THE IMPACT OF TEEN TRAVEL PROGRAMS
From Participant to Leader: My “Life Changing Travel” Experience
Many years ago, I sat looking at RLT trips on the website. I remember holding the computer and showing my parents photos from the Norway trip. The previous summer, I had finished the 10-day Costa Rica Pura Vida program for middle schoolers and loved it. I had gotten a taste and clearly I wanted something more, much more. I showed my parents the itinerary and well, the reaction wasn’t all positive. We laugh about it now, but my father famously said to me, “Maya, you can’t do that. You never bike and a whole section of that trip is mountain biking.” Anyone who was once a teenager knows that means you now have to do it. Challenge accepted, Dad.
Months later, I found myself sandwiched between my tent-mates one morning in Norway. I took a minute to lie there and reflect on what I had accomplished on this journey so far. We had kayaked over seventy kilometers through the breathtaking Norwegian fjords singing songs to pass the time. Even though my arms had ached and I was tired of spending twelve hours on the saltwater, I could not complain because of the majestic mountain rage dotted with snow on its upper reaches and the glistening water that surrounded me. We had backpacked close to sixty miles through Jotunheimen National Park where there was no need to worry about darkness because it never got dark.
This was northern Norway in the summer and we were close to the Arctic Circle. I had learned so much from these first two thirds of my trip: how to make oatmeal for eighteen people, how to properly pack my backpack, and how to keep my mind entertained for hours of paddling through water in which you could see your own reflection as clearly as a mirror.
The time had come for me to conquer the final third of the trip—biking. We peddled for hours through a barren, desolate landscape. I fought back tears and screamed in frustration with some of my friends and we pushed through. Many doubts filled my mind, “Maybe my dad was right?” The next morning the sun finally peeked through the clouds and the trail wound downhill. We were surrounded by a canopy of green trees and I could hear the sounds of a waterfall gushing down a mountain. As the wind whipped through my hair and the sun shone on my face I thought, “I have never been happier than in this moment.” I couldn’t believe I had really done it. We reached the bottom and we all stopped and waited for everyone to catch up. As a group, we reflected on the last couple of hours we had had soaring down the mountain. As I looked around I saw tears on many people’s faces from sheer joy; I felt them streaming down my face, too.
This trip was just the beginning to my journey with RLT. I’ve now led trips for three summers and have spent seven summers of my life with RLT. The Norway trip truly embodied the slogan of “life changing travel.” For me, the trip gave me space to be anyone I wanted. Nobody knew I could barely ride a bike. Nobody knew about any of my insecurities at home. Nobody knew me! I could become whatever version of myself I wanted and carve out my own narrative. All these years later, this is what I cherish about my RLT experiences. Even as a leader, summers allow me the space to embody a version of myself I’m not able to channel throughout the rest of the year and channel the amazing spaces nature has to offer. That’s why I keep coming back. This trip taught me to embrace new challenges, to lean into the hard days, and to enjoy every second I spend outside.
The Norway program inspired my passion for the outdoors. I’d never been backpacking, mountain biking, or sea kayaking before that program. Now, I’m so grateful I’ve had the opportunity to lead participants on amazing trips like this one. I’m thrilled that more students will be able to experience the magic Norway offers this year and I can’t wait to see the next lives it changes.
Maya - RLT Alum and Trip Leader
