Your Name: Amalia
Maric
Class of: 2015
Name of Program: Overland Summers
When you did the program: Summers of 2010, 2011, 2012
Summary: Overland offers hiking, biking, community
service, language immersion, and writing programs all around the world for people
ages 10-18. There are different trips
for different grades/ages and challenge level. I have done 3 biking trips with
overland and they have been the most incredible and rewarding experiences I
have ever had. Each trip has 2-4 different sections, and is compromised of 12
kids (a 6:6, 7:5, or 8:4 ratio between boys and girls) and two college-aged
leaders, always one male and one female. Through Overland, I have met some of
the best friends I have ever had, challenged myself, and develop leadership
skills and learn more about myself. I encourage anyone who either wants to
physically or mentally challenge themselves, or broaden their horizons and
knowledge of the world to go on an Overland trip next summer!
About how many kids were in your summer
program? 12
Who were the adults and what role did they
play in your experience? There are two
leaders; one male and one female. In my experience on the biking trips, the
leaders play a vital role in encouraging everyone to stay positive and not to
let challenges (biking up a huge hill, excessive amounts of rain) to defeat us.
These two 21 year old leaders are in charge of the safety of 12 teenagers.
How much free time did you have and what did
you do with it? It depends. On
the more difficult Overland trips (all trips are rated between a 1-10, ten
being the hardest), there is less free time, but on the easier trips (i.e
biking trips that don't do more than 45 miles a day), there is more free time
because you can get to your next campsite earlier and have more free time there
Did you have room and board or a home stay in
another country? If so, what was your experience like? On the biking and hiking trips, no. The hiking
and biking trips camp out in tents, and are fully self-contained (no van
support- you carry everything you bring + group gear and food on your
back/bike) The community service and language immersion trips stay in dorms (I
believe the language trips in Spain and France home stay with a family). Overland trips take place world wide- there
are trips in the US, Europe, Central and South America, Africa, and Asia.
What were the other students in your program
like and how were the relationships that you formed? Each trip, I have made some of the best
friends I ever had in my entire life just by spending 2-4 weeks (each trip is a
different length, depending on the trips difficulty level) with them. Since the
groups are so small and everyone is working together (teamwork and selflessness
is required of all Overland participants) you become a "family" with
your group
What kinds of activities, social events, and
trips were organized for the students? There
is always a celebratory dinner at a restaurant at the end of each trip.
If you had academic classes or homework, how
many hours a day did you spend on schoolwork? I
believe that the writing and language immersion programs do their academic work
in the morning, and after lunch go on hikes and spend time outdoors
About how much of your own money do you think
you spent on gifts, food, transportation and other things not provided by the
program? Overland says
$25/ a week. Another thing about Overland: Since it is a group experience, we weren’t
allowed to buy your own food, and you pretty much are doing your own
transportation as a group. Most people bring money to mail letters home, get
more toiletries, and souveniers)
Did you have a curfew? If so, what time? Depends on the trip; for instance, if you are
on the American Challenge (the hardest trip, biking 3,000 miles from Georgia to
LA in 6 weeks, averaging 80 miles a day), you pretty much wake up at 5 in the
morning at go to bed at 6:30 at night.... but most trips wake up around 7 and
bed time is closer to 10-11 at night
Did you have internet access? If so, how much
time did you spend using it? No
technology is permitted at Overland and it is often unaccesable.
How organized was the program? How much
flexibility was there with the agendas? How much of a say did the students have
in this? The trips are
very organized and goal-oriented- you can't be that flexible if you have to
bike 70 miles to your next campsite before it gets dark- again, the agendas
depend on the difficulty level of the trip- easier trips allow for more free
time. But then again, the more challenging trips are extremely rewarding and
fun.
How was the food? Rate from 1-5 (1 being the
worst and 5 being the best) 3
What is at least one thing you would do to improve
the program?
What was your biggest takeaway from the
experience/what will you most remember? Being
able to bike from Seattle to San Francisco. It was the most physically and
mentally challenging experiences I have ever had, but it is my greatest accomplishment
(so far) and the lessons I learned on the trip helped shape my character.
Who would you recommend this program to? Who
would this program not be best suited to? I
recommend Overland to anyone that wants to physically and or mentally challenge
themselves, or wants to broaden their horizons and knowledge of the world.
Overland is best suited for people that are healthy and fit, open-minded, and
want to venture out of their comfort zone.
Rate your overall experience: 4.5
Any last thoughts: Registration starts in November- most trips
fill up by the end of January so sign up soon! You can request a catalog
online, or like their Facebook page for more information
