South America Semester: Andes & Amazon (Gap Year)

This course was the most amazing experience of my life.That may seem like an exaggeration, but it is actually true. Every day presented a new and exciting experience, and I was constantly learning something new. There were so many opportunities to challenge myself and expand my horizons, and it was important to make the trip what I wanted it to be. It was amazing to go into something without really knowing what to expect, and then having my mind blown with the beauty of it. I had never been trekking before and rarely slept in a tent, but I found myself so happy in the Andes mountains for days at a time. The instructors are such amazing people with so much experience. I came home with a much more widened perspective on life and a million more questions. Overall, I can't wait to go back to Bolivia and live the Bolivian way! Academics: I learned so much more than I had expected coming onto this trip. Even though I did not take the course for credits, I feel as though I'm stepping away from it with more knowledge than if I had spent a semester in college. From instructor lessons to a conversations with a natural healer to challenging myself out of my comfort zone, not only did I learn a lot, but I'm also asking so many more questions. I can't wait to go to college and get back into the books (I know that sounds crazy) and start making the most of my college years. Living Situation: The living situations were very rugged - sometimes in tents, hostels or with local families. But this was one of my favorite parts about the trip. These types of living situations allowed us to truly experience Bolivia and Peru, especially with home stays. The relationships we made with the locals were amazing and our understanding of their culture and lifestyle was complete. I always felt safe and became very comfortable with very little. Cultural Immersion: Dragons defines cultural immersion. These courses are not about being tourist, but rather it's about being a traveler. On my course, I felt as though I lived in Bolivia. I loved being able experience how the locals live, eat what they eat, travel how they travel, etc. Bolivia and Peru have so much culture, and I felt that I was coming home with part of that culture still inside of me and to stick with me for the rest of my life. Program Administration: The instructors on my course were so amazing. Any instructor with Dragons has to be amazing, and they take so much care and effort in making the trip extremely meaningful for the students. I always felt really safe with them, and comfortable that they knew exactly what they were doing. They were always one step ahead of us in order to challenge us and help us grow from the experience. I feel like I was able to get really close with my instructors, and they presented themselves with a nice balance of friendship and guidance. One thing that surprised me the most was the relationships that they had from past courses with locals in the areas that we visited. Health and Safety: I always felt very safe on this course. The instructors do an amazing job to make sure that we are all healthy, happy and comfortable. They always have the medical kit, and if anyone gets sick, there is no hesitation to bring them to a clinic to get checked out. And even though we were in remote areas, there was always a clinic close enough in case we needed it. The host families were very safe as well, as they are families that Dragons uses year after year - they have a great relationship with them. Social Life: I loved my group so much. We were like one big family always having so much fun with each other. At the same time, it was so amazing to be able to make close relationships with host families and neighbors in villages. Pick-up soccer games with all the kids or seeing the same juice lady every day, there were always people willing to talk and share their stories.

My semester abroad with the dragons program was the best decision I've made in my life thus far. The journey that I embarked on with my fellow group mates changed me forever. The andes and amazon semester is not only about cultural immersion, but also an epic backpacking journey, and a chance to meet some of the coolest people in the world. Maturity and the courage to travel independently come naturally along the duration of the course. I continued to travel south america on my own and don't think I would have been able to do it the way I did without the experience and knowledge gathered from dragons. The people I traveled with will always have a place in my heart and so will the amazing Andes. Cultural Immersion: We all participated in multiple home-stays, the longest of which was 5 weeks. Personally, the 5 week home-stay was my favorite aspect of the trip. I left behind a family that I truly love in Cochabamba, Bolivia and hope that I will see them again soon.

Five words: BEST TRIP OF MY LIFE. actually no... best three months of my life. With a combination of the location, the people, the locals, the treks, and country, there will never be anything in my life that can compare to that. Living Situation: The six-week homestay in Bolivia was by far my favorite part of the entire 3 month trip. Cultural Immersion: The only way to really learn about a culture and learn a language is to immerse yourself in the culture.