Our Fall 2015 Coast to Coast Expedition Semester students are currently in Bocas del Toro, Panama. While in the southernmost country in North America, the group will sea kayak to indigenous communities and learn to scuba dive while earning their NAUI scuba certifications. This week the group returned briefly to our rainforest base after whitewater kayaking rivers in Costa Rica. “White water kayaking [has been the biggest challenge thus far] because it was difficult to overcome my fear of rivers,” said Mac B. from Saskatoon, Canada. “I’ve been having the best experience imaginable.” Jacob S. from Brookline, Massachusetts said whitewater kayaking helped him “overcome my instincts” and “go face to face with my mind.” “I’ve learned a lot of technical skills relating to rafting, kayaking, rock climbing and hiking,” said Conor R. from San Marcos, California. “I’ve learned about how I can push myself to do things that I really didn’t want to do and find ways to enjoy them.” While on base, the group took some time to reflect on what they’ve taken away from their Gap Year & Semester course thus far. “I believe that so far, the most beneficial phase of the whole course was the hiking phase, and my main reasons for saying so is that I believe I grew the most – both emotionally and physically – during that phase,” said Josh N. from Cambridge, Massachusetts. “I learned how to truly trust in myself to be able to do all that was asked of me without breaking and was able to reach new limits in what I could achieve,” he added. “I learned about myself physically and mentally, added Amos P. from Chapel Hill, North Carolina. “I experienced ways of life I’ve wanted to for a while now. I learned outside of a classroom and felt more enjoyment for an extended time than I have in a long time.” Throughout their course, we will be sharing information and photos from our Coast to Coast Expedition Semester students here on our blog and on our Facebook page, so be sure to check back for updates!