Blog

Being a photo editor has its perks. Reviewing photos every day allows me to travel and see the world without having to pack a bag or find my passport. One minute, I could be in Costa Rica, zip lining through the jungle, and with a few clicks on the trackpad I can travel thousands of miles…
[caption id="attachment_6822" align="aligncenter" width="1024"] Brent Watkins, vice president of program operations[/caption] Happy Friday! Recently, our very own Brent Watkins, vice president of program operations, talked with goabroad.com about his experiences working with Rustic, his extensive travels in Southeast Asia, and about our programs in Burma. You can check out the interview on goabroad.com right here,…
To be quite honest, Turkey was not on my travel bucket list. If you asked me where I wanted to go next, I would say India, Colombia, Bora Bora, the grocery store—pretty much anywhere else besides Turkey. So when Ben Welbourn, one of the program managers in the Dominican Republic, told me he was going…
We LOVE your advice. Can you come share it at an open house near you? We have 11 open houses over this next week and hope you can join us. As a Rustic Alum, you are the one everyone wants to talk to. Which program is the best one? What surprised you the most? How did you…
861,571. That's how many photographs we have collected from our programs over the years. Each summer we send photographer guides out on our programs to capture the stunning imagery that our students and staff have the privilege to witness firsthand. Some of those photos end up in our catalog and on the website, but a…
People who work for Rustic are a unique breed; when we aren’t traveling for work, we often travel on the side for fun and a bit of adventure. As you can imagine, Rustic staff have gone on some incredible trips around the world and we thought we would share them with you to spark your…
As promised, the 2014 Service Report is hot off the press and ready for your viewing pleasure. For those of you busy preparing for the holidays and can't read the whole report, below are a few cool stats worth highlighting: 152,379 service hours completed in 2014 25,000 hours dedicated to a potable water project in…
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…
As a former Rustic Pathways student, I'm excited to share our newest video with you — and not just because I’m in it! Over the years Rustic Pathways has helped me, and many others, form our life trajectories. Our latest video showcases just some of the ways a Rustic Pathways experience can impact students. There are so many…
Have you ever seen a bear dance? Outside of The Jungle Book, sloth bears aren't meant to be dancing. That's why Rustic Pathways and Wildlife SOS initiated a partnership designed to work with the rescued sloth bear population in Agra, India. Wildlife SOS is one of the premier wildlife conservation organizations in India. They work all across the country implementing wildlife and environmental…
Travel changes everything. It changes you. The things you see, the stories you hear, and the moments you experience, they change something deep inside of you. You can’t quite pinpoint what it is, but you know it’s there, because after you return home you see, feel, and think about things differently. There’s something beautiful, magical…
"Expect your heart to get a little bit broken, in fact shattered and scattered...but there's something beautiful about how we'll be changed by one another" - Jordan Edelheit Jordan  joined our internship program this past summer as our Communications Coordinator in Southeast Asia.  As someone who has always jumped at the opportunity to explore and…
We’re offering new destinations in 2015. Think you can guess where? The big reveal drops August 15th and as an alum you get first dibs. This year we’re offering programs for alumni only, which means you and your friends can travel on an exclusive Rustic experience with other students who are just as passionate about…
It isn’t surprising that Rustic Pathways staff love to travel. It’s why we do what we do. Outside of leading trips and planning community service projects, we also love to get out there and have adventures of our own. This winter, staff members Katey Finnegan and Miranda Hitchcock took an epic adventure to Patagonia. Read…