Welcome to our forum for courses in the field. The Yak Board is a digital group journal where students and staff share photos, stories, reflections and group updates while on course. Check out our Featured Posts below or explore Yaks by program by clicking on the icons above.
Want to follow a program in the field? Click on the Subscribe to Updates button to receive one email a day if new content is posted.
A trek can be so much more than walking from point A to point B looking at beautiful sights along the way. Our group spent the last three days intentionally and humbly walking on sacred ground, forging a deeper connection with the spirit of the......Read More
I have always had a fascination for stars. My dad, the very person who brought me into the early business of watching stars, owns a small telescope that he uses weekly till this day. Living in a compound full of apartments and not many gardens, my......Read More
The first thing we noticed was the animals. So many animals. Dogs, goats, cows, bulls, water buffaloes, and even a camel. Each had its own air of individuality as it loitered in the alleys and streets of Udaipur, head raised as if it knew it......Read More
It’s 7:56 A.M. and breakfast starts at 8:00 A.M. Us guys hardly ever wake up on time, but the sudden knock and good-mornings on our doors are usually enough to get us going. As I rush to get dressed for the day I give a short moment to......Read More
As I write this Yak post, my right hand is burning. No, not metaphorically— I mean my hand feels like it’s being cooked inside with a steady flame. It seems that grabbing large scoops of spicy peppers, known in Indonesia as sambal, with your......Read More
LIKE A DREAM When we agree to join Bridge year, we never thought before, an American boy in our house. One house with us, one dining table, one living room with us. When we woke up in the morning that face was really with us. This is like a dream.......Read More
As I sit on the plane with Today’s Hits pulsing in my ears, the distance between myself and my home for the past six weeks seems to grow exponentially. The stories I collected in Ambatomanga seem as long ago as my childhood and the rocks I turned......Read More
Wow. Six weeks have gone by. It’s nearly over and I’m not sure where to begin. We have settled in to our final location in Guatemala City, our last stop on this journey before we have to say our goodbyes. We are surrounded by pine trees, city sounds, and most importantly by each other. After 2 weeks of individual homestays in San Juan la Laguna, it is comforting to be back together as one single Dragons clan. This last chapter is called transference. It is a time marked by reflection: first looking back at our experiences together in Guatemala and… Read More
There will always be a point in your life when you will feel lost, when you look in the mirror and you don’t recognize who you’ve become and you’re starting to lose grip on what you’re meant to do. This feeling, for me, accumulated over the......Read More
I love you Madagascar I love your people Your nature And even your bugs Sometimes… But most of all, I love how you’ve changed me How you’ve made me think How you’ve made me grow And how you’ve made me love both myself, others And......Read More
Up until two years ago, I had grown up in Asia living in Singapore and Japan. My entire life I was surrounded by different cultures and religions, eating some of Asia’s finest foods, and being exposed to the wealthiest and poorest parts of the......Read More
A wonderful morning breeze on the rooftop of our beautiful Shechen guesthouse where we do our morning reflection as a group and this is why we all fall in love with Nepal! We are so inspired by this beautiful place! Jacqui, ” The prayer flags,......Read More
I’ve made it four weeks and two days successfully avoiding writing a yak, but I cannot be blamed. Just think, yaks are how most people back home are keeping up with this trip. This is a form of looking back on a trip after it has finished. And......Read More
The Quechua people of the mountains are deeply sewn into their environment to create a way of life that is very different from our own. The people (Runakuna), the watchers, and places (Tirakuna) weave a band of fabric through collaboration. As an......Read More
Our time in Guatemala comes to an end and the comforts of home feel closer than ever. During our time in the Sierras in California for Instructor orientation we did a small simulation for what it may feel like for students coming on a Dragons......Read More
Saludos desde Ollantaytambo We are on the last days of our course, we call transference at this couple of days were we are preparing ourselves to go home, we are reflecting on our journey together and off course we are enjoying our last moments as a......Read More
