Although I originally signed up for Pingry's trip to the Adirondacks because of its recreational opportunities, I came away with so much more. The trip forced me to evaluate my own way of life from a totally new perspective. Entering the trip, I had such a limited view of what it means to "live sustainably." Recycling my water bottles? Turning off the sink while I brush my teeth? That was about all I knew. My time at the North Country School (NCS) provided me with an entirely new lens through which to view the world around me.

Just hours after arriving, our group ventured to the barn for afternoon barn chores, which included tending to the chickens, sheep, goats, and horses. To say the least, I was petrified.Before the trip, I had never really been around farm animals, much less cared for them. The first day of chores, I was hesitant to get involved, stepping back in order to let the more experienced NCS students finish the job. Yet, as the trip progressed, I became increasingly attached to the animals. On the last day, I asked to go back to the barn because I still had not captured the perfect photo of my favorite sheep.

By the end of the trip, I had acquired so much knowledge about topics from organic food to generating your own heat. However, no teacher ever lectured me about these topics as they would in a traditional classroom. I was forced to learn by doing.

Even though the trip taught me so much, it left me with many questions as well. What efforts should Pingry make to be more sustainable? Would every initiative at NCS be realistic for the Pingry Campus? What can I do at home to decrease my impact on the environment? This experience taught me how much you can learn by being in a new, possibly uncomfortable, situation. By challenging myself, I was able to learn and grow, while still having tons of fun.

When backpacking, you carry everything you need to survive on your back and have to rely on the handful of people you are with. Luckily, the trip was led by incredible trip leaders and Pingry faculty Mr. Crowley-Delman, Ms. Sullivan, and Mr. Horesta, as well as seven of my fellow classmates, who I knew I could trust.

I spent the first half of my junior year preparing for the trip, researching gear, and learning about the area we would be traversing. Yet, when we were getting ready to board our flight from Newark to Salt Lake City on March 11, I was still unsure of what to expect in the days ahead. It wasn’t until we descended into the canyon the following day that I could fully comprehend what I had gotten myself into.

Over the next 10 days I hiked over 50 miles, explored numerous Anasazi ruins, learned more about Cedar Mesa and the controversy surrounding the recently designated Bears Ears National Monument, and slept (without a tent) under a blanket of a thousand of stars.

I learned more in a week surrounded by the walls of a canyon than I have ever learned in a week surrounded by the walls of a classroom, and discovered a new passion that I hope to continue pursuing during my final year at Pingry, and beyond.

Although the idea of spending a semester abroad in college had always intrigued me, I never knew that taking a semester away in high school was a possibility. Even now, in my junior year back at Pingry, it is still surreal to think that my “crazy” idea—as my parents first called it, of attending TASIS England, an American boarding school with an international staff and student body located southwest of London in a small village called Thorpe—became a reality.

Yet, a little less than a year after applying to TASIS in the spring of my freshman year, there I was, on Monday January 18, 2016, the first morning in my new “home away from home.” I was sitting in the dining hall at breakfast hearing a conversation in German behind me, in Russian at the table next to mine, and in French across the room, all the while actively trying to participate in—let alone comprehend—a conversation in Spanish with native speakers at the very table I was sitting at. Less than 24 hours into my adventure abroad and the international experience that I was promised was did not disappoint.

Over the course of the six months that I spent in England, I met hundreds of people who told fascinating and compelling stories about their lives in their home countries of Spain, Russia, Belgium, Saudi Arabia, Venezuela, Guatemala, Japan, Brazil, France, South Korea, Canada, India, South Africa, Italy, China, Mexico, Greece, the Czech Republic, Switzerland, Croatia, Tanzania, and Portugal, to name a few. I spent weekends exploring the city of London and was able to visit Austria during February break and Spain during a field trip and with my roommate to visit her hometown.

It’s hard to sum up a life-changing and eye-opening semester filled with incredible people and experiences into one sentence; however, if I had to, I would say that taking a semester away and taking the risk to board at TASIS England allowed me to truly step out of my comfort zone and experience life without the constant presence of my parents’ support and guidance.

However, after assurances from King's, parents of Arabic Year students, and contacts who live and/or travel to Jordan for business, we gave Reid the green light to attend. And, we are so glad we did. Reid's junior year was filled with the unique experiences of living, learning, and exploring Jordan and the region.

Our son returned to Pingry with life-long friends made from countries like Egypt, Afghanistan, Jordan, Malaysia, and Colombia. He learned Arabic and better understands the complex history, culture, politics, and people of the Middle East. He had to represent and defend the U.S. and its history in classrooms filled with students from more than 35 countries. Reid flourished personally and academically, becoming all the more independent so very far from home. Most important, he gained an invaluable perspective of the U.S and the world at large.