Thailand Summer High School Programs with Rustic Pathways

My trip to Thailand was extremely meaningful, and despite how corny this seems- it truly was life changing. In two short weeks in Thailand, the relationships I made were with people I would call my best friends, and even family. We disconnected from technology, and that combined with how fun and beneficial the trip was, and the study of Buddhism- I returned home a truly different person. Service anywhere can be very gratifying, but to work with children and have the instant satisfaction is a feeling unlike no other. Except working for elephants- this was truly magical to work with these majestic animals. To learn about our impact on the earth to and how we can help conserve and protect is truly something I couldn’t learn anywhere else. The service, fun, friends and learning all combined could not have taken place in anywhere better than Thailand and have as rewarding of an impact.

This past summer I went on the trip of a lifetime to Northern Thailand. I had been eyeing this trip for 2 years, but my parents wouldn't let me go because of their concerns about safety. They weren't comfortable with me going alone to the other side of the world, with a group of people I had never met before. Although this intimidated me, I'd been eager to travel somewhere farther and more unique than anywhere I'd ever been. My parents eventually decided to let me go on this trip with my older sister, and tears of joy came when they surprised me with the trip! We began our travel journey of 35 hours and halfway through I began to wonder if I had picked the right trip or if I was stepping way too far outside of my comfort zone. I didn't know any of the people in the airport and everyone was very anxious about their next 3 weeks traveling. After a very very long day of traveling, we arrived late at night at the base house where I would be staying for the next week. Everyone was very apprehensive and nervous when we arrived, but after a good night sleep, we began "orientation" the next morning. By learning everyone's names and walking around to meet the staff, I knew my next couple of weeks would be incredible! The friendlyness of the staff made the homesick feelings go away almost immediately. Over the next 2 weeks in Thailand, I had the best time of my life. I met people that I would've never thought I'd be friends with and made friends that I am still very close with 3 months later, and I know they will be life long friends. The service experience we did there was one of the hardest things I've ever done, but it gave me a new look into how other people live outside of the bubble that I live in at home. This brought me new and important experiences, and teaching english was so humbling to do to children who need to learn it in order to get a job to feed their families in Thailand. Everything we did over the weeks I was in Thailand made a huge impact on how I view the world and how I see different situations. I would not trade this experience for the world, it made such an impact in my life. The friendships, people, and experiences I had on this trip will continue to shine through my actions in my daily life and I will never forget them. If you are apprehensive of going on a trip through Rustic PAthways, don't be! I felt completely safe the entire time and the whole trip was wonderfully put together. If you get the chance, definately go through Rustic Pathways, as they made my experience in Thailand absolutely unforgettable.

I went on this trip because I received a magazine in the mail about a similar travel organization, I looked more into student travel and I came across Rustic Pathways, everything about Rustic Pathways was so great, the website was so easy to use, the people who work there were so beyond helpful and sweet, and the programs all look so incredible. I finally chose the program that stuck out to me the most! I was so excited and I couldn't wait for the trip, I was also extremely nervous as well. I had no prior experience with being away from my family for that long so I was not sure how it would go. When time came to get ready for the trip, the packing lists were so helpful, everything you need is on it and when they say don't over pack, I wish I listened to that more because I re-wore clothes and we were constantly buying souvenirs and elephant pants so I had so many clothes at the end of the program. I would recomend bringing an extra bag though for souvenirs and other things because it will be very helpful at the end when your packing. Anyway when I first arrived at the airport it was very organized and it was really easy to meet new people, especially when we were waiting for our bags to get checked, it was so easy to start conversations with people! This boosted my confidence and it made the long travel, layovers and flights much better. When we arrived, I was nervous at first about being away from home, and started questioning myself asking if i had chosen the right program, shortly after we arrived at the base house though I had the opportunity to meet some of the local staff, program leaders and other students who were so sweet and really great in making others feel comfortable. Whenever I felt anxious the program leaders were there for me and really helpful in making me feel better. Once the service trips had started, all of my worries had washed away, I had so much fun in the markets buying food, teaching the kids English and swimming lessons, and helping to build the house and playground! The service trips are split into smaller groups so I was able to meet some really awesome people and get close to them fast, I honestly had such a blast on the service projects and it was so rewarding to know that you were helping to make someones life better! Each and everyday after that I had so much fun, learned so much, and meet such amazing people who I got so close with. Every activity we did I learned something new about the Thai culture and we got to see such beautiful parts of Thailand wherever we went. Words can not describe how incredible this trip was, it truly was life changing! Going to the "land of smiles" made me smile every second I was there. We had so many opportunities and I was grateful for every second. I loved how the program also ensured that we had rest time, side trips, and other fun excursions alongside the incredible service projects. The side trip to Laos was so much fun and such a great opportunity to get closer to the other students on the program. Each second was such a fun adventure filled with breathtaking sights! The hard work that we did whenever we went on a service project was so amazing and rewarding, I had never sweated so much and loved every second of it before! I learned how to build a house, teach kids to swim, make thai curry, and so much more with those projects, I also got to learn Muay Thai boxing, meet monks, go to a thai waterpark, save and release turtles into the pond at Ricefields, get massages, visit a cave and China Town. There were so many activities, places we saw and things we did that there are too many to mention! When it was time to leave I was actually heartbroken, I could not believe how much fun I had and how close I had gotten with people I did not know at all in 2 and half weeks. It was so hard to say goodbye to everyone especially the incredible staff! I got so close to the local staff, program leaders and other students and I still talk to them everyday even after leaving the trip! To sum this experience up, it was truly life changing, I came back with a sense of how other people in this world live, I thought it was so incredible how people with so little can be so grateful and happy with what they have, which made me happier and grateful for everything that I have! I truly am so grateful i faced my fears and decided to travel with Rustic Pathways because it has open the doors up to new possibilities in my life and I now know that I want to travel the world and work for Rustic Pathways when I am older. If you are questioning whether or not you should go on this trip for any reason, the advice I give you is DO IT! Considering I only went on one trip with rustic as of now, and I loved every second of it, imagine how amazing it would be for someone to start when they're even younger than I am and travel to even more places and see the incredible world we live in! I wish I discovered Rustic sooner because I only have one more summer left before I graduate and I hope that next summer will be as amazing as this summer was and I already Know it will be!! I hope you decide to change your life and do a rustic pathways program because if you don't I'm telling you, you'll regret that decision for the rest of your life!

My first summer with rustic was definitely one for the books. Thailand itself was fantastic and the elephants there were amazing but the true memories were made with the people I met through the organization. I owe rustic everything and I am so thankfully that they exposed me to an experience that allowed me to see the world and discover other people and how they live. It was truly and amazing experience and I have already booked my rustic trip to Australia for next summer!

This was my first trip with Rustic and the overall experience was amazing. The people ofThailand are some of the most genuine people I have ever met. They always have smiles on their faces! The friends that I made on this trip are amazing and we still keep in touch. We are planning to do another trip next summer and are excited to explore another country and culture together. My experience in Thailand is one that I will remember for a long time. From building homes, to teaching children English, to walking on the beaches of Phuket. This program has a wide variety of activities and is a great way to do community service.

I had an amazing time! I could tell safety was a top priority which I appreciated. At no point did I ever feel unsafe and if that was the case our leaders always checked in on us and made sure we were feeling our bus. Whether it be something a simple as a headache or the stomach bug, rustic staff was very aware and caring to all my needs. The service was hard but very rewarding. It was so much fun and all the girls on my trip were awesome and made the service so much more fun. The elephants and the thai school kids were so adorable.

The Rustic staff is incredible: from the flight leaders, to the group leaders, and down to the local staff, everyone is so enthusiastic to learn about you and to share a bit about themselves and their culture! The trip was very organized and although it may seem daunting to travel to a new place alone, it was the best decision I ever made; I met so many wonderful people and made so many friends. Through activities and service I was able to truly become a part of the community in Udon Thani and learn more about the culture firsthand.

I have been on a program similar to the programs that rustic pathways offer prior to my trip to Thailand. I went to Costa Rica, which was basically all fun with very little service. I was not sure if I would enjoy going on such a service-centric trip like the rice fields program. Little did I know that this trip would be the most life-changing experience of my life. I grew to know people on this trip that I will never forget. I have closer bonds with people on this trip than I have ever had with my best friends at school. I must admit, I was very nervous to travel across the world knowing no one. Even on the plane rides there, I thought that I would never make friends with these strangers. My advice to anyone that is considering going on one of these programs, is to not go with anyone, no matter how scary it seems. The friendships that you will form will WAY outlast your rustic trip!! With these friends, I participated in 9 equally impacting service projects. Each project had such a good purpose and I truly felt like I was helping the community with these projects. My favorite service project by far was "Hands in the Dirt", where we started building an organic farm for a local school. Many Thai farmers get severely sick because of the pesticides they spray on the food because they do not wash their food well after it is grown. Organic gardens eliminate the need for pesticides. The garden we are building at the school will also be a source of income for the students of the school. This is the third organic farm that rustic pathways has built in the small community of Udon Thani. Another service project that really impacted me was the hospital meals project. For this project, we cooked food and brought it to a local hospital. In Thai culture, when a member of your family is sick, you drop everything that is going on in your life to go stay with them in your hospital. This includes your job, which means the family is not receiving money while the person is in the hospital. This service project provides a source of food for the family members. The day I went there was at least 430 people in the line, and all of them were so grateful to us. That was one of the most empowering things about Thailand: everyone was just so grateful. Even though some of these people have no running water, not enough clothes, and not enough food for their family, they were still so grateful for everything. This trip to Thailand is by far the best experience of my life, and I will be taking another Rustic Trip next year!!! My favorite memory is when 4 other people and I went on a side trip to Chang Khan. I became such close friends with these 4 people in this short time period and I know that our friendships would not be the same without this trip! I recommend this trip to anyone who wants a unique experience!