What are you currently studying?

I’m currently in my third year of medical school here in Spain. Hopefully in three more years I’ll be able to graduate and start with my specialization.

What Rustic trips did you go on? What years? 

I’ve been on many Rustic trips with Rustic from 2014 to 2017.

I started in Costa Rica with the Sarapiqui program and Intro to Community Service in the same summer. Next year I tried the Surf and Service program in Uvita, which I enjoyed so much that I repeated the same trip the following year.

In my fourth year with Rustic, I decided to change the country and travel to Australia with the program Seven Wonders of Australia…I don’t know the other programs, but for me this was the greatest trip. You get to see so much of Australia in a way I don’t think you would be able to by traveling on your own.

Did your Rustic experience play a role in bringing you to where you are now?

I would definitely say YES, traveling always gives you a different perspective of many aspects in life and the services Rustic provides to local communities is so awesome and inspiring.

I’m sure almost every Rustic alumni can tell how great it is when a whole family goes to you and says THANK YOU after a day helping them with community service. In some way, Rustic has pushed me in getting where I am now.

Has travel changed your perspective on how you view the world?

YES, as I said before, traveling always helps in this aspect and even more in the way you do it with Rustic. Being able to see how not-so-privileged communities live their daily lives definitely makes you reconsider what you have and be grateful about it.

When and why did you decide that you wanted to pursue medicine?

I’ve always wanted to become a doctor since I was a kid and for me is the perfect work. Being able to help others for the rest of my life sounds great to me.

What do you wish to be doing in five years?

If everything goes as planned I’ll be in the middle of my specialization. As soon as I finish med school I would love to travel with physicians without frontiers or Red Cross. Right now I’m helping the Red Cross, of course not as a doctor, but in the way I can right now.

Is there a particular moment or memory from any of your trips that stands out for you?

I would say so many different moments, but what they have in common is the people I was with. In a short period of time you get really close with other students and in my case I’m still in contact with many people from my trips, which after so much time is great.

If I had to put one moment on top, it would definitely be spending hours watching the sky in the Australian desert with other people just talking, laughing and playing.

What is your advice for incoming participants or anyone considering traveling with Rustic Pathways?

Do it! If you have the opportunity to travel with Rustic, do it! I know there may be every kind of experience in traveling with Rustic, some of them really good and others not so much. But from my point of view it is a great experience, you get to know so many different people, do so many different activities and get to see so many gorgeous places around the world while helping others, I can’t think of a better trip.

And the Program Leaders, they are so cool, all of them and they will help you with whatever problems you may have

#SORUSTIC