A Dream Gap Year: Patagonia, The Everglades & Blue Ridge Mountains

What is your favorite travel memory?

In the middle of last year's Patagonia to Florida and Blue Ridge Mountains Semester expedition, the group I was instructing trudged and paddled through the Shark River Slough in the Everglades. We pulled off the side of the highway in the middle-of-nowhere in South Florida, put our boats in the canal and started paddling "to the Gulf!"

Once the canal dispersed into sawgrass and hammocks of White Mangroves, we pushed our way through thigh-deep water, leeches, thunderstorms, and millions of mosquitos. A few days later, we made our way to a creek, which became a river, which emptied out into the Gulf of Mexico.

How have you changed/grown since working for your current company?

I feel as if I've mastered a few things while learning how much I actually do not know. I've been inspired by the compassion of many of my co-workers, become more confident in trusting the process as things unfold that are out of my control, and learned a little bit of how to resolve conflict within myself and with others.

If you could go on any program that your company offers, which one would you choose and why?

I'd totally do the Patagonia to Florida and Blue Ridge Mountains Semester expedition. Who wouldn't want to go to Patagonia and walk across glaciers and climb an active volcano? Add spending time in the Florida Everglades and the Blue Ridge Mountains while Spring or Fall unfolds? It's one of the hardest courses we offer and presents the most opportunity for mentorship, connection, reflection, and personal growth.

What do you believe to be the biggest factor in being a successful company?

A company with heart and soul. We focus on our mission, "Changing Lives Through Challenge And Discovery," and try to provide a culture of openness and honesty about what's going well and what we can do better as a live-and-learn community.