Global Routes

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 🇳🇵

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.

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. .

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.

I chose Global Routes because my mom used to be a leader with the organization so I knew that it was a good option that was safe and provides a very good experience. Global Routes was the hardest thing I have ever done. It was also by far the best thing I’ve ever done. It taught me a lot about myself and helped me work through some problems; I have since been able to work a lot of what I learned into my life which is really nice. It was also so much fun and an absolutely amazing experience in every aspect. I loved everything we did such as safaris, working on the work-site, and living in a homestay. I also loved all the people on the trip; everyone was so welcoming and nice and it was really easy to fit right in. My leaders, Avy and Mary, were absolutely amazing. They exceeded all of my expectations that I came in with. They were always their when I needed them and were splendid in all aspects. Overall, I have no regrets about going on the trip to Tanzania because it has brought me only good things and I loved every minute of it.