Fijian Adventure

carpediem South Pacific- HONGI
Week six of our journey began with an early morning and a flight out of Auckland, New Zealand. The flight went by quickly, as did the day. We made our way to our downtown hotel in Nadi, Fiji. There the group had an opportunity to walk around for a bit and take in some of the new culture we will be around for the next two and a half weeks.… Read More

Kolkata and Mother Theresa’s Homes

carpediem India- SHIVA
Blog from Sergio Calcutta!!!! So first we flew from Leh to Dehli, then Dehli to Calcutta. We spent the whole day in airplanes and wandering, arrived here at around 10pm to find such a different environment compared to our last one that we would be exposed to for the upcoming week. After a lot of calmness, silence, fresh air, and cold, we were welcomed that night in Calcutta with loud… Read More

Learning the Fiji Way

carpediem South Pacific- WALKABOUT
Bula Vinaka! We are very sad to be leaving the beautiful village of Nakuku tomorrow. Our group came to this small Fijian village with the goal of building a footpath, but we have learned and accomplished much more. Our first day we were welcomed into the village by means of a formal ceremony, and then were split up into groups of two to meet our host families. After settling in,… Read More

Fiji village

carpediem South Pacific- HONGI
Today. we had an amazing day exploring a breathtaking beach with our family and friends at the village. We played countless games of vollyball, swam like fish for hours, played some beach soccer and ate some tasty sandwiches for lunch. We then headed back to the village for preperation of a bountiful dinner as usual. The next day was spent with our home stay families, talking, laughing and exchanging life… Read More

Holistic Living Retreat

carpediem East Africa- NKULA
Blog from Jo and Audrey As kids, the majority of us were enthralled with Disney movies. We loved them (well, most of us did.) They made up such a large portion of our lives and many of us even went so far as to center huge parts of our lives around them. One favorite Disney movie among some members of the group is a little old film called Lilo and… Read More

Ladakh, Trek, and Photos!

carpediem India- SHIVA
Blog from Grace. Photos from Jon & Anya Finishing our week at SECMOL was bittersweet. The school itself was so interesting how it taught students from various villages not only school, but how to sustainably live off the land in an eco-friendly way. The cultural exchange between the students our age was fascinating to experience. During conversation class, which was a 15 minute talk between a student and volunteer, about… Read More

From Rishikesh To Ladakh

carpediem India- SHIVA
Blog from Rachael J. As I’m on my bed that is closer to the floor than I expected at SECMOL (The “Student’s Educational and Cultural Movement of Ladakh”) where I’m trying to string together the many similes so the reader can actually feel what I am talking about. I try to think of an onomatopoeia that distinctly describes the many noises or the lack of noises that I hear while… Read More

Safari & Wildlife Connection

carpediem East Africa- NKULA
Blog from Reed & Max. Photos from the Overseas Educators. Greetings from the town of Njombe in South Western Tanzania- It has been an adventure filled week since we last touched base so we have a lot to share and will do our best to keep it nice and short although there are no guaranties. When we last touched base we were part-way through our Kiswahili school and homestays up… Read More

All the rest of NZ!

carpediem South Pacific- HONGI
Adios Student Directed Travel! Let’s take a moment to admire how much ground we covered, meals we ate, places we stayed, and the people we’ve befriended along the way. Go Hongi! Now moving on. Our new host, Tiaki, took us to a retreat cottage. Upon arrival he introduced us to Rob, an elderly man you could just look at and tell he was filled with wisdom. We helped him cut… Read More

From NZ to Fiji!

carpediem South Pacific- WALKABOUT
Bula! We have arrived safely in Fiji, after our unforgettable experience in New Zealand! The few days we spent at the marae with the Ngai Tahu iwi (tribe) was the perfect way to finish our journey in the South Island. Manaia, our host at the marae, taught us about a chemical free way to cultivate potatoes, the history and spirit of the land, and the future of the Ngai Tahu… Read More

On To Tanzania

carpediem East Africa- NKULA
Blog from Paiton and Brent. Mambo! Hello from Morogoro, Tanzania! We started this week in Rwanda, and a lot has happened since. At the beginning of our week we journeyed to Huey for a coffee tasting. After sampling some of the pride of Rwanda, we embarked on an educational trek about the life of the coffee bean from cultivation to cup. We learned that Huey Mountain Coffee Company supplies beans… Read More

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