Best Decision I Ever Made

The best decision I ever made was signing up for this trip. I wanted to find a gap program that would allow me to see the world, submerge myself in culture, participate in hands on service, and help me develop as a young adult. I did not want a three month vacation, but rather a trip that would use my time in a meaningful way. ARCC Asia has surpassed my expectations. On the trip, I traveled to remote locations and had once in a lifetime opportunities such as trying yak butter tea at a rural Tibetan home stay or climbing waterfalls and making bamboo coconut rice in a rustic Cambodian village. I participated in a wide range of service projects from teaching English at various schools to constructing and distributing Biosand water filters. I had just the right amount of academic work. I read and discussed articles each week on topics pertaining to the area, presented research at an exhibition on Agent Orange in Vietnam, and throughout the trip worked on my final project about Girls Education in South East Asia. Most importantly, on this trip, I made lifelong friends. The people and the leaders were amazing. They constantly pushed me to be a conscientious traveler, not a tourist, and they made me feel passionate about the various issues we encountered. And of course, we had a lot of fun.