South Korea is a dream destination for lovers of K-pop. But there are also many other reasons to make a journey to Seoul. Here are the 11 best things to do in Korea.
"I looked around and took in every detail. Some were struggling to use a chopstick, food was being switched around so people could try everything, and laughter was everywhere. I thought to myself, how lucky am I to be here, right now, in this moment? I felt such inner content and joy, it was hard to believe that I was ever anxious about being there."
Discover effective strategies to discuss the benefits of a gap year with your parents. Learn how to explain your goals, address safety concerns, and explore funding options.
Why does someone choose to take a gap year? What do they really learn about themselves and about the world? Hear three of our alumni, Kelsey, Sharif, and Lance, speak about their gap journeys. Check out our newest video: The Impact of a Gap Year
Looking to transform? Check out this post to find 11 tips for transformational travel and become a more thoughtful traveler during any authentic travel program.
While the data on students taking a Gap year is sparse, one thing is clear—more students are choosing to take a Gap experience, and the number grows every year. It allows students to explore their options and find their focus before committing to four years of university, setting them up for success. Students can tell…
It's been many years since Hurricane Katrina devastated New Orleans, but some communities never fully recovered. Students from Southern California learned why during a week designed for lessons outside the classroom.
With summer programs quickly approaching, anxiety about putting your child on a plane by themself might be building up. Did I make the right decision? Am I crazy sending my child to the other side of the world with complete strangers? Will my child be in good hands? We recently wrote to some parents of…
Discover how Hannah Repke's gap year program experience throughout Tanzania, Morocco, and more prepared her for college and beyond.
Alex Biddle, a Rustic Pathways program manager in the Dominican Republic, uses her Spanish on a daily basis. While she manages service projects and oversees adventure programs, she frequently has to think on her feet and switch between two languages. Alex hasn’t always spoken Spanish, though. She began to learn the language during a ten-month…
Dear Students, We are going to ask you not to use your cell phones on your Rustic Pathways program. Before anyone panics, we want to explain our reasoning and hope you will commit to going phone-free while traveling with us. Every minute you are on your phone—texting home, sending Snaps, choosing an Instagram filter—is a…
It took Ilana Hamer, of Belmont, California, a while to decide whether to defer her first year of college to take a gap year.…
It took a lot of work for scholarship recipient Anghelina Severin to make her way from Moldova to South Korea. But her efforts paid off and may change her educational future.
Added together, Rustic staff members have visited thousands of countries and spent years traveling and living abroad. I asked these travel aficionados and packing ninjas to share their secrets. Keep reading for some of the most ingenious travel and packing hacks you’ll ever hear!
A well-written essay can get you into college. Tell the right story and you'll stand out amongst the competition.
Volunteering abroad with Rustic Pathways focuses on responsible and impactful service. Our approach ensures meaningful experiences and sustainable community development. Gain insights and tips on how to make a real difference through volunteer travel
Even though summer trips don’t depart for another 200 days or so, it isn’t too early to get excited and start collecting the things you’ll need for your program, especially with the holidays around the corner. Travelers, show this list to relatives and friends who are looking for birthday or holiday gift ideas. This is…
It's not hard to find anecdotal reports about the benefits of student travel. Knowing that students return from our programs having experienced some type of growth wasn't enough for us. So we created a framework to intentionally design our programs and assess what and how students learned from them. According to the results from our…
Learn about the benefits of a gap year from a Rustic alum. Discover how taking a gap year can provide time for yourself, career exploration, and life-changing experiences.
Sharif Campbell was the first member of his family to go to college. But he didn’t rush off to Tufts University, where he’s currently a sophomore studying international relations. Instead, Sharif took a gap year. Many universities allow students to defer their first year of college as the practice of taking a gap year becomes…