Why did you pick this program?
Laurel: I chose Rustic Pathways Thailand because I had never been to Southeast Asia before. Before I was born, my parents spent a year traveling the world (an extended ""honeymoon""), and they have always encouraged me to travel as well.
One of the programs that RP Thailand offered was the opportunity for me to receive my Wilderness First Aid certification and do some medically-based community service. I am a lifeguard and CPR certified, and my plans are to be pre-med in college, so WFA was my next logical step.
This trip killed three birds with one stone: I got community service hours, I got my WFA certification, and I got to see a part of the world that I have never been to before!"
What do you wish someone had told you before you went abroad?
Laurel: I wish someone had told me what to pack! Of course, when I signed up, Rustic sent me a packing list, but when you've never been to a country before, you really don't know how to interpret any of that. I wish I had brought less sunscreen and more bug spray, less board shorts and more yoga pants, and I wish that I left my long skirt, rain jacket, and three extra pairs of shoes at home!
I was already prepared for the wrong things, and after three days in Thailand, I decided that I wanted to stay for two weeks instead of just one. I ran out of clean clothing very, very quickly, but luckily I could do laundry, which was a life saver!"
What made this experience unique and special?
Laurel: My new friends made this trip very special for me. I went into this trip thinking that a week was not enough time to get to know anyone well enough to add them on Facebook or get their number.
I could not have been more wrong. After three days, my new friends convinced me to call my mom and explain to her that I needed to extend my trip. I have countless new Facebook friends and phone numbers. I communicate with these people on a regular basis, which is something that I never, ever would have expected.
My 4 closest friends and I left the Base on a 3-day side trip to Bangkok. Because of this trip, I feel like I have known those kids and the two Staff from our trip forever. We are a little family now; we have matching friendship bracelets and we call ourselves the BKK Squad.
The worst part about it is that I live in California, and they live in New Mexico, Massachusetts, and Connecticut. Now that I am home, I text them every day, we call each other a few times a week, and I am buying plane tickets so that we can all meet up in New York some time later this year! Next summer, we plan on going on another trip together with Rustic Pathways, location TBD (but I want it to be Cuba)!
Tell us about an experience you had that you could not have had at home.
Laurel: At home, my family attends church every week. I speak English and Spanish on a regular basis, and a rarely hear another language spoken. In Thailand, a church is a hard thing to find. For the first time in my life, I stepped (bare)foot inside of a Buddhist temple. I learned words and phrases in Thai, which is a language I would have never even heard spoken at home.
The Thai language and Buddhist culture were two very new things to me. Buddhists don't believe in killing anything, not even the mosquitoes that carry Dengue and Malaria, and they find it rude if you wear your shoes inside.
One of the most memorable experiences was waking up early to the sound of the monks singing. The monks walk around their village early every morning, and receive alms from the villagers. Monks live in poverty and can't make purchases, and giving alms is an opportunity for villagers to receive good karma. We went outside and gave alms, and the monk prayed for us.
Though I have a Catholic upbringing, I consider myself to not be religious, only spiritual. The experiences I had with the Buddhist culture were extremely positive and fulfilling, and I got nothing but good vibes from every person that I met.
What is one piece of advice you'd give to someone going on your program?
Laurel: I say to be enthusiastic! I spent two weeks in Thailand, which felt like 2 months (in a good way). The medical service portion of my stay involved waking up at 4:30 in the morning to drive and complete our service and return to Base, all before breakfast.
In the regular community service portion of the trip, we would be working out in the sun, or on dirty and not-so-fun tasks. Neither of these things are things I would have been doing ordinarily, and at first I wasn't too happy about them. But having a positive attitude about the task, and having an understanding that it was for the good of someone other than myself really helped my friends and I push through and enjoy ourselves.
Getting involved and taking the lead on your projects can make them more enjoyable for you, your friends, and the staff, and the memories you have of your trip will be so much better if you keep a positive attitude!