Student Directed Travel!

carpediem South Pacific- WALKABOUT
Kia Ora! We are finally settling down here in a Marae outside of Christchurch nestled on the harbor banks following our four day experience with student directed travel! After leaving Family Farm, we bussed down to Wellington and spent two days exploring New Zealand’s city life. Wellington is the capital of NZ and reminds us of a small San Fran meets Seattle with endless coffee houses, bookstores and vintage shops.… Read More

Student Directed Travel was a Success

carpediem South Pacific- HONGI
file_002 The week of the 9th-14th was set aside as a week of student directed travel during which the Overseas Educators stepped back and allowed the group to fully take the helm and take charge of our own trip. As a group we were in charge of organizing everything that would go into the trip, from departure on the 9th from Riverside intentional community to arrival on the 15th in… Read More

The Family Farm

carpediem South Pacific- WALKABOUT
Over the last week we’ve stepped into the shoes of a farmer spending mornings milking cows, feeding pigs, and collecting eggs. Greg and Rachel Hart welcomed us into their lakeside lodge showing us a glimpse into their daily lives on the farm. Rachel taught us new amazing recipes to take back home filled with fresh ingredients and love. We worked with Greg to create new trails through the rolling green… Read More

Taj Mahal and Rishikesh

carpediem India- SHIVA
Blog by Kippie. Photos from the Overseas Educators The past few days since leaving Udaipur have been filled with unpacking bags and repacking them, trains and rickshaws, and ever new and exciting India. We arrived in Agra mid-day Wednesday, and spent the afternoon recovering from the hours on the train, as well as wandering around one of Agra’s largest bazaars. At this point in our trip, we’ve been to more… Read More

Student Directed Travel Begins~!

carpediem South Pacific- HONGI
On October 9th the first week of Student Directed Travel begins. Every student was either booking, researching or supporting those who were working hard. We spent a lot of energy in the short amount of time given to us to plan. Very early, on the morning of October 9th, we will depart from the beloved Riverside Community and drive to Nelson where we will catch a Maxi Cab to Picton.… Read More

Riverside Community Living

carpediem South Pacific- HONGI
This week the group was at Riverside Community helping and learning an amazing amount about the environment and living within a community. The start of the week was very stressful as we were planning a week in advance for our first Student Directed Travel. We spent a day and a half getting the main frame of the week in place. Our captain for the week split us up into groups… Read More

Lord of the Rings Tramping

carpediem South Pacific- WALKABOUT
Upon arriving at Blue Mountain Adventure Center the group was challenged with team building activities that forced us to grow both independently and together. Our leaders for the week Paddy and Sally outfitted us in the best gear for our high mountain tramp through Mordor. We set out for five days and four nights in the wilderness with a backdrop of sweeping views of the snowcapped Mount Doom (for those… Read More

From Agra to Varanassi to Bodghaya

carpediem India- SHANTI
Blog from Emily S. Photos from Savannah and the Overseas Educators Namaste from Bodhgaya! Emilia here, writing from the Root Institute! We arrived here yesterday healthy and excited to be studying Buddhism! It’s a different change of pace compared to Varanasi, a city full of bustling cows, water buffalo, rickshaws and people. We stayed in Banaras (the local term for the city) for almost one week, learned some “survival Hindi”… Read More

A Feasting, a Bathing, a Rafting, Oh My!

carpediem Southeast Asia- SABAI
Omchapeur from the Karen tribe and us at Chiang Mai! After a beautiful and touching homestay experience, the Fall Seasia group embarked on our first trek and what was to be a truly authentic three days in Thailand. After the ride back to Chiang Mai we decompressed at our new hostel Mojito Garden, which included a complimentary hammock, a Koi pond (where I had my camera lifted off of me… Read More

Fun in the Outdoors

carpediem South Pacific- HONGI
Hongi group’s second full week was filled with lots adventure (and quite a bit of rain). We started off the week at Whenua Iti headquarters, where we were briefed on the week ahead of us, by our two leaders, Rob and Joe. Our original plan was to hike the full Abel Tasman trail over six days, but a forecast full of rain caused us to change our plans to accommodate… Read More

Jhadol and Udaipur

carpediem India- SHIVA
Blog from Elana O. Photos from the Overseas Educators Last week the Shiva group packed their bags and said their goodbyes to the host families in Jaipur. We headed to the train station and, after many ukelele songs and the death of one flip flop, boarded the train to Udaipur- the Venice of India. The first day in the lake-filled city included a lovely breakfast and walking tour of the… Read More

Special Needs Education Center

carpediem East Africa- NKULA
Blog from Jada and Matt. Photos from the Overseas Educators Hello friends and family! Reporting from SNEC- Special Needs Education Center- 30 kilometers outside of Kabale. It’s hard to believe we’re almost 3 weeks into our 3 month adventure! After a fun weekend rafting on the Nile, we bussed to Kampala, and on Monday morning, embarked on a 9 hour bus ride to Kabale. As we prepared for our long… Read More

Rafting!

carpediem East Africa- NKULA
From Aiden Blood Greetings from the town of Kabale. I am going to tell you about my experiences in Jinja and Kampala. We stayed at the Nalubale River Rafting Camp ventured into Jinja for the afternoon. While walking on the street someone offered me a piece of his chicken; I didn’t want to be rude and turn it down so I ate it. After thanking him, I went back to… Read More

Living it up- Maori culture week and more!

carpediem South Pacific- HONGI
Its been a crazy but amazing two weeks diving further into our adventure and deepening our relationships with each other. We’ve been humbly hosted by two lovely people known as Yvette and Manaia of Koukourarata community in their beautiful historically rich maraes. Waking up to such a breathtaking view is something none of us will ever forget. We then stayed 3 nights in a revamped schoolhouse in the are of… Read More

Shiva in Jaipur

carpediem India- SHIVA
Submitted and written by Matthew Nguyen. Photos from the Overseas Educators, Jon and Anya. Problog: Here we are! The moment of truth has arrived. With heavy, yet optimistic hearts we fly away from familiarity and the place we called home, lying in anticipation for what’s to come. Three months. New sights. New sounds. New friends and family. A completely different side of the world to explore and discover. After the… Read More

First Week in NZ!

carpediem South Pacific- WALKABOUT
The end of our first week together is fast approaching and it has been filled with name games, intention setting and the start of new friendships! After meeting each other at LAX and enduring a twelve hour flight, we headed to Solscape, our first destination of many. Solscape is an eco-hostel set on the side of Karioi mountain over looking the sea in Whaingaroa. For our first three days we… Read More