨髓捐献者仍然很少，许多癌症患儿因此不幸离世。于是，为了提高大家对献血的认识，也希望通过自己微小的帮助，让癌症患儿能够彻底康复，像我们一样学习和旅行，我开始筹备再次踏上朝圣之路。

当时电视剧《请回答1988》正当红，所以我把这个项目命名为“请回答1988”。

2月29日从巴塞罗那出发，前往圣让皮耶德波尔，并于3月3日开始徒步。我用大约50天走完了朝圣路线：圣地亚哥法国之路800公里、前往菲斯特雷和穆希亚的120公里，以及葡萄牙之路260公里，总计约1,200公里。那段时间，我不仅结识了西班牙朋友，也认识了韩国朋友和来自世界各地的人，分享彼此的价值观与文化，了解这个世界，有时还……独自徒步时，我得以回顾过去的人生，也思考并梳理了对未来梦想和职业的想法。

这是一次怀着善意开始的朝圣之旅，过程快乐而愉悦，但并非总是一帆风顺。第一天翻越比利牛斯山就是一大挑战。虽然三月是季节交替之时，西班牙却以烈日闻名，所以我为了减轻背包重量，大多带了薄衣服；没想到天气变化无常，既下雪又刮风下雨。翻山时，风雪让人几乎看不清路，陡峭的山坡和积雪让我好几次险些滑倒，吓得以为性命难保。有些朝圣者因为天气恶劣，在当地居民的帮助下离开山区，搭车前行。

尽管如此，这趟旅程留下的美好回忆还是多于艰辛。我遇到了几位正在过间隔年的朋友：一位准备去英国留学前来朝圣的哥哥；一位入伍前来的弟弟；一位屡次受挫、来此重振精神重新出发的弟弟；一位结束澳大利亚打工度假后环游世界的弟弟；还有一些20岁就第一次出国，来走这800公里朝圣之路的学弟。和他们一起吃晚饭、聊天，让我学到了很多，也让我不断成长。

对我来说，目标不只是走完朝圣之路；我还准备了一个自己的项目，于是在 BigWalk 应用上公开发起倡议。每走10米，应用就会累积名为“1noon”的虚拟货币，供用户捐赠。在徒步圣地亚哥朝圣之路的约50天里，我宣传献血和骨髓捐献并呼吁大家参与。虽然有很多次因为太辛苦而想放弃，但我常常想起一路上为我加油的人……我常常想起那些与我同行的人，也常常想到身体不健康、行走困难的人。虽然我的脚步很小，但我还是一步一步走下去，希望能为他们带来哪怕一点点帮助。

随着时间推移，为我加油并捐赠献血证的人越来越多；看到大家一个接一个地同意参与器官捐献，我感到无比自豪，这也成为支撑我继续走下去的动力。朝圣之旅结束时，共有2,106人参与了这个项目。我收集到98张献血证，超过最初设定的88张目标；回国后，我将它们捐给了汉阳大学医院的社会福利团队。

间隔年让我学到的事

# 幸福

我更加了解自己，也变得更加幸福。人们往往不了解自己的潜力，因为很少有机会挑战极限。每天走12个小时、徒步50公里时，我会想自己能走多远、能做到什么程度。能够挑战自己，我感到很幸福。

# 自信

一开始，别人可能会觉得你疯了。但只要相信自己，一步一个脚印地走下去，自信就会随之而来。我的自信和自尊心都大大增强了。我也更想过一种能更多帮助他人的生活。

# 我的间隔年还没有结束。

我的间隔年还没有结束。六月，我参加了在菲律宾马尼拉举办的“了解父母的故乡”营队，下周我将前往柬埔寨参加海外志愿服务。随着不断体验新事物、结识新朋友，关于如何让世界变得更美好的新想法也不断涌现。

我还在 BigWalk 上为儿童癌症患者发起了一个募捐项目，并正与校友学长们一起筹备“请回答1988 第二季”。最近我也申请成为器官捐献者，今后……我会继续通过持续志愿服务和献血，把爱付诸行动。

#我们的脚步，成为他人的养分。

找到属于自己的幸福，分享出去，幸福就会加倍。不要急躁，走好自己的路。我考了三次试，又转了学，花了七年才进入自己想去的大学；从初中起就想去的西班牙，我也等了十多年才终于成行。但一步一个脚印地走过来后，我明白了方向比速度更重要。

就像朝圣路上的黄色箭头，起初并不是每个人都能立刻看见道路的终点，但只要你有自己的目的地，就一步一步努力前行。每天尽力而为，不知不觉间，你就会抵达目的地。

地狱朝鲜、勺子论，以及积累履历。如今韩国的年轻人真的很忙，也对不确定的未来充满焦虑。我也有同感。但与其短视地看待自己的未来，或是消极地看待我们的国家，不如为了我们共同生活的未来和国家彼此分享、相互关怀、携手努力，这样大家不都能更幸福吗？

要做到这一点，你得先让自己幸福。让我们一起分享对生命的感恩和旅行的喜悦。

我们的脚步，成为他人的养分。