Program Reviews

Looking back on my gap semester now, I can honestly say this was one of the most worthwhile things I have ever done in my entire life! Traveling throughout South America gave me a broader perspective on life. It enhanced my perspectives of the world and exposed me to things that few people get to experience in one's lifetime.

Being exposed to different cultures and different ways of life not only gave me a newfound appreciation for my life but also made me extremely grateful to have had the opportunity to travel to a unique region of the world before I go to college.

Traveling to new and exciting parts of the globe with a group of like minded individuals was definitely a phenomenal experience. I will never forget all of the amazing things I did and experienced during my gap semester.

I thought the trip was really fun and really beneficial. There were some ups and downs across the way but other than that it was a great experience. I had two really awesome leaders Will Earley and Alex Morton and they did a great job keeping the group safe, had great activities to keep the group close and to help form life long friendships. Their was a lot of fun activities planned by the leaders and we learned about a lot of new cultures, met some really cool people, and formed really close friendships.

I went on the Southeast Asia program and it was by far the most enlightening, empowering and happiest 3 months of my entire life. Words can’t describe how incredible ARCC and this program is. My leaders were incredibly knowledgeable, passionate and really had the best interest for all of their students. ARCC was really good at providing a safe yet challenging environment for us and also informing parents of any travel changes/updates we may have had. I’ve come back to the U.S. feeling much more confident and grateful. Overall, if you are thinking about taking a gap year - DO IT! It’s so beneficial and I can’t thank ARCC enough for all of the wonderful friends and experiences I’ve gained.

When I found out we were staying in the Amazon I was a little apprehensive. We took a boat to our destination and waste welcomed by a swarm of little kids! Two of them being my host family daughters ( mi hermanas) Jocelyn and jasmine! They took us to where Emily and I were staying and we were introduced to our families. Surprisingly enough it was a grandmother , grandfather, my host father and mother, two daughters , and one son named Eric. All of them living in a small house. Emily and I slept on small mattresses on the floor with bug netting around us. There were bugs I've NEVER seen before and it's was hot most of the days. Eating and spending so much time with our families was life changing. /so basic to say that , I know, but it's true.. I will forever be different and greatful for that experience. My host father had us teach him English , and he took us on extra hikes to see native plants and wild animals. He always made sure we were as comfortable as possible and happy! If I could do this all again I would in a second. Thank you to ARCC for this opportunity.

Throughout the entire semester I had grappled with where my purpose lies in the web of complexities that comprise the issues we encountered abroad as well as those we face at home. It was not until sitting in a tree house at Our Land, being led in discussion by inspirational founder, Vijo, that I realized the answer was quite simple. Vijo clarified and deepened the understanding that the earth doesn't need us, but we need the earth. To some degree, every issue we face as humans can be tied back to this concept. We just need to dedicate some compassionate attention to thinking about ourselves - outside of the box.

This experience was the perfect start to my gap year. I was hesitant about what to choose as my first program/activity, and decided to apply for the Fall Gap Semester in Asia. Asia was my first choice because I had been interested in meditation and Buddhism, wanted to get lost in the language barrier, and the east vs west cultural differences. I was not disappointed! ARCC does an amazing job of balancing cultural immersion, backpacking, and service learning. I realized on this trip that I am a city person. Our days in Beijing, Hanoi, Saigon, Phnom Penh, and Bangkok were my favorite. The guides that ARCC uses have their itineraries planned very well. We did have time to explore each city on our own, going on morning runs(unforgettable and a great way to see a city) and walking through countless night markets. We also spent a fair amount of time in more rural areas where we did service projects such as constructing water filters and teaching students. What I greatly appreciated is that we got to interact with these people in a way where we call each other friends. You can't escape the reality of it all. The most striking example for me was in Meile, a village in the poorest region of China. Our guide, Alex, gave us a talk right as the school children were exiting their classes for recess. He told us how one of out every twenty of these kids would make it to high school. We then played games with the kids and had a lot of fun, but the nagging thought of limited opportunity stuck in our minds long after.
In terms of safety, it needs to be said that Asia is incredibly safe from what we saw. We felt comfortable walking in groups in night markets, or even on night runs there was little concern of any danger. It is ARCC policy to have students remain with at least one other member at all times but this was not a big deal.
The personal development I experienced on this trip had surprised me in ways I was not expecting. A piece of advice I received before going on this trip was to buy into everything, team building exercises and cultural engagement specifically. I can trace fundamental changes in myself back to specific places.
One last thing: I journaled for at least half an hour every night simply because we had so many meaningful experiences each day. The only negative is that normal life will pale in comparison once you return home. :)

This gap semester was incredible. I was paired with 11 strangers and 2 amazing leaders that have changed me in ways I can't describe. Many people ask me what my favorite part of the trip is and I literally cannot choose one. Was it the time we hiked 7 hours to the most breathtaking view I've ever seen? Or the time we spent a few days building waterfilters and then implementing them into people's homes in the poorest region of Cambodia? Maybe the time we were night swimming in the Gulf of Thai and we came across bioluminescenct plankton. I have learned so much about the world and its struggles and also how we are overcoming them. I have learned about service and how to stop "othering" people and cultures. I have always felt perfectly safe and ARCC did such a great job pairing students with each other and choosing leaders. I don't recommend you do this course, I urge you to do it. Without a doubt this was the greatest experience of my life. Saying goodbye was the one bad aspect of the trip.

This gap semester has truly been one of the best experiences of my life. The places we have gone have been amazing as well as life changing. the people we have met and gotten to know have been enlightening and fun to share time and experiences with. The service work the group has done has been heart warming and fulfilling. Our professors are amazing people that were always willing to lend an ear if you needed one or be a friend and have a fun time with the group. The students have all been good people that have been fun to get to know and make friends with and I will definitely stay in touch with them in the ling run.

Our last week in Latin American was spent on Lake Titicaca in Peru. Coming from a small seaside town in Maine, being by water and mountains again reminded me very much of home. The scenery was absolutely beautiful. We stayed in a small lakeside village with host families. My host mama was Mama Roxana. She treated me like her own child. Giving me warm bottles to sleep with during the cold nights, giving me cups of eucalyptus tea when I was sick, placing sweet kisses on the cheek to say goodbye each day as I would go off to our various activities. During our time spent with the whole community I felt comfortable going to my mama to share a joke, sentimental moment, or ask for her opinion on something.
Our days would start off earl, even earlier for me at times. I would wake to a clear beautiful sky and the shimmering lake. Only steps outside of my room I would find myself sitting in the field with the animals and my young host brother. I would sit and journal, share stories with my host brother and he would tell me about his life and occasionally teach me some of the local language. It was a beautiful exchange.
Spending the days with my Mama and the small lakeside community was by far my favorite part of my travels. Not only did I learn a lot about their culture, but I was able to feel as if I was actively participating in it. They welcomed me with open arms into their life and allowed me to see and live anther culture.

About a year ago I was in possibly a similar position to you, searching and reading through gap year programs and reviews. One of my friends had gone with ARCC to Southeast Asia for her gap semester and had told me about how great it was and how much she gained from it, so the positive reviews on sites like this and others just solidified my decision. I've always loved traveling and I knew it would be a great time learn about the world and myself. I knew at the start of my searches that I wanted to travel to Southeast Asia, it was on the other side of the world, for a large portion of my life I have been eating Chinese, Thai and Vietnamese food and I thought it would be really cool to eat those cuisines from the source. I wanted to immerse myself in a culture and lifestyle that I was very unfamiliar with and gain a greater world view than I had before. I think what stands out about ARCC compared to other teen travel companies is the attention to detail and all of the relationships that have been built by Sofia, Scott and the staff over the last few decades. They have travelled to each of the places that we go and have formed close relationships with the tour guides and local communities, which really makes a difference. All of our guides were fantastic, always teaching us things about the areas we were in, the people that inhabit it, its history, culture, language, food and much much more. Having these in country guides who really care and want us to gain as much as we can and really get to know the countries and places we go is something that I really appreciated and thought truly elevated the trip to another level. Southeast Asia is a very special part of the world, and I am really glad that I made the decision to come here with ARCC, give and learn what we did. I highly recommend taking a gap year and traveling, it gives you a greater perspective on the world, life, and yourself, and whether or not you choose ARCC is up to you, just know that if you choose to travel with ARCC I can guarantee that you will have an amazing experience and make memories that will stay with you for the rest of your life.