Nemo?!?

Archive Central America- MAYA, South America- INTI, South Pacific- HONGI, South Pacific- WALKABOUT
Hello wonderful Carpe Diem students and families, We hope you are well and, for those on the east coast, recovering from the recent snowstorm. We at Carpe HQ are finalizing all the details for your travels and trying to troubleshoot in advance any problems that may arise due to the weather we’ve been having over the past week. We want to emphasize the importance of checking in for any domestic… Read More

LIFT OFF!!!!

Archive India- SHIVA
Namaste India Groovers! We are currently in the wonderful food-filled city of Portland, Oregon. Check us out here, fully equipped with rain gear and warm layers, biking fearlessly on slippery streets to our office filled with files, tea, workshops, and all our friends preparing to venture off to distant lands with their own amazing groups. Though we will miss the cuisine and the coffee of the Pacific Northwest, we are… Read More

T -5 Days!

Archive South Pacific- WALKABOUT
Carpe Diem staff training is in full swing here in sunny Portland and we couldn’t be more excited to meet the Walkabout group in just a few short days.  We’re busy with itineraries and maps and guide books…oh and bikes and frisbees and tea shops too…all so we can be prepared for an incredible semester.  Over the coming months this blog will be a place for the group to share… Read More

Bula from Headquarters!

Archive South Pacific- HONGI
Hey Hongi Crew, Family, and Friends! Just over one week to go until the Hongi crew is standing on the shores of Fiji. It may seem like a world away, but the days are flying by here in Portland as all of the Carpe Diem leaders plan and prepare for our adventures. Welcome to the blog. While we are overseas this will be our link to family and friends at… Read More

Masalamu kutoka Portland!

Archive East Africa- KIFARU
Hey East African explorers, We’re here at Carpe Diem headquarters in Portland this week getting ready for our fast-approaching semester.  Been doing some great street surfing today!  Looking forward to meeting all of you soon and adventuring to new places with open hearts and open minds.  Amazing experiences await and we can’t wait to share them with you. Marisa and Oren … Read More

Bienvenidos a South America!!!

Archive South America- INTI
Queridos estudiantes, padres, amigos, y publico en general, Cheridyn and Ryan here – just 6 days remain until we embark on our South American adventure. We’re up in Portland, Oregon at the Carpe HQ “clarifying our vision” for the semester. We are “looking” forward to “seeing” all you wonderful students so very soon! We’ll be “watching” for you all at 9:30pm at the LACSA check-in counter on Tuesday Feb. 12th… Read More

Safe travels, Buen Viaje, Safari Njema, Subh Yatra, Kia pai te haere, Bon Voyage

Archive Latitudes Year
The first 7 of our cohort of 25 Latitudes students have already begun their placements in the far off corners of the earth!  So far we have students in Ecuador, Bolivia, Peru, Nicaragua, Kenya, Mexico, and Uganda….doing different projects ranging from farming to yoga to working with kids in the slums of Kenya.  Pretty amazing opportunities that these students have taken on. And though the skies here in Portland are… Read More

Scuba Duba

Archive Central America- QUETZAL
Strange to be thinking about Scuba diving in Roatan, while sitting in Tucson sipping on coffee as my husband continues to purge our stuff (already four bags to Goodwill).  I flip through my pictures on the computer and am warmed by the swimsuits, sun and smiles we were sharing that last week of our semester.  Scuba is such a magical sensation that opens up a whole new world underwater.  We… Read More

Solo Journey

Archive Indigenous America
The sun begins its descent as saguaro cactus line the horizon. Ocatilla cactus extend their arms towards the sky while barrel cactus cradle the earth. Thorns will be your companions in this arid landscape and as the moon rises coyotes awaken, permeating the air with their howls. This portion of our semester in late November was a time of reflection and contemplation. We were to separate, walk through the desert,… Read More

Here and there in Vietnam…

Archive Southeast Asia- SABAI
It’s now 82 days into the Fall semester of the South East Asia 2012 trip and literally we have been busy almost every moment of the past few days. Even the last few weeks have been jam packed with a multitude of awesomeness. Sounds like I’m over exaggerating, but I’m not. We started free travel heading out from Ho Chi Mihn city down the Mekong Delta on a tour that… Read More

Hasta La Vista My Babies

Archive South America- INTI
Buenas noches de Cuzco! We all knew this was coming…December 11th…the end of our South American adventure. It`s after midnight, and in less than 3 hours we will roll out of our beds, stumble into taxis with packs now doubled in weight and size, and depart for the US of A. Well…most of us. Robbie, Michelle, Julia, and Daniel are staying behind to pursue further travels and adventures and/or take… Read More

Tigers tigers everywhere and farewell to India

Archive India- SHANTI
Tigers to end it all: Ellen and I (Alice) were in charge of the final leg of our student-directed travel: the visit to Ranthambhore National Park in Sawai Madhopur or to many, the best chance in India of seeing a tiger. Armed with our sharpest elbows, Ellen and I woke up at 3 am that morning to get tickets for the safaris, and experienced first hand the corruption that is… Read More

Habari Za Leo

Archive East Africa- KIFARU
In the final week of Uganda the Group went canoe trekking. Although with a name like that you would expect to be in a CANOE. The canoe trek was 3 days and w traveled approximately 40 Kilometers with probably 2 kilometers of canoeing. The trekking part took us up the beautiful Ugandan hillsides and down into there valleys. We saw some pretty volcanoes and although the trek was rigourous and… Read More

Douces India

Archive India- SHIVA
My parents have told me of the invisible thread that holds all of India together. Unseen, unrepresented, but absolutely present. India is a country that I believe to have the most different extremes. Massive and minute, every kind of terrain and climate, extreme poverty and wealth, it’s all here. Some of the dirtiest things and people living with some of the cleanest. Areas of overcrowding neighbor lands uninhabited. All religions… Read More

India wrapped up

Archive India- SHIVA
So our semester is coming to a close and it has been a crazy and amazing experience. I have learned tons about Buddhism and Hinduism and even some Jainism. I have been blessed with the most magical group and couldn’t have gotten luckier. We have all shared our ups and downs and everything in between. It is a crazy thought that for my next shower I will be at home.… Read More

Impulsive reflection

Archive India- SHIVA
As I reflect on these past three months as a whole experience, it is difficult for me to come up with one cohesive piece of writing to sum it up. It is easiest to talk about the more concrete internal and external changes that have taken place. The reasons why those changes have taken place here and now will have to wait. Family: We have built a family together. We… Read More

Free Travel: Learning how to Budget!!! plus some reflections

Archive India- SHIVA
Free travel started off in Rishikesh, a beautiful, mountainous region near the Ganges filled with yoga-loving backpackers, and ended with an epic camel trek in the deserts of majestic Jaisalmer. Rishikesh was fun and relaxing for the Carpe Shiva group. We got in a fair amount of down time filled with good food (Oasis hummus being a fave of mine) and shopping (Lil and I got Punjab suits custom made!)… Read More