A gracious goodbye, bittersweet bon voyage, and a heartwarming hello: this is the final blog post. Back home, my friends and family know I’m not always great at goodbyes but this is no ordinary goodbye. I’m writing on behalf of the amazing, hilarious, adventurous, and charismatic Hongi group that have worked, traveled, eaten, and lived together for 12 weeks. A simple sign off wouldn’t be fair.
If you read back… Read More
Yes, tis official….Grupo Shanti is no longer on Indian soil, having departed late last night en route to San Francisco (well, actually, Ian has the great fortune of heading to Paris!). From San Fran, they’ll say farewell and travel to their own destinations, to families and friends eagerly awaiting their arrival and the many stories to be heard. Welcome home, Shanti!
Three months of travel in India can hardly be… Read More
Hey guys!
Today is our very last day in Cairns to veg out before our flight home tomorrow. We have been enjoying our decompression day by walking around and exploring the beautiful city of Cairns. We have spent the past week taking part in a class to get scuba certified. The class involved, watching introduction videos on diving, practicing surface and underwater skills in a pool (such as mask removal,… Read More
We want to thank everyone for an unforgettable journey through this land most commonly know as the Southwest U.S.A., whose true names go back far beyond our contemporary imagination and which are spoken in many ancient tongues. Thank you to all the people that took us in, that fed us and gave us shelter, and for all they have shared with us of their personal lives and precious cultures that… Read More
Dear friends and family,
I wanted to start this entry with “As our trip comes to an end…” or perhaps “As our journey winds down…” Maybe if I was feeling especially poetic, I might begin: “As the curtain falls on our Latin American adventure…” BUT how can I truthfully write about the end when all the faces and laughs and peanut butter memories keep playing through my head. We’ve been… Read More
Hola friends and family of our Itza family! We had an incredible last day in Roatan, which included a day trip to West Bay, where we lounged and swam in one of the most beautiful beaches that we have ever seen. About half the group even got to go on a final dive the last day, swimming in underwater galaxies with many little fishes, eels and turtles by our sides.… Read More
Student Directed Travel begins at our new hostel called El Retiro. With a lovely bar restaurant right on the river, we go tubing, hot tub, sauna and have lots of good food. Including our Thanksgiving feast! We go on the most amazing candle lit cave dive filled with beautiful rock formations, waterfalls and cannonballs 🙂 Some of us go off this giant river swing into the water, followed by tubing… Read More
We’ve received word that the mighty Shiva group has checked into the airport in Delhi and begun the journey homeward. Here’s a final picture of the handsome crew. We’re wishing them traveling mercies as they return to their loved ones. Keep an eye out for a final blog posting from Shiva leaders Matt and Avy.
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We bawled our eyes out after taking this photo as everyone went through customs, got their passports stamped and waved final goodbyes.
After we said goodbye we bargained for a taxi back into the city. We did laundry in the sink in the afternoon. We ate bright red, spicy chicken and french fries at a street stall in the evening. We fell asleep to the sound of our ceiling fan… Read More
Time is supposed to move slowly on a tropical island, right? Not for this naturally nomadic crew. We FILLED the last 2 weeks of our semester so full that we had trouble finding enough time to post a final blog about all our Zanzibar adventures. We gave it a good shot but internet cafes were always full, computers were too slow to upload our beautiful beach sunset photos, or it… Read More
HEY!
Our last post left off in Bikaner, home of the Camel Man and the desert in which we safaried through atop smelly camels.
Early in the morning on December 7th, we rickshawed our way to the train station and spent two 6 hour train rides playing tai-pan and laughing, finding ourselves in a foggy midnight Agra, eager to see the Taj Mahal the next morning.
The day of the… Read More
Team leaders Brooke and Greg offered their final goodbyes on December 9th (Asia Time) 2013. In a rushed yet emotionally sincere exchange at the airport in Ho Chi Minh, Vietnam the final weeks student leaders, along with Greg and Brooke, scrambled to collect everyones bags and set the crew on their way back home. After three months of deliberate living, intentional action and service offerings to life, we parted ways,… Read More
It seemed like just yesterday we were brainstorming places to go for free travel–the portion of the trip where the leaders step back and the students take charge; we determined where we wanted to go, planned the activities, navigated transportation, sorted out accommodations, and kept track of the budget. In a sense, it is the grand culmination of our adventure. The first stop was Bundi, a small desert town in… Read More
Hello Parents and followers of Carpe Diem Walkabout FANZ blog,
We just received word from Robbie and Katelyn that the students have departed Cairns, Australia for their long journey back home. This marks the end of this program, but not the end to the growth, friendships, and knowledge gained during these past 3 months. We (including the leaders) wish the best for all participants and hope that everyone will continue… Read More
This past Monday in Tucson, just coming back from Mexico, we took some down time some down time chillin’ in a yurt, as one does, while staying at La Vita House, which is a great youth hostel catering to international crowds. We then got to spend some quality time with an intriguing man named Lench. At his home which he opened to us generously, he led us through several activities… Read More
Hello Parents and followers of Carpe Diem KIFARU East Africa blog,
We just received word from Grant and Gwen that the students have departed Tanzania for their long journey back home. This marks the end of this program, but not the end to the growth, friendships, and knowledge gained during these past 3 months. We (including Grant and Gwen) wish the best for all participants and hope that everyone will… Read More
Guys… we made it. And we’re going out with a bang a camel safari, an Indian wedding and the Taj Mahal in 7 days? With three trains, two buses and innumerable auto-rickshaws, it’s possible.
We spent the first days of our free travel continuing our stay in Mcleod Ganj. On December 2nd we left our Tibetan homestay families with an exchange of white scarves and satisfied our sweet… teeth with… Read More
***This post is a few hours late…my sincerest apologies! It’s been a splendidly crazy last day!***
28 hours, 1,680 minutes, 1 sunset, 2 flights, 6 meals, and 10 goodbyes left. 83 days, 2 major holidays, the transition from summer to fall, fall to winter, the tail end of 2013, and one full semester all passed, gone, flashed away. Where in the world did the time go?
‘Tis our last full… Read More
