Southeast Asia Semester: Environment & Spirituality

I went on the Mekong Semester in the spring, almost a full year ago, and I still am unpacking how it has affected me as a person. I met incredible people, saw fantastic landscapes, ate the best food in my life, and fell in love with everywhere I went. My curiosity in Buddhism has only deepened, as has my desire to learn languages-- I'm now studying Chinese in college because of this trip, and I'm hoping to learn Lao and Cambodian someday. I feel more confident and prepared in college, and I think that I understand myself to a much deeper degree now. The instructors are what made my experience, as they are all so knowledgeable and passionate! I miss the temples and marketplaces I wandered through, and I cannot imagine what I would be like without Dragons.

I went on the Mekong trip last year for the first part of my gap year, and it was an incredible experience. I learned so much about regional culture, food, language, and politics during my time traveling through China, Laos, and Cambodia and developed frienships on the trip that have continued to this day, almost a year later. I will always remember my WTBD trip as one of the most amazing experiences of my life.