Program Reviews

My trip to Morocco was fantastic. My program leaders navigated the line between safety and fun exceptionally, especially towards the tail end of the trip, when were all aware enough to manage ourselves in groups. The 15 other members I shared my experience with were among some of the most remarkable people I have ever met. I couldn't imagine a better group to explore Morocco with. Furthermore, the home stay experience was highly enlightening, as it showed me the hardships and benefits of living a rural life in Morocco. It was undeniably challenging, but the payoff was worth it. By the end, I was dreading the idea of returning home.

Reflecting from my whole experience, I realize how vital it is to visit different countries. The culture, lifestyle, history, and language made me appreciate Spain and life outside of the US. When the trip was over, I told my family that I wasn’t ready to leave yet. I miss siesta, my host mother’s seafood and chicken paella, strolling through Las Ramblas in the middle of the night with my friends who I’m still in contact with, and my group dinners where we were always laughing. These moments shaped and made a stressful year into one of my most memorable. This trip inspires me to continue learning Spanish and to take advantage of the study abroad opportunities in college. I was also thinking about pursuing a career where I get to travel to different countries. Even though I dislike long flights, I love being exposed to new cultures and meeting people. My goal for this trip was to find myself and have fun, and this experience exceeded my expectations.

It was really interesting to see for myself how countries have different governments from ours, and how people are affected by the customs surrounding politics and speech. Unlike in the states, in Thailand people don't have freedom of speech. In Thailand, natives and foreigners alike are not allowed to speak negatively about the crown or what he decides to implement as law. People can be incarcerated for up to 15 years for even being perceived as being disrespectful. It's essentially treason. What was especially interesting was that we visited Thailand in a period of "mourning" because their king has recently passed. His son, the king-to-be, is not as well-respected as his father was, so it was intriguing to hear in on why people are not as appreciative of him.

The trip to Tanzania was an amazing experience that I will always remember. The trip gave me sight into my future career of becoming an international English teacher. The time I spent teaching the students at the schools inspired me and gave me the little push to see that this is what i truly love doing. I made many connections on the trip that I will never forget, and I even got offered a internship there which I will definitely take up on in the up in coming years after college.

Overall a great experience. I've made life long friends both in the United States and in France. I learned quite a bit about using a camera. The painting part was fun to, it was a more for beginners though. But there was a lot of freedom to do what you would like to do. That is what I liked most.
The family I stayed with was amazing. They were very accepting of how I was. We spent time at the zoo and went to the museums. That was by far the best part of the trip. I made friends across the world that I will never forget. Even though they may not have had a child my age with them at the time it was still a fun experience.

I am so grateful to have experienced something as incredible as 'The Experiment in International Living". During this month abroad, I was able to step out of my comfort zone, meet new people, experience and discover things I'd never thought of! I was able to become immersed in the Costa Rican culture and felt like I was apart of their community as well. In Costa Rica I made very strong connections and bonds with several people, not only in my group, but those who call Costa Rica their home. For example, I truly feel like my homestay family is my real family. They took care of me like I was one of their own and I could not be more thankful and grateful. We also learned a lot about ecology, sustainability and the way Costa Rica operates. I was also able to give back and help the community, which is something that I really believe in. This has definitely opened my eyes in several ways and allowed me to expand my knowledge about the world, globally. I would recommend this program to every high school student planning to go abroad! The program is very well put together and creates the program in a way that is meaningful to all. If you do plan on going abroad, make sure to help local companies out, instead of big chains! Don't be afraid to really get to know the culture!

Traveling to Ireland is an experience that I will never forget, because I made new friends and learned about Irish culture and how it is different to American culture. One way how Irish culture is different is that they drink a lot of tea and eat a lot of potatoes. During the homestay, the host family was very nice and very welcoming. I learned that Irish people are animal lovers. This is important, because it exposed me to new things in life.

My time on this trip was amazing. I met so many different people and learned so much from them. Learning about the rich history of the Netherlands while also emerging myself in LGBTQ+ knowledge was a very great opportunity. While there, I have made so many life long connections that have made me realize a lot of things about myself. By being able to explore Amsterdam, I was exposed to so many different types of people that have changed my life for the better.

I loved this whole trip and the people who experienced it with me. Everyone from my leaders, to my peers, and the people who were guiding us along the way. This trip was the best experience of my life so far. It was so beautiful and eyeopening.I bought back so much knowledge, built life-long bonds, faced fears, stepped out my comfort zone, and most of all had fun. I would definitely go back and do plan on going back and I hope next year’s group enjoys it as much as I did.

The memories I made while abroad with the Experiment program are some that I will treasure for my entire life. The year leading up to this past summer was my first year taking legitimate Spanish and my excitement in the classroom stayed with me when I went abroad. My home stay situation was not what I expected, but it made my experience all the better. My host family made my integration into a new country flawless, and provided me with a sense of belonging. With them I was able to grow as a person academically, and mentally. The month I spent in Spain has impacted my life in so many ways, and I am grateful I had the opportunity to go.