Kayla Anzalone is Director of Parent Experience & Portugal Operations at Rustic Pathways. She is the point of contact for families before, during, and after a student's program.
Kayla oversees Rustic Pathways programs in Portugal, including local partners, logistics, and student safety planning.
Kayla led Travel For All, a Rustic Pathways initiative to open educational travel to more students. She also launched the Global Perspectives Scholarship, which funds international programs for students who could not otherwise attend.
Kayla writes about the questions parents ask most: travel documents, health and safety preparation, packing, and what daily life on a program looks like. Her guidance draws on Rustic Pathways' experience running student programs since 1983 in 38 countries.
Kayla has traveled across the Americas, Europe, Asia, and the South Pacific.
Latest
Camille de Baere on the Surf and Service Program in Costa Rica
Camille de Baere from Mill Valley, California shares photos and a first-person account from the June 2025 Surf and Service program in Costa Rica.
Grace Prouty on the Surf and Service Program in Costa Rica
Grace Prouty from Milford, New Jersey shares photos and a first-person account from the June 2025 Surf and Service program in Costa Rica.
Harper on the Surf and Service Program in Costa Rica
Harper shares photos and a first-person account from the summer 2025 Surf and Service program in Costa Rica.
Damaya Kisslinger on the Turtle Conservation Project in Costa Rica
Damaya Kisslinger from Overbrook, Kansas shares photos and a first-person account from the June 2026 Turtle Conservation Project in Costa Rica.
Jordan Evans on the Turtle Conservation Project in Costa Rica
Jordan Evans from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania shares photos and a first-person account from the June 2026 Turtle Conservation Project in Costa Rica.
Odette Herr on the Surf and Service Program in Costa Rica
Odette Herr from San Antonio, Texas shares photos and a first-person account from the July 2026 Surf and Service program at Playa Avellanas, Costa Rica.
MJ Seay on the Pura Vida Service Program in Costa Rica
MJ Seay from Northbrook, Illinois shares photos and a first-person account from the July 2026 Pura Vida Service program in Costa Rica.
Emma Wehr on the Surf and Service Program in Costa Rica
Emma Wehr from New Tripoli, Pennsylvania shares photos and a first-person account from the July 2026 Surf and Service program in Costa Rica.
Isabelle Buonopane on the Surf and Service Program in Costa Rica
Isabelle Buonopane from Andover, Massachusetts shares photos and a first-person account from the August 2026 Surf and Service program in Costa Rica.
Sammi Alphen on the Pura Vida Service Program in Costa Rica
Sammi Alphen from Maynard, Massachusetts shares photos and a first-person account from the July 2026 Pura Vida Service program in Costa Rica.
Rustic Pathways Review 2026: Legit? Safe? Worth It? (25-Point Audit)
We ran our own 25-point transparency audit on ourselves and scored 23. Here is what we publish, the two gaps we did not close, and what to ask any provider.
Teen Travel Company Reviews
Fourteen teen travel companies, twenty-five disclosure questions. Which ones publish staff ratios, safety protocols, and refund terms before a family pays.