Program Reviews

I would like to share a letter of thanks I wrote to the Boulder Offices after my experience with Dragons...

Thank you for allowing me to embark on an educational journey, one lead from authentic ideals and one that has left a major impact on my development as a person. Thank you for the friends I have been able to make and the instructors that were able to teach me more than I learn in a given school year. Thank you for the lectures, lessons, and debates which most often lead me to think beyond, and now leave me thinking critically everyday. Thank you for the endless journey of possibility - making me believe in my mental, emotional, and physical self more than ever. Thank you for the exploration, as the endless trekking has allowed me to grasp the full beauty of China and learn that China is much more than an overpopulated and polluted country. Thank you for the policy of electronics, as disconnecting has made me realize that the devices that we think make us connected to the world actually disconnect us from the ones that are close. But most importantly, thank you for allowing me to search for my meaning, as I have learned that our search for meaning can just simply never end.

If I were to tell someone one thing I learned in my search for meaning; I learned that one’s philosophy on happiness will change depending on where you come from. Happiness - a paradox of itself is something that I much analyzed when I was with my Homestay family.

When trying to immerse myself in my rural Homestay family on the outskirts of Xining, I without a doubt was pushing myself out of a comfort zone that the Western World had forced upon me; not only because there was a major language barrier, but because the luxuries of indoor plumbing, a memory foam mattress, and indoor heating and insulation were swept away from me beneath my feet - literally, with myself sleeping on the cold Tibetan nights on a crummy blanket , laid upon dear mother earth. But, you may be asking yourself: How does this relate to happiness? After experiencing the Tibetan lifestyle - a very simple lifestyle to say at the least - I reflected back on the lifestyle I had at home - a lifestyle completed with all the physical luxuries of indoor plumbing and heating, but a lifestyle also filled with the essential ethics of freedom and privacy - things these Tibetan people have never experienced and probably will never experience. So, in regard to happiness, I constantly questioned myself “How do these people - living such a simple lifestyle remain happy and content, even in their most dreadful moments?” And as I type this, I still have no answer to that question.

The experiences, lessons, people, and places that encompassed my search for meaning all have left a huge impact on myself - and this letter is my best shot at conveying how thankful I am for the experience. “You travel not only to see the world, but to see yourself” Endless experiences could be shared in this letter - but I just wanted to provide you a brief insight into the experiences you (Dragons) were able to give me.

Thank you.

Often, the problem with telling stories is one's inability to capture the feeling of the moment in words. We can say the facts, say there was an electricity in the air, but that electricity is lost in translation. This is why it has been so difficult for me to explain why one of the happiest times of my young life took place in the tiny village of Sare Cene, in the Casamance region of Senegal. Why? I am asked so often, and while my answer has been refined, it always falls short. Why? Well, every night, all the young people of the village and I danced well past the time when the moon reached its zenith, illuminated only by the light of a dying campfire, the moon, and the vast multitude of stars. Even with my prettiest language, I fail. I can not convey the energy, the joy, and the laughter. I can not describe the feeling, or the reason I am smiling so wide in all of my pictures. The best I can do is to refer them to Where There Be Dragons, and say "Why don't you find out for yourself."

Whether you are called by the vibrant green rice paddies of Southeast Asia or the warm plains of West Africa, travelling with Where There Be Dragons is an inspiring and formative experience. In the summer of 2012 I went to Cambodia with a group of eleven other high school students and a team of three remarkable instructors who each possessed expertise about Cambodia’s culture, history, and development. Four years later, my best friend-whom I met on this trip—and I still speak with our instructors, now mentors, on a variety of topics. There is a sense of community cultivated on Dragon’s courses, which affords a lot of room for personal growth and self-discovery. I can so vividly remember the sparking light cascading though the cracks in my homestay family’s home positioned in a village near Penom Penh. I recall swinging awkwardly in the hammock on the first day, but laughing and cooking with this family by the end of the short week-long stay. Learning to dissolve cultural misunderstanding and see one another was a lesson in perspective that I continue to work on today. This course revealed to me ways of life that are much different from my own, comfortable midwestern lifestyle, but simultaneously, this course impressed upon me that we all share the same world. Cambodia is especially beautiful, fully of rice, iced coffee, wrinkled beetlenut stained smiles, incense, and saffron robes. However, it is also plagues with political vice, human rights violations, limited access to education, and a cruel past. The spirit of Cambodia is infectious—full of determination, kindness and potential. What I learned in and about Cambodia continue to translate into many aspects of my life.

In effort to mirror the lifestyle of Khmer people and fully delve into the beauty of Cambodia, this course is defined as rugged travel. There are times we see unparalleled beauty, but we also stay in modest accommodations. The 5/10 rating is not to deter one from travel, but only to convey a realistic picture of the journey.

I went to Myanmar with Dragons three years ago and had a frankly unbelievable month. We got to examine the developmental struggles that are facing Myanmar at a pivotal time in its development, as it transitioned from a military dictatorship into the modern world, and I imagine that that aspect of the country remains just as exciting today. The travel skills that I picked up let me go back to Myanmar on my own the next year and use connections I'd made with Dragons to do a solo homestay in the Shan State, in a village near where I'd spent time as a Dragons student, in one of the most beautiful places I've ever been. The instructors were extraordinary mentors and lessons I learned from the combination of them and Myanmar truly changed the way I see things and the way I live. Lastly, the student groups that I've been around on both this trip and the other Dragons trip I did, a semester to Indonesia in 2016, have been amazing, made up of kids who were curious and engaged, and were the final pieces that completed a set of amazing experiences with Dragons. 10/10.

The Sikkim program was the second summer I had spent with Dragons, having participated in the Thailand program the year prior. The Sikkim trip was undoubtedly one of the most important experiences I have ever had in my life. The small group size of twelve students from across the US was perfectly conducive for the creation of a strong team. Within two hours of meeting each other, we were already joking around. The team felt like family by the time we landed in New Delhi! Our two leaders were both experts in program design and I always felt supported, safe, and comfortable. Along with our three in-country leaders, we had an abundance of knowledge and guidance available to us. Our leaders challenged us to reach our potential and discover more about ourselves, each other, and India than I ever thought possible.
A Dragons course in Sikkim is easily the best way to experience an area of India that is not as familiar as New Delhi or the Taj Mahal. Living with my host brother, sister, and entire extended family in the town of Kalimpong was an incredible way to build life-long bonds as we learned more about each other every day. The kindness and generosity of the people we met continue to inspire me to spread compassion and openness in my community.
The little moments of the trip will stay with me forever; waking up at 5:30 a.m. in Darjeeling and climbing five flights of stairs just in time to see the clouds part, the valley open up below, and the grand reveal of Mount Kanchenjunga, the third tallest peak in the world. I recall the silver flecks of mica dust that covered my skin as we drove into a jungle valley to reach our home stays in the remote Lepcha village of Sittong. I still feel the warmth of mud caked on my entire body - a mud fight became a time for celebration as we planted rice with local community members. I can never forget the quiet humming my home stay grandmother as we roll tea leaves by hand on bamboo trays. I miss the opportunity to speak in Nepali and see the smile of vendors, surprised to hear me speak their language.
The Sikkim trip with Dragons is unexplainable. I feel an unceasing love for my team, my leaders, my community, and all the people I met along the way. There will never be enough room to say how much I love Sikkim and Where There be Dragons!

The 6 weeks that I spent traveling and learning with Where There Be Dragons were some of the most incredible weeks of my short life. From day one, we were challenged to learn and to embrace the opportunity that we had to travel--not tour--in Rwanda. One highlight was when I participated in the naming ceremony of my host brother who was only 7 days old when I arrived in my new home. Everyone from the community gathered into the new building I called home and each person took their turn in suggesting a name. I could hardly believe that my host family had agreed to host me after just having given birth to their new son but being able to have such an intimate, cultural experience with a family who I grew to love is just one example of the wonders of a Dragons program.

This was an incredible trip - I swam with dolphins and learned to spearfish with an adopted Bajo father, I played soccer in bamboo forests and on pitted fields dotted with cows and I became a part of three families that I'll never forget. Every day I was a part of these things and dozens more, things I hadn't imagined and each of them informed my worldview and inspired me to explore and find out whatever was around the next corner like nothing else ever has.

Last fall, I was a student on the Where There Be Dragons Semester course in Indonesia. I hadn't planned on taking time off between High School and College, but my ED school (Middlebury College) accepted me with a gap semester. The idea terrified me, challenged me, and ultimately has been an incredible gift. The course with Dragons changed my life.

One of the most incredible parts of Dragons courses are the instructors. Each program is made up of twelve students and a minimum of three instructors, at least one of whom is native to the counrty and citizens of the world, and each came to the program with a wealth of experience in human rights, conservation, academics, and cultural building. All were wonderful, passionate people with a will to open our minds, widen our knowledge of this world, and to grow with us as we experienced the consciousness-expanding wonder of deep, informed travel.

Whether the experience is four weeks or three months, being immersed in a new culture can be immensely challenging. It is so important to have quality mentorship in times of intense growth. Dragons recognizes this, and the instructors are people who can hold space for this kind of transformative opportunity. I found that, beyond being more than qualified to inform us on human rights issues, the environment, cultural tendencies in the developing and western world, and many more intellectual pursuits, the instructors were there to support us mentally and emotionally. They guided us, challenging us when necessary, but always there for us. They took care of us, but they also helped us learn to take care of ourselves.

Another amazing thing about Dragons is the relationship they build with local communities. Everywhere we went Dragons sought to create a sustainable friendship that benefits students and locals equally. This certainly deepens the student experience as it opens up doors for the friendships and mentorships. A homestay family that trusts Dragons as an organization will be more likely to get excited about sharing their world with a student. I will never forget the connections I made with parents, children, and friends as we traveled through Indonesia.

In each community we studied the culture (religion(s), history, customs, political dynamics, and role of the western world in all of this). environment (conservation issues facing communities, the impact of these on their everyday lives, changes being made going forward, and our roles in these issues), and community (what are the health care and educational systems, how far away is the nearest hospital, how and what language do the children learn to read). We studied all of this through community interaction: we'd sit in on community gatherings, organize talks with the village head, midwife, shaman, workers, and professors, and we'd ask them to tell us about their lives and their world. We also set aside time to process with the group, to learn how best to handle the intensity of our experiences.

The course had a great balance of time spent learning with the group and time spent exploring, hanging out, and integrating our experiences into a newfound awareness of self and the world. Each day we would come together for at least two hours to check in with everyone, take care of medical needs, and rediscover solidarity with our peers. When we needed it we would always make time to go snorkeling in the nearby coral reef, explore the regional volcano, sing songs around a bonfire, have a dance party, drink a coconut, and decompress.

I know that this trip changed my life. On my own, I never could have made it to such remote and beautiful places, experienced so much depth in new cultures, made such close friendships, and internalized my experience as lasting inspiration. I have been blown away by the integrity and values exhibited by all the staff at Dragons, and I am so incredibly grateful to have been their student.

Each student faced many challenges on this program: we went into the unknown and fought against our comfort zones. We pushed into growth and found that, as we were challenged, new worlds started to open up to us. New perspectives appeared, deeper empathy was felt, greater integrity was realized, and we were suddenly more mature, more moral, more in touch with our inner selves, and more sensitive to the lives of those around us in this vast, unpredictable, beautiful world. Having had this experience, I will never be able to live without thinking of myself in service to my community. I can't go back: I will always work harder in my friendships, find ways to explore, adventure, and deepen, and remember that I am a citizen of the world.

I wish that more of my friends would do Dragons programs. I have complete faith they would find their minds and souls expanded by it, just as I have.

With a group of 13 other gap year students and 3 amazing instructors, we traveled down the length of the Mekong River in South East Asia observing the culture, ecology, and development issues in China, Laos, and Cambodia. In each country we did home-stays (ranging from 4 days to 3 weeks) in amazing communities, trekked, and immersed ourselves in the culture.

I traveled with WTBD to China, Laos, and Cambodia on the Life Along the Mekong semester course and had an absolutely fantastic trip. Highlights included: hiking Tiger Leaping Gorge in the Yunnan province, spending 2 nights in the jungle in Laos sleeping under lean-tos made of banana leaves and bamboo, living on an island in the middle of the Mekong for almost 3 weeks, biking to Angor Wat and watching the sunrise, and relaxing on the beach at Rabbit Island off the coast of Cambodia after 3 months of exciting travels.
The instructors were amazing and our group was comprised of 13 hilarious, fun, and brilliant students. I highly recommend this program to anyone who wants to explore Southeast Asia in a way that you will simply not be able to do on your own.