Written by OEs, Abby & Mary
To our special unit of girls, what a treasure it has been to share this time with you, traversing Central America together. As we sit here and reminisce about our semester, we are overcome with bittersweetness. Firstly, we are immensely proud of each and every one of you; you have embodied leadership, embraced growth, and shared love in so many ways. These ten weeks… Read More
Written By OEs, Aisha & Malcolm
Wow, what a trip! As we rest and recover from a busy whirlwind journey over the past 10 weeks, we are reflecting on the many highlight moments we experienced and beautiful relationships we built.
Beginning with our time at Centro Panta Rei above the picturesque Lago Trasimeno in Umbria, we could tell that we had an exceptional group of students and were in for… Read More
Written By Hannah
Welcome back, friends and family!
It’s bittersweet to say… we’ve officially reached our final week abroad!
We’ve had incredible experiences not just this week, but throughout this entire journey. Last week we were in Mastatal, and this week kicked off with a relaxing day on Playa Dominical. After a long day of travel, we finally got time to unwind on the beach—calling family, hanging with friends, or… Read More
Written By Sage & Madeline
We finished our week in Aegina and traveled back by ferry to Athens to start our last week of the program. We traveled to ReGreen and started off our week with a tour of the permaculture farm, hike up the mountain and daily drumming lessons with Nikos. We have eaten homemade meals by our fantastic chef Bjon which included curry, lentil soup, and pasta with… Read More
Written By Jackie
Hello friends and family!
This week we touched down in San José, Costa Rica on a red eye flight from Guatemala City. After spending the night in San José, we loaded up our backpacks to head to Villas Mastatal, where we lived and worked on a family owned Refugio. We got to know the family, Javier, Rafaela, Andrés, and Ainara, with nightly chats and gratitudes, which are… Read More
Written by Reilly & Chloe
Since our last blog we made it to our student directed portion of the trip. We decided to go to Aegina, Greece, which was about an hour and 15 minute ferry ride from Athens. We planned a few activities that consisted of Rail Biking our last day in Athens, Snorkeling in the Mediterranean sea here in Aegina, and tomorrow we will be doing some water… Read More
Written By Lucina & Cece
After a bit of a lengthy trek over to Laquin/Samuc Champey, we started the first day off strong by tubing the crystal clear waters of the land. Before we even got to the main activity we happened upon a rope swing chair where we leaped into the water. Needless to say it set the day off on the right foot. We started relaxing through… Read More
Written By Eva & Ella
Since arriving in Greece we spent a little over a week in a beautiful village in the mountains of Crete. During our time there we got to experience many different activities such as sunrise/sunset hikes, feeding goats with a shepherd, exploring ancient archaeological sites, doing greek lessons, swimming in the Mediterranean Sea, eating delicious food, and celebrating both Sage & Reilly’s birthdays! Our time on… Read More
Written By Lauren
Two weeks in San Juan flew by all too fast. The city is absolutely stunning, right on Lake Atitlán, bursting with color, smiles, and culture. Between the murals and the markets, it felt like every corner had a story to tell. Getting to explore the city and interact with locals this week was such a meaningful way to connect with the culture and practice our Spanish.
This… Read More
Written By Reilly
Our last days in Italy were slightly hectic but also meaningful and lots of fun. We arrived in Naples at night after a long bus ride, including an impromptu bus swap an hour in. Having skipped dinner, the group checked in to the hostel then walked to a one of the last open cafes and had very good cafe pizza. The multi-level city gave an ominous first… Read More
Written By Tala & Chloe
Since our last blog, we left Rome and made our way to the south of Matera. We spent the last 5 days in a monastery near the town of Altamura with the company B-Link. We got to learn a lot about this region’s Italian culture. Especially because we were joined by 3 local Italian students. We were given a tour of a 5th generation bread… Read More
Written By Cece & Hannah
Welcome back family and friends to the adventures of CARPE DIEM. This week we started our Spanish classes in San Juan La Laguna! Along with regular Spanish class for three hours per day, we also got the opportunity to take art classes! Some of us chose embroidery, while others chose painting which has been a great way to learn a skill while embracing the art… Read More
Written By Phineas and Sage
This week we were at Paldini! We picked chestnuts, learned how to build mud/clay houses, and went to a cool medieval town. We met super cool volunteers who were helping us do all the tasks.
What were three of the top highlights this week?:
The 3 top highlights are defiantly chestnut picking, having no phones, and being in nature. Chestnut picking was calming and super… Read More
Written By Jackie and Lauren
We’ve officially been here for a month — CRAZY! We spent the past week in Tzununa, a tiny but beautiful town right on Lake Atitlan. We stayed at a guest house called Bambu, which honestly felt more like a resort. The food and amenities were next level, with a sauna and cold plunge, and of course delicious meals. All our food was fresh and straight… Read More
Written By Hannah & Lucina
Hello friends and family! Here is a little update on what the group has been up to this past week!
To kick off this amazing week, we met our host families. We were divided into two groups. The first group included: Hannah, Lauren, and Lucina, who stayed with Araceli. The second group included Jackie and Cece, who stayed with Claudia. Later that night, after dinner,… Read More
Written By Madeline and Ella
This week we traveled to Florence and spent our time at the Emerald Palace hostel in the center of Florence. On our first full day we got a tour from our trek guide, Lauren. She showed us around the local churches and taught us about the Medici family and the history of Florence. The group enjoyed our free time with shopping, trying new foods, and… Read More
Written By Cece & Jackie
This week was the first of 2 weeks in Xela, aka Quetzaltenango! Our first morning here was a Sunday. We spent most of it trying unsuccessfully to find an open lavanderia to wash our clothes that had been covered in mud from Comalapa. Turns out most of them are closed on Sundays!
After we took a tour of the city, and later we explored the… Read More
Written By Eva & Ben
Since leaving Centro Panta Rei, we have embarked on a four day trek on the Via Francigena through Tuscany! We got to stay in small towns and the city of Siena. During the trek we had amazing views and beautiful scenery. We got to make bread, see a medieval village, learn about Italian plants, and explore the towns!
What were three of the top highlights … Read More
Written By Lauren & Lucina
This past week has been nothing short of transformative. As we arrived in Comalapa, we were greeted by the city’s beautiful mountains, art, and an array of friendly locals. “Long Way Home” , the NGO we worked with, housed us all in one room which made the week feel like one big sleepover. While the icy cold showers and up-hill walks both to and from… Read More
Written by Aidan & Sage
We have come a long way in our stay at Centro Panta Rei. We have learned a plethora of sustainable practices that have greatly impacted our perspective on how we as humans use the natural world, as well as participated in culturally significant activities such as noodle making, dough making, and partaking in the entire process of making olive oil. As well as extending our… Read More
