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Today was another awakening day on this trip. The Desayunador was a great place to not only help others but also help ourselves. We may not have made a huge impact on others but we did help those few volunteers in the helping of hundreds of people. Our volunteering made the day easier for those…
[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text letter_spacing=””]Yesterday, we left the airport at around 2 pm and went to Chicano Park. Chicano Park is iconic in San Diego for the murals under the freeway. We walked around and did an ice breaker activity about what our intentions were coming on this trip. Mel, Grace and I were chosen at “random” to…
Hoy es el primer día! We are super tired tonight but are off to a running start. We visited Chicano Park with stunning murals and then drove to Jacumba. We are all currently at the church after a surprisingly okay dinner at the only restaurant in town. That’s good though because we’re eating breakfast at…
[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text letter_spacing=””] June 30 Luke Sloan Life is well in Tagong. The group started the day at 8 a..m when we were treated to a delightful breakfast of boiled eggs, yak butter tea, and traditional bread. Excitement filled the room when Tenpa revealed the blessing of Skippy peanut butter, practically gold amongst the group. After…
[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text letter_spacing=””] We awoke in Kangding this morning to a day that was colder than yesterday but far less rainy. The first order of business was breakfast: steamed buns, rice porridge, and hard-boiled eggs at a small restaurant near the hostel. From there, we set out to visit two monasteries in the mountains around Kangding….
[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text letter_spacing=””]The Kenya Crew traveled from Nairobi to Meru, Kenya to be greeted by children – ready to play![/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]
[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text letter_spacing=””]Kara, Esther, Scout, Ellie, Olivia, and Jim prepare the foundation for the school building (to be used as a teacher meeting room and library).[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]
[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text letter_spacing=””]today we travel to the village, but first Phiya organized a cooking class for us. We woke up early to buy fresh supplies at the local market. I also bought mangosteens (for you dad!) and a large hat for sun protection. A randomly chosen hat turns out to be Prada! Our walk through the…
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[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text letter_spacing=””]When they said we were going into a bat cave I can’t say that was what we all were expecting. The muddy path that led to the cave was even a journey itself. Some of us, including me, had chosen to wear flip flops and that was our first mistake. We were all slinging…
[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text letter_spacing=””]Today, we had a big morning storm and all ended up teaching and playing at the community center in Bastimentos. There were so many fun activities happening today, but the highlight of my day would definitely be skateboarding with a group of local kids and fellow group members. In the back of the community…
[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text letter_spacing=””]This morning I eagerly volunteered to write today’s blog not knowing I would ultimately have something very embarrassing to write about, but we’ll get to that later. We started the morning bright and early at 7 am with breakfast at 8. After breakfast, we traveled to an elephant sanctuary. There we heard the heartbreaking…
[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text letter_spacing=””]Home Office: the group is thoroughly exhausted from an honest day of physical labor and cultural engagement. Communication with “the field” is consistent and reliable. Love this photo of Ellie’s enraptured audience.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]
[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text letter_spacing=””]From Home Office The Tibet Crew crested above 14,000 ft. (see photo) on their way into Tagong and their first “cultural sensitivity” lesson: After the course curriculum guide was edited for politically sensitive content by our Tibetan NGO director, our local guide asked for even more “editing” – meaning pages ripped out – his…
[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text letter_spacing=””] Some of the many aspects that stood out in our guide in Chengdu’s story include that at a very young age she was sent by her mother over the Himalaya on foot with a group of strangers to reach Nepal. Then the Nepalese sent her to school in India. This is why her…
[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text letter_spacing=””](written on 27th) Since yesterday was the last day of staying with our own roommates, everyone was kind of in a sad mood to leave the Golden Gate Hotel that had been with us for the past 3 days. Also, no more convenient laundries made us miss the hotel more and more! We all…
[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text letter_spacing=””]After awakening from a well needed and deep sleep, we were all ready to begin our first full day in Chengdu, China. We woke for an early breakfast of traditional Chinese food: fried rice, potatoes, vegetables, and tea. We left quite early to visit the Panda Breeding Center on the other side of the…
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[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text letter_spacing=””] Our last full day in Phnom Penh was a day mixed with equal amounts of both learning more about the program SSTS partners with that hosts us in Cambodia, and experiencing and supporting Cambodia’s culture through the Russian Market (AKA the blank Market). Following that we reflected upon the different tenants that SSTS…
[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text letter_spacing=””] Today was our second day in Phnom Penh and everyone seems to be doing well! Our biggest problem is definitely adjusting to the sleep schedule here because day here is night back home. The food has all been great, and I’ve had French toast for breakfast for the second day in a row. It’s…
[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text letter_spacing=””]Hello Friends and Family, I was very anxious a few days before the trip began, and I’m sure I was not alone! However, after meeting all the girls, those nerves quickly began to fade. We have all been able to connect and laugh together, and I can already tell it will be a great…
[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text letter_spacing=””]All nine of us, including Luke, Chelsey, Julia, Ainsley, Alexa, Henry, Eva, Kevin, and Nikki, made it to China! Despite our luggage being fashionably late, we had a great afternoon, starting with a delicious, Chinese lunch – a great way to start the course. After some downtime, we regained enough energy to get us…
Today was our second day of working on our project here at the island. We started the day off right with a little change in our diet this morning, eating noodles instead of rice. We then headed back to our work sites and quickly started where we had left off. Our two groups came together…
Today was a day of firsts including our first morning waking up in our homestay. Our alarm clock has taken on a new sound of roosters, cows and early rising villagers. We gathered as a group to share a breakfast of rice and eggs to prepare for our first day of work. Not to worry,…
[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text letter_spacing=””]Today was triumphant for us. For the last few days, we had been working hard on the eco-waste bin, but today we accomplished so much on the project! We did have a small setback the day prior due to weather, but I am truly proud to say that everyone stepped up to the plate and…
[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text letter_spacing=””]After finishing breakfast, we headed to the worksite to continue the project. We filtered sand and gravel, mixed cement, and moved bricks. From here, we finally saw some structure build up. After about four hours of work, we headed back down to the homestay for lunch. I think this was the point where we…