Thailand, Laos, Vietnam & Cambodia Gap Semester

My experience was wildly beautiful in all of the places we spent time in - from bathing elephants in the hills of Chiang Mai, trekking in the Laos wilderness, exploring the gorgeous beaches and caves of Vietnam to biking in the Cambodian countryside. It allowed me to grow through the discomfort of traveling, doing activities that I haven’t ever thought to do - such as hiking and rock climbing, and spending time in beautiful villages and guesthouses. Throughout its ups and downs, I wouldn’t trade this experience for the world.

I am so grateful to have experienced such a unique trip with an incredible group of people. Southeast Asia is one of the most incredible places from the culture, to the food, to the views! I feel as though I’ve grown so much as a person and am prepared to travel on my own all over the world. I feel that my sense of independence has grown, I’m much more confident in myself, responsible and knowledgeable about the world. This program travels a lot! which is amazing because you do so much from taking care of elephants, to visiting some of the worlds most incredible beaches, temples, and waterfalls, to a 4-day long trek, seeing incredible animals, and so much more. If I had to tell my pre-program self something it would be to soak up every moment because it is such a privilege to travel around Southeast Asia for 70 days and there is so much to take in. The program is over before you know it so go in excited, confident, and believe that you can do anything you set your mind to.

The experience I had was amazing! I feel like I have more confidence in my decisions and thoughts as a person. I feel better prepared to go to college as I feel I can better handle any stressors that it might give me. I would recommend this program, you get to see the world through experiences you otherwise might not be able to see in your lifetime.