Namaste from the Shanti Fall 2017 leader duo, Bria and Pete. We are beyond excited to meet our team of stellar students in just five days!
The next three months will be full of learning, adventure, and community. We will be spending the first half of our journey exploring several historic cities and sites– from Delhi to Jaipur to Varanasi to Kolkata. We will also have an opportunity to be… Read More
Hola Team Quetzal Students, Families and Friends!!
It has been wonderful getting to chat with all of you over the past few weeks, our excitement for the upcoming semester is through the roof! From our brief conversations, it seems we have a really strong group, with all of you ready to bring your own passions and strengths to our new community. We are in the midst of staff training in… Read More
Blog from Harvey G
My advice to anyone considering a gap year would be: Do Carpe Diem. There are so many reasons, but here are a few ones that come to mind:
I feel more prepared to go into college now that I’ve completed my year abroad. I’ve had a big range of experiences from surfing on the coast of Peru to hiking to 17,000 feet altitude. I made some… Read More
Post by Hollyn H
Wildtraks, in Sarteneja, Belize, was the perfect placement for me. I can’t believe that it’s almost over but I guess time flies when you’re having fun. Wildtraks is a rehabilitation center for primates and manatees. They have spider and howler monkeys of all ages but my job is to care for several baby howler monkeys in the nursery. When I first got here, i was only… Read More
Just as the 40-minute flight was too short of a transition away from Cuba, so were the quick goodbyes at the Miami airport. We (David and Amanda) just missed our connecting flight out of Philly, so we’re in limbo before the next one down to VA, which perhaps is a good reflection of the internal limbo we feel… not quite ready to depart from the unique sensación de Cuba. We… Read More
Emerging from the underground of the metro train station and into the heart of Sydney, a feeling of I’m sooo confused! washed over us all. The looming buildings that blocked the view of the night sky and bustling streets swarming with hurried people all seemed out of place. The weeks that proceeded this moment were ones of magic. We had spent twelve beautiful weeks learning and growing across the rustic… Read More
Blog from Matt and Rachel
“We embark on trips to discover and remember what we hold most dear, the experiences and people we cherish and love. And then – our greatest challenge – we return home seeking to enact the wisdom as best we can in our daily lives.”
-William Cronan
We, as leaders, feel proud and fortunate to sit in the afterglow of a superb semester together. Now as… Read More
I tossed my backpacking backpack in the back of a large van filled with people from around the world. I hopped in and greeted everyone before the four hour journey to Lake Atitlan. Lake Atitlan is one of the most popular tourist sites for those traveling through Guatemala, it is known for its beautiful views of the lake surrounded by volcanoes. During the ride I spoke to a man from… Read More
On going home…
“It is not a garment I cast off this day, but a skin that I tear with my own hands.
Nor is it a thought I leave behind me, but a heart made sweet with hunger and with thirst.
Yet I cannot tarry longer.
The sea that calls all things unto her calls me, and I must embark.
For, to stay, though the hours burn in the… Read More
Anya and Chris here, taking back the blog reigns one last time before we close down this particular SE Asia Carpe semester.
We sit on a bus heading back to Hanoi with mixed emotions- something like a bowl of sadness mixed with a lump of gratitude, relief and excitement. After almost twelve full weeks of traveling, living, working, and learning together as a group, today we are heading off on… Read More
Hey yallll! Time has sure flown by. We;re in Roatan Honduaras! We landed safely from Costa Rica and was greeted by the BEAUTIFUL clear blue water. We were all stoked to go scuba diving and to swim with our new blue tangs and sea turtle friends! For most people it was our first time scuba diving. Although we had many mixed feeling about it at first, we all faced our… Read More
Our last breathtaking week took place in the Australian Outback. It all started with an early morning wake-up when Deon, our guide, picked us up to begin the journey to Uluru, a sacred meeting monument for the Aboriginals. Along the way, we stopped at an art gallery where we were first introduced to the styles and symbols of traditional Aboriginal art. Then we continued our long drive, but it was… Read More
David’s Vignette
“Papito, Dame algo”
A long, gorgeous Sunday afternoon walk through the Playa and Miramar neighborhoods of Havana. Looking for a meal, Amanda and I come upon two very different establishments on opposing sides of the street. An open, haphazardly arranged Cafeteria (national currency) on the right, and a closed off, posh CUC (“tourist” currency) place on the left. We opt for the CUC joint, in the mood to… Read More
We’ve just received word from Rachel and Matt that the Spring ’17 Inti Crew is through airport security and about to board their flights. A huge congrats to them for a beautiful semester, and much gratitude to all for the support. Keep an eye out for one final blog from the leaders in these coming days, and in the meantime we’re wishing all of the students safe journeys and joyful… Read More
Incredibly, this is the last day of the Inti Crew’s Semester! While we hope you all are anticipating wonderful reunions soon, here are some incredible photos sent by Matt and Rachel to tide you over.… Read More
I grew accustomed to seeing dogs speeding along the road with soda cans tied to their tails. Or the daily incident in which four dogs were intertwined with one another post intimacy. The four remained stuck to each other like the cartoon “Cat Dog” as more dogs would attempt to join in. This was typically followed by numerous voices shouting “dale dale” to the pack of conjoined dogs attempting to… Read More
We’ve just received word that the Mighty Shanti is off! Two students are staying on to explore India; one is heading back to Australia; and the rest are currently boarding their flight back to San Francisco. Much gratitude to all for the support over these last months, and please enjoy this final reflection from our extraordinary Overseas Educators
Twelve weeks ago, we were sitting in a circle in Raj Ghat… Read More
So after our first week in Viñales we moved to the more rural part called Los Jasmines. This was for our farming portion of the trip. We had amazing food for every meal and Anni, our host mom, was always so gracious and had this super infectious laugh that got everyone around her laughing, regardless of if we understood her or not. She would always serve Nina and I tea… Read More
We were in Viñales and everyone was geared up for a relaxing day on the beach. When we all went to meet up to head out on said adventure, Grant decided to smash his head into an AC unit while frantically looking for his phone, the momentum of which caused his front tooth to skyrocket out of his head. This caused a radical change of plans due to the fact… Read More
