Program Reviews

I had never traveled outside the US before but I had always wanted to. This program gave me an opportunity to travel and gain a memorable high school experience that continues to influence my interests in college. My first trip was traveling through the Andes. I had so much fun and learned so much that I took a second semester to Southern Africa. On these trips I learned how to pack for travel, what sort of accommodations to expect, how to find places to stay, and I learned that traveling outside of the US is possible and doable. While I learned how to travel, I learned about the history, culture, and biology of the areas I visited. The classes were designed around the areas we traveled, which made the experience even more meaningful. During my trip I also had to take an algebra class to fulfill requirements at my home high school. Before the trip I had no interest in math, however, taking it at The Traveling School made even a subject I disliked fun. I will never forget the history classes where we visited the sites of the historic occurrences and learned by reenacting what happened. I will never forget biology classes where I actually got to see Darwin's birds and hike through the exotic environments I was learning about. The setting of The Traveling School provides a place to grow through experience and education. This program didn't just get me excited to learn, I also learned how to travel which has prepared me for college and planning my own trips.

I went to the South America spring semester. Not a day goes by when I don't think about the experiences I had. I decided to study abroad after spending a couple of years feeling "stuck" in high school. Although everything was going well, I felt like I could do so much more with my life. After a TON of research and talking with my parents, I applied and was accepted to the Traveling School. What I found in those 15 weeks in Ecuador, Peru, and Bolivia was a community of absolutely normal girls from all over the United States that chose to do something untraditional and awesome. What resulted were some of the most incredible, genuine, excited friends I have ever had. So it was the people that made my experience so extraordinary, but we were enabled by the places we traveled to and how we did so. Having never backpacked before, I was somewhat nervous to dive into a 70 Liter backpack that held my closet, school, bedroom, anything and everything I needed. I feel in love with it, and how it empowering it was to carry all my belongings to incredible place to incredible place. I fell in love with the snow-capped Andes and the sands of the Galapagos and the wide countryside. And if I'm getting a little cheesily poetic, apologies, I'm clearly getting a tad nostalgic. Academically, what I found at TTS was not as rigorous as I was used to (and this varies wildly semester to semester), but that was okay because it gave me time to learn other things, about myself, the place around me, and my experience, and I am so grateful for that. Coming back to everyday life after TTS was a difficult transition for me, honestly- I desperately missed the soul-deep friendships I made and the lifestyle of discovery and novelty and learning I had grown accustomed to. But I adapted, and I found myself so much better for those 15 weeks. I am more self-assured, open, adventurous, and focused. TTS was a defining experience.

TTS is absolutely, positively a must for any girl looking for a semester abroad based on experiencing new cultures, immersion based school work and volunteering abroad. Each day is packed with new opportunities and chances to grow. The teachers are experienced travelers who help each girl reach her potential. Because of its intense nature (being abroad for 3 1/2 months, living mainly out of tents, is not easy) it had its challenges but every second was worth it. I can say, without a doubt, TTS was the best semester of my highschool years.