Exactly two weeks after arriving in Newcastle, I found myself at the Newcastle Interchange Station, getting on the same train but heading in the opposite direction. It’s strange how quickly this past week came and went, but I guess time flies when you’re having fun. Coming off of a long work week, all of us … Continue reading Saying Goodbye to Newcastle →

When I confirmed my volunteer position with Conservation Volunteers of Australia five months ago, I didn't know too much about what my month here would look like. I had heard about the organization from my sister, Kalie, who volunteered with CVA during a week of her Carpe Diem Education Gap Year Semester in 2015. I had … Continue reading Saving the World, One Weed at a Time →

Just 3 days after completing my EMT course, I was back on a plane heading halfway across the world to Australia. A few hours of sleep and many movies later, the wheels were touching down on the runway of Sydney International Airport. I quickly passed through Australia’s far superior immigration system,, collected my bag, and … Continue reading 24 Hours in Sydney →

Thanks to the National Outdoor Leadership School's Wilderness Medicine Institute, I am now a licensed EMT (and a WEMT). Just four weeks ago I knew nearly nothing about urban medicine, but now I could theoretically show up the next time you call 911. Here's how I got there: On December 31st, instead of celebrating the … Continue reading You Might Not Want to Call the Ambulance Anymore →

With my time in Central America behind me, I hopped off the plane in Lima ready for the next portion of the trip. I was excited to get to know a new country and a new continent as I had never been to South America before. It was beyond nice to reunite with my mom … Continue reading From Lima to Machu Picchu, 10 Days in Peru →

Pura Vida. These two words surround nearly everything in Costa Rica. It’s a valid response when someone is asked how it’s going, it is posted on billboards, street signs, and trucks, and it’s a lifestyle. The people of Costa Rica are some of the happiest in the world, so they must be doing something right. … Continue reading Beaches, Beaches, and Beaches: The Nicoya Peninsula and Roatan →

The small country of El Salvador separates Guatemala from Nicaragua. The proximity leads the two countries to have many similarities such as their distain for their respective governments, a diverse environment including beaches, cooler mountainous regions, and volcanoes, and population of kind people. However, these countries also have many differences. Nicaraguans prefer baseball whereas Guatemalans … Continue reading A Journey Through Nicaragua →