Hi, I am Tingyuan (Alice). I just graduated from UC San Diego with a degree in Psychology and a minor in Business. I will be attending USC Marshall Business school and pursue a master’s degree in Marketing Analytics this fall. During my free time, I love cooking and baking. I also enjoy going to nature and hiking with friends.

My stories with Rustic Pathways began in freshman year high school and continued during my junior year summer. It was my first year studying abroad in the U.S.

At the time, I was looking for a summer program that would help me broaden my horizons by traveling with American peers.

I found Rustic Pathways and immediately signed up for the Thailand program. I was a little bit nervous before the program since I was only 15 years old.

During the trip to Thailand, I had so much fun by tasting exotic cuisine and experiencing local Thai culture. I remember the bursting excitement of touching baby tigers and relaxing moments of watching the sunrise in rural rice field. For me, the trip was all about being independent and open-minded.

Because of the joyful memories, I signed up for another program during my junior year with my friend Monica to the beautiful Fiji Island. It was a perfect bonding and eye-opening trip for both us.

We were able to hike the mountains, dance with locals, and skydive for the first and only time in life. I remember our Program Leader was so energetic and caring for all of us. He was so passionate about educating us about Fiji’s culture and encouraged us to try different things.

Most importantly, I got to know some other amazing people who were from different backgrounds but got along pretty well. Each day during the program was an adventure.

After the trip, I and Monica became best friends. The trip was the best gift before we attending colleges on different coasts and didn’t have many chances to visit each other afterwards. Whenever we miss each other, we often talk about the good times we had in Fiji.

After these two trips, I continued to travel abroad during my time at UCSD many times. One of the most memorable trips was my study abroad in Prague with UCSD. Along the way, I built the habit of learning ceaselessly and keeping my mind open each time I went to different countries. Thank you, Rustic Pathways!