I Left a Piece of my Heart in the Horidol Saridag Mountains Past Review

Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc.

The courses were stellar and unbelievably engaging! The discussions were rich and often run by students and permeated our everyday life in Mongolia.

On-site administration of your program

Our instructors were great to work and live with and were super attentive to our group and well being. The park staff and rangers we worked with there were so kind and their hospitality was so meaningful. Everyone there went above and beyond to make us feel at home, to teach us lessons, and share their strong sense of comunity.

How satisfied were you with your living arrangements?

Having your own tent space is so great and the gers we cooked, studied, and hung out in were so well made and warm.

Our cook was amazing, she is not only talented at cooking delicious meals up out of limited ingredients, but she was also a dear teacher and friend to us. Meals in Mongolia are heavy on meat and fatty which is great but we did miss the green veggies.

How integrated did you feel with the local culture?

Through our work for the local protected areas we worked with the rangers and their families and were super grateful to be welcomed into their homes and brought under their wing. I appreciated that they were so eager to teach us how to stay warm, cook, travel, and live like Mongolians, which is a point of pride for them.

How well were health issues addressed during the program?

Yes, we received assistance through global rescue.

This semester was everything I needed, it was motivating, inspiring, and tough all at the same time. We were not just immersed in the Darhad Valley's towns, but also the mountains. The lessons the rangers and land taught us were irreplaceable. I have left this semester with more empathy, patience, and grit than I expected and now have a better sense of what I want to do with the next few years.

(1 = not very easy/$200+ on food & personal expenses/week, 2.5 = $100/week, 5 = very easily/minimal cost)

0 = No encouragement, 5 = frequent encouragement to use the language

We began to pick up some Mongolian on the course in an organic and self driven way. While it was not for credit, I really came a long way in communicating with our Mongolian friends.

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• Other

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• Americans
• Other

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• Americans

• Stellar instructors and classmates
• Respecting the land
• Partnering with the rangers

• More independence
• Better solar power for charging research laptops
• Students from even more schools and backgrounds

The Avid Adventurer