High School Study Abroad in Bergen, Norway

This was my second time assisting IVHQ with a marine conservation programme. I was part of the first group of volunteers to arrive in Jamaica following Covid, so our group was tiny and the programmes were just getting started. Nonetheless, it was a fantastic experience; I got to dive virtually every day and conduct important work on the coral reef, such as establishing coral nurseries and eliminating invasive species. I also had the opportunity to contribute to the Whiteriver Fish Sanctuary by authoring the August newsletter and participating in community outreach. I particularly appreciated the company of the people I had the opportunity to interact with and learn from at work; everyone was really friendly and enjoyable to be around. Jamaica is a breathtakingly gorgeous and diverse island, so make the most of your time there by exploring as much as you can on weekends or whenever you have some spare time. For me, the highlight was visiting Negril, a village on the island's western tip that is fantastic for diving (call Scuba Dive Jamaica, Michael is a great diving instructor), food, and sunsets. Volunteers are housed in a nice house with a kitchen, two bathrooms, two bedrooms with bunk beds, a common space, and a very wide yard. Because there is no air conditioning, it can get quite hot and humid, especially at night, but that's all part of the experience! I would recommend this programme to anyone looking to move out of their comfort zone, be adventurous, and accomplish something worthwhile with their time for the earth and people.

I got to go on the Scandinavian Adventure trip with Travel for Teens this summer. It was my 5th trip with TFT and I enjoyed the entire trip so much! We did lots of adventurous activities such as white-water rafting, zip-lining, glacier hiking, going to amusement parks, going on a ghost tour and riding in a jet boat. Each county we got to visit was beautiful, especially Norway, which was absolutely breathtaking. The food on the trip was absolutely delicious, I even got to try whale, moose, and reindeer! I made some of the best memories in Scandinavia thanks to TFT!