Trekking and Personal Development for Emerging Adults

Trek Epic was recommended to me by a past trekker, fellow co-worker, and friend. The best advocate you can find for Trek Epic is someone who has done it!
My experience was more than I could have ever dreamed. I thrive outside of my comfort zone. I like meeting new people, and I love seeing new places. I also love to hike. All of these things surpassed my expectation. I was challenged and it felt good. I didn't have all the control, and that also felt good. I met people from different parts of the country, which reminded me that we are all the same at the core, and that we might not be all that different.
Our travel accommodations were excellent. Housing and food were excellent. The itinerary was laid out with just the right amount of vague-ness to still keep some mystery and thrill in the plan! I would highly recommend anyone, of any age, to take this opportunity up if its presents itself. Leaders were professional, and kind and thoughtful. I am so thankful I was able to experience TrekEpic. Thank you Bruce, Leslie and Andrew. I will keep my sharing my gift, if you all keep sharing yours!

I took part in the trek epic trek along the Pembrokeshire coast and it was a fantastic journey and experience. It's a great way for people to take a step back and reflect, irrespective of the stage they are in life. The route we took was very scenic and it's hard to now feel at peace during this journey. Andrew and Bruce are great and very helpful! They are always there to listen and guide.
I highly recommend this trek to anyone especially young adults who are unsure about future steps. This trek is not supposed to give you very concrete answers but it will definitely guide you in the right direction and give you an idea of where your values are. The other people on the trek are also great and you will meet some very interesting people and hear cool stories.

I have had the pleasure of completing two treks with Trek Epic, both of which were amazing experiences! My first Trek was Offa’s Dyke along the border of England and Wales. During this Trek I was going through an extremely difficult time in life and was lacking confidence and direction. This Trek allowed me to explore myself and my identity with the help of my peers and amazing leaders. Who would have thought just walking and thinking could be so so therapeutic?! I returned to the states knowing my life had purpose and value. I loved my first Trek so much I knew I had to do it again. I then completed the advance Trek through Tuscany, Italy. My life was more stable at this point so this Trek really allowed me to dig deeper into my life goals and ambitions. I truly believe a Trek can help any person who is at any point of their lives. Walking is so healing and being in such an amazing community in a forgein land allows so much growth. The leaders of these Treks are some of the most amazing people I know who truly care about guiding others. I recommend Trek Epic highly to anyone!

Trek Epic changed my life. I initially went on the trip hoping to gain some career advice at the same time take a travel opportunity. But I came out with so much more. This experience helps you tune in to your inner-self in a way that cannot be done amidst the noise of our busy lives. This trip is a chance to remove yourself from the chaos and be put in a place and community where you can truly feel empowered and connected to your real purpose. The process was incredible and has rewarded me in several ways. The greatest gift was to explore my inner self in a safe space (with a beautiful scenery!) amongst the most kind and affirming of people. Bruce and Andrew have become my forever mentors in all things career, relationships, and overall life. No matter what phase of life you are in, you can benefit from this experience--both physically and spiritually. It was one of the best decisions I have ever made and I cannot recommend it more highly!!

Trek epic is perfect for anyone looking to know themselves at a deeper level. What sets it apart from other programs of similar intent is the settings and nature of the journey. Theres an intrinsic connection to the act of walking with others that brings about self reflection and demands growth. Bruce and Andrew are extremely dedicated and selfless people. Thinking about their dynamic makes me smile.

Reflecting on my 2014 trip to Northumberland, England and 2015 trip to Sardinia, Italy, both feel like a dream. I remember feeling more comfortable with people I had met on those trips than people I’d known my whole life. If you want to understand your abilities and purpose further, while also seeing beautiful countryside, Trekepic is what you want. I wish they’d invite me back for another trip.

Having found the Trek Epic program via a Google search, I wasn't sure what to expect or how great of expectations to have for the experience. In reflecting upon my experience, I can now see the unique role Trek Epic filled in my life.

My first trek was the Northumberland Coast of England in August 2015, followed by participating in the Advanced Trek in Portugal and Spain on El Camino de Santiago in April of 2016. For me personally, Trek Epic came at a time of transitioning from fairly-established-independent-working-travel-loving young adult (hence a Google search was enough for me to go!) to now wife and mother (I got married 3 weeks after returning from the Advanced Trek)! The Core Gift process of Trek Epic brought clarity to my life's purpose, an understanding of how to best capitalize on my strengths and weaknesses, and a renewed zest for the magic of life!

Having experienced two treks in roughly an academic year's time, and experiencing these profound benefits, I believe ANY young adult would benefit greatly from the experience of participating in Trek Epic's Gap Year program. The guidance, networking, ideas, insight, and practical tips from the program's leaders are invaluable. The trek experience is fun, memorable, and a wonderfully effective way to help anyone release their mask and dig deeply into who they are and who they want to be! To follow a truly life-changing experience with year-long guidance and counsel for your life's direction is, again, invaluable for any young adult!!

I cannot stress enough my recommendation of this program! I am forever grateful for the opportunity I had to participate in Trek Epic, and now enjoy watching the far-reaching impact the program has on the lives of others.

Trek Epic is an organization that guides young adults through the process of self-discovery. The original template of Trek Epic focuses on a ten day walk in a European country, where you discover your core gift, self-reflect, and interact with a new group of peers, with the purpose of further understanding your path and your next steps in life. The Trek Epic Gap Year program is an extended version of this wonderful experience. I myself have participated in a Young Adult Trek and an Advanced Trek within less than a year. Both of my treks helped me dive deeper into understanding who I am and how I can use my core gift to help others. I have taken my own gap year, beginning with a trek in Italy in April of 2018, and feel that if I had completed my gap experience with a final trek, I would have had a complete program. The Gap Year program begins with an initial trek, then an individual gap experience, and ends with a closing trek, over a semester time period, and is the perfect gap year template for someone who is taking time to truly discover themselves and what they want to do next in their life. My own experience with Trek Epic has been life-changing, therefore I know the Trek Epic Gap Year will provide guidance from mentors, connection with peers, and an individual reflection and experience, for any young adult seeking an engaging gap semester program!

Prior to Trek Epic I had followed the standard checklist of getting to a successful career in young adulthood. I got good grades in school, graduated at 16, I worked 2-3 jobs during my college experience, receiving a 3.5 GPA in a B.S Biology and a Chemistry Minor. The checklist implies that upon this degree I should be able to gain a solid entry-level employment in my field of study and in turn be paid a good wage to pay off student loan debt and work my way into a stable living situation. Unfortunately, this is not what happened, as with many others that have followed the same step-by-step process.

When I went on my first Trek in 2014 and the advanced trek in 2016, (later completing the Core Gift Master Facilitator Training in 2017). I was working as a Treatment Facilitator at a Adolescent Treatment Center. Upon this I also tutored for the Baker School District and was a cook/waitress in the evenings. Having to work everyday in multiple jobs to sustain rent as just a roommate was not providing much satisfaction. I was going through a cyclic motion of paycheck to paycheck, with a lot of other issues that I had not allowed to come to light as being part of my struggle.

Prior to the treks I had not allowed my passage, natural talents, and wisdom to truly come together in my life. After identifying my Core Gift, it was obvious that I needed to make changes. Living in a rural community job changes can be difficult so I worked on growing by taking different positions with the same company from being a Mental Health Case Manager to now a Prevention Coordinator. I have remained in contact with Andrew on working towards bigger goals that will allow me to reach my full potential in giving my gift to my community that will also incorporate my previous education and lived experiences.

I believe that being able to use this experience as a Gap Year Experience will allow young adults to go into a career path that will leave them not only satisfied but whole as a human being. There is more to educational success than what happens in the classroom and getting good grades on standardized tests. Everyone should be able to get the experience that they as an individual have something special and specific to offer the world around them. This connectivity is crucial for individuals to not only be successful in a career choice but happy in their emotional and environmental relationships as well.

This program is worth looking into, even if you think you have your path figured out (much like I thought), you can learn a lot about where you're truly meant to be.

It's not an experience or a career program, it's about identifying your overall lifestyle and making this your best life. This is what I have been able to start for myself after getting to endure Trek Epic and Core Gift.