Blog

The Southeast Asia program is full of big, momentous moments; touching an elephant for the first time, meditating with Buddhist monks, trekking through the jungle in Laos. But equally important are the small moments. Moments that make us remember how grateful we are to be here and reflect on the importance of staying present. Our group wanted to share some of those small moments that made a big difference.   Alana: One of my favorite memories so far was the big thunder… Read more

Trekking and Relaxing in PaiSaying our goodbyes at Elephant Nature Park was difficult but memorable.  We were given the opportunity to get up close and personal with the elephants one last time when we did presentations - where we focused on individual elephants and their history with trauma before coming to the park. From the park, we moved on to Pai, a small hippy town about an hour North of ENP. In Pai, we got the chance to get a feel for the town and walk around for … Read more

As the SEA Spring 2020 group has settled into the culture and constant movement of Thailand, we found ourselves quickly getting to know each other while we were surprised with Thai massages. This journey began in Bangkok and soon moved to Sukhothai for a few days of orientation at Lotus Village. With the delicious meals prepared by our hosts, our stomachs were full as we began to fully immerse ourselves in the 70 days ahead.   In Sukhothai, we explored the Historic Par… Read more

We’ve now shared our final laughs, eaten our last local meals, and said our final goodbyes. As Amy and I watch the final taxi take our students to the airport, we can’t help but breathe a small sigh of relief. We’ve kept them safe, we’ve kept them happy, and ultimately, we are ready to let them go off on their own and experience the world with a brand new perspective. It truly is a bittersweet goodbye. I can tell you now; this part is never easy for us instructors. Our… Read more

Update from Linden on the South East Asia Program In 2010, after the devastating earthquake hit Haiti, The Red Cross vowed to help Haitians rebuild their lives. But after 5 years, and almost $500 million dollars spent, only 6 permanent homes were built. Despite mismanagement and lack of transparency in the charity sector, for a long time it seemed like that was the only model to provide aid to disadvantaged communities. Paul Gill, co-founder of SONAS, is trying to show … Read more

Aniko shares her experiences from the South East Asia program, where the students have just spent five days planning and leading their travels! Out of all our experiences in Southeast Asia so far, the student lead portion was definitely one of the most rewarding. We had set budgets for food, accommodation, transport, and activities and had to keep track of every group expense, past and future, while also having new fun experiences that we planned for ourselves. Our grou… Read more

Written by Ella and Caroline on our South East Asia program. By the third week of whirlwind travel with a group of 14 that we’d only just met, a meditation retreat sounded like just what we needed. Of course, the excitement of a new country and making new friends hadn't gotten old. By this time the group was ready to reflect and recharge. On the first day, we realized just how relaxed things would be when they outfitted us in comfortable white “pajamas” and encouraged … Read more

Sleep is refreshing. When consumed by daily life, sleep can sometimes be the only way to put the mind at ease. We worry, we sleep, we wake up anew. But when living our mundane lives, do we really wake up anew? On my journey to Southeast Asia, however, sleep really does bring a new beginning. My blog begins in a quiet city along the mighty Mekong River in Laos. I opened my eyes just as the sun was rising. I had little time before our 8:00 am departure. I had little time… Read more

In a remote village in the mountains, our group arrived for two full days of intensive Buddhist meditation. We began with discarding our old clothes and donning an all white set. This symbolized the beginning of our spiritual journey and the purifying (white) we would do. Our training monk introduced us to the ancient tradition of Buddhist meditation in Thailand with a late-night session. Our days started with early morning meditation when we were still at peace after a… Read more

One of the most unexpected challenges I experienced so far on our Southeast Asia Semester was been the meditation retreat. Prior to the retreat, I was under the assumption that this would be something to my liking-I mean how could it not be since I regularly practice yoga and I've gone to a couple group meditations, ya'know? I suppose you could say I was expecting a breakthrough or an epiphany of some sort from the two day retreat (I know, ha!). In retrospect this soun… Read more