“I asked the group to share a few pictures, their favorite memory, and how they experienced the evacuation and return. I hope this sheds some light on what we as students were feeling during the evacuation time and also to share some great memories we made even though the time was cut short. Thanks again for the amazing job you guys do at headquarters, we could not do any of this without you!” – Claire

Highlights from Claire:

Visiting Xtreme Zero Waste which is a startup to clean up the landfill that developed into a green movement in Ragland.

Backpacking the Abel Tasman. This time really bonded us as a group. We supported each other in the highs and lows.

This photo (below) was taken the morning after the night hike that was really challenging for our group. Hiking till 12:30 at night isn’t what we call fun but we stuck together and came out on top. Waking up from the sun the next morning was one of the best feelings, reflecting back on what we just endured and had overcome as a group.

Claire’s favorite memory of the semester: My Favorite memory had to be when we went caving and in the middle, our group turned off all of our headlamps and were surrounded by the extreme darkness. When looking up the glow worms lit up and made the ceiling look like the night sky. We then sat there for 5 min in pure silence.

Claire’s reflection on the semester ending early and returning home: When we were told that we had to evacuate and that our trip was being cut short because of the pandemic I had an immediate rush of emotion. Realizing that the time I took aside to find myself and my why was taken away in a blink of an eye. Quickly our group had to switch off our sea kayaking mode and had to switch to packing up and leaving mode. The only way I can explain it to people is that it’s like you were having an amazing dream and then were woken up in the middle by reality.

Coming back into this weird reality was a shock, to say the least. Because we were disconnected we had no clue about the severity of the pandemic. Only knowing a handful of things from the conversations we had with our parents and that it was bad enough that we had to be sent home or else we would be stuck.

Once I arrived back home I was immediately hit by many conflicting emotions; relieved, sad, annoyed, confused, lost, and grateful. We came back to a time where using technology has become a must to connect with people, to occupy time, and to work. So right when we came back we turned that light switch right back on which was annoying because one of the goals was to disconnect and find yourself on the trip. Now that I have endless hours to think about what is next, I take time to reflect on the amazing life changing experience Carpe Diem gave me. During this trip although it was cut short, I was able to step outside my comfort zone and to discover many new passions.

At the start of the trip, we were told to find our why. My why was to become more independent and to find the fire and passion within me. By coming back I have discovered that not only should we take time to find our whys but we should also seek the how. How we are going to accomplish this why. Lastly, during this time we must remember that we are all in this together and that we don’t stand alone. Even if it feels like we are alone and hopeless we must seek the light that’s shining bright on the other side.

Highlights from Mia:

Caving with Joe!

Backpacking in the Abel Tasman National Park

Sunset walk on the Marae

Mia’s favorite memory of the semester: One of my favorite moments was getting a tour of Liz and Rick’s sustainable permaculture farm in Raglan. They grow a significant amount of the food they eat and live off the land they own. Not only are they kind people, but they showed us how fulfilling it can be to live life in a sustainable way.

Mia’s reflection on the semester ending early and returning home: I am grateful and happy I went on this trip. I have opened my eyes to so many new things that will undoubtedly change the way I go back to school and what I want to do with my life.

Highlights from Shane:

Sleeping at Anchorage after sea kayaking

Hoka Falls in Rotorua

Sunset in Raglan

Shane’s favorite memory of the semester: One of my favorite memories is from our first-night backpacking with Whenua Iti. After a long day of caving and hiking, the group set up camp, ate dinner, and finally sat down to have a debrief of the day. As we sat there sharing our highs, lows, and heroes of the day, all of the Wekas (birds that steal things) began to attack our stuff. We began sporadically jumping up and running after them or throwing shoes at them. It was an odd combination of having a serious conversation and being so annoyed by these little birds.

Shane’s reflection on the semester ending early and returning home: I knew coming home after my trip with Carpe would be different. I wouldn’t be with my friends anymore, I’d be home. I wouldn’t be doing these once in a lifetime opportunities anymore, I’d be home. I wouldn’t be able to learn about myself through the world around me, I’d be home. And now I’m home and the transition is nothing like I expected it to be. It has been challenging navigating the place I call home through the lens of Corona. Having to leave early due to COVID-19 was really upsetting. Probably due to the fact that one day we knew hardly anything about it and the next day our itinerary was changing, eventually leading to us coming home. Although I am still sad that our trip had to end early, I am so grateful for the people I met and the memories I share with them. I wouldn’t change the 6 weeks I got with them for anything.

Highlights from Hanna:

Sunrise on our last day kayaking

Exploring Cleopatra’s Pool and going down the natural rock slide!

Sunset on the beach during our stay at the marae

Hanna’s favorite memory from the semester: My favorite memory is of the first real day that we spent with Tiaki during our stay in Raglan. We woke up early, before the sun rose, and hiked down to the base of Bridal Veil Falls. It was raining lightly, the first water the land had seen for a while since the country was experiencing a drought. Once we reached the great big pool at the base of the falls, we clamored onto the rocks along the shore and let our feet hang down to the water as Tiaki and Maddi performed a cleansing ceremony in Maori. Afterward, we were welcomed to dive into the pool. Many of us were hesitant at first, already cold and shivering in the rain, but after a few moments Conner unflinchingly plunged into the pool, and one by one we made our way down to the water’s edge and did the same. It was a beautiful thing- we were still getting used to this unfamiliar land and only beginning to know each other, and at that moment I think we all felt a sense of solidarity and excitement in what we had just done. I believe that day with Tiaki sparked a theme that lasted for the rest of our time in New Zealand- of seizing the moment and just doing it!

Hanna’s reflection the semester ending early and returning home: The evacuation was a whirlwind of events. It was after spending four days trekking through the Abel Tasman, completely disconnected from the rest of the world, that we emerged only to find that the rest of the globe had changed completely. It was hard to believe, as things in New Zealand were still, for the most part, normal, while from home came stories of toilet paper shortages and people receiving misdemeanors for even leaving their house. In a matter of hours, we had our few remaining days in the country planned out and transportation arranged to get us home. For a few days, a looming dread hung over us all, the realization that there was the possibility of us not being able to make it home. Nathan and Rachael, as well as our Whenua Iti guides, remained positive and did their best to keep us focused on the present, and did a good job of staying level headed during those crazy last few days.

Looking back, I almost wish I’d gotten stuck in New Zealand rather than have returned home to this strange new reality. I knew it would be hard enough returning back to the states, but returning home to face a pandemic and forced quarantine made it much harder to leave behind the adventure and the group of people I’d begun to call family, especially after such abrupt goodbyes. It feels unfair for something like this to have happened, to have taken away something so great; many of us went on the trip as part of our own individual journeys to find ourselves and our purpose, and now that I’ve had time to reflect I know that Carpe certainly helped me discover some of those things. Now is a time of contemplating my next, and I am very grateful for the tools given to me by my OE’s to help me figure out what those next steps in life may be, an anchor I cling to during these uncertain times as a reminder that we will indeed make it out the other side.

Highlights from Liz:

Backpacking and sea kayaking on the Abel Tasman

Working on the Hart farm

Walking 300+ steps for a beautiful ceremony in this waterfall

Liz’s favorite memory: One of my favorite memories is through one of our contacts, Ngarangara. She was such a wonderful and insightful woman whose character really drew us together more as a group. She became like our group grandmother! We were invited to her home to make traditional herbal medicine from plants that we picked ourselves on a very unique nature walk! Then we made homemade sunscreen which also acted like a bug repellent! This was such a cool experience and I am so happy that we got to meet such a lovely and wonderful woman!

Liz’s reflection on the semester ending early and returning home: While I am very sad to be home so soon, I am incredibly grateful for the few weeks I had with my group! We shared so many amazing experiences and although there should have been more, I am glad that we got what we did!

Highlights from Ryker:

Celebrating my 21st birthday at the Hart Farm!

I am constantly sharing this photo and the story of the sweat lodge ceremony with everyone I come into contact with

A monumental moment of me starting to not wear socks (sorry Nathan!)

Ryker’s favorite memory: At the Hart Farm, we were doing a chore of walking around the lake and trimming weeds. As we were walking on the outer banks, there was this large segment of tall reeds and as everyone began walking up a hill and around the reeds, I started to walk through them, claiming this was indeed a shortcut. Conner followed me, albeit hesitantly. These reeds were massive and to avoid the marshy water, we had to push the reeds down and climb on all fours across them to make our way out. What was even better, the resident dogs followed Conner and I, stampeding their way through, but constantly looking back at us to make sure we were still alive. I remember laughing uncontrollably when we kept hitting patches in the reeds where they weren’t the most supportive and falling straight through. As we came out, Amelia commented that she was surprised to see only Conner and I coming out because, by the sounds of it, she expected most of the group to be in there. Definitely a moment that helped me relax and breathe a bit.

Ryker’s reflection on the semester ending early and returning home: Coming back to the United States showed how far back we are on so many scales: environmentally, socially. It’s sad but they applied to me as well as I am an American citizen. Before the semester I knew nothing about preserving our environment or the importance of farming and permaculture, I have lived in many places where I never truly witnessed or felt a sense of community.

In Raglan, they worked as a community to start composting with cyclical systems of disposing waste correctly, reusing and reducing as much as possible that benefits humans and our soils the most. It was also humanitarian work, creating jobs and opportunities for people. I’ve been thinking a lot about how to take the inspiration I experienced and pass it on to the communities around me. I was very heartbroken to see our trip end so soon, that the learning experience was over. But learning is never truly over. Now I get to learn how to start making healthy changes here!

Highlights from Maggie:

Greg, the Sheep, at the Hart Farm

A Weka lurking around at one of our campsites in the Abel Tasman. These birds aren’t afraid of anything and they will steal all of your things.

One of our first nights in Raglan at a very cool beach.

Maggie’s favourite (that’s how favourite is spelled in Canada) memory: One of my favourite memories during our time in New Zealand was caving. Gilby was excellent at leading us through the cave and teaching us about the different “rooms”. We were all a little scared and uncomfortable at first, but we leaned on each other for support and got through it! We saw glow worms and climbed up a little waterfall and it was a great time.

Maggie’s reflection on the semester ending early and returning home: Although I’m sad that our trip ended early, I try to keep reminding myself that I was lucky enough to spend 6 amazing weeks in New Zealand with some pretty fantastic people. I’m grateful that everyone is safe and with the people that they love.

The post HONGI 2020: Reflections on our return to the States appeared first on International Gap Year Programs | Carpe Diem Education.

Kia Ora friends and families! Nathan and Rachael here writing from Seattle and Northern California.

We said goodbye to the group yesterday in LAX where we met 6 weeks ago. We exchanged warm and fuzzy notes and gave air hugs. Tears were shed.

This has been a trying last week with plans changing daily and the group having to readjust plans constantly to keep up with the chaos unfolding in the world around us.

We felt very safe and sheltered in rural New Zealand with Whenua Iti. It was a strange experience for us to leave on a backpacking trip with the knowledge that the Fiji portion of our program was cancelled and return realizing how serious and extensive the global situation had become and that we would be returning home. We had been gleefully and nervously adventuring through majestic dark caves just hours before largely disconnected from news of the larger world.

The group rolled with the punches bravely in the face of a lot of uncertainty. We went mountain biking and sea kayaking. We still played games, cooked together, and talked into the night. It was a challenging week on emotional, physical, and spiritual levels.

We want to express so much gratitude for this group of people we were lucky enough to share this experience with! They all bring varied skills to the table, they treat each other kindly, they are honest and bold when they need to be, they play and laugh a lot, and they rise up to every occasion. Hey parents of this crew, your kids are so awesome!!!

Amidst the chaos we felt thoroughly supported and cared for by our contacts in New Zealand, the staff in Portland, and the families at home. Thank you all for holding us during this time!

We landed in Auckland on Valentine’s day after a 13 hour flight and made our way to Raglan. Ragland became our home for the next two weeks. We got to know each other, bonded with Tiaki and other wonderful local contacts, and learned about Maori culture very experientially! The boys performed an amazing Haka and the girls learned a song and dance. We were all pushed out of our comfort zones and into our truths with a sweat lodge and vision quest. We made our own sunscreen and learned about the efforts to maintain Maori land rights and culture.

We spent a couple days exploring Rotarua and Lake Taupo then made our way to the Hart farm where we spent a gorgeous week sleeping in a lakeside lodge, cooking delicious food, and working on the farm. We herded cows with dogs and four wheelers, collected eggs, fed hungry pigs, baked sourdough bread, and played volleyball and mafia in the evening.

From the Hart Farm we drove to Wellington where we explored city life, drank bubble tea and cappuccinos, stayed in a huge international hostel, and walked through the Te Papa museum before crossing from the North Island to the South Island on a ferry where we were picked up by Joe from Whenua Iti. We spent a day on the high ropes course, pushing and supporting each other as Joe and Gilbey taught us to belay and educated us about the brain chemistry around panic and decision making under stress. We packed up to leave on our backpacking trip in the morning. This was our last normal day before things began changing rapidly. We faced the week head on and continued with our wilderness adventures as we lived with the uncertainty about the future of our trip, our jobs, our schooling, and really our world.

Everyone is home safe by now and sharing in the collective uncertainty in the world. I believe so much in the capacity of this group to care for their communities and I hope we can all find ways to come together and support each other during this time. It is a time to be creative and find ways to live open heartedly in the face of fear and isolation. I want to extend a loving kindness meditation to our students, their families, the Carpe Diem family, ourselves, and the whole world. I like to close my eyes and say this directed to whoever needs it when I feel worried and powerless and when I feel hopeful.

May you be happy. May you be healthy. May you be peaceful. May you be safe. May you be well.

To the students we just wanted to say how wonderful of an experience it has been with you. It has been an honor to watch you all at some point step out of your comfort zones and to also watch you support each other. We hope these lessons stick with you forever and help to shape your lives in the future.

To Amelia: Thank you for confidence and skill in the outdoors, for being supportive and a leader. David would be proud.

To Claire: Thank you for the smiles and for picking up on Nathan’s jokes faster than most. Don’t forget to be weird and to burst through that bubble.

To Conner: Thank you for the tenacity and the acceptance. You are so strong and your heart is so open and caring. Thanks for being a momma hen to the guys.

To Hanna: Thank you for your music and crunchiness. You really brought it to a new level when you got to play piano. Nathan truly appreciated writing with you.

To Liz: Thank you for being so strong and really bringing the energy. From the moment we met you, you brought us together and really helped break the ice. Your presence was appreciated just as you are.

To Lucas: Thank you for your laughter and your pop culture knowledge. Every song, movie, and tv show we talked about! All the impressions were fantastic, “like scoobys, let’s get out of here”

To Maggie: Thank you for Bananagrams, and all the unique talents. You are truly a one of a kind person with so many hidden and awesome talents.

To Mia: Thank you for being so down to earth and keeping us healthy. You are such a strong and steady person that really helps keep the group grounded. You seemed to always be thriving.

To Rollie: Thank you for being so eloquent and strong. Your confidence and can do attitude really helped the group push themselves to new levels. We are still in awe of watching you do about a billion push ups.

To Ryker: Thank you for being so trusting and being exactly who you were meant to be. You were pushed into your comfort zone so fast because we are such a large group. It has been a truly magical experience watching you grow and open up to the group about who you are and your experiences. You absolutely belonged with us and you always will.

To Shane: Thank you for your friendliness and perspective. Watching you over and over say you can’t do something then turn around and do it was phenomenal. Your growth was tremendous and we have no doubts that you can achieve just about anything (even if you doubt it).

To Xan: Thank you for your connections and your honesty. You have a gift of connecting with people and forming meaningful relationships. This is something that should be cherished and utilized. It is rare and you can use it to brighten this world.

To all of you: Thank you! You have been such a powerful group to be with and we are sorry to see it end so early. If ever you need a friend you can always call on us.

Sending warm virtual hugs to our communities around the world! Thank you for an amazing trip!

Tihei Maori Ora
Mā ta Wā

The post Hongi Spring ’20 Signing Off appeared first on International Gap Year Programs | Carpe Diem Education.

What a wild ride the past few days have been….

After we said our farewells to all the people and creatures at the Hart farm (especially to Pippi the dog!) we traveled down to the lively city of Wellington! We enjoyed a couple days strolling up and down Cuba Street, browsing the funky shops, eating at all the restaurants, and drinking TONS of boba. The hostel we stayed in was an experience, to say the least. Shane and Hanna organized an escape room for their group activity as leaders, which was a blast! (except for when Rollie accidentally opened the escape room door and ended the room early). Next we hopped on a ferry and waved goodbye to the North Island as we continued our travels south to our next destination, Whenua Iti.

A very legendary man named Joe picked us up after a quick dinner and we were on our way! We were lucky enough to sleep in bell tents for the night instead of the porch, and since we got there pretty late we went to bed quickly. The next morning we woke up and did our formal welcome and introductions (Mehi’s) with Joe and Gilby, our other instructor for the week, and spent some time testing our limits on a high ropes course.

Before disappearing into the woods, we ventured underground for a few hours of caving! We squeezed through tight cracks, waded through underground rivers, checked out some mean glow worms, and snacked on cookies in the dark!

Backpacking was a new and challenging experience for many members of the group. We hiked all 63 kilometers (39 miles) of the Abel Tasman Coastal Track, over mountains and beaches. One night we trekked until 12:30 a.m., under the light of the stars, delirious from hours and hours of walking with our packs on our backs. Shane took charge of the front, and screamed at each and every new hill that presented itself. Amelia taught us all how to expertly set up flies for sleeping under, and we all learned to absolutely DESPISE wekas, evil little birds that patrolled the campsites we stayed at and stole our things, as well as sand flies, from which many of our legs still itch. We learned a lot more about each other from hours of conversations on trail, ate our fill of PB&J wraps, and saw each other through our highest and lowest points.

The day we returned to Whenua Iti was the day we learned that we were to be returning home due to the spread of coronavirus, which was shocking after having been disconnected from the rest of the world for four days. We stayed close to camp in order to be in contact with family, and instead of leaving right away for sea kayaking, spent a day mountain biking nearby.
Sea kayaking also called for a large amount of growth. The beautiful scenery and Joe’s singing helped us find the strength we needed to cross the ocean in our kayaks. On our last morning, we woke early to watch the sunrise on the water and see the ocean come to life. We also enjoyed a final swim in the cold, cold water! (and Hanna got a reallyyyyy bad sunburn… again.)

And now here we are….. We said goodbye to Maggie at the Christchurch airport, who was able to get a flight straight back to Vancouver. We’ve spent the rest of the day hanging out in our Airbnb outside of the city, enjoying some final moments together, listening to music, playing shuttlecock, and eating a lot of pizza. Tomorrow, off to the airport!
Some final things we have learned about each other:

Hanna is the definition of granola. And creative. And is most likely going to Western Washington University.

Claire is the ultimate team player. Secretly, she likes hugs. Not so secretly, she likes pears.

Shane likes the outdoors, but the outdoors do not like Shane. Especially New Zealand bees.

Xan will make a great soccer dad someday. (GAHT!)

Rollie is The Terminator. And Arnold. (according to Gilby).

Lucas is the king of classic rock. (and by the way, he’s changing).

Conner apparently doesn’t like water as much as we all thought. Moana who?

Maggie is gone but not forgotten. And she saw a cow in transition!!

Amelia is now a vegan too (mia is spreading her gospel).

Ryker does NOT conform to gender stereotypes when it comes to hats. He bought a lady hat just to make the store owner mad.

Mia is one of the bros.

Rachael hongi’ed a weka.

Nathan can entertain a group for hours. Literally.

Liz can entertain Liz for hours. She started and finished the Abel Tasman, but did she do the middle? The world may never know…. #watertaxi

We are all very sad to be saying goodbye to this little family of ours so soon. We’ve seen each other at our best, our worst, and everything in between. The land and the people of New Zealand have shown us and taught us many valuable things; swim whenever and wherever possible; always bring a rain jacket and regular jacket; ma te wa; hokey pokey is not a dance; for people who like to live life in the slow lane, they sure drive fast; sunscreen and bug spray are essentials; if someone says “Sweet As,” they’re not talking about your butt. We’ve been inspired to go out and create change back in our own hometowns, especially now, during a time when community and solidarity are most needed, if we are to get through this.

What a wonderful adventure it has been! Kia Ora Hongi fans!

Hongi 2020, signing off.

The post Till We Meet Again appeared first on International Gap Year Programs | Carpe Diem Education.

Written By Mia & Lucas

It’s Mia and Lucas here to let you all know what we’ve been up to during the past week. We first were given the opportunity by our amazing overseas educators to explore the city of Rotorua. We started things off with a nice dinner at a local Vietnamese restaurant, sharing our excitement about the next few days of adventuring. After a great first nights’ sleep at our Airbnb, we ventured off to the downtown area of Rotorua, exploring our new surroundings for a couple of hours. After shopping and grabbing lunch, the group decided to push their comfort levels and rock climb at an indoor climbing gym. Even though some of us were a bit fearful at first, we ended up having a blast and some of us even ended up touching the roof.

Our second day in Rotorua definitely fulfilled all of our nature cravings. We hiked to the great Huka falls and looked over the railings at a waterfall that can fill an Olympic swimming pool in just 11 seconds. After witnessing this tremendous feat of nature, we hiked back to the hot springs, enjoying the contrast of hot and cold water. Feeling refreshed, we hopped in the van and drove to Lake Taupo, where we chilled by and swam in the water. The night before we left, after two weeks of being a cohesive group, we finally got assigned our first week of group roles, marking the official beginning of our adventures together.

After several hours of trying to navigate with Shane’s handwritten directions, we finally made it to the Hart Farm. While settling in to our comfy and cozy rooms, we played in the sunshine on the lawn overlooking the lake. Our competitive true colors came out in a soccer game and heated ping pong matches. Starting off strong, our first cook rotation worked with Rachel (Rachel Hart, not our OE) to prepare a delicious farm to table meal. After a great first night, the team was ready to tackle the farm work that Greg, Tim, and Zeb had laid out for us.

Over the past few days, we’ve settled into a routine. Every morning, while the cook crew prepares lunch, the chores group goes out with Greg to feed chickens and pigs, herd cows, sort eggs, and complete other miscellaneous tasks. After they return, we all go out for a group project. So far, we have fixed fences, gotten rid of invasive trees, collected pine cones for firewood, and trimmed trees for future timber. One afternoon, after a morning of chopping trees, four of us decided we couldn’t be bothered to walk all the way around the lake, so we swam back. The lake was cold, but refreshing and made a great memory for all of us.

Almost every night after dinner, we all hang out and play games or watch a documentary. So far we watched I Am, Hunt for the Wilderpeople, and The Biggest Little Farm. We also experienced our first game of Werewolf, which is essentially just a more complicated but fun version of Mafia. This also allowed us to spend time with the Hart kids, which we all enjoyed very much. Even though our time on the Hart Farm is coming to an end, the fun times and important lessons we’ve learned will always have a special place in our HARTS.

Before we go, we would like to leave you with what we’ve learned about each other over the past week:

Claire is gaining granola points every time she does something a little bit hippy.
Hanna has the voice of an angel.
Lucas loves Ol’ Reliable (clippers).
Conner is slowly getting over her fear of bees; she’s saved three bees already.
Mia is still vegan, and it still does not define her.
Amelia loves to Koala.
Liz has yet to get past the first round of any Mafia/Werewolf game.
Shane got literally pooped on.
Xan + Royal = bromance.
Rachael loooooves yoga.
Nathan lost the H in his name.
Maggie has a plethora of random talents (eg. horse running, plastic surgery face, and a boy voice).
Ryker is almost 21, like tomorrow.

Chur, bro!

The post Cheers From The Hart Farm! appeared first on International Gap Year Programs | Carpe Diem Education.

Kia Ora Hongi fans, what’s up y’all, this is real life,

After orientation we moved to Solscape, a sustainable hostel looking over the ocean, and slept in train cars for a couple nights. Here we began learning about Maori culture with Tiaki and Madi. Starting out strong at 5am, we headed over to Wairenga Falls; it was a really powerful experience. This waterfall is a place where Maori people let go of things that are weighing on them or holding them back, especially when it comes to recently deceased loved ones. After the silent proceedings, we physically and energetically cleansed ourselves in the cold water. This morning illustrated how important nature is in Maori culture.

Later that day we learned the basics of Maori language. For one hour we spoke no English and learned our Mihi, which is a formal Maori introduction that consists of speaking about our ancestry through naming mountains and bodies of water significant to us.

At the hostel we shared a kitchen with travelers from around the world, Nathan taught us some acro-balance skills on the picturesque lawn, and we (especially Xan and Amelia) bonded with a feisty kitten named Aroha. While our time here was short, Solscape was the perfect environment to cultivate long-lasting connections.

Many of us felt inspired after a visit to Xtreme Zero Waste, a recycling center in Raglan. Twenty years ago, a group of locals, Maori and non-Maori alike, approached Tuaiwa (Eva) Rickard, a prominent elder, asking what they could do to support the local Maori community. She said they could clean up the unregulated landfill hole that was poisoning their water and food sources. After clearing the landfill pile, Xtreme Zero Waste was born. For twenty years this organization has strived to turn Raglan from a linear to a circular economy, wasting nothing and reusing everything. Here we learned about Raglan’s city wide compost initiative where households and businesses are given compost bins to be picked up weekly. It is the second biggest employer in Raglan with thirty-eight local employees. Not only is this a nationally recognized organization, but countries like China and the US have been learning from their example. It was an incredibly eye opening experience that inspired us to create similar initiatives in our own local communities.

After leaving Solscape we headed to Manu Wairua, a retreat center focused on Native American ceremonies. Here we were greeted by seven excited and adorable puppies, along with Rob and Rangimarie. After sharing one room (which we all loved), we woke up early and participated in our first of many ceremonies, the sweat lodge. Some of us were extremely nervous after seeing the VERY small homemade dome where we would be dripping with sweat for the next 3 hours. However, it was the most powerful and enlightening experience many of us have ever had. The grandparents (hot stones heated by a fire dragon) were handed in and greeted before being placed in the center of the dome. Darkness ensued and with the banging of the drum, the lodge began. We discussed our gratitudes, gave away things that no longer served us, and experienced more emotion and sweat than ever before. After 3 emotionally and physically draining hours the group emerged from the dark more knowledgable and self aware. We were extremely grateful to Rob and Rangimarie for this life changing experience they shared with us. Though it might seem strange to practice Native American ceremonies in New Zealand, we found that utilizing a perspective so close to home helped us to connect the importance of Maori culture to their own land and highlighted our own lack of knowledge on indigenous people.

Upon arriving at the Marae we were welcomed with an official ceremony for our ancestors to meet the ancestors of the land where we performed the song we had been preparing, Purea Nei. Royal amazed us with an eloquent introduction and presented the elders with gifts. After the elders welcomed us and spoke about the importance of sharing their knowledge they bestowed upon us, we finished the ceremony with food. This Marae is one of the few places where the women are allowed to initiate the welcome. We ended the evening with a beautiful sunset on the beach. We shared many laughs with Ngaranoa, who has been teaching us about natural medicine and serves as the group’s adopted grandmother (she is the best). Back at the Marae we have learned about the history of the property and the struggles the people here have faced and continue to face. For years, Native Maori struggled to reclaim land that was taken from them. Though we may think of these tribes’ struggles as a tale as told as time, the reality is that their land was not rightfully returned until about thirty years ago. Still, this tribe is fighting for their rights and justice for their people.

In terms of the group dynamic, we love each other. We’ve grown closer while sharing one large sleeping space, despite the numerous annoying alarms that go off on everyone’s watch each morning. Because of that, we’ve learned each other’s sleeping habits: Rollie sleep talks, Ryker snores, and Xan insists on waking up a minute before everyone else.

Cooking for 14 has been an experience. We either end up with too much food or not enough. It usually consists of a grand idea, but then the plan completely goes off the rails. But we get by alright.

In our free time we have a group goal of X amount of pushups. We love cuddle puddles, playing BananaGrams, making fun of each other, and talking about Lord of the Rings (or at least three of us do).

We’ve spent a lot of time together; here’s what we know so far:
Conner NEEDS to be in the water, literally any water.
Amelia is an outdoor gal.
Ryker is a sweet, grumpy old man.
Shane is low key sassy, but gets away with it.
Rollie is a human dictionary.
Xan is a dictator.
Liz lives in Hotlanta and is afraid of spiders.
Hanna loves muffins.
Claire is a germaphobe.
Maggie is a Horse Girl from Canada, but it doesn’t define her.
Lucas can sleep anywhere.
Mia sings when she is uncomfortable.
Rachael has an impressive earring collection.
Nathan is a professional trickster.
And we are all weirdos.

Alright guys, let’s go salt this tofu.

Mā te Wā

Hongi Spring 2020

The post Raglan: Maori Experience with Tiaki appeared first on International Gap Year Programs | Carpe Diem Education.

Getting in our rental vehicles we made our way down the long winding road to Raglan. The drive consisted of beautiful views and awesome music. Who knew driving on the wrong side of the road could feel so right. We are staying at an eco lodge here called ‘The Institute of Awesome.’ It is tucked into the jungle with hiking trails and a short walk to a beautiful view of the sea. We went out for our first dinner together in New Zealand and went to the beach to watch the sunset afterwards. We walked on the dark volcanic sand, got our feet wet, watched local surfers, and checked out tidepools with crabs, seaweeds, and starfish.
A friend once told me that while traveling every week is a day and every day is a week. That has sure been true this week, it feels both like we just started and like we have been together as a group forever. . It has been full days of games, activities, conversations, cooking and eating together, and sleeping deeply.

The group dove bravely and thoughtfully into some tough conversations and topics. We were really touched by their vulnerability and willingness to be open with the group.

They did a scavenger hunt in Raglan in pairs. They had tasks such as talking to locals to learn some slang and get suggestions for favorite spots to visit and buying an unfamiliar fruit.

Here are a few excerpts from our scavenger hunt;

Xan and Mia said:
“After arriving in Raglan from the airport, we started orientation by getting to know each other with games and activities. We learned about the surrounding area and set up our group norms for the rest of the trip. We also created our own goals for the trip that we can change throughout the next three months. We spent a night at the beach watching the sunset, a day exploring the small beach town of Raglan, and cooked a lot of good food. We are all very excited to start the adventure outside of orientation and have already become close friends. At the Institute of Awesome, we cooked all our meals in groups, stayed in bunk beds, and watched the sunset at Inspiration point looking over the water. Overall, we are loving it!”

Rollie said:
“I thoroughly enjoyed the immersion present in the scavenger hunt. Being forced to ask the locals was an intelligent idea on the part of our OEs, and I hope that it has taught us how to consult locals in future locations. Raglan is the definition of laissez faire with surf shops on each corner and hippy baristas in each coffee shop.”

Maggie said:
“Raglan has been sweet as so far. for the scavenger hunt, Rollie and I got to explore more of this beautiful town. The locals here are extremely kind and welcoming. Many of the tasks we had to get done involved meeting new people and learning how to live without our cellphones. The scenery is breathtaking here and we’re excited to go on more adventures! ma te wa!”

Shane and Conner said:
“We got a really cool new exotic fruit called a pawpaw. We are excited to enjoy this juicy fruit. The people of Raglan are very friendly and relaxed. There are good vibes all over the town. We are having fun and look forward to the next three months.”

Ryker and Amelia said:
“Hey! This is Ryker & Amelia, and we are killin’ it here in Raglan, New Zealand. Amelia is currently locked out of her email, but she says hi. We just finished orientation last night and it was a bittersweet feeling. It was amazing to barrell past the long (but very fun) group lessons yet those few days really brought us all together. What started out as an awkward body spelling of Carpe Diem at the airport, is now a special camaraderie with very strong connections. Albeit, it’s not all butterflies and rainbows, but it’s great laughs and fascinating games that make us slightly suspicious of Nathan now (that’s right, at least one of us is watching you closely ‘Sherlock’). It is refreshing being in Raglan for the locals are incredibly polite and kind. When Amelia & I would be staring at maps with what must have been highly confused expressions, locals would offer their help and navigate the map with us. It was weird asking random people for their top 5 favorite places or gently forcing a man with a falcon on his shirt to take a photo with us where half our faces are cut off. Ryker may have also mistaken a woman with an American accent as a local which she proceeded to say she isn’t a local. Also asking a man drinking at a bar to use his phone (since we have time traveled out of this decade) was extremely normalized when he was super sweet about it. Ryker would be very nervous if this scavenger hunt took place in Fort Lauderdale. But all in all, this is only the beginning of more wild and amazing adventures with a really great group of our peers and our loved OE’s. “A day feels like a long week, and a week feels like a long day.”

Liz and Claire said:
“Hey! This is Liz and Claire. I’m currently locked out of my email, like a few others here, but were working on the issue. Our first few days here have been absolutely amazing! We have had a great time getting to know one and have shared many laughs and fun moments. My favorite thing that we have done is last night when we went to look at the sunset up at inspiration point, where you can see the mountains and the ocean. I am so happy that I am here, and I’m loving the beautiful Raglan! We loved doing our scavenger hunt together, and most of all the delicious ice cream we got. Bye guys!”

Lucas said:
“Greetings from Raglan! The group has just embarked on our second exploration through the city, stopping at local coffee shops and grabbing some delicious grub from the restaurants. Our first time here gave me the opportunity to explore the city through a scavenger hunt, which pushed my peers and I out of our comfort zones and allowed us to learn more about the people living here. At a local surf shop, I met some very helpful employees, one of which has actually surfed the beaches near my house in the States. Can’t wait for what’s to come next!”
Maggie said

Hanna said:
“Hanna and Lucas here! We spent the day exploring the lovely town of Raglan. Everyone is so kind and laid back, and the beaches are beautiful. For lunch we stopped for fish and chips and also a coffee. During our scavenger hunt we found a little surf shop where one of the employees was happened to be from California, and he told us about all the best places for surfing along with fun local slang! (jandals, not sandals here). After completing all of our tasks we hung out at the beach for a couple hours with Maggie and Rollie and people watched!”

We left the Institute of Awesome this morning and have spent a couple hours in Raglan using the library computers and exploring. Hopefully some of you reading this have heard directly from your loved one! This afternoon we are meeting Tiaki to start our week of Maori cultural immersion. Until next blog, friends!

The post Kia Ora Friends & Families! appeared first on International Gap Year Programs | Carpe Diem Education.

Dear Friends and Family of the Hongi Crew:

We have received word that the group has landed safely in Auckland. The Overseas Educators report that it was a smooth flight and that all are well, if not a bit tired. The group will now pick up their rental vans, and make the short trip to Raglan where they will begin their orientation. We wish them all well in their journey to come!

All the best Hongi!

The post Hongi Has Landed In New Zealand! appeared first on International Gap Year Programs | Carpe Diem Education.

Dear Hongi Friends and Family:

We wanted to update you and let you know that the Hongi group has safely arrived at LAX. The group will go through security and then dive into a few introduction and orientation activities led by their Overseas Educators, Rachael and Nathan. The group will then embark on their long flight over the Pacific Ocean, en route to Auckland, New Zealand!

We will provide an update once the group has safely landed in Auckland.

All the best,

Team Carpe

The post Hongi Group Together In Los Angeles appeared first on International Gap Year Programs | Carpe Diem Education.

This is Rachael and Nathan your OE’s. This is the blog we will be taking turns writing on throughout our semester. It is a platform to share our experiences, challenges, joys, and some photos with friends and family.

We are currently hanging out (haha) with the other OE teams in Portland enjoying a semi sunny day wandering around, getting to know each other, and preparing for our upcoming adventure.

We are really excited to meet all of you soon and journey to this beautiful part of the world!

Rachael can’t wait to discover this region along with the group as this will be her first time in the South Pacific! She is really looking forward to learning about Maori culture, hopefully some language and of course diving.

Nathan is looking forward to reconnecting with old friends and contacts in Raglan, our first stop, and spending his birthday at Sheoak ridge where we end!

While we may be new faces in the airport in a short couple of days, over the next couple months we will get to know each other really well as we share space, meals, conversations, growth, and magical moments.

Here’s hoping your winter has been cozy and full of quality time with loved ones. We recommend you take the next couple days for some deep rest, favorite foods, and goodbyes.

Can’t wait to meet you Feb 12th in LAX at 4:00 pm at the Air New Zealand check in counter!

The post Bula, G’day & Kia Ora Hongi Crew! appeared first on International Gap Year Programs | Carpe Diem Education.

A – Australia has every dangerous animal imaginable.
B – Be a conscious traveller.
C – Challenges help us grow as individuals.
D – Drive on the left side of the road.
E – Expedition mentality.
F – Farming can be unsustainable.
G – Giving back to our hosts is powerful.
H – Hostels are a cheap way to travel.
I – Internet labs replaced our need for a phone.
J – Justice is needed for indigenous cultures.
K – Killing spiders may be satisfying in the moment but the march flies will come for you.
L – Live in the moment.
M – March flies are worse than mosquitos.
N – Nakuku village is where the happiest people live.
O – Oranges become expensive when you take them through customs.
P – Permaculture is the most regenerative way to live.
Q – Quality of life isn’t determined by wealth.
R – Rainforests are a retreat from the heat.
S – SCUBA diving opens career opportunities.
T – The Great Barrier Reef is recovering from coral bleaching.
U – Under the stars there’s a world to explore.
V – Volunteering is a good way to make connections.
W – Wallabies will cuddle if you let them.
X – X-rays may or may not show broken bones.
Y – You are never done learning even when you think you know enough.
Z – Zoos are the worst way to explore wildlife when you can just go outside.

Sitting in the New Zealand airport waiting to board our final flight to LA, I am overcome with joy. We couldn’t have asked for a better group this semester. All of you worked so hard and you put yourselves into your growth zones. You arrived to us eager for opportunities that would change you lives forever. We got to experience festivals and shows that no other group has ever experienced before. We connected with contacts who enlightened our ways of thinking and showed up so much patience and empathy in the process. So Alec, Hunter, Jackson, Lily, Lottie, Nicole, Noah, Rasheed, Sierra, Sophie, Toren and Trish thank you so much for a magical 3 months and all that you taught us along the way. It has been an absolute pleasure to get to know each and everyone of you. You are all so special and have powerful Mana. This is going to need each and everyone of you. So as we say goodbye just remember to lean into the discomfort, leave it better than you found it, show gratitude to the people you care for, and as always Mā Te Wā!

We love you all,
Sarah and Nathan

The post So Long, South Pacific appeared first on International Gap Year Programs | Carpe Diem Education.

This is Hunter and Sierra giving you all an update on our most recent journey Down Under. On Nov. 10th, we arrived at our first destination in Australia: Sheoak Ridge. The people at Sheoak—Claire and Marcus—strive to protect native eco-systems in far North Queensland on their 165-acre property. They conduct research, work on rehabilitating wallabies, practice mindful land management, and provide unique opportunities for students of all ages to get hands-on experience with land maintenance.

During our first full day here at Sheoak (Nov. 11th), we learned about indigenous land management as well as an introduction to Aboriginal culture. We also had an introduction to macropods—animals with “big feet”—before working with wallabies that afternoon. Everyone had the wonderful opportunity to feed and snuggle wild wallabies that are forgoing the process of rehabilitation. We wrapped up the night with a movie conveying the intense and diabolical treatment of the Aboriginal people during European colonization of Australia. By night, we camp in tents under the Australian luminescent stars.

Our second day was just as lovely as the first: We jumped into work in land management by building a new vegetable garden on the property, scooping horse poop, spreading gravel, and laying cinder blocks. Because of the vegetable garden that we started for Marcus and Claire, they will become completely sustainable to feed the many large groups they host, including future Carpe groups! That night, we had a big campfire down at camp and sang songs and told stories with all of Hongi. The nights here are incredibly magical.

On our third day here at Sheoak, Claire took some of us on an early morning nature walk! We saw many different native birds on the property. While spotting birds, Claire taught us about all the techniques these animals use to survive and collect food in the area. That day, we worked closer to camp and cleared out shrubs, via fire and hand tools, that will allow for Claire and Marcus to host larger groups in the future. After our morning session of work, Claire took us to a nearby lagoon where we cooled off and swam. After we cooled off, Jackson was the first to give his presentation on permaculture regarding our experiences in New Zealand. And yet again, we had another campfire and played games that stimulated lots of laughter. Hehe.

During our fourth day, some students went with Claire on another early morning nature walk, but this time we were attempting to spot… wait for it… PLATYPUSES! Unfortunately, being still and quiet isn’t the groups forte; therefore, the platypuses had a forewarning that we were coming. Being near the creek, though, was extremely humbling and a great way to start another great day hard at work. After work and after lunch, Claire gave us a presentation on her career working as an entomologist with glowworms; she worked with David Attenborough and National Geographic! She’s also the only glowworm expert in all of Australia! How lucky are we??

The next day, we had the opportunity to ride Claire and Marcus’s horses. Everyone enjoyed them thoroughly and was passionate to ride them some more in the next days coming. That day, our work consisted of trail maintenance and digging irrigation ditches. We moseyed down to the lagoon again for another cool, relaxing afternoon. By dinnertime, Marcus had prepared us a delicious meal—as he does everyday.

Fast forward to the next day, we had the day off of work, and Marcus took us to a remote waterfall about 30 minutes away from Sheoak. The trailhead for the waterfall starts on a closed road that used to connect the area that Sheoak sits on with Port Douglas. The road is now used as a biking/horse trail. The waterfall was about an hour’s hike, but it was beyond worth the steep cliffs that we conquered. We got to swim in natural pools at the top of the massive waterfall while enjoying the incredible views below. Once we returned to camp a few hours later, we had some downtime and Sierra gave her presentation on her Environmental Science course. After her presentation, we relaxed until more wallaby feeding, dinner, a night walk in the rainforest, and another nice campfire.

Sunday was a very impactful day, as we had an Aboriginal native named Duncan speak to us about Aboriginal culture and indigenous rights. Everyone was deeply moved by his testimony and the story of his people. For centuries—and even to this day—Aboriginal people have suffered discrimination, oppression, and injustice. All of us are inspired to bring these insights about indigenous cultures and the Aborigines back to the States in hopes of speaking up about the unfair treatment toward indigenous people all over the world. During the afternoon, we broke off into groups for our light work day. Some of us built frog hotels while others made wooden signs to label the many facilities on the property.

On Monday, the gang had the day off from volunteer work at Sheoak and took the day to travel to Mossman Gorge and Port Douglas. Mossman Gorge is situated just past a traditional Aboriginal community, so it was neat to see the stories we heard from Duncan the day prior unfold into real life. Many of us swam at the Gorge with the other tourists there. Afterwards, we made our way to Port Douglas where we had some town time to shop, search for Internet cafes, and work on some of our PSU presentations.

The following day, we got back into service work on Marc & Julie’s property—friends to Claire & Marcus who run Sheoak Ridge. We all put our environmental conservationist skills to the test as we removed barbed wire fences and cut a brand new trail through the rainforest that sits on their property. Their property was incredibly beautiful, and as a payment for our efforts, Marc & Julie cooked us a delicious pasta meal for lunch with tomatoes sourced right from their garden. After lunch, they also let us swim in their pool where we played a ton of different pool games as a group. It was truly a unique and rewarding experience that we’ll cherish forever.

Our last day at Sheoak came a lot quicker than any of us could’ve expected. We ate our breakfast, packed our lunch for the day, and headed out to Granite Gorge where we got to feed wild rock wallabies as well as cuddle with rehabilitated snakes. We also hiked around the gorge and saw incredibly beautiful contrast in the unique rock outcrops with the red desert soil of Australia. We had one last celebratory Thai-style meal that Marcus cooked for us when we got back to Sheoak that evening. We exchanged our thanks to Claire & Marcus for being such wonderful hosts, and Toren & Jackson presented them a poem they wrote as well as a few art pieces they drew to express our deep gratitude for our time at Sheoak Ridge. There were a lot of misty eyes that night at the dinner table, to say the least. It has been a truly special experience to stay at a nature reserve with an abundance of wallabies, snakes, birds, spiders, and all other kinds of critters of Australia with Claire & Marcus. These are moments we will never forget.

We’ve thoroughly enjoyed our time here at Sheoak Ridge. As sad as we are to say goodbye to this lovely land and people, we are equally as excited to move onto SCUBA diving out of Cairns for the next 5 days. We have learned so much about land and animal conservation as well as having lots of personal reflection as we gear up for the end of our semester. We have just about 2 weeks left until we come home, and we have lots to experience from now until then.

This is Sierra and Hunter signing off. Until next time! Sweet as, mate.

P.S. We can’t wait to see everyone soon!

The post G’day From Australia! appeared first on International Gap Year Programs | Carpe Diem Education.

Kia Ora! It’s Rasheed and Lily here and we are extremely excited to update everyone on our upcoming adventure. Since our time in Nakuku village, we have been vigorously planning and brainstorming on potential ideas for our week of student directed travel. During student directed travel, us 12 students have come up with an exhilarating itinerary. We have all put in lots of hard work into finding activities that are suitable for everyone. We will begin our week on Thursday, October 25th, after leaving the Hart farm and heading to Tongariro. We will spend 2 nights there. During our time in Tongariro, we will hike the Tongariro crossing which is an 18 kilometer day hike. After Tongariro, we will move along to our next destination. On the 26th, we will arrive in Rotorua with lots of activities planned. We are scheduled to enjoy the geothermal pools as well as many other exciting activities. In addition to the geothermal pools, we are lined up to go rock climbing and do a Redwood tree walk lit by lanterns at nighttime. On the 28th, we leave to embark on our next journey in Whitianga. Whitianga is known for its lush beaches and sunshine. We are planning on utilizing kayaks and seeing where the wind takes us from there. After our time in Whitianga is up, we will head to Raglan where we will meet Tiaki and continue our journey. Although we are enjoying our time at the Hart farm, the anticipation for student directed travel is continuing to build.

The post Student Directed Travel appeared first on International Gap Year Programs | Carpe Diem Education.

It is hard to grasp the fact that our week on the Hart Farm is finally coming to an end… It feels like just yesterday that we rolled up in the “Blue Whale” van a tad soaked from our town time grabbing lunch before meeting our lovely hosts Rachel and Greg Hart. Hongi instantly felt at home and couldn’t contain our excitement when we heard about the copious amounts of animals we were going to be able to interact with this week. From milking the dairy cows to feeding the hens, every single one of us got to experience what farm life was like and the true meaning behind farm to table. We were split up into 3 crews for the week, and each crew had certain tasks for the day. While one group went out with Greg for morning chores to milk the cows, collect eggs, and feed the baby animals, another stayed with Rachel to cook the delicious meals and keep the lodge tidy. The last group were the lazy ones, sleeping in after their hard day of work the day before. Aside from these crews, each day we got the chance to go out with Greg and work on a variety of sections of the fifteen-hundred acres. Whether it be placing weed mats around the newly planted native trees surrounding the lake, collecting an insane amount of kale from the veg garden, or pruning trees, we all had a job to do. Once we started our work, we met some new companions to help us out. We all got our dog fix when we met the three farm dogs, Kate, Seb, and Pippy who were there for a good snuggle for they were not the best at their own jobs of herding the cattle. The Hart Farm is known for its welcoming attitude toward wwoofers, so our typical family dinners with fourteen people grew to eighteen. We were joined by a Kiwi and Brit mix family, a Frenchman, and the Hart’s. There was also a Japanese family living on the farm helping manage the stock, but more importantly raising two adorable lambs that we got to feed in the mornings. When we were not working, we thoroughly enjoyed the moments of free time in the stunning lodge where we read, played card games, practiced yoga, and even rocked out in a student lead Zumba class. The Hart’s children came home from boarding school for the weekend and we got to enjoy a day with them heading into the bustling town of Napier with a few pitstops on the way. Along the hour drive to Napier, we stopped at a few sites worth noting. Our first stop was at a local candy and antique shop where every group member of Hongi got to spend a bit of money on some sweets, all of us were satisfied. It was a family run shop which was headed by a refugee family from Zimbabwe, they imported African art into their antique store. The second stop was at a local bee farm and shop where we saw an exhibit on how Manuka honey is locally produced. In the shopping area, there was a tasting exhibit where you could sample eight different flavors of infused honey. Covered in just about every free sample we could obtain and smelling like sweet flowers, we drove to the local stadium to watch the Magpies compete in the semi finals of the regional tournament for rugby! It was such a treat to experience a true New Zealand blue bird day while watching the most popular sport in the country. Though it took most of us the entirety of the match to understand the unique rules, we loved making as much noise as we could and went wild when “our” team won in overtime. Buzzing with excitement after the game, we were taken to Napier’s downtown where an arts festival was happening. Our group split up to go explore the free museums, light shows, food trucks, djs, and the silent disco where the majority of Hongi could be found shamelessly dancing amidst a parking garage full of strangers. The nights we were not dancing our behinds off were spent watching documentaries that stimulated group discussion on topics such as permaculture, sustainable living, and regenerative farming. The group lead discussions after each documentary opened minds about how humans as a species could be regenerating the earth through our agriculture instead of destroying it.

We can’t express how grateful we are for the Hart’s and their hospitality this last week. Hongi has thoroughly enjoyed the time at this farm.

Below are some photos of our time here.

The post Wwoofing In New Zealand appeared first on International Gap Year Programs | Carpe Diem Education.

Kia ora!

A big hello from Alec, Nicole, and the rest of Hongi! We are excited to be the ones to fill you in on everything that has happened this last week. This week’s leaders were Alec and Sofie!

Alec: Being a leader for a week was honestly very stressful at times. It challenged me in many different ways that I never would have thought of, like planning tiny details that normally go over my head and taking charge and pointing fingers to tell people what to do. It also made me realize that being a leader is difficult a lot of the time because it’s hard to fulfill everyone’s needs with just one solution/plan. Despite these challenges, I cannot thank my peers enough for the week of fun we all had as well as all the lessons I learned.

After our stunning and beautiful trek on the Abel Tasman, we had a day of rest at the Riwaka River Resurgence to take some time for self reflection, constructive feedback to other members of the group, and positive feedback as well. Being in such a special place as the resurgence, we were able to dive deep into our thoughts and take time to step back and appreciate one another. The reason that this place is special begins with what rivers and bodies of water mean to the Maori. They believe that water is the bloodline straight from Mother Earth; it gives life and connects all living things. For this reason, this resurgence in particular was used as a sacred place for the women of local Maori tribes to give birth to their children. Being able to explore this environment and fill our bottles from this sacred source of water was truly an incredible experience.

After our day of much needed rest, it wasn’t too long before we were all packing for our 3-day sea kayaking journey. Our first day of kayaking started early so we could catch good weather and have some daylight to set up camp. Most of us were first time sea kayakers so our long paddle the first day was a fun new challenge (we also improved a lot by the end of the trip). Our first day brought a strong headwind, but the sunshine and blue skies kept us motivated during the paddle. We stayed our two nights at the same campsite as our last night tramping on the Abel Tasman. This campsite accommodated us with both a beautiful beach and hiking trails to explore. Both our nights here were filled with lots of laughs, fun talks around the campfire and some gourmet meals (one night we even had a pork roast and fresh chocolate cake). On our second day of paddling, we kayaked out to a few bays- some of which we got to pass through while backpacking- and ate some lunch on a beach. While on the beach we also got some cool lessons from one of the Whenua Iti guides on the history Abel Tasman and on how the tides work. Due to the poor cooperation of the weather, we were forced to have an earlier day than we would have liked. Despite this, everyone appreciated the downtime as well as a hike the entire group went on. The next day, we had another early morning to hopefully beat some rain. As we paddled back to our van we abandoned on the beach, but not without stopping by Adele Island to see tons of seals. Despite having a tailwind to expedite our travels, the rain was persistent and made for packing up the gear in the van seem a lot longer than it really was. The warm showers and cups of hot chocolate back at Whenua Iti were much deserved after cleaning all the gear.

The adventure which came next was mountain biking. Again, we had many beginners but still had an amazing time. We got to bike some well renowned trails and face awesome challenges. This day was a highlight for many in the group, it was a great way for us to get out of our comfort zones and appreciate where we were. One mountain biking group even had the opportunity to bike up a mountain and lookout on the city and ocean, using shimmies as motivation. The following day, we had to sadly say our goodbyes to Whenua Iti and embark on the following adventure. We are all truly grateful for our time spent and lessons learned at Whenua Iti, we will bring this experience with us for the rest of our lives.

We arrived in Wellington after a few taxis and a ferry ride. We were even treated to a few movies in a mini theatre on the ferry. It was an interesting transition to go from spending most of our time in nature at Whenua Iti to fast paced city life in Wellington, the capital of NZ. We stayed in a big hostel and got to meet many travelers. Much of our time in Wellington was spent exploring, including scoping the coffee shops, going to Internet cafes, running on the oceanfront. and walking down Cuba street (a Main Street filled with lots of fun shops and thrift stores). As a group we went to Te Papa museum and watched “Once Upon a Time in Hollywood” in theaters.

We look forward to the rest of our journey and appreciate you all keeping updated on our adventures!
-Nicole and Alec

The post Outdoor Adventures appeared first on International Gap Year Programs | Carpe Diem Education.

Kia Ora. Hello everyone, it’s Jackson and Trish and we are so excited to have the opportunity to blog for you all again. Tonight we have the official changing of the guards which means that tomorrow we will have new jobs and will no longer be the group bloggers. I know we only had the opportunity to blog twice but I am so happy we have been able to give you these updates. Our lives as part of Hongi Fall 2019 have been action packed since you last heard from us and we are so excited to share with you. Our last blog came from The Palace Backpackers hostel in Nelson where we had a few days off to get oriented with life in New Zealand. Some of the highlights of our days there include:

– Fresh free pastries delivered each morning by our hostel host Dave

– The New Zealand Sunday market with fresh fruit and second hand items for us too poke through

– An incredible hour long yoga session with the entirety of Hongi 2019

– A few relaxed days to message home, mail overweight items back to the states and do some shopping for snacks.

On Tuesday morning we got up early and once again had our classic breakfast of toast, fresh fruit and pastries and packed up to leave. It was finally time to head out of Nelson and start our first big activity of New Zealand: Whenua Iti. That would mean thirteen days out of contact as well as thirteen days of outdoor education and… sleeping outdoors in the rain, frost, and freezing temps! Our first day was filled with adventure. We met Rob at about ten in the morning and made our way to Pupu Springs, the home of some of the clearest water in the world and a beautiful nature reserve for the Maori people. As sad as it was that we weren’t able to swim, we were much more appreciative knowing this natural spring has been preserved since 2007. From there we got back in our luxuriously spacious bus and made our way up to the Whenua Iti compound. Without much thought to it, we put our packs down and hit the ground running. Our first activity was the high ropes course which was an amazing and a challenging experience for everyone regardless of their experience level.

Jackson’s POV: I loved the high ropes course and had an amazing time. I had done some similar things before but not in a while and it was very exciting to get back up there even despite my fear of heights. I was happy to climb as well as belay others.

Trish’s POV: Before seeing the ropes course I was honestly super excited. Then we walked over to where the course is and my excitement instantly turned to fear. I have always been afraid of heights and in the past year I have worked on overcoming that. Well I guess this was a lot higher than I even expected. My belay team was Toren, Noah, and Alec. I don’t know why I was so terrified of it but climbing up the ladder and feeling it shake instantly made me freeze. One of our educators here at Whenua Iti, Gilby, kept encouraging me to push myself higher up the ladder. I got myself onto the log in the air before coming back down but I did it! I am super proud of myself and I learned how to belay which was amazing.

After that amazing experience we began to wind down for the evening and had our evening discussion about the three days of tramping ahead. Our discussions of packing and trekking with so much weight was slightly overwhelming but the excitement was building. After food separation and final packing we sat down for dinner and then quickly retired to bed to prepare for the days ahead. Sleeping outside in sleeping bags in the -6 degree Celsius weather was not the most comfortable but it properly prepared us for the hike ahead. Wednesday was the big day!

We woke up, had some breakfast, packed up and headed to our first campsite at the Abel Tasman National Park. We set up our rain flies and explored the beautiful sunny coast before an intense CDL (Carpe Diem Lesson) about feedback involving group dynamics. Played a fun group game and then had our very first camping meal of bean heavy nachos…. Made for a very smelly night in close quarters (Thank you, Alec).

The next morning started with a beautiful sunrise on the beach and a Maori cultural lesson on the meaning of “aroha,” a Maori term that translates to “love.” Then came the 2 hour trek to beat the tide and get across the bay for breakfast. I (Trish) struggled with the first few kilometers being completely new to hiking but the group was absolutely amazing and supportive. For the first few hours all of the guys alternated with my pack on their chest and their own on their back.

We barely made the crossing in time and had to take our shoes and socks off to wade through the freezing knee deep water. It only made us appreciate our warm breakfast of Muesli even more. We then trekked the next beautiful 17.2 kilometers all the way to Bark Bay, our next campsite. The rain storm that quickly rolled in made for a hectic evening in setting up rain flies and preparing to sleep but through group determination and a positive attitude we set everything up.

Due to brutal chaffing, Trish headed to the next campsite via a beautiful water taxi (and Sarah!) and the rest of the group set off on 12 more kilometers of hiking to meet them. The views once again were stunning and the weather held off for a great day of tramping. The group even got to stop at Cleopatra’s Pool, a watering hole and naturally-formed water slide. Only Toren, Alec, Sophie and myself (Jackson) took to the cold waters. We all thoroughly enjoyed it though.

Our next campsite, despite the sand flies, was extremely convenient due to our large accessible fire pit, communal camping area and good trees for our rain flies. Our night once again was filled with fun campfire talk, great food and some chopping wood. Our next 12 kilometers seemed to fly by, even with the rain that blurred our views and wet the trail. Our sore bodies were exhausted and very excited to see Gilby and Trish at the end of the trail. Our short bus ride was much appreciated as we all quickly fell asleep. Cleaning up and returning gear was quite difficult due to our exhaustion but looking back on our trek we all recognized how great of an experience it was.

The post Trekking with Whenua Iti appeared first on International Gap Year Programs | Carpe Diem Education.

My name is Jackson Tahmoush, and my name is Trish Pizzica. Today we are sitting in an amazing hostel in Nelson, New Zealand but this is the recap of our past weeks with Hongi Fall 2019. After a beautiful and sunny orientation in the Tubakula Beachside Bungalows right outside Sigatoka, we made our way to Suva for a day and eventually all the way up to a remote village on the north island called Nakuku. Before we talk about the amazing, action-filled time we had in the village, we want to recap some of the best moments of our first five days.

We met our group of 14 at the LAX airport at just about 5:30 pm on the 11th of September and our trip officially began. Some of us even had the pleasure of seeing Tom Holland in the airport. Shortly before our flight we had our very first Hongi introduction full of laughter.

One of the best moments for many of us was finally arriving at Tubakula after multiple days of travel and stepping onto our first Fijian beach. We were all jet lagged and exhausted but the feeling of amazement we had upon arrival was indescribable. We spent our time there doing fun learning activities, creating our group agreements/rules, and getting to know each other. One of our final assignments was going into Sigatoka and doing the scavenger hunt where we all made our very first blog post as a group.

After Tubakula we traveled to Suva on our way to Nakuku. We had town time and got to interact with locals. Then we went on our way. Two 3 hour bus rides, a 4 hour ferry, and the bumpiest back of a truck we have ever been in and we finally made it to Nakuku. Our local contact Kali helped explain what to expect before heading into the village before we all dawned our sulus and went to our welcome ceremony.

Kali, representing our group, presented the village elders with a kava root and upon acceptance we were officially welcomed to stay. Then we got to meet our homestay families who presented us all with flower necklaces. Our homestay moms we called Nana, and our homestay dads we called Tata. Lily and I (Trish) were homestay sisters. Our family for the week had no children so it just ended up being us. Alec and I (Jackson) were homestay partners, and due to the absence of our host parents for the majority of the week were given the chance to enjoy our hill top house alone for the week. After meeting our families, we all headed for tea at the dining house.

Outside of our homestays, the majority of our time was filled with cement path making, star gazing, group activities and making music. I think I can speak on the behalf of the whole group in saying we thoroughly enjoyed the entirety of our stay and hope to someday return to the village of Nakuku.

– Jackson & Trish

The post Hugs and high-fives from Nakuku appeared first on International Gap Year Programs | Carpe Diem Education.

Cheers,
Lottie and Rasheed

This is Noah contacting you from an internet cafe in Sigatoka, along with Alec. The group as a whole has enjoyed getting to know each other in our first few days together. We’ve been fortunate to have decent weather, although it also has been raining quite a bit. The lodge we are staying at is fantastic, but the materials provided for cooking have not been ideal. We are all enjoying our stay in Fiji so far.

Vinaka,

Noah and Alec

Bula and Hello!

This is the best scavenger hunt group coming at you from an internet cafe in Sigatoka. We are currently leading the scavenger hunt but there is no surprise there. The weather here thus far has been amazing and everything is stunning. We have had some pretty great group made meals and had some fun orientation activities as well as jam sessions. Inside jokes are already under way and we cannot wait to see what comes of this group. Time to get back to winning!!

If the pasta sticks,
Jackson and Trish

Bula from Sigatoka, Fiji!

This is Hunter and Sierra coming at you live from our first encounter at an internet cafe! Fiji has been a pleasant experience and all the locals here treat us very nicely. It’s been so fun getting to know everybody in the group; we’re really bonding well. We’ve spent the past few days at our accommodation at the Tubakula Bungalows where we’ve been having orientation between swims at the beach. We’ve seen a ton of cool sea animals like blue star fish, eels, and a sea cucumber?? We’ve been learning a lot about group dynamics as well as setting up an appreciative, healthy cohort culture.

On our first day in town, we picked up groceries from the supermarket as well as from a nearby street market. We’ve cooked all meals at the bungalows, and so far all the food has been delicious and mostly edible!

Soon we head out for our home-stay in a village on another Fijian island!

Thanks for tuning in! Until next time,
Sierra & Hunter

It’s Toren and Sophie here! Were kicking butt at this scavenger hunt and are ready for the rest of this adventure! We are having an amazing time at the Tubakula Bungalows and are both super excited for the homestay. Inside jokes have already begun and our nightly jam sessions are some of the best times yet. We’ll keep you updated!

The post Hongi Scavenger Hunt Check-ins appeared first on International Gap Year Programs | Carpe Diem Education.

The post Safe arrival in Fiji! appeared first on International Gap Year Programs | Carpe Diem Education.

Dear Hongi Friends and Family:

We wanted to update you and let you know that the Hongi group has safely arrived at LAX. The group will go through security and then dive into a few introduction and orientation activities led by their Overseas Educators, Sarah and Nathan. The group will then embark on their long flight over the Pacific Ocean, en route to Nadi, Fiji!

We will provide an update once the group has safely landed in Nadi and settled into their new accommodations.

All the best,

Team Carpe

The post Hongi Group Together in Los Angeles! appeared first on International Gap Year Programs | Carpe Diem Education.

Before we get to what we have done this week, we want to tell you a few things about us!

SARAH:
Hey everyone! I’m stoked to be heading back to the South Pacific with Carpe Diem for the second time on semester, and for the…fifth? Sixth? Seventh time overall? New Zealand is like a second home for me, and I get so much joy being able to share my enthusiasm for the land and our contacts with students. I’ve been working in experiential education/trip leading for about four years now, and outside of the South Pacific, I’ve had a chance to work in countries like Costa Rica, Spain, and Iceland. I love running, yoga, outdoor sports, cycle touring, and generally seeking out new adventures. You’ll see that I’m wearing a super stylish boot in these blog photos…don’t worry – while I may be hobbling early on in the semester, it only slows me down a little (and for just a little bit longer).

I’m most excited to head back to the Hart Farm to learn more about sustainability, spend time with our Maori contact in Raglan, sing songs with community members in Fiji, and to see what kind of personal lessons we all learn along the way.

NATHAN:
Hi y’all my name is Nathan and I am so excited to be here! I am a 28 year old wanderer who loves to juggle and climb trees! I grew up in Western Washington and lived in Oregon for the last 5 years. I have spent time in Australia, Zanzibar, Tanzania, Kenya, Rwanda, Georgia, and Azerbaijan. I have been facilitating adventures for 10 years in all sorts of roles, from being a cabin leader at a summer camp to teaching college classes at university. I finished my schooling with a Master Degree in Outdoor Adventure and Expedition Leadership from Southern Oregon University. If you are wondering what that degree means, no worries – so do I. Essentially, I got a degree in travelling and being outside all the time.

Some of my hopes and dreams this term are to explore the New Zealand islands in depth, to SCUBA the Great Barrier Reef, and to see students become comfortable in their growth zones.

In preparation for our semester, we just spent the last two weeks in the Portland area for Carpe Diem’s staff orientation! To say it was a lot of fun would be an understatement. During training, we covered all of the important stuff that you would imagine goes into a semester program – budgets, risk management, policies, co-OE working styles, itinerary details, program expectations – the list goes on and on. We also had time to really get to know each other. While camping in Milo McIver State Park, we joined forces on the annual OE team vs. OE team scavenger hunt, eventually ending with a powerful 3rd place finish. Sitting on a sunny dock for hours talking, laughing and watching Larry the Llama dance could be considered one of our favorite parts of training (we can’t wait for you to meet Larry). All the OEs at Carpe Diem are super passionate about international travel, and it was a blast getting a chance to connect, learn from one another, and have a lot of fun preparing for the adventure ahead.

Takeoff is in just a few days, so don’t hesitate to email or reach out with any last minute questions! We’ll see you all at 5:30PM at the Air New Zealand check-in counter on September 11.

Adventure awaits!

The post Let The Adventure Begin appeared first on International Gap Year Programs | Carpe Diem Education.

Greetings from the Other Side!

Here we are, writing the final dispatch from Bilbo Bloggins, as we look out over the nearby cloud-capped peak of Mt. Doom. Here at the One Bean to Rule Them All Cafe, the guy at the table next to me sports a familiarly flowing white beard, and the guy in line had hairy bare feet… but that might just have been Joe.

Just kidding! (Sorry, Thomas!)

We’re actually at the ocean, on a cloudy fall day on the Coromandel Peninsula, our “private beach” stretching out to the calm blue waters. It’s arguably the 9th most beautiful beach in the world.

By now, you all are home, sharing stories of milking cows with farmer Greg and of kava-loving nanas to your friends and family, who may be staring at you boggle-eyed as you attempt to teach them the joys of Pukana. We hope you are all happily enjoying the good things home has to offer, from salad bar runs at Wholefoods to Sportscenter updates. As for me, I found a Countdown with over-priced packs of La Croix and have been contentedly crushing several lime flavored La Croixs per day. All is well in the world.

While our three month whirlwind together is now over, we hope you all have endless memories and lessons that you’ll look back on fondly, and that you’ll take with you to your next chapter in life.

If you ever want to reach out, remember that we are here, virtually neighbors over the good old internet. And if you’re ever passing through Colorado and want to go on a little adventure, you all have a standing invitation to come reminisce about long Hongis with Joe and Rob, sweat lodges, and overly friendly wallabies while we go tramping in the Rocky Mountains.

Til then, may your chilly bins remain cold, your dacks be free of nuggets, and your next adventures be sweet as.

Much love from your former OEs,

Brave

The post Greetings From The Other Side appeared first on International Gap Year Programs | Carpe Diem Education.

Our last week was just like so many others in that it was memorable, adventurous, and exhausting. I’m going to miss being on the constant go, traveling somewhere new and different every few days, but I think everyone is also ready to depart, return home, and slow down.
After our retreat at Chenrezig, the group including myself enjoyed our night out in Brisbane watching and later singing the Book of Mormon (but mostly Laura!).

I highly recommend watching the Book of Mormon, as I found it to be educational and the funniest play on earth! We spent our last days together hiking and exploring the Blue Mountains. We were amazed as we gazed upon those royal blue mountains and all that mother nature has to offer.

The post Final Week appeared first on International Gap Year Programs | Carpe Diem Education.

G’day, mates!

Our adventures this week began with a couple of very long travel days as we made our way from Fiji to Australia. This included a layover in Auckland, New Zealand, which gave us one day where we were in three different countries! We also had the opportunity to spend a night in our most luxurious accommodation yet: The Brisbane Airport. Sleeping in an airport, as we found, is a simple matter of finding the coziest patch of floor (or row of chairs), rolling out our trusty sleeping bags, and being tired enough to sleep through TVs playing, florescent lights, and construction work being done inside the terminal. It was nothing we couldn’t handle!

When we finally arrived at our destination of Sheoak Ridge, a nature reserve outside of Cairns, we were warmly welcomed by our hosts Claire and Marcus (and Menzie, one of Claire’s wallabies). Our accommodations were some snazzy tents, allowing us to be fully immersed in Australia’s natural world. This description would not be complete without a mention of the composting toilets: Although we are well-used to this eco-friendly alternative, it was always a gamble this week as to whether we would be joined by a giant spider every time we took a trip to the “loo.” This definitely added a sense of suspense to our daily routine. Our week consisted of learning about the tropical rainforest around us through a combination of lectures from Claire and Marcus, manual labor projects, activities, and hanging out with the resident macropods and birds. Some of our manual labor projects included pulling up unwanted roots and burning them, adding an extra layer of mesh around the chicken coop, and cutting down protruding vines and branches along the edge of the rainforest and along a jungle path. Other activities included a beach cleanup, a fascinating presentation by a member of the Aboriginal Australian community, a hike, and some nature walks.

The wallabies were joined by a number of pademelons, some chickens, a few turkeys, and a handful of rather odd-looking birds called curlews. One of the littlest pademelons (named Billy) had an injured leg, so Claire put him in a tiny orange cast and carried him around with her in a homemade pouch. Billy was the image of cuteness! Menzie, being larger and a bit awkward in his ways, had his own brand of cuteness: He was essentially a dog, but in the form of a wallaby, so he would often come to hang out with us in our open air hangout zone called The Cortex.

Easter was a jolly affair thanks to Claire, who was kind enough to organize an Easter egg hunt for us. Faced with the prospect of finding a giant chocolate bunny and a smattering of chocolate eggs, I was immediately spurred into action and before I knew what was happening I had sprinted up the hill and collected so much chocolate that I had to cradle it all in my shirt. Needless to say, I was the clear winner (having only shoved a couple of people out of my way in my haste).

For our last night, Marcus created a highly entertaining trivia quiz about Australian (Aussie) slang, at which we all tried our best. There were many words and phrases that none of us had ever heard before, such as “get a wriggle on” = get moving, “squiz” = take a look at, “bogan” = the Aussie equivalent of a redneck.

Through our experiences this week, we learned about the diverse ecosystems that exist within Australia, the importance of being conscientious about how we are affecting the natural world in our day-to-day lives, and what we can do to leave the planet better than we found it.

After saying goodbye to Sheoak Ridge, we spent one night at a cute, little hostel in Cains before flying down to Brisbane (or “Brizzy,” as they say here) where we spent one night. Today we are heading to our next and almost final adventure: The Chenrezig Buddhist Institute. We are all very excited and curious about what this will be like!

That’s it for today, folks! Hope you enjoyed!

Brought to you by Laura

P.S. This week also included a celebration of our very own April, whose 18th birthday was on Thursday! Although we were on the move that day, we still managed to celebrate with lava cake and a night out in Brizzy, not to mention a window seat on the plane. In Brisbane, we all went out to eat at a spaghetti restaurant and then a few of us took a ride on a giant Ferris wheel. It was a hopping good time!
 
[ezcol_1half]

The post Nature Reserve Near Cains appeared first on International Gap Year Programs | Carpe Diem Education.

After a sad farewell to Nakuku, we piled in the truck to head back to Savusavu, where we went scuba diving for a few days. For most of us, it was our first time diving, and the experience was surreal. We saw so many cool fish and beautiful coral, and we learned many skills to get our open water certifications. While we were diving we stayed at a placed called the “Pristine Lodge” with a man named Shanqar, who Thomas quickly named as his new “Tata”. This name came about after Thomas lost his passport and, thinking that he would be staying in Fiji for four more weeks, decided he needed a new Tata to stay with. Of course, shortly after, Bria and Thomas left us to head to Suva to try to get Thomas a new passport so he could indeed leave Fiji on time. On our last day in Savusavu, Tata made us a huge feast of Indian food which we all devoured quickly, as we were hungry from scuba diving and had acquired big appetites from our time at the village. The next day, we hopped back on the bus ferry to go back to Suva, where we met back up with Bria, Thomas, and a new passport, thankfully, and prepared for our trip back to Nadi. The next day, we hopped back on Nazil’s adventure bus, and headed back to Nadi, making a few stops at a huge sand dune and a nice beach, where we got caught in hurricane like waves and rain but still had a great time. We arrived at our hostel (which was on the beach!) and had a nice, relaxing night, preparing ourselves for the next two travel days to Australia. The next morning, we said mode to Fiji and boarded our plane to Auckland, to transfer to one headed to Brisbane, where we spent the night in “Hotel Car Rental” (the carpet in front of the car rental desk) until we got on our plane the next day to Cairns, got in our new van and headed up to Sheoak Ridge, where our next adventures await!

The post Final Days In Fiji appeared first on International Gap Year Programs | Carpe Diem Education.

Bula from Fiji! Lydia here, reporting to you from the shores of Savusavu on Vanua Levu, the smaller of the two big islands that are a part of the 300 plus islands that make up Fiji as a whole. We’re soaking up the sun and have been thoroughly enjoying our time thus far. Once we left Auckland on the 27th, we traveled to Nadi, which we soon learned was pronounced Nandi, as the letter “D” in Fijian makes an “nd” sound. We stayed in Nadi for a few days, orientating ourselves to the heat and the new culture around us. Many of us had our first experiences of bargaining with locals and eating street food as well. We also got to spend some well deserved time at the beach, where we played the game “Chopped” (if you’ve never seen the show, the premise is there are a few teams of chefs competing to see whose meal is the best) with ingredients gathered from a local Fijian market. Thomas and Laura’s dish won the competition, with their watermelon and mint filled coconut shells. We also visited a Hindu temple in Nadi, where we learned that much of the hostility between native Fijians and the Indians that live here stems from the fact that the Indians were brought over with the British as slaves. After we left Nadi, we traveled to Suva with Nasil, “the legendary Carpe Diem driver”. We made a few stops at the beach and in town, and we jammed out on his party bus. We arrived in Suva after a short four hours, then went to bed soon after to prepare for our travel to the village. We woke up at three a.m., hopped on a bus at 4:30, and headed to the ferry which brought us from Viti Levu over to Savusavu. We met Kali there, and hopped in the back of a commercial truck, and drove to the village. When we arrived in Nakuku, we threw our sulus on and greeted the villagers with an offering of a kava root. Soon after, we met our Nanas and Tatas and settled into our cozy homes. We spent the majority of the week building sidewalks around the village so that the villagers would be able to safely travel around. We carved our names into the sidewalk, and we were reminded by the chief that these sidewalks would be here long after we passed away, and that generations of the village would know who we were and how we helped Nakuku in this way. Our meals were filled with delicious pastries, lots of “suca” (sugar) and tea, Fijian curry, fried rice, and stir fry all homemade by the Nanas every day for us. We feasted like kings and queens all thanks to the wonderful Nanas who cooked for us. While we ate, they would say to us “eat big! Eat big!” And at the end of every meal, we would say “Vinaka nakana Nana” meaning,”thank you for the food”. At night we drank kava, the ceremonial tea made from the root of the kava plant. The villagers would pass around cups and sing songs late into the night, and sometimes not be able to wake up in the morning from “too much grog” (the drink made from the root). Our week in Nakuku was amazing, and I speak on behalf of the group that many aspects of it were life changing. To see how the villagers lived, with no technology, not many luxuries, even no toilet paper, but they still smiled the biggest smiles and laughed loudly as they could, when they could. They worked hard during the day, the Tatas helping us build the sidewalk, and the Nanas cooking, ate good food, drank kava at night, slept hard, and woke up and did it all over again. They also were so inviting of us into their homes, they genuinely wanted us to be there and wanted us to be a part of their family. They loved us like family, and we are so grateful for Nakuku. With that, I will say farewell for now, best wishes, and more adventures to come soon. Mode!

[ezcol_1half]

[/ezcol_1half][ezcol_1half_end]

[/ezcol_1half_end]

The post Exploring Fiji appeared first on International Gap Year Programs | Carpe Diem Education.

At the beginning of this week we helped garden one more time at Solscape and then we packed our things and said goodbye to our awesome little tipis, as well as everyone we met there. We then met up with Tiaki and reflected on everything we had learned from him over the past week. To show our gratitude we sang him the song “Imagine” by John Lennon, which talks about imagining a world where all the people are one and there is no separation, which Tiaki had talked about a lot over the past week. We finished our goodbye singing “Putiana,” a Maori song we learned earlier that week, that is very very catchy. After a long heartfelt Hongi we loaded up the 12 passenger van and set off on our student directed travel.

We drove 3 hours east to our first destination, Rotorua. The car ride was long and we were all very happy to get some dinner. Lucky for us there was a little street food fair that we all ate dinner at, and listened to some live music from locals. The next day we explored the city of Rotorua and some of us went to the natural hot springs. Although the hot springs made the whole city smell like rotten eggs, they were amazing and the city was adorable. The following morning we packed our things and went to the famous Redwood forest. The trees were massive and reminded some of us of the northern forest back in the states. After a couple hours of walking around in the enchanting forest we had a picnic lunch and drove to Tauranga.

When we got to Tauranga we first went to Pori Pori falls and took a much needed dip in the cold water. It was one of the prettiest waterholes we have been to this entire trip and everyone enjoyed exploring all the different aspects of it. The next two days in Tauranga consisted of hiking mount Maunganui and enjoying time at the beach as well as the city. On our final day in Tauranga we went to a zip lining / ropes course place and everyone challenged themselves greatly. We all felt like we were on Survivor on some of the activities, but it was a blast. That night the group decided to participate in normal civilization, and went to the movie theater.

This week has been directed entirely by us, the students, andI it definitely had something for everyone to enjoy along the way. We are now in Auckland enjoying our very last day in New Zealand, and to celebrate we are going to go out and have a big “family” dinner. Fiji here we come.

[ezcol_1half]

The post Student Directed Travel appeared first on International Gap Year Programs | Carpe Diem Education.

At the start of this week we were still at the Hart family farm. We said our goodbyes on the 11th and woke up and headed straight for Ragland after picking up a massive van for the group to travel in over the next two weeks. After our painstakingly long 3 hour drive to Raglan, we ended up at an awesome backpackers hostel right up the road from the black sand beaches of Raglan. The next day and a half had no activities planned, allowing everyone to explore the tiny surf town, go to the beach, take surf lessons and catch up on some long needed personal time. The following day we meet up with our Maori contact Tiaki in town. He was tasked with introducing us to the Maori culture and growing our group dynamic in the process. We introduced ourselves in proper Maori fashion, stating land markers such as rivers and mountains to define where we lived and then headed straight to our next place of residence. We were greeted by Rob and his wife Tongmadia, two New Zealand locals who also happened to be Indigenous to North America, and their 7 dogs and horse George. We were awoken early the next morning in order to participate in a Native American sweat lodge ceremony in order to cleanse our mind, body and soul for the rest of the journey. Part of Tiaki’s plan for the week was to get the group better connected with our native roots and not just his New Zealand ones, and Rob and Tongmadia were instrumental in this. Later that night he brought over two local Maori that happened to be our age, Maddie and Elijah. They taught us the proper Maori way to do our introduction, as well as a beautiful song and many other various things about the Maori. The next morning we woke up to hear the horrible news of the Christchurch shooting, killing 50 victims and damaging the hearts of many more. This ripple of pain was felt by all of us, and Rob allowed us to participate in a Native American ceremony in order to honor all those that were hurt by this tragic incident. Later that day we were talking to a sacred Maori waterfall in order to cleanse ourselves of this great pain and make amends with those who had fallen. The next day we said our goodbyes to Rob, Tongmodia, Maddie, and Elijah and headed off to our hostel for the rest of the week, Solscape. It sat on the hillside overlooking the beautiful Raglan coast line. We stayed in tipis deep in the forest behind the hostel with no electricity or hot water. Over the next two days we went on a hike with Tiaki, connecting us back to the connectedness of the entire world, and were taught about the tragic injustice that the Maori people have suffered over the years. That about sums up the entire week. The group is looking forward to the next week of student directed travel to Rotorua and Tauranga. I can speak on everyone’s behalf that we are excited to see how the rest of this journey unfolds with each week seeming better than the last!

[ezcol_1half]

The post Learning About Maori Culture appeared first on International Gap Year Programs | Carpe Diem Education.

Our week at the Harts family farm started with an early morning March fourth to catch a ferry from Picton to Wellington, a two hour drive from the cute town of Nelson where we have been staying for a few nights. The ferry ride was long but very pretty, many of us slept, enjoyed the views of the bay between the North and South Island as well as eating at the cafes on the ferry. When we arrived to Wellington we dropped our stuff at the hostel before going to check out the FREE state of the art Te Papa Natural History Museum that is famous to New Zealand. The team had a free night to explore the capital city of New Zealand where many of us got seafood at the Crab Shack. Yum!

Waking up the next morning was tough, we had to catch a 6 o’clock shuttle to the bus station where we took a 5 hour bus ride to Waipukurau where we met our contacts Greg and Rachel Hart who are owners of the amazing farm we stayed at this week. When we arrived to the farm all of us were amazed at its beauty and pristine. We were met with gorgeous views of their own personal lake (horseshoe lake), as well has the amazing eco lodge we were staying in. The lodge was connected to a natural water system connected to a worm composting system and all the water in the house was reused rain water. The lodge was just the start to all the renewable energy and sustainability this farm had to offer. That evening Rachel made a delicious dinner of farm grown burgers and sausages, potatoes, kale salad, coleslaw and veggie burgers made from scratch, a wonderful way to kick off our week here at this epic farm.

Every morning this week a group of us would get up early to start the farm chores that get done everyday when the rest of us were able to sleep in. Starting off with hooking the 20 dairy cows the farm has up to the milkers to get the milk that feeds all the other animals at the farm as well as the milk we drink back at the lodge. We then fed the piggies, calves and chickens the cow milk, learned about regenerative farming, which focuses mostly on creating soil and compost, and lastly collecting chicken eggs. Before lunch the majority of the group helped make and move compost for the gardens around the farm while a few of us stayed back to make lunch. Rachel taught us how to make homemade mayonnaise, hummus and sourdough bread. YUMMY! After lunch the group helped clear out old garden beds for Claire and Tim, another family living on the farm. It was hard work and the crew felt pretty beat as well as accomplished with what we had just gotten done. After dinner, Greg showed us the documentary I AM, the group discussion about it after, which opened a lot of people’s eyes. We had our first bites of the homemade bread we made earlier in the day, the full two loaves were gone within 15 minutes of the bread coming out of the oven. Extra YUMMY!

Throughout the week we all helped the Hart family around the farm, from weeding gardens to building a firepit for the family to enjoy, our days were full of hard work, fun and group bonding. One day Bria sat us down and gave us a lesson on the key to happiness, a very easy concept: Do what you say you are going to do. We got a really special lesson from Tim one day about how to butcher a sheep that he slaughtered the day before. That night we had a fantastic dinner of fresh pulled lamb and veggies. Greg and Rachel’s two boys, William and George came back from boarding school for the weekend so they also joined us for dinner. We got a yummy treat of apple crumble and hokey pokey ice cream (signature flavor of New Zealand) for dessert that night. YUMMY! Greg showed us the documentary Food, Inc. a film about corporate food production and where American meat comes from. A very gruesome yet eye opening film about the sad truth about the food we eat and how its made.

Our week at the Mangarara family farm was a blast filled with yummy YUMMY food, good times, and lots of learning about sustainability and farming and consciousness of what goes into our bodies and how we can save the planet, slowly but surely. Big BIG thanks to Greg and Rachel for being incredible hosts.

[ezcol_1half]

The post Life On The Farm appeared first on International Gap Year Programs | Carpe Diem Education.

This week was a long and interesting week which was for the most part spent with the Whenua Iti organization. To begin his week we started off by going on a caving trip, which was uncomfortable to some and not so much for others. We split up into groups of seven and went into the cave through two separate entrances, where we spent a few hours underground and had to really use our communication skills as well as really had to learn how to trust and be there for members of the group.

After this trip we spent a day or so back at Whenua Iti preparing for our sea kayaking trip. When the day came and we had packed all our gear we set off to the Abel Tasman national park, where we would start our three day journey. When we arrived we unloaded our gear and Joe and Rob, our Whenua Iti leaders, gave us a really detailed orientation on how to use the kayaks properly and safely then we set off. From the get go, most of us had a hard time, but some learned faster than others. Ryan in particular, seemed to have the whole thing down, speeding by everyone with his fast strokes through the water. Me personally at the start, I struggled at first like many others but eventually after lunch i figured the rhythm out. Later we got to our campsite where we would stay for the next two nights. After we unloaded our stuff many people laid in the sun, which ultimately led to some pretty good sunburns, particularly Tayva and Thomas. Our master chef that night April, cooked us a really good meal which really topped off a great start to our trip.

The next day we set off on a little trip and checked out some more historical sites and checked out different lagoons and beaches. After the trip we came back and spent most of the day exploring the park or relaxing. Me and Anna, George, Lydia, Savannah went to a beach neighboring ours and swam in the ocean for quite some time and went on some more hikes afterwards. While we did that the other half of the group chilled at the campsite.
The next day we all woke up early where we made it back to base. When we landed and finished our trip we all went and got ice cream to end up our trip. We made it back to base and played games and relaxed till the next day when we set off on our next adventure on a hike up Mt Arthur.
Our final day consisted of us hiking up the mountain. Many people enjoyed it and some us struggled due to hiking being a very hard task. We got to the top and took a nap and ate lunch before finishing our day there.The day we left we said a farewell to Whenua Iti with some songs and a skit. It was sad to leave but it was great trip all together.
 
[ezcol_1half]

The post Whenua Iti And Beyond appeared first on International Gap Year Programs | Carpe Diem Education.

We arrived in Christchurch after a long flight full of naps and movies. Our time in Christchurch was brief but very helpful, as we mapped and planned out our itinerary week by week. All the while continuing to get to one another through fun group bonding activities.

After a few adventurous days in Christchurch exploring the city, the group set off to Nelson and met up with the Whenua Iti Outdoor School guides Rob and Joe (both of whom have fantastic personalities and outlooks on life). To welcome us into Nelson, they drove us to a beach and taught us their ways, and a Maori greeting, the hongi (our group’s name).

On our way to The Outpost, we stopped at Rob and Joe’s most secret of swimming holes. After a competitive splash competition, we gathered our belongings and were off once again to the Golden Bay, where our hosts Greg and Rose made us feel like we were at home (much love for those special, loving people). Over the next three days we each challenged ourselves to step out of our comfort zones to experience some amazing stuff (as all of us expanded our comfort zones).

Noah led the crew through some brush alongside a lake we wanted to swim in. Once we reached a clearing we found a beach covered in geese poo, but decided it would do. We cooled ourselves off and Anna came up with a brilliant idea of rubbing the mud on our faces. Apparently it would be beneficial to our skin.

The following morning we had an early rise and took to the beach. At the beach we caught the sunrise over some majestic mountains and witnessed the power of the vast ocean. Before we walked the beach, Rob led us through some yuan xi gong (a mind/body movement). We quickly realized you should never go anywhere in New Zealand without your raincoat. Finishing up the day we set off on a 4 hour hike up a mountain close by (man when we reached the top it was beautiful). Leaving the Outpost was sad yet moving as we performed a Maori warrior dance (“Mauraku”) for Greg and Rose to show our gratitude.

All is well, each day I feel like the group is bonding well and becoming our own family. We’re all having a blast and everyday seems to be more adventurous and challenging than the previous. By the way, April is the queen of chess, that’s the way the cookie crumble, and stayed tuned for next week’s exciting blog.

The post Updates From New Zealand appeared first on International Gap Year Programs | Carpe Diem Education.

The post 1st Week Photos appeared first on International Gap Year Programs | Carpe Diem Education.

Dear Friends and Family of the Carpe Diem Hongi Group:

The Hongi group has landed safely in Christchurch, New Zealand, and have settled into their new downtown accommodation. They will spend the day exploring their area of the city, finding some local food, and resting from the long journey.

Moving forward, the Hongi group will have the opportunity to update this blog and share their amazing stories with you. Be on the lookout for a weekly blog post (though of course be flexible, knowing that internet options vary), and enjoy following along in their upcoming adventures.

Hongi crew: we are all wishing you an experience of growth, adventure, and learning as your traveling community explores the beauty of New Zealand, Fiji, and Australia!

All the best, friends.

The post Hongi Has Arrived! appeared first on International Gap Year Programs | Carpe Diem Education.

We wanted to let you know that the Hongi group has come together at last, safe and sound in the LAX airport. Once going through security, the group will be diving into a few introduction and orientation activities with their Overseas Educators, Bria and Dave. They will then embark upon the long journey over to Christchurch, New Zealand.

We will update you again once the group has safely arrived in Christchurch.

All the best,

Team Carpe

The post Hongi Group together at LAX appeared first on International Gap Year Programs | Carpe Diem Education.

In just one short week we will all be meeting as a group for the first time in the LAX airport, about to hop on a (very looong) flight to New Zealand! We hope these last few weeks have been filled with family, friends, and general excitement for the upcoming adventure ahead!

Here are a few words of wisdom from us regarding packing…

Dave: “Headlamp or bust!’

Bria: “Don’t neglect your passions…bring at least one non-essential hobby item!” (watercolors, sketchpad, yoga mat, smallish instrument, travel chess set, etc!)

Dave: “Hint hint…. compression sack for your sleeping bag!”

Bria: “When in doubt, leave it out!” (that is, don’t bring too many clothes or things you don’t want to leave behind if you’re not using it…. you’ll gain things along the way!)

Other important packing considerations may include: snacks, snacks, snacks! (unless you’re a big fan of airplane food), small tupperware for leftovers on semester and camping, rain jacket, and PASSPORT!!

You may be curious about who we are, these mysterious Overseas Educators you’ll soon be meeting at the airport. We’ll give you a few hints. Dave loves running uphill (and the mountains in general!) and periodically haunting the kitchen for a midnight snack attack. Bria is an avid wearer of fuzzy robes (don’t worry, she won’t show up at the airport in one…she just likes being cozy!), and will be bringing a mystery instrument (not a guitar… any guesses?). We both love reading, so feel free to ask us for recommendations. Make sure to ask Dave about his heroic dog rescue feat. Other than that, we look forward to getting to know you in person and learning about each of you over the course of our three months together in the South Pacific!

See you soooon!
Bria and Dave

The post Kia Ora, Hongi Team! appeared first on International Gap Year Programs | Carpe Diem Education.

Somehow, December 6th came and went. It feels like just a few days ago that we were all circling up (in the first of many circles) at the SFO airport – but, according to the length of the girls’ hair and the boys’ beards, more than just a few days have passed since then.

And what a journey we shared – 12 weeks filled with ups and downs as we traveled through three countries in the South Pacific. Bouts of scabies, bottles of coconut oil, a dog named Poopy, colorful Fijian van drivers, sleeping under the stars in swags (“swaygs”), a guest appearance by The Rubberbandits, protests, newspaper fame, so many allergies, unbearably squeaky hostel beds, cement-covered work gloves, and infinite laughter. To make a list of all of our memories would take a lifetime, and would still be incomplete.

Of course, our semester was more than just fleeting jokes and moments of goofiness. The past twelve weeks were also dotted with tremendous personal growth, reflection, challenge, and success. We went from 12 strangers making it work to one complete family, filled with unique personalities, baggage, and unconditional love. Even with the best itinerary and most amazing contacts, an experience is only as good as the people you share it with. And oh, how lucky we all were.

Thank you for making Hongi 2018 such a powerful experience. Hongi crew, it was YOUR dedication, engagement, enthusiasm, leadership, cohesion, and compassion that made our three months together so special, and us to feel so fortunate time and time again. What a pleasure it will be to follow along in all your many future adventures. Until next time, friends, wherever that reunion may be.

With love and gratitude and many blue skies,
Paff and Spice

The post Final Blog: Spaff Edition appeared first on International Gap Year Programs | Carpe Diem Education.

The post Family Time at Hart Family Farm appeared first on International Gap Year Programs | Carpe Diem Education.

Latrell Margraff

The post Gratitude and Realization appeared first on International Gap Year Programs | Carpe Diem Education.

We have just finished an amazing yet tiring week of student directed travel. Over the past three days we have spent fifteen hours in vans and three on a boat if that paints a picture for you. After finishing a fantastic week with Whenua Iti, we embarked on our self made journey. However, our plan quickly wen haywire when we found out the main road we needed to take down to the south end of the south island of New Zealand was closed so we completely replanned the entire week after weeks of preparations. That did not damage our spirit, and we reinvented an entirely new itinerary which I can say worked out marvelously. We made our way down the island, making camping stops by the Franz Josef glacier and other beautiful places along the way. Most of the campsites we stayed at had no kitchen facilities so we decided to make the greatest cold cut sandwiches of all time. Once we made it all the way down the island we unfortunately had to drive all the way up to catch a ferry over to the north island which was much less fun than the drives down the island. We got to spend a nice recovery day in the New Zealand capital of Wellington where we found the greatest burgers of all time (Josh, Cooper, and I each had four on the day). Then today we drove another seven hours from Wellington to Hamilton. We hope everything is going great at all of our respective homes. See ya soon. Peter Kelsh

The post Adventures in New Zealand appeared first on International Gap Year Programs | Carpe Diem Education.

Hello family and friends and anyone else viewing this blog! Sorry I am writing this a little late, but we just spent the last week doing some pretty awesome stuff. When we first arrived in Christchurch, New Zealand last week we spent two days exploring the city. Then we flew to Nelson which is at the top of the south island and was picked up by a Whenua Iti member and brought to their base camp. We met Joni, one of the leaders/guides for the week, as well as Joe (aka Joeses) in the morning. They officially welcomed us to their home with a beautiful prayer and some hongis, which is a traditional Maori greeting. We spent the next day on the high ropes and finished off the day with some trapeze. I only missed the bar once!

The next three days were spent hiking the Abel Tasman. OH MY GOD IT WAS BEAUTIFUL! Each day we hiked about 6 hours with our backpacks full of gear. Joe told us many stories about the creation of the world from the Maori perspective. It was super cool to hear and learn from him. We hiked through estuary’s and rivers to get to this awesome pool called Cleopatra’s pool, with a natural and very cold water slide. I mean VERY cold but so worth it. That same day we were welcomed by some high schoolers who were on a Maori learning trip. We met up with them later on the beach and they performed a Haka for us. Before we had dinner they let us use their 12 person waka, which is a big canoe. It was hard to get the rhythm going at first, but on our way back we had a nice, in sync swing going.

Unfortunately, we had to cut our sea kayaking trip to one day due to weather conditions, but I think we all still had a fantastic time. We kayaked for a while past some bays and then attempted to sail our way back.

Our last day spent with Whenua was spent in an awesome cave! We put our jumpsuits, boots, helmets and headlamps on and entered the cave. We had a map to navigate the cave and find the VERY small holes and tubes to fit our bodies through. At one point we had to squeeze through a hole where we went head first with our feet dangling in the air. It was pretty funny to watch.

Overall this was a week to remember. We were very lucky to have Joe and Joni be our guides and for them to show and teach us about this beautiful part of the world. Poroporoaki pai hoki inainei, which means “goodbye for now.”

The post Kiora Everyone! appeared first on International Gap Year Programs | Carpe Diem Education.

After we exited Savu Savu we headed the Vuadomo village. As soon as we hopped off the transport we were greeted by dozens of villagers singing, clapping, and showering us with a welcome we will never forget. We were seated (on the ground) inside a shed (it wasn’t really a shed but they called it that for some reason) and were introduced to the village by Kali who requested their blessing in welcoming us into the villager’s homes. This was followed up by a ceremonial Kava circle (so they must have granted his request) and soon after were introduced to our new mothers, fathers, siblings, uncles, aunts, cousins, dogs, and just about anyone who would qualify as a family member. And when I say, “introduced” I am understating. We were embraced by the family and all its entirety. Within two days people would call us by name and wave to myself and everyone else in the group as we walked through the village. People both whom we knew, and did not.

And that is what makes the village so special, it is a community! Everyone is involved, and close together, it is more like a family of 100 people, than just people who know each other because they live next door. And that is so much different from how it is in America. Even the children half my age would help grown men twice my age with putting cement down on the sidewalk we were building for the village. We constructed two sidewalks, one that would lead to a loading zone, and the other that lead to an elderly woman’s house. We would then spend the afternoon swimming in their gorgeous waterfall and playing rugby, volleyball, and soccer with villagers, again some of whom we knew, and some of whom we did not. We were truly part of the village for a week, a home away from home. And that is what made it so incredibly hard to leave.

We had a phenomenal final night with the villagers and the party they had prepared for us, in retrospect it felt almost like a misguided celebration. We will all truly miss them. But on the flip side, I know everyone wants to return and when they do they will be welcomed with open arms. That’s all I got for now. Hope y’all enjoyed.

The post Home Away From Home appeared first on International Gap Year Programs | Carpe Diem Education.

Hi family and friends! We have finished our time in Australia and have been in Fiji for the past week enjoying the sun, water and local hospitality of the islands. Commencing this part of the trip was a bittersweet moment because we had to part ways with one of our beloved members, Justin (aka J-Wade), in Sydney. We have missed his presence from the humorous comments he makes to his spontaneous hugs; we will never forget the wonderful month we had with him in Australia! On the 15th of October, we took a 4-hour flight from Sydney to Nadi on Sarah’s (aka Mack’s) birthday and arrived at the Fiji airport to locals playing guitar and singing happy birthday in a perfectly harmonized tune. As we waited for our bus to take us to the hostel we would stay at, Cooper, Pete, Latrell and Eric showed the locals how we Americans enjoy inflicting pain on one another by shooting coins at knuckles until they bleed and playing hand tennis until hands become bruised and swollen! When it did arrive, we were driven to a hostel with a beautiful beach and friendly feral cats (Josh befriended one whom he named Richard) and we spent one relaxed night there resting before our next day of full, intense travel.

On the 16th of October, we woke up early, packed our bags and met our tour guide named Nazil who drove us in his party van playing Fijian remixes of 90’s to early 2000’s American pop songs. As we traversed through the islands, he pointed out the sleeping giant carved in the mountains, took us to sand dunes and brought us to a shop to purchase our first ever sulus. It was clear to us from the beginning that Fiji is a beautiful place but the wealth gap between tourists and locals came as somewhat of a culture shock (we knew it existed but to see it is another story). For example, throughout the landscape, we would see gated community ads near local tin-roofed homes which were very much directed towards a tourist audience. Another realization we came across is the privilege we have of not worrying about the cleanliness of drinking water (in Fiji, Americans are not accustomed to the bacteria in the water and therefore, we sterilize it as much as possible). However, Sarah (aka Roman) pointed out how happy the local Fijians are with living such a simple life; it really does put our lives in perspective and give us a reason to be grateful for our own lives. Near the end of the day, Nazil dropped us off at a ferry we would take to SavuSavu. It was a stressful 12 hours of making sure we bought enough food beforehand to last us the long boat ride, making sure that we had enough of our belongings with us since we would have no access to our hiking backpacks and making sure we all boarded the ferry at a certain time (which wasn’t necessary since the boat didn’t take off until 2 hours later – Fiji time is not as reliable as American time). Pete who made sure we all got on the boat did such a great job under pressure and our team leader, Cooper, made sure we all stayed calm. Even with the anxiety of this part of the travel, Josh inspired us all to have a positive outlook on this experience expressing how lucky we are to have this opportunity to travel this way (“it’s part of the journey” as he put it). Another heartwarming moment was watching Eric and Sarah (aka Mack) play with two Fijian children (they are naturals when it comes to interacting with kids). Though many of us did experience homesickness and seasickness, we made it through and finally reached SavuSavu the next morning!

On the 17th of October, we woke up aching and disoriented but relieved. When we got to our hostel, we rested the whole day which was much needed. The only activity we had planned was to have a cultural and health safety talk with Sarah (aka G-Spice) and Matt (aka Paff). For the next week, we learned how to dive from local scuba diving instructors named Rodney, Cava, Gina, Timtam, and Maureen. Diving in Fiji is amazing because the visibility is so clear, the water is warm and the vibrancy of colors and variety of species underwater is bountiful. Everyone loved the experience so much; Caoimhe had a “Finding Nemo” experience of swimming through a school of fish and Josh went diving 8 times! We took a small boat to locations like Dream House (there were sharks and barracuda), Purple Garden (beautiful coral such as ghost coral), Turtle alley and Grotto (many many turtles). On the last day of our time in SavuSavu, we drank Cava with our dive instructors and a couple of NewZealanders we dove with, and we went out for a barbecue where we danced to live music. Though we are sad to be leaving, we are beginning a new chapter heading into a local village where we will be living in home-stays!

To all of our friends and family, we miss you all very much and can’t wait to share these experiences with you when we get home

The post Bula Bula Bula Walkin’ Everywhere appeared first on International Gap Year Programs | Carpe Diem Education.

Departure from Sydney and arrival at Fiji.

The post Syndey & Fiji Part II: A Photo Story appeared first on International Gap Year Programs | Carpe Diem Education.

Departure from Sydney and arrival at Fiji.

The post Sydney & Fiji Part I: A Photo Story appeared first on International Gap Year Programs | Carpe Diem Education.

]]> https://carpediemeducation.org/sheoak-ridge-nature-reserve-a-photo-story/ Mon, 22 Oct 2018 16:25:36 +0000 https://www.carpediemeducation.org/?p=32494 … Read More

The post Sheoak Ridge Nature Reserve: A Photo Story appeared first on International Gap Year Programs | Carpe Diem Education.

]]>

The post Sheoak Ridge Nature Reserve: A Photo Story appeared first on International Gap Year Programs | Carpe Diem Education.

]]> https://carpediemeducation.org/australia-photo-story-part-ii/ Wed, 10 Oct 2018 22:28:27 +0000 https://www.carpediemeducation.org/?p=32291 By Peter Kelsh
Here are some additional pictures of our times in the Outback through present day in Newcastle, Australia.… Read More

The post Australia Photo Story: Part II appeared first on International Gap Year Programs | Carpe Diem Education.

]]> By Peter Kelsh

Here are some additional pictures of our times in the Outback through present day in Newcastle, Australia.

The post Australia Photo Story: Part II appeared first on International Gap Year Programs | Carpe Diem Education.

]]> https://carpediemeducation.org/australia-photo-story-part-i/ Wed, 10 Oct 2018 22:15:02 +0000 https://www.carpediemeducation.org/?p=32269 By Peter Kelsh
These are some pictures of our time in Sheoak Ridge and the Outback.… Read More

The post Australia Photo Story: Part I appeared first on International Gap Year Programs | Carpe Diem Education.

]]> By Peter Kelsh

These are some pictures of our time in Sheoak Ridge and the Outback.

The post Australia Photo Story: Part I appeared first on International Gap Year Programs | Carpe Diem Education.

]]> https://carpediemeducation.org/heigh-ho-its-off-to-work-we-go/ Tue, 09 Oct 2018 15:55:22 +0000 https://www.carpediemeducation.org/?p=32236 By Justin Wade
Hello, again viewers!
Yesterday after a long train ride, we made it to Newcastle. We are staying in a really really nice dorm with a TV, beach, and a bunch of other stuff to keep us entertained. It isn’t just fun and games, though, as for this week we have to help out with a conservation group by doing some manual labor. Today we ended up planting… Read More

The post Heigh Ho, It’s Off to Work We Go… appeared first on International Gap Year Programs | Carpe Diem Education.

]]> By Justin Wade

Hello, again viewers!

Yesterday after a long train ride, we made it to Newcastle. We are staying in a really really nice dorm with a TV, beach, and a bunch of other stuff to keep us entertained. It isn’t just fun and games, though, as for this week we have to help out with a conservation group by doing some manual labor. Today we ended up planting trees which was pretty enjoyable in my opinion aside from the rain. Did I mention that it will be raining all this week? Yay! The staff are also incredibly nice, as well as the locals, we’ve been encountering along the trip. Anyway, that’s all from me today! Arrivederci (goodbye in Italian).

The post Heigh Ho, It’s Off to Work We Go… appeared first on International Gap Year Programs | Carpe Diem Education.

]]> https://carpediemeducation.org/enlightened-but-hungry/ Sun, 07 Oct 2018 20:04:10 +0000 https://www.carpediemeducation.org/?p=32211 By Peter Kelsh
Good morning, afternoon, or evening, readers. After a couple of fun days in the Hamptons-esque town of Noosa, Australia, we boarded a train for Chenrezig, a Buddhist monastery in the hills of Eudlo.
Chenrezig had beautiful prayer flags draping the mountain and a large Stupa that had to be circumambulated clockwise. However, it was much easier for some of the group members to enjoy the scenery than… Read More

The post Enlightened, but Hungry appeared first on International Gap Year Programs | Carpe Diem Education.

]]> By Peter Kelsh

Good morning, afternoon, or evening, readers. After a couple of fun days in the Hamptons-esque town of Noosa, Australia, we boarded a train for Chenrezig, a Buddhist monastery in the hills of Eudlo.

Chenrezig had beautiful prayer flags draping the mountain and a large Stupa that had to be circumambulated clockwise. However, it was much easier for some of the group members to enjoy the scenery than the rest (the girls’ dormitory sat atop the hills while the boys and OEs had to endure a grueling trek up the snake-infested stairs multiple times every day). It was hard to adjust to the Buddhist vegan diet and soup for dinner….. every…..single…..day, but we also had some pretty solid dishes.

Each day began with a morning meditation and motivation which was followed by teachings on the pursuit of happiness, housekeeping duties, or some free time (AKA nap time). We also had the privilege of hearing the resident teacher Geshe-la the Tibetan monk who had the cutest laugh of all time. He spoke to us through a translator from Israel who was also very knowledgeable about the Buddhist faith.

We also witnessed an all-nun Puja, a Buddhist prayer service. Alas, it was time to embark on a new journey in a new state of wisdom and understanding. We took a train back into Brisbane and spent two nights in a hostel. On our only full day, we got to go to a free museum/art gallery and the Marvel movie Venom. That night Cooper and I decided to try our luck at the Brisbane Backpackers Resorts’ burger challenge which meant we had to chow down on a three-patty cheeseburger, a large plate of fries, and two egg rolls in just five minutes for the amazingly average prize of our money back and our picture on the wall. We both came within a few fries and an egg roll off making the time, but the real prize went to the viewers as they got a free spectacle and to watch us suffer after the fact.

The next morning we were off to Sydney by plane and I am currently sinking into a luxurious leather couch in the YHA hostel of Newcastle. It feels like Hogwarts. We just found out about the heightened China-US relations from the hacking fiasco so we are hoping there’s not a cold war when we return home….. if we can return home. That’s all from me today.

The post Enlightened, but Hungry appeared first on International Gap Year Programs | Carpe Diem Education.

]]> https://carpediemeducation.org/hongi-is-hungry-for-adventure/ Sun, 30 Sep 2018 23:25:55 +0000 https://www.carpediemeducation.org/?p=31896 By Coop Sanchez
Hello blog viewers! (Hi, Mom.)
What a week we have had! It started with an incredible few days in the outback hiking around Uluru (Ayers Rock) and Kata-Tjuta while sleeping on the ground under the stars every night. Our guide Joe and the Aboriginal contact Lou taught us so much about their incredible culture and we got to touch 7,000-15,000 year old hand prints in a cave… Read More

The post Hongi is Hungry for Adventure! appeared first on International Gap Year Programs | Carpe Diem Education.

]]> By Coop Sanchez

Hello blog viewers! (Hi, Mom.)

What a week we have had! It started with an incredible few days in the outback hiking around Uluru (Ayers Rock) and Kata-Tjuta while sleeping on the ground under the stars every night. Our guide Joe and the Aboriginal contact Lou taught us so much about their incredible culture and we got to touch 7,000-15,000 year old hand prints in a cave on their land.

Leaving the Outback, a wide assortment of planes trains and automobiles have finally landed us in the coastal town of Noosa. We had planned on spending the day surfing on the beach but the weather had other plans so we may end up catching a movie together instead! It was a tiring few days of travel and a couple medical issues but all turned out good in the end and we are all excited for where we are and whats to come. Check back next week for more updates!

Peace, love, and Hongi!

The post Hongi is Hungry for Adventure! appeared first on International Gap Year Programs | Carpe Diem Education.

]]> https://carpediemeducation.org/chapter-1-she-oak-ridge/ Mon, 24 Sep 2018 05:08:13 +0000 https://www.carpediemeducation.org/?p=31601 By Sarah Roman
First blog of the trip is up and boy, do we have stuff to tell you guys! For all of the parents frantically checking this site to see if there are any updates on their child’s location, hello. We are all alive. There are a few bumps and bruises from rope swings, capture the flag games, accidentally lighting on fire, and I will spare you the rest.… Read More

The post Chapter 1: She Oak Ridge appeared first on International Gap Year Programs | Carpe Diem Education.

]]> By Sarah Roman

First blog of the trip is up and boy, do we have stuff to tell you guys! For all of the parents frantically checking this site to see if there are any updates on their child’s location, hello. We are all alive. There are a few bumps and bruises from rope swings, capture the flag games, accidentally lighting on fire, and I will spare you the rest.

The first place that we set up camp was She Oak Ridge. Literally set up camp—we had to put up tents with little instruction (we are not boy scouts, especially coop). Conclusion: crooked tents and spider encounters. Claire and Marcus were hosts for the week and they are two of the most impressive and hard-working people we have ever come across. The majority of their day is taken up with caring for their horses, wallabies and all wildlife/plant life on their 165 acres of land. Claire is constantly smiling, singing, and laughing at all of Marcus’s prolonged dad jokes. We soon came to found out she helped film the documentaries Planet Earth and National Geographic. Marcus was blessed with the ability to cook all types of food, from burgers to fish curry.

For us, the majority of our days consisted on clearing hiking tracks, shoveling hay, and standing in front of the showers for 10 minutes waiting for the spiders to move. We made lovely new friends in there named Denise and Gretchen; they both have eight eyes and hairy legs. When we were not showering with the spiders, we were either playing shuttlecock, frisbee, or lounging in the hammocks. Sometimes, if we were lucky, Claire brought us up to feed to wallabies and this one guy Mimzy always got really excited to see Josh. One night we were introduced to Marcus’s stepfather Stefan. He is just as clever with the jokes and magic tricks as Marcus is, but he can fool us all while a frog is sitting on his head.

Aside from the fun adventure time we had this entire trip so far, being at She Oak allowed us to appreciate nature and the people we are with on a whole new level. Just being with the same people all week made us all closer as a group. Seeing how well we all work together from just this time, we cannot wait to see what the future brings. Our next move is to adventure to the Outback. We will be checking in afterward to let you know how good the steaks are.

The post Chapter 1: She Oak Ridge appeared first on International Gap Year Programs | Carpe Diem Education.

]]>