A Photo Journey – South Africa

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Written By Mackenzie, Latitudes Year ’22 South Africa So what have you been doing in South Africa? This is a loaded question that I have been asked more and more recently, so here is a blog to depict what my last 2 months at Dreamcatcher have consisted of. So what is Dreamcatcher? A better question is what isn’t Dreamcatcher. Their mission is “…to actively pursue mutually beneficial, responsible tourism, knowledge… Read More

Working in Paradise

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Written By Gus, Latitudes Year ’22 Thailand Hello, My name is Gus. I have been living in Thailand for just over two months as an intern at CORE sea. We work Wednesday through Sunday, so we have Monday and Tuesday as our weekend. A normal work day starts with a group meeting at 9 a.m. in the classroom. Stefan and Vicky (our bosses) brief us on where we are diving… Read More

Un día en la vida a Rio Muchacho

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Written By Michaela, Latitudes Year ’22 Ecuador Bienvenidos! Un día en la vida a Rio Muchacho For the last 8 weeks, I have been volunteering at Rio Muchacho- an organic farm and ecolodge located in a small valley north of Canoa, on the west coast of Ecuador. It’s pretty difficult to express how special this place is, if you’ve never had the pleasure to visit. It’s a daily occurrence for… Read More

Whale Watching and Marine Science in Tenerife, Spain

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Written By Maya, Latitudes Year ’22 Spain For the past 2 months I have been able to experience the wonderful lifestyle of living on the beautiful Island of Tenerife in the Canary Islands, Spain. For my Latitudes semester, I chose to do an internship with Biosean, where they focus on whale watching and marine science. Almost everyday interns were out on the boat helping collect data and guide whale watching… Read More

Trek to Teach: Nepal

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Written By Ava, Latitudes Year ’22 Nepal After a long and tiring 48 hour travel expedition, I finally was able to step out of the airport and into the busy and highly energetic city of Kathmandu, Nepal. I was swiftly greeted by Sarala, one of Trek to Teach’s organizers and members. From this moment on, my time in Nepal has been filled with some of the most amazing, exciting, fulfilling,… Read More

The True Meaning of Gaia Ashram

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Written By Emma, Latitudes Year ’22 Thailand Hey! My name is Emma Neuman, and I have been living in an ecovillage in Udon Thani, Thailand, for about a month and a half now, and it has arguably been one of, if not the, most incredible and purposeful experiences in my 18 years of life. I was initially very nervous at the prospect of traveling to a country as well as… Read More

La Dulce Vida en Málaga

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Written By Eli, Latitudes Year ’22 Spain Hola de La Costa Del Sol in beautiful Southern Spain! Soy Eli and I am excited to share with you what life is like in one of the most beautiful parts of the world. I have been living in the wonderful, historic city of Málaga, which is located in the Andalusia region of Spain. Over the last six weeks, I have been studying… Read More

The Thai Life

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Written By Calvin, Latitudes Year ’22 Thailand Hi! My name is Calvin Koscinski and I’ve been living in Thailand for just over a month. When I first landed in Thailand I was extremely sleep deprived despite spending the last 20 hours sitting on a plane or sitting in an airport. Note to Self: Don’t try to catch up on a whole season of multiple shows when you could be sleeping.… Read More

Organic Farm & Eco-lodge

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Written By Veronica, Latitudes Year ’21 Ecuador I am currently living and volunteering on The Rio Muchacho Farm near Canoa, Ecuador. The organic farm and eco-lodge was founded in 1992 and is dedicated to practicing and teaching about sustainable agriculture and tourism. As a volunteer, I help carry out the agricultural work alongside the locals employed by the farm. I work in the morning from 8:30 until 12:00 and again… Read More

Staying Engaged In The COVID Era

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Written By, James Simmons The COVID-19 pandemic has resulted in drastic changes on an individual, community, and global level. Each of us has experienced at least some degree of change to our social and familial relationships, as well as having to make adjustments to our educational and/or career options. Many have personally experienced the effects of COVID-19 firsthand; others have loved ones who have suffered due to the pandemic. We… Read More

How To Make The Most Out Of Your Latitudes Year Placement

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Written By, Doug Zaideman Taking a Latitudes Year with Carpe Diem allows you to build upon experiences you had during your group semester, carrying those skills and lessons learned over to an independent gap semester spent volunteering for an international organization, a Focused Volunteer Placement (FVP). In addition to where Carpe travels during group semesters, our Latitudes Year programs partners with organizations in over 20 countries worldwide.   Finding A… Read More

Exploring In Bilbao

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Written By Maya, Latitudes ’20 Spain My time in Spain was spent either at my language school, cooking school or tasting the numerous delicious foods around my city -Bilbao.  Spanish cuisine is Morrocan cuisine with a touch of France and a splash of the big bad ocean. Spanish food can’t truly be understood without understanding the history of Spain. So much of the influence in their dishes comes from the… Read More

How To Make Your Gap Year More Sustainable

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Thinking about the impact your gap year abroad has on the planet?  We are too.  From international flights, to travel gear, to the types of activities you do, the products you consume, the businesses you support, and the places you visit while taking a gap year… the choices you make have an impact on communities, environments and economies.  There is a lot to consider!  Is it possible to take a… Read More

Experiences In South Africa

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Written By Tor, Latitudes Year ’20 South Africa “In South Africa, Poverty Alleviation Programs Show r-Eel Results” Everybody in this area knows and loves Anthea Rossouw, the woman who runs Dreamcatcher. She’s been at it for a long time, I gather, possibly since the days of apartheid. She gave up her status as a prominent community member in the white seaside town of Stilbaai (where her late husband was the… Read More

Green Building In Guatemala

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Written By Hayden, Latitudes ’20 Guatemala To say the least it has been an incredibly eventful two months. 56 days, 25 cold showers, 432 tortillas (probably), 84 tire bricks, and one global pandemic later, I have returned home. While watching the world attempt to cope with a disaster of epic proportions, it can be hard to think of all the things that are going right. But luckily I have a… Read More

My Gap Year In The South Pacific

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Written By Sophie, Latitudes ’20 New Zealand Taking a Gap Year was one of the best decisions I have ever made, I learned so much about myself that I would never have learned if it wasn’t for Carpe Diem. During my group semester I was able to learn communication skills and I pushed my limits and grew so much as an individual and created long-lasting bonds with the members of… Read More

Wildlife Rehabilitation In Belize

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Written By Celia, Latitudes ’20 Belize My last day in Belize was unlike any of the others. I woke up in the morning, grabbed my bags, said goodbye to my new friends, and jumped on a water taxi to the island Ambergris Caye, a popular tourist destination. For the first time since I arrived, I was surrounded by the sparkling turquoise caribbean sea I had been living so close to… Read More

A Weekend With Dragons

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Written By Lucas, Latitudes Year ’20 Indonesia Sydney and I had planned to travel to Komodo during our time volunteering with the North Bali Reef Conservation, so we had the idea to ask Kyle, our coordinator, if he had ever been, and if he had any recommendations. He said that he hadn’t been, but that in a few weeks, he and the founder of the organization, Ketut, were going to… Read More

Wildlife Conservation

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Written By Sierra, Latitudes Year ’20 Costa Rica Hello everyone! I was fortunate enough to have the opportunity to volunteer at Kids Saving the Rainforest which is located in Quepos, Costa Rica. I visited Costa Rica when I was much younger, but going back and being able to give back changed my perspective and increased my appreciation for the beautiful country. Kids Saving the Rainforest is a nonprofit organization that… Read More

Teaching English in Argentina

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Written By Molly, Latitudes Year ’20 Argentina Selecting a FVP was a long process for me, juggling between a variety of different focuses and locations across the globe. But eventually I committed to teaching English in Buenos Aires, Argentina. From exploring the trendy and historical city to practicing grammar with energetic children, it was an experience that resulted in both unforgettable memories and personal growth. Let me walk you through… Read More