My dear Amazon Jungle Warriors,

I hope you all are rested and that the mosquito bites have all left your bodies.

I am in my last day at Don´s house enjoying the final moments of sweet jungle air and sounds of birds. A couple of the kids are sitting next to me, being lovely as usual- they haven’t forgotten about their real parents (all of you!).

I imagine being back in the comforts of air conditioning has been quite nice, but I can´t imagine that it feels the same as rafting down the Amazon or wandering the boulevard in Iquitos. I´m sure you all miss getting awoken by requested songs at 5:45 am as much as I miss watching you dance the Macarena.

Now that you all are back home, dispersed across the United States and Australia, I hope you have time to sit, smile, and to reflect on the friendships you made, and the time you all spent here. It really is an amazing place, and you all were an amazing group.

Cheers to swimming in the estanque and eating worms.

Love,

-Kilee

Feeling nostalgic? You can experience that same sense of friendship and adventure abroad again! Check out all our new destinations for Summer 2018, or enroll now.

Hello Wonderful Students,

We hope you are recovered from your culture shock by now, and feel immersed back into your home culture. Stop a moment and reflect: how has India affected you? How has it made you better?

We miss your compassion, kindness and incredible openness that each of you displayed during the program. The care each of you gave one another when you were sick, Anais cooking and sharing Italian food with all of you like a big family, and dancing the night away to Bollywood music, are just a few of the great memories you all gave us. Each of you was a part of this experience and we are grateful.

India has the tendency to change people. You may not feel it when you are here, but it is an experience you carry with you. What changes have you noticed?

Things in Dharamsala are moving along. The community of Gamru is a bit quieter without the loud morning wake up calls, music playing and night time roof chats. Tourists are still flocking to McCleodGanj and the mountains still reign over the beautiful green landscape. MoMos are still amazing to eat.  Life is vibrant and beautiful, albeit a tad disorganized to the Western eye.

Your experience may be over, but it lives on through the pictures you have taken and the stories you tell. You have to power to greatly affect this community, simply by sharing your photos, your words, your stories. Use this power with respect, care and mindfulness- your actions always affect others. In this sense, your “service through the lens” continues well past the program dates. Perhaps a better name for the program should be “Leaders through the Lens”.

All experiences are ultimately shaped by us. We have our own lens that we see the world through. We hope that this experience challenged you and helped you grow- now and in the future.

We wish only the best for you and hope you keep in touch.

Warmly,

Laura, Kaitlyn, Priyanka, Kapil, Sachin, Vinay & Ishan

Feeling nostalgic? You can experience that same sense of friendship and adventure abroad again! Check out all our new destinations for Summer 2018, or enroll now.

Hello Wild Ones,

We hope you are recovered from your culture shock by now, and feel immersed back into your home culture. Stop a moment and reflect: how has India affected you? How has it made you better?

Now close your eyes. Take a deep breath (count to 5) and exhale out (count to 5). Think of a great memory from this experience.

India has the tendency to change people. You may not feel it when you are here, but it is an experience you carry with you. What changes have you noticed?

Things in Dharamsala are moving along. The community of Gamru is a bit quieter without the loud morning wake up calls, music playing and night time roof chats. Tourists are still flocking to McCleodGanj and the mountains still reign over the beautiful green landscape. Life is vibrant and beautiful, albeit a tad disorganized to the Western eye.

Your experience may be over, but it lives on through the pictures you have taken and the stories you tell. You have to power to greatly affect this community, simply by sharing your photos, your words, your stories. Use this power with respect, care and mindfulness- your actions always affect others. You make and create “lollipop” moments every day. In this sense, your “service through the lens” continues well past the program dates. Perhaps a better name for the program should be “Leaders through the Lens”.

All experiences are ultimately shaped by us. We have our own lens that we see the world through. Does yours feel a bit more “green” than before your trip (hint hint: Kaitlyn’s story about yellow and blue cultural lenses)? We hope that this experience challenged you and helped you grow- now and in the future.

We wish only the best for you and hope you keep in touch.

Warmly,

Laura, Kaitlyn, Priyanka, Kapil, Sachin, Vinay & Ishan

Feeling nostalgic? You can experience that same sense of friendship and adventure abroad again! Check out all our new destinations for Summer 2018, or enroll now.

Hello, where ever you are in the world!

I hope this letter finds you in good health and happy spirits. If not, you can always read this letter. It has been a while since you were a wide-eyed teen entering into Guatemala’s small and busy airport. I think it is also safe to say that you have changed a bit since then. When Nicole, Ana, or myself were waiting for you at the airport, we also wondered about the adventures that were sure to come. I especially, wondered who would be the people that became sick and who was the one that would talk non-stop. I was sure that at the end of this trip, you would form bonds and unforgettable memories of each other.

I hope you remember the reflections and private conversations that you had those late nights watching movies, cooking brownies, popcorn, and those long van rides. I hope you remember that time is not what dictates your life, it is what you do with the time you have. I hope that the idea of privilege and what you have decided to do with your privilege has better informed your decisions. The discussions from the ex-military Pepe and the ex-gorrilla Auturo, hopefully have stuck with you to assist you in avoiding the acceptance of a Single Story. While you were in Guatemala you taught English, painted murals, or provided upkeep for a school and its students who all desire the best in life. There may have been doubts as to the impact or importance of your GLA trip. However, there is no doubt that you have pushed yourself to see and imagine a world without borders. As your director, I genuinely hope that you consider yourself a world citizen with purpose and a need to serve others who are you neighbors.

I also want you to remember and cherish these moments:

-When you would wake up to a busy bathroom and you had the Guates, and begin to appreciate the bathrooms at your house.

-When you hear a story that was just too much to be true, it probably is not!

-Do not trust a fart!

-I do not have time for that!

-The smallest deserts or comfort foods can remind you of home, so cherish home!

-Siguen en la Buena Lucha,

-Brian Tyler