Program Reviews

Pacific Discovery program completely exceeded my expectations in every way. Not only did I get extremely close with the people in my group, I also met many other inspiring people through conservation work and other activities. This program allowed me to push myself in ways I had never done before and when I accomplished something I felt immensely proud of myself. I was able to recenter and ground myself in my values, who I want to be, and what I want to put out into the world. I’ll never forget this experience and the people that I met on Pacific Discovery.

I am so glad I did this. It truly changed my life, how I view things, and how I operate. I am extremely grateful to be able to do this program. I got so many unique and cool experiences and I now have some really crazy stories. I feel like a much more well rounded person after this. This will be something that I hold on to for the rest of my life. If I could give my self a year ago any advice it would be to take the risk and go on this trip. I met so many new close friends, experiences life changing things, and truly grew and transformed.

This program provided tons of opportunity for growth. The activities were fun and the hikes were awesome. I loved mountain biking, skiing, surfing, going to the beach, and doing yoga. The most valuable part of the program for me was most definitely the relationships that I created while I was here. We shared tons of funny, memorable, and amazing moments together on the trip. I’m going to miss traveling around with this goofy bunch of people and seeing all the beautiful places of the country. Was hungry a lot though.

Pacific Discovery helped me learn a lot about myself and pushed me past my comfort zone. I discovered so many new activities that I loved doing and am looking forward to continue doing. There were so many different things I was tentative about, but kept an open mind and ending up loving! I was exposed to so many new cultures and ideas that allowed me to learn so much about myself and others. I made such great friends and memories! I am so glad I came on this trip and was able to have the experience I did!

Before this program, I had never lived without a permanent home. I got very used to that during this program, and it definitely has an allure to it. When you have a bus and enough money to live fairly comfortably while still having a budget for activities, you get a feeling of freedom. We hiked and skiid, snowshoed, and mountainbiked, while still having a good amount of freedom an time to explore on our own. I would recommend coming in with an open mind and a willingness to open yourself to others. In a small group, it’s ideal to be friendly with everyone.

I had a great time on the Pacific Discovery Western United States trip. I had so much fun throughout the trip and learned so much not only about myself but the environment and the places we visited. I made new friends that will last a lifetime. We got to try a wide variety of activities, from rock climbing in Arizona, to paddle board yoga in Utah, or snow shoeing in Wyoming. I highly recommend this program to anyone who is looking for a fun adventure and wants to get out of their comfort zone and try something new!

Overall I had an amazing experience with Pacific Discovery! I met people that I know I will be friends with for a lifetime and saw some amazing places. I’ve learned so much about myself and grown as a person. I’m more empathetic, accepting, and open minded. We got to see so many national parks and monuments which I can now check off my bucket list! My favorite part was probably the hike in Bryce Canyon, it was absolutely gorgeous and a landscape unlike anything I had ever seen. I would for sure reccomend to anyone who wants to explore and get out of their comfort zone!

The social scene is really cool. You’ll meet a lot of new people and have a lot of fun. All of the places we went were really interesting and fun to explore. The pre trip planning and materials weren’t that helpful and it seemed like we stayed in some weird places not close to anything but overall it was fine. A lot of the fun I had was not because of planned excursions but instead because of spending time with friends and just hanging out and talking about life late at night. The instructors were fun.

I had an amazing experience on the Pacific Discovery Western United States Spring 2021 Gap Semester Program. I saw some amazing parts of the country which I wouldn’t have seen otherwise. Participated in fun outdoor adventure activities which were new to me. Met some amazing like-minded students who will remain close friends for a long time. Learned a lot about sustainability, new cultures and environments and my role/contributions to these places or communities. Matured and grew immensely, discovering a lot about myself and others.

Overall this was a fantastic experience- I loved all of my group mates and instructors to the bottom of my heart. The activities we did were amazing and always left me wanting more, and I’m leaving feeling very confident in my ability to travel on my own in the future. I did get what I wanted- I challenged myself, learned a bunch of new skills, and met super cool people along the way.

Sometimes, we did struggle with budgeting for food- it was confusing where the money was for the 3 meals a day and a lot of us ended up supplementing with our own money out of pocket. Also the itinerary wasn’t exactly what it was advertised to be- could be due to COVID alterations, but we definitely missed out on some things and had a lot of free time.

I like how much the instructors trust you, the independence you are given, and the confidence this gave me to travel in the future.