Greenheart Travel

I have recently come back from my exchange program in Asti, Italy for a semester. I wanted to let you all know how much that experience has changed my life and how much I appreciate all you did for me in making my dream of living in Italy a reality. The minute I started the process of applying I felt so welcomed by your program and I really felt that you all genuinely wanted to help me as much as possible to make my exchange experience the best it could be. I can't even begin to tell you how much my semester in Asti, Italy means to me. Going there and becoming a part of a family on the other side of the world was such a beautiful experience that I will always treasure. I never refer to my Italian family as 'my host family' because we became more to each other than that. We became a real family and I feel so lucky that I now have another set of parents and new brothers and sisters. I miss them all every day and I think of them always. And of course there are all the friends I made as well. Every single person I met there was so compassionate and caring and I'm so happy I got to be part of their lives. I still keep in contact with so many of them and I miss them terribly. Leaving all that behind was the most painful thing I've ever felt. Every day when I wake up I see the Italian flag hanging on my wall I think back to my life there and the unbelievable memories I made there because of all of you. So for that I want to thank you from the bottom of my heart. Not many people can say their jobs make dreams come true but you all can. Grazie mille per tutto.

Dear Amy, To tell you the truth the first moments were a disaster- I missed my second flight. I was about five or six hours late. But these events were just a little darkness before dawn. My host family is fantastic. My host dad is so friendly and so is my host mom. Hans and Eschi, as they like to be called, love to talk with me. Either one or both of them is always keeping me company at the table while I eat, and last night Hans and I spent hours listening to classical music (we are both big fans). I have learned as much German with them as I have at school. Actually, I can't believe how much I have learned in just a few days, both at the house and in school. Best regards, Amy!

The summer of my 18th year was sounding grim, but then I thought why not follow my dreams of traveling and travel before I am in college. So I decided to follow my ancestors to their homeland of Ireland. Amy Neal, my terrific travel coordinator helped through the whole process. Also CCI was a great company to go through, because I could choose where and when I wanted to go. After everything was settled with my host family Miceal and Mary McCormack, I found out there would also be a German girl my age. Later I found out she was Theresa Koch a seventeen year old. I stayed two weeks in Fethard, Co. Tipperary, Ireland. My flight into Dublin was a great view and so my journey began. As soon as I stepped off the plane I felt the friendly atmosphere. I took the two hour bus ride to Cashel to meet Mary. She knew exactly which one I was. The lingo for everything was different, but I caught on in a couple of days of listening. The food was great and always filling. Mary was a great cook. Tea, at least hot was a new experience for me, about three times a day. Bingo is also fun; Mary, Theresa and I went four times a week and just had a fun time with all the ladies. Pubs are another huge part of the culture, and it isn't just for drinking. We went just to enjoy each others company eating Tayto Irish Crisps. Yum! Long walks around the town and countryside completed off our days. It was a great experience and I would do it again in a heart beat.

Hi Amy, Everything is going FANTASTIC with my host family. I couldn't have asked for a better host family. They've gone beyond my expectations and treated me like a 'spoiled' guest and given me a very comfortable life in their home. Thank you!

My experience with Greenheart was that they were there for me every step of the way, and i knew exactly what to expect. They called me before I left, sent detailed itineraries, picked me up at the airport, arranged everything, and called me at my host family to make sure everything was okay. I have traveled a lot, and I have never felt so taken care of by an agency.

As I have been a student in Spanish for the past few years, I thought it would be fitting for me to embark on a mission somewhere I would have the opportunity to improve my Spanish. I also knew that I wanted to volunteer while away. With that in mind, and an experience in Europe behind me, I figured that the amazing land that is South America would be my calling for the summer. I stumbled on CCI on the internet. Lizzy walked me through the entire process, doing her best to make sure my trip went smoothly. I could not have asked for a nicer correspondence person for this trip. When it was all set in stone I was filled with excitement. My flight arrived at around 9 at night, providing me the breathtaking view of Ecuador's capital city, Quito, at night. That night I got acquainted with my host family, who made me feel right at home. From that point on my time in Ecuador was filled with events and occurrences I will never forget. From the kids at the orphanage leeching onto me the entire time I was there, to watching a Quito soccer game (number one in South America I heard) to meandering my way through the brightly colored streets of Old Town, to white water rafting in the Amazon, to zip lining in the canopy, to paying only 20 cents for a bottle of water, my experience in Ecuador was truly a life-changing one. You don't appreciate things in your life until you visit a society where these things are seldom heard of. So take the time to travel. Your home town doesn't represent the world.

It would be hard to put into words how good my experience in Buenos Aires was. I arrived in the city feeling scared and not sure what would happen, and upon coming back, I feel more confident and able to tackle any obstacle. After all, I survived three months in a country that was thousands of miles away from my comfort zone and from anyone I knew. I was in luck that the support I received from my coordinator helped me the first few weeks (and throughout the trip) to adjust to my new surroundings and to feel more comfortable in my new home. Once I started to meet more people in the city and create new friendships, I felt like I was actually from the city Buenos Aires. Having met so many great people gave me the ability to move around the city without fear, experience the wonderful 'boliches' (clubs), and experience all there is to the great nightlife in Buenos Aires. Aside from the excellent social life I had in Buenos Aires, my volunteer job added even more to my positive experience. Aside from gaining new friendships on the worksite, I was able to experience what it is like to live in Buenos Aires and have a work routine. Every day I would see the same people walking to the bus stop, and every day I would take the same bus route to work. After a few weeks at work, I started feeling more comfortable and felt more accepted by the children and bosses. It is really rewarding to feel that you are doing a good thing and helping people out, and at the same time to feel that you are wanted by so many people. On the last day of work, I remember riding away on the 'colectivo' (bus) and the children waving anxiously to me outside. I will never forget this image- indeed, I left an impact in the lives of these children by spending time with them everyday and becoming their good friend. In return, Buenos Aires left an impact in me; coming back to the United States, I feel like a much stronger person having been able to move around a place away from my home, and to have created a new life in that place. Now, I feel at ease to know that I have a lovely second home to return to some day.

Traveling to Barcelona and learning Spanish was a fantastic way to experience the city. As a beginner, I knew going abroad was going to be a challenge and communicating might be difficult. However, I just had to take the plunge.

Jessica - I just wanted to let you know what a wonderful time Sarah had in France. Apparently the host family was wonderful and went above and beyond to make Sarah feel welcome. In her 3 week stay I think she really felt like one of the family. Thank you for this great experience.