“Travel leaves you speechless, and then turns you into a story teller,” said the famous Arab wanderer, Ibn Battuta.
There’s a certain sense of quiet that fills you on those first steps back onto familiar ground, back home. It’s as if there’s a space opened up within you, and only silence and reflection can fill it. This is a good thing.
For the past three months we’ve all grown together… Read More
Rainy season has commenced, and at what perfect timing.
In our last few weeks here in Tanzania we all patiently awaited the rains to start here in Africa, whether it be waiting physically for the sake of our homestay families’ crops or rhythmically through song (insert ironically awesome reference to Toto’s Africa here- this one is for you Jada).
It is bittersweet that our group left just hours before the… 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
It’s the afternoon of December 6th, and the community of Shanti Fall 2016 huddles one last time, arms wrapped around each other’s shoulders, the tops of our heads touching as we look down at the circle of feet below us. It’s a tradition that started early on in our trip; it became the way we often ended group meetings and gatherings, and has taken on more feeling every time. In… Read More
The blades on both turbines had reached a sufficient speed and the wheels were correctly aligned. A switch was flicked and a petroleum mixture began spraying into the tunnels of rapidly moving air attached to each wing. Simultaneously two electric sparks ignited the solution of pressurized air and fuel. The turbines roared and our plane jerked forward pushing everyone back onto their seats as we rapidly accelerated along the vast… Read More
Our dearest little Shivas,
Where do we begin? I guess back in SFO when everyone still had hair and was feeling a little nervous for what was to come. Luckily, Delhi took you all for a whirl, shook you up bit, and after conquering the chaotic city via scavenger hunt everyone was feeling ready to take on the semester. And so we did. We have shared so much together-not just… Read More
Namaste loved ones!!
Catherine here, writing to you in Delhi with love and gratitude radiating through my heart and soul as we finish up our 3 month long journey. The past week we were kicking it in the desert in Jaisalmer. Jaisalmer is a cozy little sandstone city that sits just outside the Thar Desert, where camels roam the sand dunes and people come from all over the world just… 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
Hi everyone,
The sun is still shining brightly today in Roatan, but it feels so different without you here. No one is shouting our names from across the room, no one is asking us questions… we’re just regular ol’ people again. But don’t worry! We took our own advice. We wrapped you all up neatly in a little package, and we’re carrying you next to our hearts.
And while our… Read More
Walking around Ho Chi Minh this morning felt quite different. Although we could still hear the incessant honking of horns, see the erratic van drivers and watch the millions of never yielding motorbikes, what we really noticed was how lonely it feels without all of you. Three months have come and gone in a flash, and as you all return to your lives back on the other side of the… Read More
The Walkabout group has departed! All safe and sound and on their way through security and towards HOME. What a wonderful journey this has been.… Read More
Hard to believe three months has gone by! With teary eyes we said goodbye to the people that has become inseparable to our wellbeing.
If you sit down with any member of our Hongi group, we will be telling you stories for days. This trip turned out to be a first time for many things. Whether it was first time away from home, first time in New Zealand/Fiji/Australia, first time… Read More
It seems crazy, but this is our final blog of an amazing three month experience! Nevertheless, these last two weeks have been just as meaningful and fun as the previous ten.
After a free day in Cairns to relax after our SCUBA adventure we drove two hours into North Queensland to work in the Daintree Rainforest. In Port Douglas we met John Rumney and Damien Settle who are working on… Read More
Dear our 12 incredible students, family and friends,
It is Rebecca and Doug (otherwise known as Douglito y Rebequita). As we wrap up our final moments together here in South America, and prepare for our last emotional goodbyes, we wanted to write to say a heartfelt thank you to our amazing team Inti. Thank you for making this the most incredible 12 weeks, full of potatoes, mountain climbing, breathtaking views,… Read More
Blog from Jada and Brent Salaama Lekum! Jada and Brent here reporting from Zanzibar, again. We have finally reached the last leg of our journey!
We spent a week of exploring and getting lost in the streets of Stonetown, 3 days of which were spent interning at local shops getting a taste of what it’s like to work/operate a business in Zanzibar, more specifically Stonetown.
Initially arriving in Stonetown came… Read More
We’ve just heard from the leaders with the update that the entire Shiva group is safely off on their next adventures! A few will be traveling on their own in Asia for a while before returning home, while most are currently on the flight headed back towards San Francisco. They had a celebratory last day and said a joyful, tearful goodbye. Check out this sweet “final group photo!”
Much gratitude… Read More
We’ve just heard from the leaders with the update that the entire Shanti group is safely off on their next adventures! Many will be traveling on their own in Asia for a while before returning home, while others are currently on the flight headed back towards San Francisco. They had a celebratory last day and said a joyful, tearful goodbye. Check out this sweet “final group photo!”
Much gratitude from… Read More
We never thought this day would come. After all our crazy absurd adventures and experiences, we are actually down to our last few hours in Southeast Asia. Its hard to even grasp all that we have been through. From the amazing bonds with the many locals we’ve established, to the sights of Angkor Wat and everything in between, we have created lifelong lasting memories and friendships.
Our time in Vietnam… Read More
Greetings from your favorite Carpe Diem group. Group Chango has had quite an active week spent at Korimakao diving into the Cuban cultures of art, dance, music, and theater. With an extensive array of talents among our group, everyone has found a form of art that they fit into quite nicely. Myself, Mirium, Sarah, Liza, and Michelle have spent our days attempting to keep up with some of the most… Read More
With only 3 days left in India, Shiva has closed their student directed travel portion of the program. Beginning in the home of His Holiness the Dalai Lama- McLeod Ganj- and after a week working at Dev Bala Farm, we settled into this tourist-y part of Himachal Pradesh. We first saw the the Tibetan history museum, which was full of personal accounts from Tibetan refugees, staggering statistics, and detailed displays… Read More
