San Diego Crew Has Arrived
The San Diego Border Course crew has all arrived and is settling into their hostel.
Day 6 – Until We Meet Again
Good evening from Round the Bend! Today was such a wonderful day on the farm, everyone woke up late as a result of late night star gazing. Jorge, Sydney, and Celia started their day by helping Nate with concrete mixing and helping fill hexagonal shape frames for the cement. As for myself and the rest…
Sunday on Round the Bend Farm
Good evening from Round the Bend! We had a relaxing day on the farm today that began with fresh bread made by Gustavo, and ended with homemade pizza from our farming friends across the street. I woke up around 8:30, and was greeted by the beloved dog Mayla on the way into the kitchen. Jorge…
Last Day in Basti
Today was our last full day on Bastimentos. We are feeling lots of mixed emotions as our trip draws to a close. We had an adventurous day as we began with snorkeling to look at coral reef structures. We then spent the majority of the afternoon getting to explore a bar cave. It was a…
A Day in New Bedford
Today, I (Fer) woke up at around 5:40 AM to the beautiful harmony of the rooster, the gentle wind swaying the trees, and John Stephen snoring next to me in the tent. Having soaked up the sounds that the morning had to offer, I joined Celia in feeding the pigs, and looking for eggs in…
Final Thank You
Dear Sandro, thank you so much for all of the hospitality that you have offered us. You are truly a great person and have made our time in Rancho Quemado awesome. The tour of the cocoa farm and making the chocolate was an amazing experience to understand working with nature. The planting really helped with…
A Day full of Bittersweet Goodbyes and “Final” Memories
Today was a day full of bittersweet goodbyes and “final” memories. This morning, sandwiched between two long car rides of karaoke and a cappella riff offs, we went to Starfish Beach in Bocas Del Drago. After some beach games and reading, our group privately journaled in an experience we have cherished or found impactful during…
Another Busy Day
Hello from Round the Bend Farm; we had another very busy day today! This morning brought bananas (big news) and a new team leader (Vivian). After everyone had woken up, gotten ready, and had breakfast, we had time to hang out and journal. Sydney, Fernando, and Jorge helped out with the cement project from yesterday….
Final Preparations
Throughout our time together on this journey, we have learned about ourselves, each other, and ways to positively impact our environment. Today, we started the morning by eating pancakes and fruit to give us the energy necessary for the day. After our nutritious breakfast, we went to pick up our friend, Edgar, before we went…
Day Two: Round the Bend Farm
Hello from Dartmouth, Massachusetts!! Today was a day filled with fun, laughter, hard work, and support. We began the day by eating breakfast together, which consisted of delicious homemade bread. During breakfast, everyone talked and Jorge, the group leader of the day, shared the itinerary for today. The morning was peaceful as after breakfast we…
Update from Lily and Ella
Lily: While riding horses with Victor I was able to talk and reflect with him about his life and Rancho Quemado. He talked about his job and how he loves what he does, he owns multiple horses, many that are used for riding in festivals in Costa Rica. He also monitors a farm close to him…
“Hey, do you want to join us?”
We are thrilled to have arrived in San Jose, Costa Rica and anxiously await our final companion joining us tomorrow. Travel days are difficult. Even when all goes well, they are long days filled with early mornings or late nights. As several of our group experienced, sometimes you get both. A red eye from the…
Expectations
The past 48 hours have been an extreme journey starting with the 3:45 am wake-up call on Sunday morning, which consisted of a four-hour flight to Dallas, a connecting flight to Houston, and then the last and final flight to Costa Rica. After a fog block and flying in circles for a good 45 minutes…
The struggle of waking up from a long day at the airport.
We saw our favorite parts of Panama; old city versus new city was the theme of the tour from our great guide, Carlos. It was interesting to see how we toured the new city in a van and the old one on foot. Kind of ironic. By van and foot, Carlos taught and explain to…
Panama II Has Arrived
The Panama II crew has arrived at their hostel in Panama City. They are going to eat some dinner and then head to bed before exploring Panama City in the morning. After that, they will be catching a flight to Bocas for their introduction to Give and Surf.
Final Thoughts from Kathmandu
The smiles on the kids faces as we danced will never leave my brain, the kids were all amazing to talk to. -Charlotte (Kanxi) Learning the dances with the girls and just all the happy energy I felt while dancing (the peanut butter was wicked good) – Erin (Ritu) Every time I’d pass Chhyamba on…
Leaving Nepal Behind
After two whole weeks of learning, growing, and helping, it’s time to wave goodbye to Nepal. We have learned so much here, from the tenants of ethical leadership, to how to do traditional Nepali dances. While here, I have formed many strong friendships with other ethical leaders which I believe will endure long past the…
Update From Peru (7/5)
From the satellite phone, our Peru crew reports, “All good after 15k trek. Settled into Cancha Cancha. At llama breeders house. Amazing hike!” Once the full group is back together on Friday, we hope to post more reflections and photos. Again, due to the remote nature of the program, we are limited to short updates…
Trekking in the Himalayas
The following poem is a collection of small writing pieces created along our 3 day trek through the Himalayas. The orange clay like earth beneath my feet feels nice. It’s as if the soil moves according to you, its confidence determined by the rain. My skin is cool and damp, easily noticed as it sticks…
3 Lessons to be Kept in Mind
1. Even the tallest mountain in the world looks small from afar. This statement offers a lesson in perspective, a careful element to be considered when regarding the beliefs and practices of yourself and others, as well as re-evaluating the likes of both (particularly the former). 2. Attitude is everything. Although external factors can certainly influence your…
Our Last 24 Hours with IPI
Our last days with the KACH kids and Tiriji team were overflowing with joy, laughter and love. Beyond continuing to build together shoulder-to-shoulder, we played games, snapped silly selfies, swam in the local community center, and finally bonfired together on our last evening. After some heartfelt expressions of gratitude and the impact we’ve had on…
Catching sights of the Himalayas
Today was our second day trekking in Nepal. It was the hardest day because of all the uphills but also the most rewarding. As all of us pushed ourselves on and on as the trail winded through the trees, you could still hear the heavy breathing amongst us. The Everest view point was the only thing…
Update From Kenya
This week, our Kenya crew spent time working on a new building project led by IPI’s staff. From hauling cement and bricks to (partially) completing a second floor, our kids have loved every minute spent next to the KACH kids in fellowship and service. Lots of memories (and choreographed dances) have been made, and this…
Meditating on Change
Today was our last day at Arhaus Children’s Home. When we came downstairs to leave all the kids were waiting to say goodbye and give us hugs. It was a bitter sweet goodbye, I was excited to start our trek & begin a new journey but I didn’t want to leave my new friends. In…
Final Day in NOLA
We have had quite the two days. On Friday morning, we took a much needed rest from our four days of hard work. Elizabeth made pancakes and we stayed inside to shelter from the rain. We had a morning discussion on some of our hardships throughout the week, as well as played some intense games…
The Final Day at Arhaus
This was our last day at the Arhaus Children’s Home. I suppose all things must come to an end. We’re all sad to have to go, but excited to see where the rest of this trip takes us. I think that we all have a lot of reflecting to do about our time here. I…
Update From Cuncani
The Peru crew sent a message last night via the satellite phone saying, “Final night Cuncani. Huge success with school kids. Ready to start trek tomorrow. Enjoyed a cool dip in the river.” This morning the group is off on a 6-mile trek to the Quishuarani High-Andean Community where they will spend the next three…
Live in the present moment
Today started out as a bit of a disappointment when we learned that the Corcovado National Park had been closed and that we would not be able to go on our tour due to some weather that would be hitting Northern Costa Rica in the afternoon. We were informed by our instructors that we had…
Leaving Rancho Quemado
The day started out on a sad note. We were leaving Rancho Quemado and had to say goodbye to Alice, Glenda, Hope, and more of the amazing people who had taken care of us over the past week or so. I didn’t realize how much we had bonded until it was time to say goodbye….
Final Day of Painting
We began the day at 6:30am and headed down for breakfast at 7am. We enjoyed pineapple and mango, as well as cheese omelets for breakfast. After breakfast, we headed to the playground to complete our paintings in the outdoor classroom. Although we all got a bit messy, all of the designs ended so beautifully and…