Alumni Series: The Summer of No Regrets by Sully Sims

Rustic Alum, Sully Sims, shares the few beautiful words from a friend that inspire her in life still to this day…

The Summer of No Regrets

If you have never taken a Rustic trip before, this is the advice I wished I knew before I went on my first trip!!

“NO REGRETS!”… this is what a friend of mine told me on one of my trips with Rustic Pathways. These two simple words were his advice to me when I was debating on whether or not to extend my Rustic summer. I was already in Vietnam on the Hanoi To Ha Long Program and was feeling uncertain about whether or not to head home when the program ended or continue on to Thailand for the Hill Tribe and Elephant Conservation program.

At first I was so excited!! Why wouldn’t I want to go to Thailand right? But then I started to think about the next two weeks. I was nervous to go another two weeks without my family. Then there was another round of meeting new people and trying to create friendships. Plus, two more weeks wearing elephant pants (don’t get me wrong I love them, but I was wearing the same outfit over and over). When I was sharing this with my friend he told me that I may never get another chance to go Thailand. He advised me to make the most out of my time while I had the opportunity or I might regret it later. “No regrets,” he said and I knew I would have some if I headed home.

I took his advice and I decided to continue my trip. It was one of the best decisions I have ever made. I had so much fun and met so many new friends that I shared amazing experiences with. I got to spend a week with the most amazing Thai students learning about their lives and creating a bond that will never be forgotten. The second week I spent every day at an elephant conservation center where I got to work with one of the world’s most amazing creatures! Sometimes I think back to those two weeks and have a hard time believing they were even real. And to think I almost didn’t go!

Ever since my return home I’ve held tight to that convo with my friend and I regularly return to these two simple words whenever I feel unsure or nervous about something. “No regrets” regularly inspires me to try new things and push my limits. Whether it’s deciding to go to a whole new country or just trying something out of my comfort zone. So try it! It will likely lead you to find things about yourself that you’ve never known before. You may meet someone that you never thought you’d be friends with or maybe you’ll try and like fried crickets! No matter where it takes you, you’ll experience the world because of it with no regrets!