Follow the Journey

By Daisy Katelyn Osowski Last week we wrapped up our time with Tiaki at the marae in Whaingaroa and spent two nights with Rangimarie and Rob, a Maori/Native American couple that welcomed us into their home in Manu Wairua (means Bird Spirit). We got to participate in a Lakota sweat lodge ceremony and drum in a drum circle while singing traditional, and not so traditional, songs. Our time with Rangimarie, … Read More

By Overseas Educators Lolly Beck-Pancer and Eric Strickler Arriving at the marae, Tiaki, our host and guide for the week, Tawhai, his three-year-old son, and Matewai, our warm language and song teacher, welcomed us to the grounds. In accordance with tradition, we had to wait at the ceremonial gate to be called into the marae by one of the elders. During the week we frequently practiced te reo Maori, the… Read More

By Curtis and Jenny Friday the 15th was the start of our journey together as a Carpe Diem group. The first three days of orientation were spent getting to know everybody. We shared personal details about our lives to understand everybody’s motivation for coming on this trip. After agreeing on the rules we wanted to abide by and the skills that we all wanted to work on, we made a… Read More

Our students turned their good agreements into an amazing flag they all learned to machine sew and make, while Eric cooked a local fish stew. Each patch represents an agreement: neon represents radical honesty and the turtle symbolizes jumping outside of your comfort zone.… Read More

Dear Friends and Families The Walkabout crew is safe on the ground in New Zealand. They will move on to orientation over the next few days, exploring the lovely and relaxed surf town of Raglan.  We are so excited for this crew, and hopeful that their travels will be filled with fun, adventure, laughter, and love. Walkabout Crew: The blog is now yours! Best Wishes, James… Read More

Greetings friends and family Just a brief note to let you know that the Walkabout Crew has gathered in full force. All 12 students and their fearleass Overseas Educators have convened in L.A. and are now en route to the fabulous land of New Zealand! Thank you all for your support in making this journey possible. The group now embarks upon of 3 month journey of growth, insight, and adventure;… Read More

Kia Ora from staff training in Portland!  A big welcome to the friends and families that will be following our journey over the coming months. We are brimming with anticipation to begin our journey around the South Pacific with you all in just a few short days! We have been getting excited over the course of reviewing itineraries, exploring maps, and connecting with local contacts in New Zealand, Fiji and… Read More

Emerging from the underground of the metro train station and into the heart of Sydney, a feeling of I’m sooo confused! washed over us all. The looming buildings that blocked the view of the night sky and bustling streets swarming with hurried people all seemed out of place. The weeks that proceeded this moment were ones of magic. We had spent twelve beautiful weeks learning and growing across the rustic… Read More

It was a success…and they have finished this adventure and on to the next. Much gratitude to these wonderful humans!… Read More

Our last breathtaking week took place in the Australian Outback. It all started with an early morning wake-up when Deon, our guide, picked us up to begin the journey to Uluru, a sacred meeting monument for the Aboriginals. Along the way, we stopped at an art gallery where we were first introduced to the styles and symbols of traditional Aboriginal art. Then we continued our long drive, but it was… Read More

walkabout This week on “Walkabout: A World 14+ Hours Ahead of the USA” : Our strong young cadets head into the wild, wacky and inspiring world of marine conservation where they plant fig trees, take part in a world-wide campaign for scientific research, battle nimble wallabies, and pursue a dangerous mission into the mysterious Daintree Rainforest! And a twist: the advice of a lifetime will be doled out in the… Read More

G’day mate, This week our crew traveled back to Cairns once again to explore the wonderful world of SCUBA diving and snorkeling. Tommy Boy, Loose, Molls, JJ, Georgie, Randy, Caro and Aisil woke at the crack of dawn to get ready for their first day of SCUBA school!!! They spent the day watching videos with their instructor Rob as well as blowing their first bubbles underwater!! While they were in… Read More

Hello folks! Greetings from Cairns. But… You’re probably wondering how we got here. It all started a few days ago… *record scratch* After leaving the Bodhi Tree Buddhist monastery on Tuesday April 18th, the group boarded a bus from the nearby Lismore and headed to Brisbane for three days of swanky student travels in the city. Now, this day, however, was no ordinary day. It was a day with cause… Read More

Warmest greetings! Upon departing from Fiji and commencing our travels along the East Coast of Australia, we were able to take part in a bit of mid-trip reflection at the Bodhi Tree Buddhist Monastery, a peaceful enclave located just outside of Lismore. After a brief (yet energetic!) overnight stint in the colorful city of Brisbane (featuring a trot over the city’s bridge to wander the streets amongst stylish locals,) we… Read More

Bula! We’ve been in Fiji for nearly two weeks now and absolutely loved our stay in Nakuku. We were able to get to know such a unique part of the world that we didn’t even know existed. We dove into new cultural practices, including eating all of our meals while sitting on the floor, wearing traditional Fijian attire, and participating in local practices. On Sunday, we went to a neighboring… Read More

Hello from paradise! This is our 6th day on the beautiful island of Vanua Levu, one of the two largest Fijian islands. Last Tuesday we said our bittersweet goodbyes to New Zealand, and were excited to embark on the next leg of our journey. After a brief flight from Christchurch to Auckland, we boarded our next plane heading off to Nadi, Fiji, on the island of Viti Levu. We were… Read More

Hello Family and Friends! This week was our student directed travel week! The week began with a trip to Hobbiton, the film set for both the Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit. During our visit we had the opportunity to walk through the shire and learn all about how the movies were made. Pierce and Aislinn, our die hard Lord of the Rings fans, was bursting with excitement the… Read More