Follow the Journey

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Hola amigos y familias! This is Saya writing my blog draft in a mango tree. After a long week of ups and downs and the longest travel day yet, we arrived at Isla de Ometepe. We are staying at Bona Fide, a farm that focuses on experiential learning on permaculture. We also have afternoon workshops on basket weaving, jam making and chocolating. We are surrounded by nature here with no… Read More

Hello from Matagalpa. We traveled from our student directed travel weekend in Granada on a 3 hour bus ride to Matagalpa. The climate is a lot cooler here than it was in Granada. We have been here for about a week, studying at the spanish school. It is a little bit different because we are not doing one on ones, instead we are with smaller groups based on our level… Read More

WOW. We are about halfway through now. evryone is having the time of their lives. we just got back from a short stint in playa gigante. our first stop in the country of Nicaragua! it is very hot here much hotter than everywhere we have been so far the stuggles have just brought us together more and helping eachother through homesickness makes us all feel more like family. we are… Read More

Last week we were at an amazing eco-hostel and sustainability project called G-22. It was started by architect Alfredo Maul when he returned to his home country of Guatemala from studying and working abroad. It focuses on staying sustainable in an ever-changing urban environment. He uses many innovative practices like composting organic waste and collecting rainwater, even reusing use sink water to wash dishes and flush toilets. Alfredo used many… Read More

Blog with more details to come soon! But photos are from time with G-22 in Guatemala City – learning about community and sustainable development in an urban setting. (And playing!)… Read More

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¡HOLA! I am writing this in a small internet cafe in Guatemala City. Cars zoom by, honking their horns at any pedestrians who dare assume they have the right of way. We are immersed in the sights and sounds of a bustling city. It is strange to remember, then, that just yesterday we were in The Mystical Yoga farm, one of the most tranquil places that I have ever visited.… Read More

Pictures from: Making empanadas at the Mountain School, visiting Maya Ruins Tak’ab’aj, trekking, sunrise, and the group enjoying time together.… Read More

¡¡¡¡¡¡¡HOLA!!!!!!! This is Elizabeth, writing from an internet cafe in Xela. We just got back from our super intense two day trek to the Fuentes Georginas hot springs. Before that we were at the Mountain School for an amazing week of Spanish study. We all lived together and had hella adventures. We each had a host family to eat meals with and most of them were related. The food was… Read More

Photos from soccer games, students at the market in Xela, with Spanish teachers, taking salsa classes, and loading up gear on the bus. More updates about the group’s time at the Mountain School and trekking coming soon!… Read More

The fourteen of us sat in a circle on top of a grassy hill overlooking the city of Quetzaltenango, nicknamed Xela. With the cluster of city buildings spread out below us we discussed our thoughts and hopes for the rest of the program. After we wrapped up our orientation, we jumped into the meat of the Carpe Diem trip. Introductions to homestays and preparations were made for our first week… Read More

The first day of our trek was very long and windy! We traveled about five hours on plane to Guatemala city then took a very long road trip to Xela, Guatemala. We settled into our hostel and our group dynamic as we spent the first couple of days in Orientation. So far we have had four meals on our own in the city of Xela and the group is loving… Read More

Hola!! I am writing here from an internet café with my buddy Michael. We are currently on a scavenger hunt, including learning a local spanish phrase, or ask a local about the issues in Guatemala to an internet café and write a blog, so check that one off the list. We arrived yesterday, long day of traveling, 5 hour plane ride followed by a 4 hour bus ride getting us… Read More

Today, Kate and I struck out on our own to explore the city of Xela through a fun scavenger hunt activity. After eating some DELICIOUS tacos en el parque central, we set off to find the bus terminal and acquire a bus schedule. After talking with the locals, we learned we would be hard pressed to find one, as buses in Xela don’t run on schedules! We’ve now reached an… Read More

After a night of travel, the MAYA group arrived safely in Guatemala this morning. They were met at the airport by a driver and are now en route to their guest house in Quetzaltenango. The are doing well and looking forward to diving into their orientation! In the coming days, the students will start to post blogs here, letting you all know how they’re doing. We look forward to hearing… Read More

From North Carolina, New Jersey, Connecticut, Colorado, California, Oregon, Vancouver, California, Massechusets… the Spring 2016 Central America students have all arrived safe and sound in Los Angeles! They are checked in for their flight to Guatemala, and are getting ready to head through security and begin their journey together. Everyone is excited, and happy to finally be together as group. We wish them much learning, laughter, joy and adventure over… Read More

Hey guys and gals! This is Alison and Kelsey checking in from Travelers’ House in Portland. This week has been jam packed and we have had some exhausting days of work getting ready for the upcoming semester. In fact, we made a video of our workday today just to show y’all how committed we are to making this trip a smashing success. Here’s the link: It has been great to… Read More

Gratitude to all of the host mom’s who cooked for us, drivers that transported us, travelers who shared stories with us, and to each and every person in the group who made the experience truly wonderful! All of you are amazing young adults and we are proud of you for growing, learning, and transforming throughout the last three months! Don’t hesitate to reach out and keep us up to date… Read More

Hello everyone! This week is our student directed travel week! The whole group decided to go to San Juan del Sur in Nicaragua. Which is known as a party city in Nica. Around San Juan there are beautiful beaches like Playa Hermosa. A really nice beach with perfect surf waves for beginners and advanced surfers. The surfing was really awesome but hard. The waves looked pretty big but not strong… Read More