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

We have had quite the first week down here in New Zealand. While we would love to fill you in on all of it, we thought it would be best to share one of the highlights from earlier this week.   The other night, we all went kiwi hunting. If you don’t know what a kiwi is, or think it’s the fruit (or apparently the native people), it’s not. A kiwi is type of endangered bird native to New Zealand. They are what we described as a mix between a gopher, a chicken, a chipmunk, … Read more

Did you know that the average high school student spends about one-sixth of their total waking hours in the classroom? That's one-sixth of your life spent walking the same hallways, inhaling the same cafeteria smells, and staring longingly out the window at the same scenery. If you aren't eager to chuck your mortarboard into the air and step right into another institution for four years, we can't blame you! The world is much bigger than campus, and this moment might be … Read more

It's time to meet your Instructors for the Fall 2022 Programs! Our Program Instructors are inspiring people, who share a deep respect for the people and cultures, a fascination with local history, and an in-depth understanding of contemporary issues and politics. They are people in whom you can trust, who remain objective and supportive even in challenging circumstances, and who take a genuine interest in your well-being and safety. Basically they're a bunch of epic hum… Read more

A gap year done right can bring insight and maturity. It can add valuable credits to your resume and make you a more alluring candidate to admission counselors. More and more students fresh out of high school who have taken a gap year, apply to college afterward instead. If you decided to go that route and are now wondering how to apply to college after a gap year, you're in good company! Let's take a look at applying to college after a gap year and planning your colle… Read more

Thursday 21st JulyToday Pablo our guide took us on a bike ride up to the most spectacular viewpoint. On the way, we rode along the sand, which proved very difficult, then to some gravel/dirt paths. Pablo had told us to keep away from the side of the paths, in case we saw any iguanas or tortoises. He was right in saying that as we saw our first giant tortoise. It was massive and very surreal to see. Then we continued to the top, where we got off of our bikes and began our… Read more

Saturday We are changing islands! We have been in San Cristobal for 2 weeks and we are now going to Isabela. A 6:15 am pickup was required so I woke up at 5:45 am. Finished last-minute packing and made my way downstairs to catch the ferry. The boat pulled away from the docks around 7:00 am. I sat down and fell asleep until we got there.We hung out in Santa Cruz for a couple of hours and got lunch before grabbing the next ferry to Isabela. When we got to Isabela, we went … Read more

On Monday, July 11th, our group headed to a local school in San Cristóbal, Escuela Alejandro Alvear. Going in, our objective was to educate the young kids on the difference between the native and invasive species on the island. We wanted to emphasize that not every invasive plant is bad, but rather the importance of maintaining the island’s natural native plants. Through our theme of culture this week, we noticed the openness and kindness of the kids around us. We coul… Read more

The first time I ever heard of the Galapagos Islands was in the stories that my grandpa always used to tell me. He was a hobby pilot and would go on the craziest trips to the world's most remote places. One of his favorites was always the Galapagos Islands. So for me, it's super exciting to be here and experience these islands for myself. One thing I tried to pay attention to for the past week is the core values that the people living here are upholding in their daily li… Read more

This week really was action-packed and we can’t wait to tell you all about it! We started our second week by waking up the chirping birds and misty clouds that filled the lush jungle in the north of Thailand. We were all very excited to make ourselves busy and our host Apple had plenty planned for us. Within the first 24 hours at the elephant sanctuary, we had met all 3 of the elephants here: Molo, Tong Bai, and Bau Ban. Izzy was the first to step forward to meet a very… Read more