En mi país, La Republica Dominicana, las sorpresas abundan, pues en medio de un sol candente, te puedes refrescar con una lluvia repentina, así que siempre anda con un paraguas, pues sea para cubrirte del sol o de las lluvias sorpresas siempre será muy útil.

Bringing all of us program leaders from diverse backgrounds and perspectives under one roof for a week-long staff training is where the magic happened. Together we trained on how to cultivate decolonial student travel experiences by collaborating with local communities to bring our shared vision of reciprocal impact to life.

Together the foreign investors that love our lands and the local people who live the land can work together toward a world where we create equity in the travel industry by ensuring the people in the places we visit have ownership of the design, management, implementation and economic benefits of travel to their communities.

As we embark on another season providing student travel programming for students we reflect on resilience and perseverance. The past two years have been tough for our industry and the world, but we have emerged stronger than ever. As I prepare for the summer these are the five things I'm doing to stay ready.

Living in a country other than the one of your origins can make it difficult to understand your identity. I remember growing up in the U.S. not really knowing who I was and carrying a lot of misconceived ideas about my origins. Going to these places to travel, study, and live helped me reconnect with my roots. I gained a deeper understanding of who I am and deconstructed all the false ideas I had about my origins.

The Dominican Republic has it all. It has beautiful, friendly, funny people. It has welcoming people that humbly receive you with open arms. It has brave and resilient communities which work day by day to achieve more and be better. It has a nation marching together towards its happiness.

If you are passionate about high-impact sports, like running, or if you like to bring your body to the limit, trail running is an excellent option. Costa Rica is a perfect place if you are looking for a trail running competition.

Traveling is an important part of life, if you have not had the opportunity to do so, it is time to schedule a trip to start experiencing it. Now, regardless of whether you want to travel locally or internationally, it is important to do it in a responsible way.

Viajar es una parte importante de la vida, si no ha tenido la oportunidad de hacerlo, es hora de ir agendando un viaje para comenzar a experimentarlo. Ahora bien, independiente si desea viajar de forma local o internacional, es importante hacerlo de una forma responsable.

No matter what you’re looking for, the Dominican Republic has it all

Pura Vida. It is more than a tourism tagline. It is a cultural phenomenon that has made Costa Rica one of my favorite places to travel to. Pura Vida captures the essence and accomplishments of Costa Rica.

When I arrived in the Dominican Republic, I was immediately put at ease by the nature of the individuals who greeted me upon arrival. Everyone was outgoing, warm, and passionate about the company and the work they were doing. The sense of community that I felt during those first few days of training was unlike anything I had ever experienced before. The level of connection that we built within just a few days of training as a group was truly remarkable, and I remember thinking how excited I was embark on such a pivotal journey.

It’s easy to think of reasons why we travel- to see beautiful sights, meet interesting people, to explore new places that inspire us and experience things we only could’ve imagined. As I sat sweating next to the van drinking some foul-smelling oral rehydration salts, not a single one of those reasons came to mind.

I returned to my country with a broader mentality, with a desire to continue traveling and get to know more places and people. For a long time, I could not leave the country because I did not have a visa, but I dedicated myself to getting to know the island of the Dominican Republic from the inside.

“A Latino kid from the Bronx? He’s not our typical candidate”. That’s how my career in travel started. Thankfully the other person in that conversation had the courage to say “isn’t that a good thing?”

Having to navigate through different languages, cultures, and daily realities promotes grit, empathy, and a sense of community. These are the lessons that students (young and old) learn when they participate in a homestay, contribute to a community impact project, or take a long drive through new landscapes.