Global Routes

Community Photos

Lillie and I with our lovely host mother

My homestay partner with some of the fam and a few neighbors!

Some of my favorite students at the worksite!

A photo of some of the girls in front of mural we painted at the school.

A photo of my homestay partner and I with our homestay family.

A group of us on our last day in front of Mt. Kilimanjaro.

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About

Be more than a traveler with Global Routes.

Global Routes seeks to foster personal development in our students through cross-cultural experiences that encourage them to step outside of their boundaries and open their hearts and minds to new and diverse people, cultures and ideas. Service to the global community, cultural immersion and adventure allow students to better understand the world around them and grow into more compassionate, dynamic and self-aware individuals. By enriching each student in this way, Global Routes deepens the global community by promoting mutual respect, consideration and understanding for all citizens of the world.

Come and join us for the experience of a lifetime on summer programs for High School students and Gap Semester programs for students that have completed 12th grade and beyond!

Visit our website for more information!

Financial Aid Available

On average, Global Routes is in the position to offer between 10-50% of our High School Summer Program fee to qualified and selected applicants. To apply for financial aid, please complete our brief application.

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Website

www.globalroutes.org

Founded

1967

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Reviews

It would be dramatic to say this trip changed my perspective on life but it did. The amount of submerging my group and I had into the Nepali culture was everything I wanted and more. I made bonds with people so strong without even saying a many words to them. My host family was so amazing to me and showed me how to truly appreciate family. The guides were basically our guardian angels and we all became so close so fast. Of course there were ups and downs and homesickness but that’s life and it only made me stronger and feel the urge to travel more. Because the feeling of traveling and being disconnected from social media with nothing but a mountain peak view right in front of you is one of the beat feelings ever. I did things I never thought I would do and pushed myself when treeking up 2,3949 stairs in the pouring rain of monsoon season. I pulled leaches off of me, showered in buckets, saw monkeys in the rainforest and had to be in by dark when staying in the village or else the tiger would get us. (True story). Made friends with stray dogs, bison, baby chicks, goats, monkeys My leaders, group members and Of course the locals. I shed tears, laughed, bleed, and got sick but it was all worth it. My first time ever leaving the country I choose the right country to travel to. It has inspired me to go to Places all over the world now. I couldn’t be more great full for my global routes experience and what I have gained and taken away from it. Thank you Nepal 🇳🇵

What would you improve about this program?

I don’t think I would improve anything about this program it’s amazing how it is.

Read my full story

Everything about this trip is incredible, the hiking, the views, the people, but the what changed my life the most was when we stayed with our host families. Living with them for two weeks helped me appreciate everything I had that I taken advantage of before. I also learned about how they lived, got to go to school and hang out with the kids of the village. We played games together, had dance parties, and they helped us with our construction project. The most incredible thing I did was spend a day with my family in the fields helping them with their day to day work and planting rice with them. I became very closer with my Nepali host family and miss them everyday, and I am still in contact with them through facebook. As well, my biggest accomplishment that I will never forget was making it to base camp of Annapurna after all the hard work it took us all to get there. I could not be more grateful for the opportunity Global Routes provided me.

What is your advice to future travelers on this program?

Make sure to make the most out of the trip because although the trip is long it goes by in the blink of an eye.

My experiences this summer with Global Routes taught me the importance of forming a global community and eliminating stereotypes that plague people’s minds. I have learned to open my eyes to new and different ways of life- making many life-long friendships and many memorable experiences in the immersive process. Because of this new sense of understanding, I am reconsidering what I want to do with my life, the importance of travel and service and the impact I want to leave on the planet I call home. Therefore, I can not express how grateful I am for the experiences, lessons, and relationships Global Routes has given to me this summer- and STRONGLY recommend that you take part in one of Global Routes' cultural immersion programs. .

What is your advice to future travelers on this program?

Show-up with an open-mind and with no expectations, because I can assure you these expectations will be blown away and your mind will be filled with new perspectives regarding our awesome planet!

My experiences this summer with Global Routes taught me the importance of forming a global community and eliminating stereotypes that plague people’s minds. I have opened my eyes to another part of the world, and learned how awesome and transforming this process can be- making many life-long friendships in the journey. Because of this new sense of understanding, I am reconsidering what I want to do with my life, the importance of travel and service, who I want to be as a person and the impact I want to leave on this planet. Therefore, I can not express how grateful I am for the experiences, lessons, and relationships Global Routes has given to me this summer, and STRONGLY recommend participating in one of Global Routes' summer programs.

What is your advice to future travelers on this program?

Show-up with little expectations and with an open-mind, because I can assure you these expectations will be blown away and that you will learn so many things from the immersive trip.

Multiple Countries

Global Routes GAP programs (GRIT Track) are tailored to the individual...

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Alumni Interviews

These are in-depth Q&A sessions with verified alumni.

Why did you choose this program?

I was interested in GAP year programs for the summer and came across Global Routes online. The Nepal description caught my eye and had me hooked. I loved how they described the program and I’ve also always been interested in Asian culture. I knew I wanted to go very far and do a program out of the country.

I read many good reviews on Global Routes and watched YouTube videos about the program. I took to the internet and did research on Nepal and knew it was going to be a life-changing experience. The photography on the Global Routes website was also amazing.

What did your program provider (or university) assist you with, and what did you have to organize on your own?

Our program leaders were more than amazing and helped with so much. I always felt safe and they always had something interesting, life-changing and amazing to talk about. You can feel the love for the country both of my leaders had and culture. They were very supportive and provided outstanding meals.

They provided all transportation, health questions, medical supplies, money, food, water, and knowledge. What I had to do was live on my own at the homestay and stay with my host family and other group members. We had to get up and meet everyone at the health post each morning in the village.

I also carried my own trekking bag and bought all of the materials I needed myself. We also had free time at night in the tea houses. We would organize group games at night.

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What is one piece of advice you'd give to someone going on your program?

One piece of advice I would give is to bring more pictures from home because homesickness is a real thing and can get pretty intense some times. Also, my host family was very interested in my life in America, so I wish I had more pictures to show them.

Another piece of advice is to go in with a positive mindset always and remind yourself of the opportunity the universe has given you to experience something as epic as traveling.

What does an average day/week look like as a participant of this program?

The average day is eating breakfast with the group, waking up early and ready to start the day, incredible views (always), learning, trying something new, hiking, playing soccer, talking to the guides, leaders, locals, group members, learning the language, trying new food, feeling tried, climbing stairs. That is usually all in one day.

A week consists of everything stated above, along with bridges, monkeys, temples, tea houses and leaches!

Going into your experience abroad, what was your biggest fear, and how did you overcome it? How did your views on the issue change?

My biggest fear was getting some type of disease or getting sick from food or water. How I overcame my fear was telling myself that, if it happens, it happens, and there’s nothing I can do about it other then to keep moving forward. Everyone gets sick; it’s only natural and normal, especially for being a new traveler. And my fear of disease faded because I was so distracted by everything else going on around me during the trip.

Eventually, I wasn’t afraid of much by the end. It was more so, in the beginning, I felt more anxious because I did not know what to expect. I think the only thing that actually bothered me was my homesickness because, by the end of the trip, sickness never came across my mind.

How do I mentally and physically prepare for this trip?

Good question.

On the physical preparation part, stair climbing and going up as many steps as possible is a great way to start. During the trek, we climbed thousands of very steep steps and I was not prepared for the amount of stair climbing. Running and stair climbing will help a lot.

On the mental behalf, going into the trip with a positive mindset and finding the joy in the little things. For example, the way the clouds paint the skies in the morning makes the trees look so green and the peaks look so beautiful. Finding the good in every situation and the fact that some things happen for a reason and to the ride the wave of the emotion you feel.

One of my favorite memories from the trip is when I was eating dinner (dal bhat) with my host family and I was watching the sun go down and all the houses in the valley light up. There were very few houses, but the feeling was amazing and I felt so content - just sitting on the porch with my Nepali family enjoying a sunset and being in the moment.

Lauren Kerzhner

2017 Alum

Volunteer and give back in the Dominican Republic with Global Routes

Caitlin Christian

Staff Interviews

These are in-depth Q&A sessions with program leaders.

Jasmin Van Malderen

Program

Custom Programs for Schools: Immersive Experiences Designed to focus on Social and Environmental Justice

Job Title

International Trip Leader

B.S. Biomedical Engineering & Management Minor, University of California Irvine. A California native and current resident of Colorado, Jasmin grew up snowboarding, backpacking, kicking soccer balls and jamming on the piano. She loves spending time with her parents, sister and two pups. With a Belgian father and Korean mother, her house is always filled with a mix of cultures and foods. This has allowed her to travel the world, visiting her family that lives across many continents. When she’s not leading with Global Routes she leads road trips across America as a certified tour guide, coaches soccer for the Special Olympics, and competitively snowboards in the winter.

She most recently spent the last few seasons working as an ESL teacher in Thailand and guiding in the mountains of Big Sky, Montana. She is super excited to be a part of Global Routes and to share her love of giving back to the community while immersing herself in the local culture!

What is your favorite travel memory?

After completing two weeks of Friendship Camp, we celebrated at the tidal pools of the Owia Salt Ponds, a calm ocean pool with a gorgeous backdrop of rock, crashing waves, and the vibrant green hills that characterize the island.

After hours of swimming, snorkeling, sunbathing and rock climbing, we got to enjoy some delicious Vincy cuisine prepared for us at the Salt Ponds by our friends and local culinary pros, Andre and Bundo.

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

I've really gotten comfortable with diving into a new culture and meeting new individuals in their home countries. Getting comfortable in stepping out of my comfort zone and learning so many new things can be hard but so amazing and rewarding! Being able to show students how to follow your footsteps so that they may experience the same amazing things you have is the best part.

Working with a variety of students and leaders from a range of backgrounds, I have also improved my conflict resolution skills, as a range of problems arose on a daily basis, from big to small. But this is all part of leadership and I am glad I have the skills to be a better leader for the next trip around!

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What is the best story you've heard from a return student?

We had a student that at the beginning of the trip was not too stoked to be there. She had some attitude and was very testy with the trip leaders. Being able to see her experiences and transformations throughout the duration of the program was one thing, but then to have her enjoy the experience so much and challenge herself with a harder trip the following summer, was more than we could have expected and asked for!

We all still keep in touch and are updated on her life as well as many other past students!

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

Nepal! To challenge myself in a long trek amidst the Himalayas! I love hiking so this would be a great trip for me.

I would love to immerse myself in small local living while exploring a new country I have never been in before! Nepalese people's culture looks so inviting and welcoming and the food looks amazing! It's a tie with Ecuador and Costa Rica too because I would love the opportunity to improve my Spanish as well as explore a new continent!

What makes your company unique? When were you especially proud of your team?

We don't offer a huge variety of trips like other similar companies do. Adam does a great job at really choosing 5-6 trips and working hard on their itinerary. We would rather run 5-6 great, well thought out trips than 15 mediocre ones. With that said, he also spends a great deal of time carefully selecting staff members that would best fit these trips.

The training and thought that goes into each of these trips are incredible, but it really does pay off. I am proud of my team on a daily basis. Every day, there is an instance where we are reminded of what an incredibly talented and blessed group of individuals we all are and how we each individually contribute our own unique skills to the team!

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

Having an open mind. Being open to constructive criticism and being a sponge to soak up the great skills and qualities of my fellow leaders has really allowed me to improve myself as a leader and person overall.

Having an open mind and just jumping into all opportunities 100% with enthusiasm and positivity has only led to great memories and amazing experiences that won't be forgotten!