Written By Geoff Is it a bird? Is it a plane? No! It’s Carpe Diem Salaam dancing in a circle and singing the ESPN theme song! Why, you may ask?
Dancing in a circle and singing the ESPN theme song is not only deeply rooted in Moroccan culture…
Who am I kidding. It is our “passing the torch ceremony”, a peaceful transfer of power from one captain to the next,… Read More
Written By Kayla Hey everyone! Week 2 coming at you!
This week has been such a different experience compared to the last. We stayed in Rabat and had the opportunity to stay with host families! From what I heard, all our experiences in our homes were great! Definitely blew my expectations out of the water. We ate amazing home cooked meals, like couscous which is usually ate on every Friday,… Read More
Written By Leighton, Latitudes ’19 Peru Hello parents, fellow students, prospective students, and whoever else may have stumbled upon this blog! For the past five weeks, I have been living in the small tourist town of Ollantaytambo, Peru. I’m working for an NGO in town that partners with women in local indigenous villages to empower them and connect them to the world market.
On a typical work day, I walk… Read More
Written By Zevi Namaste to all!
I, Zevi, from Portland, Oregon and 18 years old, have received the job to share our Shanti groups’ wonderful experience in Varanasi, the spiritual capital of India! I know everyone says that there are countless unforgettable memories of when they travel places, but our experience in Varanasi truly was exactly that: filled with countless unforgettable memories, positive, powerful, and eye opening.
For starters, the… Read More
Written By Noah This week was a long and interesting week which was for the most part spent with the Whenua Iti organization. To begin his week we started off by going on a caving trip, which was uncomfortable to some and not so much for others. We split up into groups of seven and went into the cave through two separate entrances, where we spent a few hours underground… Read More
Written By Ryan We arrived in Christchurch after a long flight full of naps and movies. Our time in Christchurch was brief but very helpful, as we mapped and planned out our itinerary week by week. All the while continuing to get to one another through fun group bonding activities.
After a few adventurous days in Christchurch exploring the city, the group set off to Nelson and met up with… Read More
Written By Duncan, Latitudes ’19 Thailand Adjustment is an understatement when it comes to my life here. Coming from the city of Charlotte, NC and diving right into farming in rural Thailand, I had to deal with the culture-shock and the solitude, all while maintaining a strong work ethic. I’m not gonna lie, it took some time for me to get settled, but once I finally found my place here… Read More
Written By Katie, Latitudes ’19 Thailand When I first arrived on Koh Tao I couldn’t believe how beautiful it was. The water was a beautiful light blue, I couldn’t believe I would be spending the next 3 months here. For the first week I got my diving courses done, going to a max of 30 meters and looking at the giant old war ship they have, and even getting to… Read More
Written By Jacob, Latitudes ’19 Guatemala Hola and buenos dias amigos! Jacob here checking in from El Paredon, Escuintla, Guatemala. For my latitudes semester I’m working with an amazing NGO (an org that doesn’t make any money itself but reinvests all its profits into the community) called La Choza Chula or “The cool hut.” In the past 5 years the organization has built a library, computer lab, organic garden, and… Read More
Written By Sailor, Latitudes ’19 Thailand A life on Koh Tao, where do I start.
Well to start off my journey I will take you to week one, arriving on the small little island of Koh Tao the name meaning ‘Turtle Island’, and living up to its name this island seemed magical from my very first steps on it. The very first week Katie, Rachel and I settled into the… Read More
Written By Rachel, Latitudes ’19 Thailand Upon arrival to the island of Koh Tao I was absolutely exhausted. It took about two days to get here, and by the time I got settled in at the New Heaven dorms I laid down and slept for a solid fourteen hours. When I woke, I couldn’t believe this was where I would be for the next two months. The island is so… Read More
Written By Charlie & Annie Swaadii Ka/ Khrap! Hello families, this is Charlie and Annie coming at you with the second blog of the semester! Here’s a quick recap of the homestays outside of Chiang Mai:
Monday the 18th, we got picked up at the hostel in Chiang Mai and drove about 40 mins to the Banrai Thai Gnarm Eco Lodge. When we got there, we unloaded our stuff and… Read More
Written by Kayla Salaam friends and family! Kayla here aka the cool one. Just kidding everyone here is the coolest. It’s honestly like we’ve all known each other for 3 months already!
I just have to put out there that our diet is superb. Bread and sweets (and I mean 4-sugar-cubes-in-a-cup-of-tea kind of sweet.)
Staying in the City of Fes for the beginning of the trip was amazing. The streets… Read More
Greetings from India!
The Shanti group is just completing our first week in India, and it has been a whirlwind of amazing, intense, overwhelming, and awesome experiences.
As part of the Carpe Diem community, we have taken to heart the meaning of ‘Carpe Diem”, and have been seizing every day.
Each day has been jam packed, and we are now just starting to have some breathing room to process what… Read More
Three days into the Sabai 2019 Spring program and I can already say that this is one of the greatest experiences of my life. As long as you can handle some nausea and jetlag, this trip is absolutely perfect. Chiang Mai is a beautiful city and experiencing this entirely new culture is truly one of the most indescribable times of my life so far. Five stars.
Ben… Read More
So far Thailand is amazing and beautiful! The food is absolutely fantastic, especially the mango and sticky rice, and the culture and people are lovely. I cant wait to see and learn so much more!
Sincerely, Jackie… Read More
