By Jon Frey We arrived at the cooperative in Peñas Blancas on Sunday, unpacked, and immediately dove into meetings, and then painting murals. Our new member, Jake, joined us during the meeting of the community and he was instantly part of the family. These murals, once finished, were to go to families in the community to signify that those families are open to house tourists in homestays. At the “art… Read More

By Tori Graffius So far we’ve been here for a week and I can already tell that this adventure is going to be the best adventure of our lives! We have an amazing group of 12 students and two instructors and I’m excited to see where these next three months takes us! Every day has been very eventful, with group bonding activities, Spanish classes, tons of walking, and delicious food… Read More

By Anna Reed We embarked on our journey, starting with orientation. The moment we all sat down together, a sense of relief fell over all of us when we realized how amazing each individual in our group is. Everyone brings something unique to the group in light of our diverse backgrounds. Jon’s personality radiates positivity and he has been kind enough to share his love for music with the group.… Read More

By Cate, Jillian, and Jon So far Nicaragua has been a blast. The traveling day was long but since we got here, we have been having a lot of fun getting to know our fellow group members and going through orientation. This country is beautiful and we are all so excited to be here. One of the best things that we have done so far was going to a cool… 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

From the heat of Masaya to the depths of the deep ocean in Roatan, you captured our hearts. As we sit in the quietness of no students, we are thinking of each of you as you are about to unite with your families and begin new life journeys. The last three months were adventurous, challenging and tons of fun. Thank you for bringing your open minds and open hearts and… Read More

We were welcomed by clear blue water and beautiful beaches here in Roatan earlier this week. Everyone had a blast breathing underwater in the form of either snorkeling or scuba diving, and most of the group got to finish the week with a certification and some fun dives. The mood has been bittersweet as we have been preparing for our separation from each other and our return to the “real… Read More

We said goodbye to our new friends at the Mystical Yoga Farm climbed onto a small boat and begun our Student Directed Travel time in Guatemala. Getting across Lake Atitlan was and adventure through some huge waves and, to say the least, our butts are pretty sore from boat ride. Student Directed Travel took us to Antigua, a beautiful colonial town. A few of the fun activities we took part… Read More

Sun, rain, hail, sore feet and legs, hot springs=a great adventure!… Read More

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After an epic (and highly successful!) travel day we arrived on the island of Ometepe, which will be our home for the next two weeks. Sunday morning started early when we met at the bus terminal in Matagalpa and, under the direction of our student travel leader, we purchased tickets to Managua and piled onto the bus, while our packs were secured to the roof of the repurposed yellow school… Read More

Hiking at La Reserva Natural Cerro Apante and cooking class fun 🙂… Read More

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We have finished orientation (wow, that was fast) and the group really seems to like one another. Here are some snapshots of the highlights from our orientation: walking to a lake on the edge of town at sunset for the culmination of our first day; dance-bathing in the rain as an afternoon shower moved through town; exploring our new surroundings during a scavenger hunt; and having ample opportunity to connect… Read More

Here we come Central America!!! We are so excited to finally meet as a whole group and adventure southward. With just a few days left until you leave remember to: 1) breathe 2) take time to yourself and envision what you hope to gain from your semester and, most importantly 3) enjoy some good ice cream or sweet treats to reward yourself for choosing to challenge yourself and grow during… Read More

It’s trip prep time here at Carpe Diem! After a few days spent camping and bonding outside the city, nestled among the trees enjoying the crisp Autumn air, we are back in the glorious city of Portland! Today we got the chance to have some urban adventures together and continue to get to know each other and learn how totally cool we each are. Ashley grew up in the suburbs… Read More