Welcome home, ladies! We hope you are enjoying the cold weather and snow! Your family, the food, and all the things you missed (good peanut butter…) It’s a sad and happy day at the same time. For the last 2 maybe even 3 weeks, all the girls could talk about was what was going to be their first meal when they got back in the States. There was a lot… Read More
Lindsay and Topher here, checking in from Ho Chi Minh city, all by our lonesome after seeing our group of lovelies off at the airport this afternoon. Tears were shed, a final dice game was played, laughter was shared, and Topher serenaded us one last time before the plane to Hong Kong boarded. As Shannon mentioned in her last post, we spent a paradisaical last week together on Vietnam’s coast,… Read More
It’s been a crazy last week to say the least. We had some unexpected early goodbyes, but didn’t let the decrease in numbers keep us from enjoying our final days in paradise. After a couple of days of adjusting to our new group dynamic, we were more than ready to start the last part of our adventure. We’d already trekked through tree-covered hills and burned rubber through busy city streets,… Read More
We received word that all of the Nkula students said their farewells to Colin and Mandy and made it safely on the plane. They are all now bound for home or on to new adventures. We wish them safari njema (safe journeys) – thank you Nkula crew for all of your hard and heart-felt work throughout this semester. We can’t wait to see what adventures you embark on next.
Avy… Read More
We received word that all of the Kifaru students said their farewells to Matt and Gwen and made it safely on the plane. They are all now bound for home or on to new adventures. We wish them safari njema (safe journeys) – thank you Kifaru crew for all of your hard and heart-felt work throughout this semester. We can’t wait to see what adventures you embark on next.
Avy… Read More
There is nothing big about the Roatan airport… save for the 12 gringos standing in a circle and saying their final goodbyes; staring at each other, trying hard not to cry, crying, laughing, hugging, letting go, hugging again. It feels as if there are so many things left to say, so many things left to do here. How can this possibly be the end? Were we not just in Xela?… Read More
We’ve received word that the Shanti group has said their tearful goodbyes to Kelsi at the airport and they have set off from New Delhi. We wish them all traveling mercies on their respective journeys home. You are a fantastic group, team Shanti, filled with heart. Namaste.… Read More
As I sit in an internet cafe near the Plaza de Armas in Cusco, I reflect on all I and the INTI group have experienced in these last three months.
In Quito, we spent time acclimating to the culture shock of being in Ecuador and South America. We played games and did activities to both learn about and strengthen the bond between one another. We left the city with a… Read More
For everyone wondering, scuba diving was fantastic. I just wanted to share a little bit for everyone wondering how our week went, becuase this week has really ment alot to me.
Our first few minutes underwater was an experience I’ll never forget. breathing underwater is a sensation that is foreign to many of us, and you cant help but feel like your defying some kind of rule of nature. Its… Read More
Shiva group Fall 2014 has safely made it to the airport and are boarding their plane. After some time travel and many miles they will be back home. It’s hard to believe that 12 weeks have past already, it feels like yesterday we were all meeting and playing games and naming our pinkies at SFO. We spent our last day together relaxing in Delhi and all enjoyed one last Bollywood… Read More
There is no way I will ever be able to use words to accurately describe what India was like for me, so I wont even try to give you the whole picture, so instead, I’ll just leave you with a few snapshots that India has left for me. Most of these snapshots could be described as exotic, filthy, ancient, spontaneous, bizarre and sometimes comical, from taking a different route back… Read More
Hello my dear family and friends!
I’m sad to say that our trip has come to a close but what better way to end it than a week on Zanzibar?! We spent the first 4 nights at a lovely hotel in Stone Town called The Haven House where we got our own floor. After settling in on Nov 30th, we had some free time to explore. It’s safe to say… Read More
About six months ago (wow) I found out that I would not be able to return to my school, the University of Rochester, for the fall semester. At first I was completely crushed. I was just winding down the hardest period of my life so far so I tried to be brave for my family and friends who were all worried about me, but I was heart-broken. However, this final… Read More
To all the avid readers of the Hongi group blog, I am sad to report that this is the final post. We have spent the past week immersed in the Daintree Rainforest passing the time practicing yoga, meditation, and inner reflection. It’s safe to say that the heaviest thought on everyone’s mind is our impending goodbye. There is the constant chatter of what people’s flight details, what our first meal… Read More
Greetings, friends and family of the Carpe Diem Hongi group! The last two weeks of our adventure were spent in the Daintree rainforest. The first week, we stayed at the Bat House in little cabins cutting vines, stomping grass,and being eaten alive by the millions of biting green ants that inhabit them. Each sweaty, exhausting day was filled with the sound of cutting wood and the more than occasional shriek… Read More
Hi everyone!
I am sad to say this is my final blog post for the trip. I didn’t believe three months would ever end, and here I am, finally having to face reality. Looking back three months ago, I would have told you that three months was plenty of time. But now that I have to say goodbye to everyone I consider my family, I am desperate for three months… Read More
FIRST HAPPY BIRTHDAY JORDAN WE LOVE YOU SO MUCH!!!! <333 #champagneformyrealfriendsrealpainformyshamfriends
Namaste friends and family! It is with a heavy heart that I write the final weekly blog post of Carpe Diem Shiva fall 2014. I’m currently on a sleeper train somewhere between Jaisalmer and Delhi. Quickly, I would like to contrast this scene with the scene of us on a train leaving Delhi about 12 weeks ago.
12 weeks… Read More
Dear Friends and Family,
I’m not going to lie to y’all, I am ready to go home. These past three months have been more amazing, eye-opening, and life-altering than I could have asked for. I am so happy that I had the opportunity to come on this trip. But, it’s time to go back to the States. It’s time to see my mom and my sisters who have already bought… Read More
