First-Year Student Gains New World Perspective from International Travel

Gap years are the perfect opportunity for the adventure of a lifetime. Fresh out of high school and old enough to be considered an adult, but not quite old enough to be completely responsible for yourself—the world is yours for the taking. First-year Mackenzie Davis made the most out of her gap year with an epic trip around the world that included three months in Southeast Asia, a NOLS Patagonia program, a trip around Chile, and a Wilderness Emergency Medical Technician (WEMT) certification.

Starting the year off with a trip to Asia, Davis visited China, Laos, and Cambodia. While there, she spent a month in each country traveling and living in homestays with various families. “The main focus of the program I was in was learning about how the Mekong River is intertwined in the lives of the people and how hydropower and development is affecting agriculture,” said Davis. “I also studied Buddhism while I was there by staying in temples and talking with the monks about their beliefs and decision to dedicate their lives to religion.”

After her educational and spiritual journey through Asia, Davis headed over to northern Patagonia to complete a NOLS course. Though in hindsight she enjoyed the experience, there were definitely times when the trip tested her patience. “There was one time when we were camping above Alpine and at 1 a.m. we woke up to 50 mile-per-hour winds tearing down our tents. It took the entire group to triple reinforce all of the tent lines and keep the tents from blowing away,” recalled Davis. “There is also a picture of me where I’m crying and holding a handful of raisins because that was the only food we had left, and I hate raisins.” As for any takeaways, Davis said she mainly just learned that she could “put her body through hellish conditions and come out of it in one piece.”

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