- Destination
- Cambodia
- Traveled
- 2015
- Hometown
- Mexico City, Mexico
This alumni interview shares the experience of Camila Flores Fernandez, from Mexico City, on her 2015 Rustic Pathways gap semester in Southeast Asia.
Camila’s three months in Southeast Asia ended with a homestay and service in the floating village of Prek Toal, Cambodia, teaching at floating schools and building a floating house for a family.
Camila’s Gap Semester in Southeast Asia and Cambodia’s Floating Villages
Any stand-out memories you want to share from your gap year?
Prek Toal was our last village homestay and service project. We were staying at a floating village in the middle of a huge lake.
It was the last two weeks of the program, and although we were extremely excited, we were also a little tired.
In the mornings we would teach at the floating schools, and in the afternoons we would go build a floating house for a family who needed it.
The way they lived in the floating village was incredible.
Teaching was challenging, but one of my favorite things about the whole trip. Spending time with them and playing and learning was the highlight of my days.
I remember one of the best feelings ever was one day when we got to the school, we started out seeing what they remembered from the day before.
The moment we began to act out the different objects and words the whole class started saying every single word they had learned the day before with huge smiles on their faces.
Their energy was contagious, and we were extremely happy to see how well they remembered and how eager they were to learn more.
How were you inspired as a result of your program?
Going on a gap year to Southeast Asia really opened my eyes to a world I didn’t know. Spending time in the villages, playing with and teaching kids, living like locals, and truly experiencing the culture made me realize how fortunate I am for all the opportunities I’ve had.
Coming back from the trip, I have learned to appreciate all the little things in life I used to take for granted before. My gap year grounded me, and everything I experienced made me feel more ready and capable for college.
Do you have any future plans that were inspired by your experience?
Coming back I feel more committed to do something for my country. After spending three months in SE Asia I realized that things are not that different there than they are in Mexico.
We share many of the same problems, and experiencing them firsthand has made me more conscious and devoted to do something.
On Saturday, January 23, my brother and I organized “The Street Store” in Mexico City, a social project for the homeless. It was the beginning of what I hope will be many projects to join Mexico’s youth to do something for our country.
Camila connects her semester with organizing The Street Store for homeless people in Mexico City with her brother. Her memories concern her 2015 gap semester.
This semester is no longer offered. See Rustic Pathways Gap Year for current gap year programs.
Keep reading: Calista Schloessmann’s story from Dominican Republic
