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

“Nkula” Means Rhino!

carpediem East Africa- NKULA
We received this sweet handwritten update from the Nkula crew along with a few fantastic photos. After their orientation in Entebbe, they headed to the Rhino Conservation Center where they are learning all about conservation and biology in East Africa. The reports are that the crew is all healthy and happy and loving their time! In case you have trouble reading the handwriting or the picture, here’s a transcription: Greetings … Read More

First Week in NZ!

carpediem South Pacific- HONGI
Its been a fun-filled weekend of getting to know each other in the beautiful recovering city of Christchurch, New Zealand. Among recovering from jet-lag, we’ve successfully cooked 2 breakfasts, lunch and a family dinner in our hostel kitchen and had a blast while doing it! Right down the street is the beautiful Botanical Gardens, Canterbury Museum and the innovative Re-Start Shopping Centre made solely of colourful shipping containers! Saturday we… Read More

Orientation Complete!

carpediem East Africa- NKULA
Hi friends and family of the Nkula crew, I’ve heard from the Overseas Educators that orientation in Entebbe was fantastic! All of the students have been getting to learn a lot about each other as well as spend time discovering the sights and sounds of Uganda. They have so far spent time at their backpacker’s hostel learning about the program, about cultural “do’s and don’ts,” creating group agreements, and playing… Read More

In Delhi

carpediem India- SHIVA
(From Elana O) Yes, there are 3 lanes on this road; yes, there are 5 rows of cars overlapping those lanes. The first car ride we took from the airport was exhilarating. As a relatively new driver in the states, I am used to expressing overly cautioned behavior on the road. Here, as I stepped out of my first vehicle in India, I was shaken from the reckless driving… and… Read More

Shiva: Safe in Delhi!

carpediem India- SHIVA
The Shiva crew just gave word that they are safely in Delhi and settling in to their orientation hostel! The crew is sleepy after the long journey, but still smiling and excited. They had a great time on their layover in Hong Kong and are ready to start exploring India. Stay tuned for more over the coming days…… Read More

SHANTI: Safe in Delhi

carpediem India- SHANTI
The Shanti Crew has made it to Delhi! After many hours in the air and an adventurous layover in Hong Kong, we got word that the Shanti crew has safely landed in Delhi. They are on their way to get some much needed rest before diving in to orientation tomorrow. Despite being sleepy, everyone seems enthusiastic and excited and we can’t wait to hear more adventures soon!… Read More