Central America Semester: Sustainability & Spanish Immersion | Carpe Diem Education

Carpe Diem Education gave me the most incredible semester filled with fun, service, experiential-learning, and life-long friends. I did service projects, took Spanish classes, lived with home-stay families, hiked volcanoes, made chocolate, went SCUBA diving, helped with sea turtle conservation, went surfing, and experienced the beautiful nature and landscapes of Central America. I learned how to be a global citizen by being immersed in other cultures, and I realized how much we take for granted in our society, and I am so grateful for so much more now. I had the best semester of my life because of Carpe Diem Education and how much it taught me about other cultures, the world, and about who I am and who I want to be.

My trip to Centroamérica gave me a new perspective. I picked this program because of the different options and diversity that it offers. Carpe Diem Education encourages students to travel consciously, we not only learn explore as a traveler (not a tourist), but we also learn about ourselves and how we fit in a group dynamic. Through my exploration in Guatemala, Nicaragua, and Costa Rica, I had the opportunity to learn Spanish, engage in outdoor adventures, and participated in service learning. I gained a new perspective through community developing and service-learning projects. One of my biggest take away from my trip was that there is no rush. It is okay that I did not know what I want to do with my life, as long as I keep exploring my options, I will find a purpose. In my trip, I found my passion in helping others through interactions with host families, partner organizations, and my group members. I learned the styles of how I communicate and how others perceive me, along with the mindfulness of other cultures and diversity around me.

"Okay bye mom, love you, gotta go to Guatemala. I'll see you in three months!" Yeah. It didn't set in until i was flying over the mountainous landscapes of Central America, and a stranger was sitting next to me, not my mom. However, when traveling, strangers quickly become family. Oh man, I didn't know what to expect. I had been to Central America in the past, for a short 10 tens, but this was three months I was looking at! I let it be though. I figured that all of the wonderful colors I would see, music I would hear, and people I would meet were going to be new experiences. That is exactly what they were. Peers around me, they had expectations. They wanted to learn something specific, or "find themselves" well, you just can't set your mind up for that. Halfway through the trip I had to seperate myself when they would begin to speak of excitement of going home. If you live in the moment, ask questions, and respectfully experience the culture in your comfort zone, and out of it then you are going to have a remarkable adventure. I am writing this review in regards to a magnificent program. Time for independent learning, time for mountain climbing, time for beachin it, time for hard work, time for yoga, time for love, time for laughter. Always remember to advocate for yourself, this is your trip!

I wanted to take a gap year to volunteer independently, but after I graduated at 16 with zero travel experience in the developing world, my parents insisted that I start off with a structured program and offered to help fund it. I picked Carpe Diem because I liked their values and the fact that I could go to 4 different countries in just 3 months and get to scuba dive! My semester taught me so much, especially how to work with 12 people who were really different from me and turn them into a family. The curriculum rotates logistical duties among the students every week, so I got practice in booking transportation and hostels too that was really helpful for when I set out on my own. The Spanish schools were usually 1 on 1 and amazing, and we went on fun trips all the time based on what our group's interests were. It was a phenomenal 3 months and I recommend it to anyone who wants a little support on their gap year but still wants some freedom to do awesome things. Only con was that our service projects were not very meaningful even though the organizations themselves were doing good work.

As college students, we are expected to know EXACTLY what we want to do with out life, before it has even begun. Carpe Diem introduced me to every single passion I know have; Spanish, Business, International Politics, Environmental Protection. Without Carpe Diem, I would not be so inspired to travel the world and become a global citizen. I am now working on scholarships to study in Spain next Fall and Thailand next Spring. I never thought I would be able to just decide to go somewhere and actually do it. Ben and Jess, my mentors while abroad, are the type of people I want to be someday. I hope to lead students into another country and be able to show them all the world has to offer. Education outside of academics is what I learned is truly important. I gained 24 college credits, which was amazing and kept me on track, but the expense I got when wandering the streets and speaking to fruit vendors is what taught me the most. Go study abroad, get lost for awhile, find yourself again, and get out of the god damn classroom.

Pura Vida

Carpe Diem Education semester in Central America is like no other program I found online. It encompassed so many different things including (but not limited to) language study, home-stays, conservation work, volunteering, Group-lead travel week, volunteering, hiking and so much more.

My semester with my group was one of the most challenging things I have ever done. To be truthful: I did not get along with everyone in the group and they didn't get along with me. But since I had to spend 3 months with them: I learned a lot about living and working as a group member and how to deal with people/things that make you uncomfortable or unhappy.

Not every location we stayed in was nice or even had showers but that was the best part, those weeks we shared with no access to electricity or showers were some of the best. We stayed in all kinds of housing, it was the best way to really feel a part of the communities we stayed with.

My leaders gave me some of the best personal growth guidance I have ever received. I learned how to be flexible, to enjoy things even if they weren't going well and how to travel!! Carpe sets up their students for success with well designed programs and fantastic leaders. I felt that my Spanish was very good by the end of the program and that was a major goal of mine going into the program. I took away a lot of experiences and learning lessons; so many that I could probably write a book.

One of my favourite weeks was our week in Xela, Guatemala. We stayed in separate homestays (alone with a family) and everyday I walked to school through the city, had one on one Spanish instruction and then at lunch I would walk home, have lunch with my host mother. After lunch we would have other activities or we would meet up in the square, check out the festivals or anything else.
Most of my favourite times were when I didn't feel like a tacky-tourist just taking pictures and leaving in a few ays, I felt like this was everyday life. Just walking to school, exploring the cities.

Another favourite moment was during our week at Playa Jesus working with the turtle conservation project. We stayed up half the night working with turtles and we got to tag them, mark them, catch eggs and collect data. It was awesome!

The Central America program with Carpe Diem was so much more than I could ever have expected it to be. It wasn't just learning Spanish, travelling to beautiful countries, and engaging in extraordinary opportunities. It was throwing myself into new experiences, knowing I had the full support of my leaders and fellow group members as I expanded my comfort zone by leaps and bounds. After Carpe Diem I could confidently say that I can backpack and hike mountains, hold conversations in Spanish (which I had never spoken previously), live with a host family and bond with them, and even scuba dive. My memories of dancing to the marimba in the cloud forest, roasting marshmallows on lava and throwing flour with children on Carnival are reminders that exploring new places can have amazing and lasting effects.

Without a doubt Carpe Diem has been the most significant experience of my life. I graduated from highschool last year and didnt really know what direction i wanted to take in life but i did know that i had a passion for travel and exploration.
Carpe Diem Education was the first gap year program i stumbled upon and even though i researched tons of other programs, Carpe Diem kept drawing me back to it. I absolutely loved the group dynamic CD provides as well as the wide range of activities provided in each different CD program, everything from adventure activities to community service projects to laughing with host families about language barriers and cultural differences.
My leaders on the trip were AMAZING. They were both so caring, fun, and extremely well educated in the ways of travelling. Both held a passion for life and were incredibly inspiring.
I had the time of my life on my Carpe Diem semester. I made new best friends, became more confident in my independence, and learned more about myself, others, and the world than i could have ever imagined.

Carpe Diem Education is incredible incredible incredible!