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GapYear is a time for growth and happiness.
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49th GapperJooHa-jeong
3-month gap year
Backpacking trip in South America
#I wanted to decide the direction of my life by what my heart tells me
▲Machu Picchu
During the summer break of my freshman year at university, I had an experience that changed my life. It was a 'backpacking trip'.It was my first time going abroad and my first backpacking trip, but it was enough to awaken me to the charm of travel. From that point on, throughout university I worked part-time during semesters to save money and went backpacking during breaks. Thanks to that, before graduating I was able to travel to more than 30 countries, feeling, learning, eating, and talking along the way.
But right after graduation I got a job and started working, and apart from short vacations I had no time to take long trips. Time passed, and before I knew it I found myself thirty years old. I had somehow become 'just an adult', and the bold, confident person I was as a student had faded; I stayed complacent at a comfortable job, avoided challenges, and treated eating delicious food as my only joy in life.
If I lived like everyone else — earning money to buy a car and a house and chatting casually with friends — I could lead a smooth, trouble-free life, butI began to think: what challenges can I take on before it's too late? What on my life's bucket list should I do while I'm still relatively young?I wanted to decide the direction of my life based on what my heart tells me, not on others' judgments. So I decided on a 3-month backpacking trip in South America.
#Things I prepared before the trip
▲Cusco
Because I was employed, I was able to save travel money relatively easily, and since I was planning a long-term backpacking trip to 'dangerous' countries, I did a lot of advance preparation. I mainly gathered information from internet forums and guidebooks, and organized and shared that information by writing posts on my blog. AlsoBecause English is not widely spoken in South America, I studied Spanish.
I took out the Spanish textbook I had studied years earlier and read it during breaks at work to refresh my memory.
I had planned to resign from my job, but after talking with my boss I was fortunate to be granted three months of unpaid leave.
#I wanted to make a choice I wouldn't regret in the long term
▲Galapagos
The biggest anxiety about quitting a comfortable job was worrying about finding work again after I returned, and my parents' objections were a major obstacle. In fact, for this reason I had started preparing for a South American backpacking trip two years earlier but then gave up, and afterward I regretted that decision.I could feel that as time passed there were only more and more reasons not to go.
So when I thought about whether the me five years from now would regret having gone or regret not going, the answer was clear.Even if I struggled for a while after returning, I wanted to make a choice I would not regret in the long run.
#Three-month journey across South America
The three-month journey across South America began in Bogota, Colombia, passed through Ecuador, Peru, Bolivia, and Chile, and ended in Argentina's beautiful capital, Buenos Aires.
On the first day in Bogota, Colombia, which sits at an elevation of 2,600 meters, I experienced a splitting headache and discovered altitude sickness for the first time, and on the island of San Andres, famed for its seven-colored sea, I got to see the Caribbean Sea.
▲San Andres
Once notorious for its mafias, the new city filled with the tall buildings they had constructedMedellingave the impression of Cheongdam-dong meeting natureIt made me want to live there, and Salento, with the Cocora Valley where palm trees rise in the mountains,In Salento, I tasted the bright acidity of Colombian coffee.where a salsa festival was heldIn Cali, I also took salsa lessonsand felt South Americans' passion for dance.
▲Cali Festival
At the center of the world at 0° latitude—Quito, the capital of Ecuador—and the Gal...Going to the Galapagos Islands and scuba divingI can never forget the majesty of the school of hammerhead sharks I encountered while doing so.
Peru, which I reached after a 30-hour bus rideIn Huaraz, the 4,600 m-high Laguna 69The moment I encountered it, I cried at the beauty of the emerald lake set against the snow-capped mountains. The sea in Lima, with its huge wavesthe sea in Lima, needless to say, was majestic andthe mysterious Machu Picchu, and Cusco, which felt like Eastern EuropeI really enjoyed them as well.
Taking another night bus and crossing into Bolivia, the first place I arrived at was the world'sCopacabana, where you can see Lake Titicaca, the largest lake in the world.On the Island of the Sun, which you can only reach from Copacabana by taking another boat, I spent nights with no outlets or Wi‑Fi, and then went toLa Paz, the capital of Bolivia.In La Paz the traditional festival Alasitas was taking place, where they burned miniature cars, houses, money, and so on.Sucrewas full of great restaurants, true to its reputation as a culinary city,UyuniIn Uyuni, I fully experienced the sunrise and sunset over the salt flats.
▲Uyuni
The Atacama Desert in Chilethere I drank wine while watching a night sky full of the Milky Way,In Santiago I experienced the youthful atmosphere of the university district.and enjoyed it.Pucón, a beautiful resort town with an active volcano.There I enjoyed 'bathing' in the lake. In the Patagonia region,At Torres del Paine I went trekking.I had to carry a 10 kg backpack and walk more than eight hours a day for 3 nights and 4 days, but I was once again humbled by the grandeur of nature.
BarilocheThe chocolate I tasted there was sweet, andthe Perito Moreno Glacier in El CalafateI drank glacier water during lunch on top of it. In El Chaltén the weather was bad, and I remember barely sleeping while shivering in the tent. And in Buenos Aires, where I stayed last, I was completely captivated by tango music.
And although I traveled alone, I was happier thanks to the companions who joined me.
Our own special hike we'll never forget.
▲Torres del Paine
We trekked for 3 nights and 4 days in Torres del Paine, Chile. On the last day we woke at 4 a.m. and, relying on our headlamps, began hiking to see the sunrise at the famously beautiful 'Torres' triple peaks. It takes 2 hours and 30 minutes to get there, and the last hour is very steep.
It had snowed the day before and the ground was slushy, but I thought it was fortunate the snow had stopped. As we walked, it started to snow lightly. Hoping it would stop soon we kept going, but the snow grew heavier, and after about halfway it became what could be called a blizzard. Snow on the rocky mountain made it slippery, so we paid attention to every step as we continued upward.
It was cold, hard, and I was hungry, but I didn't want to give up, so I kept climbing. When we arrived, it was a dark world of snow. So much snow had fallen that the sky was overcast and we couldn't see the sunrise at all; the beautiful triple peaks from the photos were nowhere to be seen. We sat under a large rock that could shield us from the snow and waited a bit, but the snow only kept coming.
In the end we gave up and descended, but the accumulated snow made the descent more treacherous. Yet the whole situation felt so amusing.It was seeing myself, having come to the other side of the world yet unable to properly eat or wash, walking through a heavy snowfall. Although it was hard and upsetting, I quite enjoyed the pure white snowy world.
I think I'll remember that hike for a long time.The scenery others saw was beautiful, but very few people fully experienced the snow-covered mountain landscape I saw. And it will become our special, unforgettable memory with the companions who shared that grueling trek.
Finding what I had lost and learning to see myself objectively.
▲Uyuni
I was able to regain my confidence and courage.When traveling alone, these two things are very important, because without them you can't enjoy being alone or complete the trip. I also felt like I found the self that had faded from living complacently.
And I became able to view myself more objectively from a broader perspective.Because of the nature of my job I have few opportunities to interact with other professions and end up meeting similar people, but in distant South America I constantly talked and shared thoughts with numerous Koreans and foreigners, which broadened my previously narrow thinking. Thanks to that, it greatly helped me set the direction to move forward.
I'm currently back at work doing the same job, but based on what I felt and thought this time, I plan to slowly prepare for a different career.
#Tips for traveling in South America
▲At San Andrés
If you go traveling in South AmericaBe sure to study Spanish.It will change the quality and depth of your trip.
Even if only for one month, study before you go—the quality of your trip will improve.
#A message to young people in South Korea planning a gap year
▲Laguna 69, Huaraz
If you're hesitating, think about which choice you'll regret more in five years.Life is made of choices, and opportunity costs always follow. You should decide which choice will enrich your life more. If you believe not taking a gap year is best, then make that choice—people aren't all the same.
But if you decide to take a gap year, prepare a little more, give your best at that time, and don't waste the time.
It's fine to focus on resting or on eating; just listen to your heart more than usual and try to communicate more with others.
Recommendations and submissions for 100 gap-year participants are always welcome.Please leave a comment or direct message, or email marketing manager Haein Cho (dorothy224@koreagapyear.com).