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.
As I carefully lumbered through the rough terrain, down the steep riverbank exposed by the dangerously low water level, exhaustion from carrying my backpack and luggage made each necessary step towards our small lancha boat harder. But for the......Read More
Dear me when I get home, Firstly, you must always remember the moments that took your breath away. The green valleys stretching far beyond the eye can see. The sun setting on the village of Domkhar as you said farewell to its residents, your family.......Read More
Jullay from the North India Crew! We just got back from our beautiful Markha Valley trek. It is difficult to express in words or pictures what we just experienced. Spending time in the Markha Valley is a wonderful thing and we hope one day to do it with all of you reading this yak. Even during moments of pain and discomfort during our trek, we didn’t forget to take in the views, wonder at how these mountains came to be and thank whatever and whoever it was that made it possible for us to be there. As we trekked out… Read More
I write this yak from the curbside of a busy street in Rabinal – “The Entertainer” plays from an ice cream stand on the corner, rogue tuk tuks run rampant through the intersection, the air is hot and dry, and the mountains peek out from......Read More
Yesterday afternoon we had the chance to meet Matt, an American from Washington state spending two years in Bangdong as part of the ICWA (institute of current world affairs) program. Meeting Matt was perhaps the most anticipated event of the......Read More
I started out my homestay by being greeted by an old lady who spoke no English. I would later know her as angay, which is the Dzongkhan word for grandma. Now that the week is complete, I can confidently say that in my opinion, I had by far the best......Read More
“Color goes with la couleur va avec kulor bi” My mom always used to say “Color goes with color” But in my beige American mind I never understood At 16 a dragon swept me away To a land of brilliant color Of pale orange sand and bright......Read More
Eating out of a communal bowl, sharing tea cups, these are both little things that distinguish Senegalese culture from what I’ve grown up with. Growing up in Peru and New York, my eating habits have remained consistent: everyone gets a personal......Read More
Before I came to Bolivia, I was determined to put my experience in a historical and political context that I could cleanly understand. One of my teachers from school had seen me at his open summer classes and, upon learning I was going to Bolivia,......Read More
My favorite part of our 10 day Tiquipaya homestay were the 4 afternoons I spent working on my Independent Study Project, graffiti. It transformed my mindset. It may sound a little depressing, but my art is one of the few things I pride myself in and......Read More
Hello there, Don´t know where to start, it has been about three days since when we departed from Ak´Tenamit to our midcourse and now we are at Qachuu Aloom at the department of Bajo Verapaz. I´ll do my best to explain my time in Ak´Tenamit. In......Read More
Monday, July 8th, I stand in the backyard with uncooked rice in my hand. The morning fog still hangs heavy over the valley, concealing the steep drop down to the fields behind the house. The baby of the family, Tsou-Tsou, stands next to me, shaking......Read More
My alarm sounds at 7:30 AM. I turn to Laura and shake her awake in our cozy, pink canopy bed. Together we mosey our way outside to brush our teeth and wash our faces by the tap where we can hear our yak grunting from inside the shed. After chowing......Read More
People are generally quiet here. Except Ma, she’s rather loud. I don’t talk much because my family speaks Khmer and very little English. It’s quite wonderful because it gives me a chance to listen rather than speak. During the day, I hear the......Read More
Here are a few photos from trek. We are back in Ranohira and taking the afternoon off before we head north in the morning....Read More
