Written By Reilly Our last days in Italy were slightly hectic but also meaningful and lots of fun. We arrived in Naples at night after a long bus ride, including an impromptu bus swap an hour in. Having skipped dinner, the group checked in to the hostel then walked to a one of the last open cafes and had very good cafe pizza. The multi-level city gave an ominous first… Read More
Written By Tala & Chloe Since our last blog, we left Rome and made our way to the south of Matera. We spent the last 5 days in a monastery near the town of Altamura with the company B-Link. We got to learn a lot about this region’s Italian culture. Especially because we were joined by 3 local Italian students. We were given a tour of a 5th generation bread… Read More
Written By Cece & Hannah Welcome back family and friends to the adventures of CARPE DIEM. This week we started our Spanish classes in San Juan La Laguna! Along with regular Spanish class for three hours per day, we also got the opportunity to take art classes! Some of us chose embroidery, while others chose painting which has been a great way to learn a skill while embracing the art… Read More
Written By Phineas and Sage This week we were at Paldini! We picked chestnuts, learned how to build mud/clay houses, and went to a cool medieval town. We met super cool volunteers who were helping us do all the tasks. What were three of the top highlights this week?: The 3 top highlights are defiantly chestnut picking, having no phones, and being in nature. Chestnut picking was calming and super… Read More
Written By Jackie and Lauren We’ve officially been here for a month — CRAZY! We spent the past week in Tzununa, a tiny but beautiful town right on Lake Atitlan. We stayed at a guest house called Bambu, which honestly felt more like a resort. The food and amenities were next level, with a sauna and cold plunge, and of course delicious meals. All our food was fresh and straight… Read More
Written By Hannah & Lucina Hello friends and family! Here is a little update on what the group has been up to this past week!
To kick off this amazing week, we met our host families. We were divided into two groups. The first group included: Hannah, Lauren, and Lucina, who stayed with Araceli. The second group included Jackie and Cece, who stayed with Claudia. Later that night, after dinner,… Read More
Written By Madeline and Ella This week we traveled to Florence and spent our time at the Emerald Palace hostel in the center of Florence. On our first full day we got a tour from our trek guide, Lauren. She showed us around the local churches and taught us about the Medici family and the history of Florence. The group enjoyed our free time with shopping, trying new foods, and… Read More
Written By Cece & Jackie This week was the first of 2 weeks in Xela, aka Quetzaltenango! Our first morning here was a Sunday. We spent most of it trying unsuccessfully to find an open lavanderia to wash our clothes that had been covered in mud from Comalapa. Turns out most of them are closed on Sundays!
After we took a tour of the city, and later we explored the… Read More
Written By Eva & Ben Since leaving Centro Panta Rei, we have embarked on a four day trek on the Via Francigena through Tuscany! We got to stay in small towns and the city of Siena. During the trek we had amazing views and beautiful scenery. We got to make bread, see a medieval village, learn about Italian plants, and explore the towns! What were three of the top highlights … Read More
Written By Lauren & Lucina This past week has been nothing short of transformative. As we arrived in Comalapa, we were greeted by the city’s beautiful mountains, art, and an array of friendly locals. “Long Way Home” , the NGO we worked with, housed us all in one room which made the week feel like one big sleepover. While the icy cold showers and up-hill walks both to and from… Read More
Written by Aidan & Sage We have come a long way in our stay at Centro Panta Rei. We have learned a plethora of sustainable practices that have greatly impacted our perspective on how we as humans use the natural world, as well as participated in culturally significant activities such as noodle making, dough making, and partaking in the entire process of making olive oil. As well as extending our… Read More
Written by OEs Aisha & Malcolm After a looong travel day from our various homes to JFK to Rome to our home for the first week of the program, Centro Panta Rei, we enjoyed our first delicious Italian dinner and collapsed in bed for a good night’s sleep. The next few days we split between our Carpe Diem orientation activities, aimed at bonding our group, establishing expectations, and laying the… Read More
Written By OEs Abby & Mara Woweeee! What an incredible welcome to Guatemala it has been! We dove straight into getting to know each other, the program, and the incredible country that will be our home for the next 8 weeks!
Our orientation activities have allowed the group to reflect on their intentions for being here, their comfort zones, stereotypes and assumptions about different cultures, best practices for health and… Read More
Buongiorno and Kalimera from the Terra Fall 2025 OEs, Aisha and Malcolm! We are passionate travelers, inspired educators and global citizens, excited to embark upon this adventure together with all of you!
Here are a few pro tips before we embark:
Pack layers, and consider comfort!
Keep an open mind, be ready to try new foods!
Learn how to say please, thank you and I’m sorry in the local language.… Read More
Written by Julia Kate Thompson, 2024-25 Latitudes StudentDiving Into Conservation on Koh Tao This semester abroad, I’ve been interning with a dive shop on the island of Koh Tao, working on their Reef Conservation Team. I’ve been a part of several projects such as environmental monitoring, shark snorkels, measuring key species, water testing, turtle rescues, artificial reef building, and client work.
My first month of the three was… Read More
Written by Summer Sorensen, 2024-25 Latitudes StudentDiving into a New World: My Internship in Tenerife There’s so much I could say about my experience so far! I was nervous about traveling to an unknown place on my own for the first time—especially to islands I hadn’t even heard of four months ago.
At the start of my FVP, I worked with See You Diving, got my open-water… Read More
Written by Ava Mendler, 2024-25 Latitudes StudentLiving and Volunteering in Saint-Louis I can’t help but think back to my first day here—stepping out of the DSS airport after 20 minutes of sleep, carrying an (expensively) overweight suitcase, a backpack, and my guitar. I spotted a man holding a sign: “AVA MENDLER – Maison de la Gare,” hopped in the car, and began a four-hour journey to Saint-Louis, my… Read More
Written by Nina Rafaela Shear Quitiguiña, 2024-25 Latitudes Student Hello, my name is Nina I’ve been volunteering at a project called IMAP (Mesoamerican Permaculture Institute) in Guatemala for more than a month, and I’ve loved it.
One of my first impressions of Guatemala was how kind and welcoming people are. I arrived in Guatemala City on February 11th. From there, our trip to San Lucas Tolimán was about three… Read More
Written by Alexandra “Ally” R. Olejniczak, 2024-25 Latitudes Student Before coming to Melkhoutfontein, I experienced a three-day orientation in Johannesburg where I visited multiple historical sites like Soweto, Nelson Mandela’s house, Prison Four, and Maropeng. I also visited the Apartheid Museum.
When I first got off the plane at George Airport, I was taken to the beach in Stillbaai where we sat at a restaurant, and I shared a sandwich… Read More
Written by Nora Thomas, 2024-25 Latitudes Student So far this semester, I’ve spent my time traveling about the whole of Namibia!! I started my time by flying into Windhoek to be transferred to the main volunteer site at Na/ankuse. I spent two weeks are the main camp and got to participate in Anti Poaching Unit sleep out, carnivore feeding, and baboon walks. During my time here, I was able to… Read More
