Rustic Pathways Reviews

After attending the Sacred Valley Service trip, Rustic's premier Peru program, I thought it nearly impossible of how a program could top the experiences in the land of the Incas. However, I was drawn to the Seven Wonders of Australia trip due to its non-stop, eventful itinerary that journeyed from the Great Barrier Reef to the barren Outback to the architectural beauty of Sydney.

The trip itself, for someone who has travelled across the world, was not just one where I could check off Australia on my continents list. It was a program that allowed me to view the marvels of the nation and be granted the opportunity to view firsthand the historical and cultural aspects of Australia. Despite Australia's similarities to the United States such as their historical links to the British, I viewed a nation that has built its own history. Firsthand, I visited an Aboriginal community in the Outback and the way they survived through their methods of hunting, creating their own food supply, and their trading methods between tribes across Australia. Travel another couple hours and you will reach the area surrounding Uluru, where a town and even a large airport has been built to support the continuous flow of tourists. Surveying the way how Aboriginal land has shifted into an area constantly affected by tourism was unique to view.

Every activity or tourist site our group visited truly encompassed the Australian experience. The Great Barrier Reef, probably the greatest natural wonder I have ever seen, allowed each member of the group individual independence to explore species of the reef. I ended up breaking off and not only found a family of clownfish, but a reef shark. In the Outback, the wonders of Uluru and Kata Tjuta became our backyard as we explored the rock formations and watched their colors shift at sunset. Lastly, in Sydney, climbing the Harbor Bridge, visiting Bondi Beach, and ferrying to Manly, allowed me to get a unique experience of the city, one in which I felt shifted into an actual citizen of Sydney.

The activities that I mentioned before are not even a fraction of what I experienced in Australia; I wish I could mention everything that I viewed and experienced, but by the end, it could possibly be longer than Tolstoy's War and Peace.

Before I conclude, it is important to mention the community service at Our Big Kitchen and Thread Together. Firsthand, my group benefited homeless communities all over Australia whether it was making soup and strudel or disseminating piles of clothing into their appropriate sizes to be shipped in boxes to shelters across the country. On the trip, I especially felt that Rustic Pathways achieves its mission on introducing specific community service initiatives relative to the nation to its travellers.

Since I was on a Rustic trip last year, I viewed my travel group as the catalysts who affected how I saw, interacted, and enjoyed Peru. Relative to this year, that philosophy was truly accurate. The leaders and students on Seven Wonders exhibited the qualities that I had hoped judging from my experiences in Peru. I could see just from meeting my fellow travelers on the first day in Brisbane's International Airport that each teenager was individually motivated and willing to embark on any experience that could allow them to get the best opportunity while in the country. And our leaders were the best two people who could grant us the opportunities; the trip would have not been the same without their will to travel, their experiences, and most of all, their love for Australia.

Traversing through Cuba was a completely unique, one-of-a-kind experience. Although much of the world has a more negative preconceived notion of this country, going and seeing it yourself is an experience one cannot take for granted. A few of my favorite experiences occurred in the more rustic-style areas like Lomas de Banao and Charco Azul, where we participated in ecological activities such as reforestation and farming. Besides the community service, Rustic does a terrific job of having a jam-packed itinerary chock full of incredible experiences that just can't be replicated anywhere else in the world. Ziplining and visiting the waterfall, Cascada de Bella, were both highlights of the trip. Also, the friends I made on these trips are people I will forever cherish and hold dear to my heart. These are lifelong experiences you share with them and you form a unique bond with these people over the trip. After my experiences in one Rustic Programs in the Dominican Republic, I couldn't wait to sign up for a brand new adventure in Cuba, a place few people ever get to see, especially Americans. To all prospective participants, don't miss out on these once in a lifetime experiences, these are moments and adventures that can never be replicated and Rustic does a particularly commendable job of making it a safe, exhilarating, and meaningful stay, no matter the country. I'm already trying to sign up for next year and this summers' programs haven't even ended yet! The memories I have made in my past Rustic programs have made me into the person I am today and have given a new outlook on life, as I have gained a newfound sense of appreciation for the little things. Coming from a very materialistic Western lifestyle, I was so happy to take a break from that and see how a huge portion of the world truly lives and what I take for granted every day, be it clean, running water, or a guarantee of food on the table every night, we take these things for granted that other parts of the world are not close to being guaranteed. Rustic Pathways is an incredible program that has indisputably changed my outlook on life for the better.

For the last seven years I have been counting down the years until it was my turn to finally experience the transformative trips that Rustic Pathways provided both of my older sisters. They are seven years older than me and both went on two Rustic trips, and I grew up hearing story after story of how each and every encounter on their trips shaped them into improved versions of themselves upon their return. I could only hope that my Service in the Clouds trip would have the same effect on me that it had on my sister, Hattie, when she was my age seven years ago. Like my older sisters, my sister and I are twins, and these trips provided us with an opportunity to be apart for the first time in our lives and to create our own identities and lives apart from one another.
When telling people of my summer endeavor to India, I often received a reaction of envy and jealousy because of the lack of people who have the opportunity to travel to India. That is exactly what Rustic Pathways provides its travelers: opportunities to experience people and places that most only dream of seeing. I returned to countless people asking me how my trip was, and each and every time, I started off with the word, “life-changing,” because that pretty much sums up my entire trip. I was tested beyond my limits, and therefore, grew and continue to grow into a stronger and tougher person because of four specific lessons I learned during my sixteen days in the foothills of the Himalayas.

The Importance of Independence
Growing up an identical twin, it was always hard to find my voice and a unique identity, and my trip through Rustic Pathways allowed me to do just that. I needed this trip to show me that I am an individual, I am not my twin, and I can live my own life. When speaking of the gratitude I have towards Rustic for this opportunity, I was driven to tears because the effect is truly immense. Before this trip, I was beyond anxious because I kept telling myself that without Clara, my twin, I was incapable of making friends. I told myself she was the talkative one, that everyone liked her, and that people only hung out with me because they had to. When writing this I see how self conscious I really was, and this trip gave me the confidence I was lacking. Although anxious about the decision, I chose to do this trip without knowing anybody because I saw the effects these trips had on my older sisters when they were our exact age. I was put in a group of people without the comfort of my sister, forced to make friends, have experiences, and simply live without my other half for the first time in my life. This solitary experience allowed me to understand that, yes, I am a twin, but I am also an individual. I am not my sister. My life is not her life, and I am capable of living and thriving on my own. I love her, but I am capable of being alone. There I was just Hasie, not Hasie and Clara, not the Shermans, and not the twins, just Hasie.

Change is Always Acceptable and Possible
One of our guest speakers was the Dalai Lama’s translator of many years as well as practicing monk, Thupten Jinpa, and the words he said that most impacted me were, “If you can change it, don’t worry because you can change it. If you can’t change it, don’t worry because worrying won’t change it.” Worrying has always been one of my major flaws, and most of my anxiety is rooted by my unhealthy hope to be liked by everyone. I have spent years shaping and forming into what I think others want me to be, and through that, I seem to have lost who I want to be. However, lucky for me, this trip made me understand that change is always possible, and that anxiety about change is unnecessary because as long as one has a positive mindset, change can and will happen. As I said in my first lesson, I chose to have an experience all on my own for the first time in my life. I did not dip my toe in the water, but rather, I went all the way to India not knowing anyone, and I could not have made a better decision. I could be whomever I wanted to be. I got to be the person I wanted to be, and I became someone I hope I still am back home. Before the trip I deemed myself as more of an introvert rather than an extrovert, and on this trip, I became an “extreme extrovert,” as my friends called me. Prior to this experience I really do not think I was truly happy, and I think it can all be rooted down to this simple self evaluation of introvert or extrovert. I used to overthink everything resulting in my silencing and isolating myself because I thought that if I did not say anything I could not be judged for it. That could not be farther from what I needed to do. This trip and these people allowed me to express myself as I truly am because they had no predispositions of me, and throughout the changes I made on this trip, I became happier and more aware of my love of people and talking. Now being home, I need to maintain the mindset that change is always possible so that I can continue shaping myself into the kindest, happiest, and most confident version of myself.

Yoga and Mindfulness
Whether surrounded by windows of glass overlooking the endless sky and mountains of the Himalayas in McLeod or outside in Bala listening to the river flowing and the feeling the chill of the early morning breeze, our group started nearly everyday with both yoga and meditation, and throughout this process, I learned to yearn for the quiet time to be with my thoughts. Forced to be silent for longer then I am normally capable, our daily yoga and meditation sessions allowed me to connect with my feelings and thoughts in ways I could not without that allotted time. I became more aware of how I was feeling in that present moment, and it gave me a chance to set a goal for the day. Through meditation and I learned the importance of living in the present moment rather than focusing on the past and future. This concept was best described in our discussion with Thupten Jinpa when he said, “Don’t put your present life in hostage by thinking of the past and future.” Having always been future oriented, this quote made me realize that if I focus each day on things that may or may not come like my happiness, I will forget to focus on my happiness in the present moment. Anxiety is caused by over thinking of things like actions and words that we often cannot change whether that be the permanence of the past or the unpredictability of the future. This moment is the only predictable factor in our lives, so why not become who we want to be, how we want to feel, and what we want to do right now, not tomorrow, not yesterday because we only have right now to make that decision. Whether I was building toilets in Bala, practicing yoga, talking to my Tibetan partner, or just walking around the town, I practiced mindfulness. I embraced the sounds and sights of my surroundings every moment not distracted by my phone, my thoughts, the past, or the future.

Positivity is the Key to a Happy Life
Spending a week in McLeod Ganj, I began to finally understand the importance of a positive mindset throughout even the toughest of situations. Full of Tibetan refugees, McLeod Ganj is a town that exudes happiness, and I believe it is because of its people’s positive attitudes and outlooks on life. Our service in Mcleod was practicing English with Tibetan refugees, and I was touched by the numerous smiles, laughs, and positive energy of the Tibetans living in a country under a government from which they can only dream of escaping. My Tibetan partner is only four years older than me and has many of the same interests as me, but our lives could not be any more different. She and her family moved to India when she was three for a better education, but, her family moved back to Tibet when she was seven. However, she does not linger on the fact that she is apart from her family but is grateful for her education, her friends, the family she does have in McLeod, and most importantly, has faith that she will receive a visa to soon return to Tibet. Many of the friends I met in McLeod have similar stories and the same positive outlook on their living situations. Rather than think of the negativity and not ideal situations in their lives, they learn to have faith, hope, and find enjoyment in their present lives. These friends made me understand that positivity is happiness. It is faith. It is hope. It is a choice. There is always good in life, but it is just whether or not we choose to acknowledge it.

This summer, I embarked on my second volunteer-abroad trip with Rustic Pathways. I was originally drawn to Rustic because of the high levels of organization that can be seen just by visiting the website. Rustic has an amazing user-friendly website that matches its in-country experience. Another thing that drew me in was the sheer amount of programs that Rustic offers. There are so many countries and programs that it is almost impossible to choose just one! Thankfully, there are travel advisors that you can chat with on the website to answer any questions you may have and offer some insight into the programs.

The programs themselves are put together in such a way that even if you are volunteering, you still get to do a good amount of sight-seeing and adventuring. It is a great mix of work and play, and the program schedules are designed keeping in mind the levels of exhaustion that come with international travel. The program leaders are truly amazing and all connect with the students so well! Students from all over the world travel with Rustic, so you are sure to meet some interesting people all from different countries and different backgrounds! I traveled alone on both of my Rustic trips, which was an amazing experience, because I got to meet all new people in a new country all by myself, but it is also okay to travel with a friend, as it can be comforting to have something familiar in an all-new environment.

Rustic provides an amazing experience that would be very hard to experience alone or with another company, because Rustic is so ties into the communities that they work with, providing a welcoming and immersive experience. Some of my favorite memories from my trips with Rustic are of the homes that we had the experience to stay in while staying in rural villages, and being able to interact with the villagers. Rustic also works with local staff to truly immerse you into the culture of the country you are visiting, and it also provides you a wonderful connection with other locals.

Personally, I look forward to a new Rustic trip each summer, and my expectations are always exceeded by Rustic. Every Sumer I get to experience an entirely new place with a group of friendly strangers that make my time with Rustic a time I will never forget! Rustic is absolutely an experience I would recommend to anybody who loves to travel, loves to help out in their community or others, or just wants to meet some new and extraordinary people.

Rustic Pathways is excellent at giving students the opportunity to immerse themselves in the culture of where they are visiting through having local leaders and activities with locals. Even when I was in the remote peaks of Kilimanjaro I was surrounded by singing and dancing Tanzanian leaders and I ate Tanzanian cuisine. The route that Rustic Pathways takes allows students to sleep in huts, which makes the climb more comfortable when temperatures range around freezing. Additionally, when I was at my lowest point, the Rustic and Tanzanian leaders constantly provided motivation and love. I felt safe on the mountain because the leaders would genuinely ask how we felt, and we had medical check ups every morning and night. Reaching the summit was unbelievably difficult, and what made it even more special was doing it with Rustic and my sixteen new best friends. I left Kilimanjaro in awe of the amazing people I met and feeling grateful for the opportunity. I can confidently say my time spent in Tanzania changed my life for the better. I have grown in my understanding and acceptance of different cultures, I discovered a strength and resilience inside myself, and I developed relationships with wonderful people. Thank you so much Rustic!!

Going into this program, I had no clue what to expect. I mean, I knew that there would be service and fun involved, but I did not know to what extent. I quickly learned that the phrase, "work hard, play hard" was important to Rustic as with any service project, we had a fun activity shortly thereafter. The friends that I met here are sure to last a lifetime. Being on the quieter side, it is rather hard for me to open up to people, but knowing that I was in a safe, loving, and judgement free environment, it was pretty easy to make new friends. On the last day, I never saw more teens cry in one area in my life. We were all heartbroken over having to say goodbye to our friends from all around the world, but we were happy that we met each other. Rustic Pathways changed my life in a positive way.

Going to Costa Rica was my first trip out of the country. I was pretty nervous flying all that way by myself with no one that I had ever met before. However, it turned out to be the greatest experience of my life. I think the fact that I went alone made the trip more worthwhile than if I had gone with a friend. It forced me to go outside my comfort zone and learn new things about myself all on my own. I think I really grew as an individual that week. I not only learned about myself, but about the environment in Costa Rica and more about our global community. The conservation trip taught me the about the damage that humans are constantly doing to mother nature and the destruction we have caused on our beautiful oceans. My favorite part was releasing the baby turtles back into the ocean. It was a physical reminder that what we were doing was good and worth all the hardships. This experience opened my eyes to a whole new world outside of the small suburban bubble I grew up in. This program has given me this unstoppable itch to travel all over the world and help where I can, and stop being a part of the problem that is ignorance toward our global issues.

Traveling to Cuba is an opportunity many Americans do not have. I was lucky enough to travel to Cuba and learn about their rich culture. Everything about the trip was great the staff was excellent and the local guides were very knowledgeable. It was a great experience being able to learn about a forbidden land. Traveling to Cuba has allowed me to understand the complexity of our relations with the Cuban government. I highly recommend this trip and program to all who are interested in traveling abroad.

I enrolled for the Moroccan Wanderer program with not a lot of expectations about what would happen during the program. Since it was a different culture and program to what I am used to I did not know what to expect. But as soon as I arrived in Morocco I knew it was going to be an amazing experience.
I arrived in Casablanca the day before because I was travelling from Colombia to Morocco via Madrid (I am Venezuelan but live in Colombia). I met my program leaders that night and met my group the next day at the Hassan II Mosque. Then we drove to Marrakesh and spent three days there getting to know the city which was amazing and very beautiful. Then we left for Ourikt the village were we would do our comunity service it was a very nice experience to get to know the locals and help them with the ongoing project for the school with the locals. Then we spent a night at an old Kasbah in Nkob wich was very pretty and the people there were extremely nice and helpful. Then we went to Merzouga wich was the place were we would leave our stuff prior to the night that we spent in the Sahara. The Sahara is something amazing it is like from another planet, it is one of the most beautiful things I have ever seen and I got to ride on my favourite animal: The Camel. After that experience we headed to the Toudra Gorge in the High Atlas. We satyed in a beautiful place and had a very cool hike around the area. After that we left to Ait Benhadou which is an old fortress town near Ouarzazate. We had fun exploring the fortress and getting to know about "The Hollywood of Morocco". Then it was the last stop towards Esaouira a beatiful beach town were we had great food and very nice Landscapes also we went to a fair. The last day we drove to casablanca and my group left back to their homes and I stayed one more night with the rustic team at a hotel in Casablanca.
This definetly was one of the best experiences of my life.

Overall this program was a really great experience. It was awesome to have the opportuntiy to contribute to a good cause and see a new country, culture, and lifestyle. The activities we did after dinner were always really fun and helped the group come together! The staff, accommodations, and food were all great. The group I was in, was almost thirty students, which lead to lots of small groups and at times I felt very left out. I feel that if the group was smaller then everyone would have a better oportunity to get to know each other and the group wouldn't be as socially divided. Another thing I might change would be going shopping in a huge market. The last day of the trip everyone went to this huge indoor market which was very intimidating because people would hassle you to come into their store. Although it was nice to have freedom in this market, I feel that it was not the safest way to shop. Maybe go shopping on the streets near the world heritage site- it seemed a little more safe and less overwhelming. Other than those two flaws, I was really glad I went on this trip, it was an awesome experience to see a different part of the world!