Program Reviews

Going on The Experiment in International Living’s program to South Africa this summer (2018) was so amazing! The program itself was centered around the theme of leadership and social change, which are two subjects that I am very passionate about. Some of my favorite parts of the trip were hiking Lion’s Head in Cape Town, spending 10 days in an Afrikaans speaking community for homestay, and learning about sustainability at the Tlholego Ecovillage. There was always an activity or thematic workshop to do; the trip was never boring or too touristy. I feel like I came back to the USA with so much more confidence and ready to tackle the social issues facing my community. Our group leaders were some of the most supportive and nurturing people I have ever met, and always challenged us to get out of our comfort zones. My group was full of wonderful, diverse people from all over the US, and we all bonded really quickly. I would highly recommend this program to anyone who is looking for some challenge and adventure- be warned that there will not always be things like WiFi and showers available to you!

Going to Thailand with the Experiment was the experience of a lifetime. Being that I had never been out of the country prior to traveling with the Experiment, I was very nervous to go abroad. However, the Experiment provided me with the support and care I needed to have the time of life. The Experiment allowed me to experience a culture that I would not have gotten to experience otherwise. One of the most special aspects of the Experiment experience was the homestay. I got to be fully immersed in Thai culture, and I became very close to the Prao District community.

This program was amazing !!! I’ve met people from all across the states. We all an open mind to the cultural barriers in language & setting. We had so much fun seeing the Eiffel Tower, Arc de Triomphe, and many beautiful stores and learning about the history behind different architecture. Not only is France all about Paris but many places are rural/ suburban having a country feel that you’ll see with your host family. It was best of both worlds getting to experience tourist & cultural immersion vibes.

My experience on the Experiment was beyond incredible. Initially, I was extremely hesitant to be immersing myself in such an unfamiliar culture for what seemed to be for such an extensive amount of time, but these emotions quickly faded. The 15 strangers that made up my group turned into my close friends almost instantaneously, and the experiences we shared were beyond compare. From exploring the streets of Madrid and Toledo, to meeting our homestay families in Guadix, to taking language and history classes in Granada, my time in Spain succeeded all my expectations. While I was the most anxious about the homestay portion of the trip, I ended up absolutely loving it. My family was beyond welcoming, and even though the language barrier was difficult to take in at first, I grew more comfortable communicating as time went by. I have so many great memories with my family from Guadix and they were, without a doubt, one the hardest goodbyes. I highly recommend this program, as not only is Spain such an amazing country full of endless culture and beauty, but I also met some of my best friends through this experience.

This four week trip I took to India, via the Experiment in International Living, did not only give me a summer to remember, but also helped me secure the idea of double majoring in International Relations and Writing. I was, and still am, fearful about college and the idea that I have to start putting my life together. The Experiment's trip to India gave me more joy and hope for my future! They gave me the security and courage I needed to move on to college.

If you are debating traveling to Peru with the Experiment, DO IT! I was a little nervous going into this experience, especially because I'd never traveled internationally before! However, with caring group leaders who made immersion easy, and the amazing activities we did every day, I didn't want to go home! I made the most amazing and lifelong friends on this trip, and made so many connections with people from the country. Even if you are uneasy with your spanish, DO IT, your language skills will improve so much. It truly was the best summer ever.

For everyone nervously considering whether they should take the plunge on the Experiment's program, I would really recommend that you do. While I'm contributing to it, the pool of online information you'll find won't give you the full view of the trip that I remember searching for. It's a big step to commit to something like this, but know that everyone on the 2018 trip had to go through this process, and I don't think anyone regretted their choice to enroll.

Worries you may have (all that I can think of):

-Living conditions:
We had pretty nice accommodations. We were in the Park Hotel in UB for about a week total (this could change for all I know, but I expect what you would end up with would be similar). Rooms (of 2) had a small bathroom and shower. We could get hot water most of the time. The beds, at Park and all other locations, were fine and easy to fall asleep on after packed days. We also had showers in Sainshand (Gobi location).

-Bathrooms:
In UB, Sainshand, and a few other places, we had standard flushing toilets.
Much of the rest of the time, we had simple outhouses.
At our homestay, we had no formal bathroom buildings. The world was our toilet.
I, of course, can't speak for everyone on my trip, but I didn't have much trouble with any of this.

-Food:
Mongolian food is pretty good. It's pretty simple, usually meat and grain. We eat at some restaurants in UB. We took a bunch of meals in private dining halls when we were staying outside of a city. We usually got something like Lipton tea with almost every meal. Portion sizes are huge.

-Water:
Though the temperature obviously couldn't be controlled, we had good, storebought, or otherwise clean, water for almost all of the trip. The one exception was in the homestay when we would generally be drinking milk tea with our families. The water situation shouldn't be a much of a deterrent.

-Horses:
We had the opportunity to ride horses with the group and at our homestays. Technically no one had to ride, but no one in our group left without doing a fair amount of horse riding. The horses were generally pretty relaxed and first-time riders didn't have much trouble.

-Language:
I'd certainly recommend some language preparation, but don't be worried if you don't know much/anything before you come to the program. We were adequately prepared with simple, functional language. My small Mongolian-English dictionary was very useful for more complex communication.

Highlights:

-Homestay:
The real deal. Living and participating in an ancient way of life. This was the greatest degree of immersion that we experienced. My host family understood that I didn't really know what I was doing in their lifestyle, but worked to include me, giving me whatever simple tasks that I could understand. I had some contact from the group throughout, but that week was mostly a process of learning and growth in a totally new environment.

-The Group:
Sharing new and challenging experiences brought the group so close together. Even after just the plane ride and first day in the country, I could tell that we were developing connections. By our last days, we had bonded an amazing amount. No matter how different my fellow Experimenters seemed, I found that I could more or less relate to everyone. We could all find some sort of common ground. Over a month, a group of people I'd never met became trusted friends.

-Everything else:
Our travel took us from North to East to South and gave us many interesting opportunities on the way. Our itinerary brought us many new experiences.

I don't know what history you have with travel, but this trip was very special to me because it offered a completely new and unique experience. It truly is hard to put into words how important and life-changing this trip was, but I can't recommend it more.

The experience I had exceeded my expectations. I really wanted my summer to be exciting and I was looking for some adventure as well as some learning experience and what I had with EIL was completely what I wanted. I felt like I was in a different country even though we were still in the United States. The group members and leaders made the whole experience even better as everyone was open and participative. I am forever thankful and I will forever remember this trip!

For me this trip provides me with a new look and deeper understanding of the civil rights. I am aware of the civil rights issue we face today but I didn’t take into account that we’ve made so much progress. This experience expand my respect and appreciation of those before me who stood up for the rights I take for granted today. There were many lives lost and risk taken just so I could get a school within walking distance from my home that have a high quality education. So many people who were my age were killed simply because of their race, something they can’t control. Although it still happens today it is no longer ignored and unsolved like the past. Going to different museums that highlighted these crimes and traumatic Times brought me to realize this. Also meeeting with people who lived through these times help me connect with the reality of the past. This experience was eye owning and provided me with a new appreciation for things I took for granted before. I gained more knowledge and respect.

With my time abroad I had life changing experiences and memories that will last a life time. I met so many people from different backgrounds, and I think that helped me grow as a person. There wasn't a time where I was bored. This program exposed me on how people live outside of my country. I was able to live like a local and get a better understanding of how a normal day would be like. I would definitely recommend this program.