Waking to the sound of roosters and “Tea or coffee, Rachel?” as offered by a fellow traveler, I gathered my things and enjoyed breakfast on the porch. Then, we all made our way down to the river for a wonderful bamboo-rafting adventure! Somehow, our 3 hour ride flew past with unimaginable speed, the time filled with attempts at fishing... Read More (2 Comments)

On morning 2, we met in the hotel lobby packed and ready to board our safari vehicle and head into the mountains. We made a short jaunt to a local open-air market outside the city to taste crazy-looking and delicious tropical fruits (green oranges; star fruit with the neon pink and green scaly exterior and translucent white flesh with black... Read More (0 Comments)

Dear Family,

I’m terribly sorry to break the news this way, but I don’t know how else to tell you: I’m never coming home. I know you’ve provided everything I’ve ever needed in life, but Thailand beckons me with a call that I cannot (and do not wish to) break. Thus, I shall remain here until the end of... Read More (2 Comments)

So you want to go abroad. The only problem is, you’re low on cash. Fret not, dear friends! I urge you to ignore the voices in your head (or home, or class, or wherever) that say adventure isn’t possible. I assure you that it is.

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Paying for yo... Read More (1 Comments)

I am happy, dirty, and bronzed by the sun. What a wonderful life this is! While the first few days at the conservation center provided some rather serious heat (read: sweet farmer’s tans and unladylike sweating for me), the last couple have cooled off and brought a bit of refreshing rain. I’ve been working with the utmost devo... Read More (1 Comments)

The morning after the fountain show in Xi’an, it was well-wishing and hugs to the rest of the i-to-i team and volunteers as I made my way to the mountains with an enthusiastic young English volunteer named Hayley. An i-to-i employee named Tony drove with us, which proved invaluable as we got oriented in the tiny town that was to be ou... Read More (0 Comments)

Hello again, everyone! You’ll never guess where I am now…

Okay, so maybe you will since I already told in past blogs and videos (it’s CHINA!), but you couldn’t possibly imagine what this place is like until you’ve been. So, I’m going to have to fill you my time with i-to-i (that means Meaningful... Read More (0 Comments)

So, I have a stopover of a few days in Hong Kong, and I must say: I’m rocking out right now. Really and truly rocking out.

Never have I seen such an awe-inspiring mix of steel and neon, water and hillsides, man and earth. You look up to the sky and the scraping of buildings only stops at the sun, and you look out to the sea ... Read More (2 Comments)

Our afternoon arrival in Vienna was made enchanting by a driving tour of the city and a visit to Schonbrunn, one of the grandiose and stunning residences of the Habsburg family. After relaxing and exploring the Schunbrunn grounds, we ventured to the hotel to either put our things down and explore or crash for a nap before dinner. Followin... Read More (0 Comments)

Call the Topdeck crew insane, but on our next travel day we blazed through three countries in a span of a morning and afternoon. That’s right – we traveled from our perch in Poland to a beautiful afternoon stop in Slovakia and then on to Hungary. Yeah, buddy!

Now, Bratislava has got to be one of my favorite capital cities.... Read More (0 Comments)