Ricefields, Monks, and Smiling Children

I want to start by saying that Rustic Pathways has truly impacted and changed my life forever. I've traveled to both Fiji (I did the Sun, Sand, and International Service program) and Thailand (Ricefields, Monks, and Smiling Children) which were eye opening experiences for me where my perspective of the world completely changed. I highly recommend traveling with Rustic Pathways.
For my program in Thailand, I stayed at the base house in Udon Thani and it was unbelievable. It was absolutely beautiful, always clean, and I felt perfectly safe. Both in the mornings and afternoons, we had the option of 3-4 service projects, usually construction in the morning and a variety in the afternoon. I loved them all! The two that stood out to me the most were Welcome Homes and Teaching and Tutoring.
For the project of Welcome Homes, we built a house for a woman whose home had been completely destroyed by termites and was currently living in quite a small shack. I loved this project because I could actually see the impact I was making in the community. I got to see the improvements we were making on the house as well as see the expression on the woman's face as we were doing it. As I was talking to her, I could tell that she was truly grateful for what we were doing.
For the project of Teaching and Tutoring, we traveled to a local school and I had the opportunity to teach 3rd graders flowers in English. They were absolutely adorable! Although this was very challenging because the kids barely spoke English, I noticed how passionate they are for learning and how grateful they are for the opportunity to go to school.
I highly recommend this trip if you are looking to break out of your comfort zone, immerse yourself in a new culture, and experience incredible opportunities.