Bienvenidos Amigos! South America (B) Welcome from Lee

Hey Everyone! My name is Lee and I will be one of your instructors on our South America Fall Semester. Our adventure is quickly approaching and I wanted to introduce myself before we all come together in Lima.

Since I was very young, I've dreamed of exploring foreign lands, speaking new languages and eating exotic foods. I've been lucky enough to combine my love of travel and adventure into a career...it's awesome. Over the past seven years, I have worked as an Outdoor Instructor, EMT, Guide and Director of Student Life at a small boarding school. Most recently I've been living and working in Peru, Ecuador and China. I have been trying to tackle Mandarin amidst improving my Spanish. I'm hoping you guys will give me a kick if I slip into Mandarin this Fall!

I love wild places, and my favorite ways to see them are with a backpack, on a rope, in a kayak, or on a bike. Whenever I have free time, I'm scheming or training for my next wilderness adventure. Anyone up for some epics in the Andes?

I am so excited to share all the sights  and sounds of Latin America and explore all the nuances that make Peru and Ecuador unique! My first experience with Latin America was when I spent the summer after my Freshman year in college studying Spanish, and exploring central Mexico. I fell in love with the people, the music, the language, the food, and the history...pretty much everything. I went back to college, and concentrated my degree on Latin American history; discovering more about a region of immense empires, conquests, complex social stratification, bloody military coups, and a complicated connection with my home country. Since leaving University, I have spent much of my time living and working in Costa Rica, Panama, Argentina, Chile and of course, Peru and Ecuador. My experience has been that each place has a flavor of its own, with an undeniable cultural and historical thread connecting the region.

I hope you guys are ready to start a trip of a lifetime! Feel free to shoot me an email, or a message on Facebook. I'm psyched to meet all of you in Lima!

Safe travels, Lee