There are so many organizations that take students abroad these days, but I can say with absolute…read moreconfidence that Dragons offers the most unique, comprehensive, and life-changing experience available. I've been lucky enough to attend two of their programs, one 6 week summer course in high school, and one gap year semester before beginning college. "Attend" isn't even the right word; being a part of a Dragon's course is a full wake-up call to all your senses, a hands-on adventure that teaches students to engage deeply in the foreign world around them, and reflect on their own personal growth throughout the course. There isn't a day that goes by that I don't think back to my experiences abroad with Dragons, and how these courses continue to affect me. At school, I am in a number of leadership positions that require skills that I picked up through Dragons- communication skills, learning how to give and receive feedback, navigating my needs with the needs of a group, responding sensitively to a completely different way of life and set of values, and so much more. Dragon's taught me to always look for ways to raise the bar- to constantly question if I am living a life that is aligned with my values, if I am taking full advantage of all the opportunities around me. This skill couldn't be more valuable in a college setting, and I started college after 3 months in Indonesia with Dragons ready to get the most of my 4 years. There are many qualities of a Dragon's trip that makes it stand out from other programs, but in particular the staff at Where There Be Dragons are some of the most incredible and inspirational people I have ever met. My instructor team on both trips that I participated in remain some of my greatest heroes. Years after our trip, they still check in with me and remember specific goals that I was working on during our course. Having the support of adults who were so invested in my personal experience and how to help me make the most of it, every single day of the trip, was amazing. My mom is the perfect archetype of an over-caring and nervous parent, so the fact that she let me go on not one but two trips to a foreign country says a lot about this organization. If you are looking for a few weeks of coasting on bus tour, or visiting museums apathetically, or chilling on a beach for 6 weeks, don't choose Dragons. If you are ready for an all-consuming adventure that will challenge you, inspire you to raise your awareness of self and the world, find yourself living with homestay families so drastically different than yours but so willing to open their way of life to you, to make 15 of the best friends you've ever had, and to come home and be shocked with how much there is to love in your life, then sign up for any course with Where There Be Dragons. It's the best choice I ever made.

Last fall, I was a student on the Where There Be Dragons Semester course in Indonesia. I hadn't…read moreplanned on taking time off between High School and College, but my ED school (Middlebury College) accepted me with a gap semester. The idea terrified me, challenged me, and ultimately has been an incredible gift. The course with Dragons changed my life. One of the most incredible parts of Dragons courses are the instructors. Each program is made up of twelve students and a minimum of three instructors, at least one of whom is native to the country where the course is based. The instructors are chosen because of their experiences as travelers, teachers, and citizens of the world, and each came to the program with a wealth of experience in human rights, conservation, academics, and cultural building. All were wonderful, passionate people with a will to open our minds, widen our knowledge of this world, and to grow with us as we experienced the consciousness-expanding wonder of deep, informed travel. Whether the experience is four weeks or three months, being immersed in a new culture can be immensely challenging. It is so important to have quality mentorship in times of intense growth. Dragons recognizes this, and thus the instructors are people who can hold space for this kind of transformative opportunity. I found that, beyond being more than qualified to inform us on human rights issues, the environment, cultural tendencies in the developing and western world, and many more intellectual pursuits, the instructors were there to support us mentally and emotionally. They guided us, challenging us when necessary, but always there for us. They took care of us, but they also helped us learn to take care of ourselves. Another amazing thing about Dragons is the relationship they build with local communities. Everywhere we went Dragons sought to create a sustainable friendship that benefits students and locals equally. This certainly deepens the student experience as it opens up doors for friendships and mentorships. A homestay family that trusts Dragons as an organization will be more likely to get excited about sharing their world with a student. I will never forget the connections I made with parents, children, and friends as we traveled through Indonesia. In each community we studied the culture (religion(s), history, customs, political dynamics, and role of the western world in all of this), environment (conservation issues facing communities, the impact of these on their everyday lives, changes being made going forward, and our roles in these issues), and community (what are the health care and educational systems, how far away is the nearest hospital, how and what language do the children learn to read). We studied all of this through community interaction: we'd sit in on community gatherings, organize talks with the village head, midwife, shaman, workers, and professors, and we'd ask them to tell us about their lives and their world. We also set aside time to process with the group, to learn how best to handle the intensity of our experiences. The course had a great balance of time spent learning with the group and time spent exploring, hanging out, and integrating our experiences into a newfound awareness of self and the world. Each day we would come together for at least two hours to check in with everyone, take care of medical needs, and rediscover solidarity with our peers. When we needed it we would always make time to go snorkeling in the nearby coral reef, explore the regional volcano, sing songs around a bonfire, have a dance party, drink a coconut, and decompress. I know that this trip changed my life. On my own, I never could have made it to such remote and beautiful places, experienced so much depth in new cultures, made such close friendships, and internalized my experience as lasting inspiration. I have been blown away by the integrity and values exhibited by all the staff at Dragons, and I am so incredibly grateful to have been their student. Each student faced many challenges on this program: we went into the unknown and fought against our comfort zones. We pushed into growth and found that, as we were challenged, new worlds started to open up to us. New perspectives appeared, deeper empathy was felt, greater integrity was realized, and we were suddenly more mature, more moral, more in touch with our inner selves, and more sensitive to the lives of those around us in this vast, unpredictable, beautiful world. Having had this experience, I will never be able to live without thinking of myself in service to my community. I can't go back: I will always work harder in my friendships, find ways to explore, adventure, and deepen, and remember that I am a citizen of the world. I wish that more of my friends would do Dragons programs. I have complete faith they would find their minds and souls expanded by it, just as I have.