Bula, Kia'Ora, G'Day

The three months I spent with Rustic Pathways in the South Pacific were the most memorable three months of my life thus far. I learned more about myself and the world that we live in more so than I would have ever been able to learn in a classroom at college this year.
Taking a gap year was an amazing decision for me and I would encourage everyone to think about it. I already knew how amazing Rustic was through an earlier trip to Ghana.

We started out in Fiji and for me, that was my favorite experience in all the countries we visited. The Fijian culture has so much to offer to anyone who enters their country. Their idea of community is completely different than ours and they welcome you with open arms. My favorite part of Fiji was definitely travelling to Nasivikoso in the Highlands.

Next we went to New Zealand and there I learned to push myself farther than I ever had. We did a lot of physical activities in NZ that I had never done before and that alone was a challenge. My favorite moment in NZ was when we hiked to the top of Mt. Roy.

In Australia it was all about skills. I learned how to tie knots, to sail, to save a person's life in the middle of the ocean, to surf and so much more. Australia was a different experience than the two previous countries but still just as rewarding.

I have pictures up at lathramb.vsco.com if you want to see my experiences and I would encourage anyone to work with Rustic and consider this gap semester!