Greetings family and friends, After many great experiences in New Zealand it was time to embark on a new journey; Fiji. After a short and much anticipated 3 hour flight, we arrived in Fiji! We started our time at the Bamboo Beach hostel outside of Nadi. Highlighted by kava ceremonies and picking out sulus in the city of Nadi, many group members got a taste of Fijian traditions. After a… Read More
Our month in New Zealand was most definitely one to remember. From our scavenger hunt in the city of Wellington on the first day, to celebrating our last night in NZ by going out to dinner in Auckland, It was Awesome! Here are some pictures highlighting our time spent in New Zealand:… Read More
I just got word that the group landed and is safe and sound in Fiji. They are soaking up the sun and preparing for their student directed travel this week!… Read More
For the past week the group has joined up with Awhi Farm to test our WOOFING skills. We have been a part of a variety of different tasks regarding permaculture and sustainable living. Every day, we help plant, harvest, nurture, and weed the different fruits, veggies, and herbs that are used to feed different Maraes and the Maori community. We also participate in other daily tasks such as gathering eggs… Read More
After our action packed week of adventure it was time to dive into the cultural side of New Zealand. We arrived at the Korohe Marae on a sunny Monday, ready to live communally within the Marae. The Maori people who live on the marae welcomed us with open arms and a traditional Maori ceremony. The whole group didn't understand what was being said but we are sure it wasn't… Read More
On Sunday, we arrived at the Blue Mountain Adventure Center; also known as BMAC. We took a day to settle in and hang out, but the next 5 days were fully packed with shenanigans. We started our first activities at 8:30 the following morning with group problem solving and teamwork games out on the lawn. That afternoon, we went caving about a 10 minute drive away. We split into two… Read More
Hey everyone, we've decided to express everything we've done so far through song. (the first verse of Party in the USA) we hopped on a plane from LAX with strangers we haven't met said goodbye to all of our loved ones we'll see you in the end. jumped in our seats, soared over the pacific looked at the date, February 12th is missing this is all so crazy we're in… Read More
We just got word from the group that after a long night of travel they finally arrived in Wellington. Now let the games begin in New Zealand. More updates to come!… Read More
Good evening family and friends, The Walkabout group has all arrived safely to LAX and they are about to proceed through security and begin their adventure together. We wish them all the best as they traverse across South Pacific! Aotearoa, the land of the long white cloud awaits! -Drew Edwards, Executive Director… Read More
! Official Countdown: 7 days! Nina & Brian here, writing from Carpe's home – Portland Oregon. We are in the midst of preparing the last details of our journey together & took some time to appreciate what Portlandia has to offer. We also want to take some time to send a few tips to prepare you for our upcoming adventure! Spend Quality Time: take the time to have one last… Read More
One last Bula,
Although we are no longer traveling as a pack of 13, the journey is hardly over. Many of us are still discovering the treasures of Australia, soaking up a few last rays and catching one more wave. Some have made the long journey home together, shared hugs and tears, and are relishing in the comforts of home. Fairly soon we will all be on our separate paths… Read More
After watching a few safety videos, learning how to put on our gear and communicating under water in a pool, we were finally able to take our skills and head out to scuba dive in the Great Barrier Reef! The underwater life there was unforgettably breathtaking, and I’m so glad to have shared it the memories with everyone here who are now all certified scuba divers! After emerging out… Read More
We’ve just arrived at the Bohemia Resort in Cairns, after a 22 hour train ride up the coast of Queensland. It was a long journey, but there were movies and blankets so it was all good, and still not as long as our Fiji ferry ride!
Our peaceful week at Chenrezig Buddhist Institute brought us mindfulness, new revelations, new friends and amazing food. We all got a lot out of… Read More
Last week our group split into two groups and embarked on separate CVA (Conservation Volunteers of Australia) journeys. My group, which consisted of Nick, Riley, Liv, Trace, Allie, Brett and our new team leader whose name was also Brett, camped and worked at the beautiful Cooloola Recreation Area, Great Sandy National Park for the week.
Our campsite was a short walk from the beach which was made up of warm… Read More
Our journey into the outback began when we got picked up in this massive off-road looking bus. We set off into the outback riding on normal asphalt roads as well as driving on rocky dirt roads. It was pretty hard to take a nap because we were being bounced around inside the truck. The very first place we stopped, we were at a watering hole so we could go for… Read More
We’ve arrived in Sydney, Australia safe ‘n sound! This city is absolutely incredible as we got to explore it all day on our scavengar hunt. We visited the Memorial museum in Hyde Park and the Opera House, learning about the history each one and roamed around the Royal Botanical Gardens where the trees and plants are so strange and beautiful it’s as if they came straight out of a Dr.… Read More
In Fiji there is a saying called “Fiji time.” Roughly translated by many tourists and foreigners, it means unpredictable bus schedules and slow customer service; but to the people of Fiji, it means slowing down to savor the fleeting moments of life and caring more deeply about smiles, conversation, and compassion than finely-tuned time tables. As we depart the country we called home for a month and look back, it… Read More
