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March 5, 2018 By Kymber Leave a Comment

Riveted Kids + Crooked Trails = ♥

Who is coming to Oaxaca with us? Crooked Trails! It is a pretty good deal for us, them, and YOU!

Chris and I getting ready to fertilize the soccer field with guinea pig poop in Vicos, Peru. Why I am choosing to flex while she thumbs-ups is a mystery to me.

We have a history, Crooked Trails and Riveted Kids. You might wonder why, as experienced travelers, we have worked with a travel group instead of just going out on our own. Here’s what Crooked Trails co-founders Chris and Tammy (and their team) bring to the table after 20 years in the sustainable travel industry: connections, trip-building, nonprofit status, experience and…themselves! This is what makes traveling with a purpose so great for us and for you and for your Oaxaca-bound teen.

Deep connections in rural villages

This is just like getting the best introduction ever. Two examples:

  1. I could have wandered around the Kathmandu Valley being friendly and having fun interactions with people, but with Chris’ introductions to families in Chandani and the local nonprofit KEEP we were able to spend a week in Balaram and Sita’s family home and help the community work on a project that would bring economic growth to everyone.
  2. We could have driven through the isolated areas in the northern Andes in Peru enjoying our interesting conversations and making friends with dogs, but staying with Julio and Fausta allowed us to sample the most delicious food available in Peru, grown on their farm and cooked with so much love. We were also able to work with the community to build a soccer field that they’ve been wanting to have for years.
Beija swinging Aneli with Chris and the rest of the team cheering them on. We had all just finished an amazing pachamanca – a feast cooked in a traditional underground oven.

Builders of life-changing experiences

When we heard that Tammy had developed a program in Cuba we were in. How could we turn down an opportunity to peek behind the curtain? We stayed with her friend Mauricio who told us all about his life in Cuba, listening to Fidel’s looong speeches as a child, and how things were for Cubans after they lost the financial support of the Soviet Union. It was truly a fabulous trip.

Mauricio, Beija, and me standing on his patio in front of the Havana skyline.

Nonprofit status

It might not be immediately obvious why this matters. It means two things. First, service trips are tax deductible which can be a huge benefit to you at tax time. Second, revenues above trip costs go to support incredible projects around the world. Here are three of the many big things they are working on right now that a portion of your money would support:

Catherine’s House sustainable coffee and resource center in Cameroon

Kalenjin running program in Kenya

Smokeless ovens in Peru

Experience

When I put together our Riveted Girls trip in Mexico I did it having spent a couple of weeks scouting the summer before, but without having 20 years of trip-building behind me. I’ll tell you, it took a LOT of time and trial and error. I am totally fine with learning from the wisdom of others and Chris, Tammy, and their team have a lot of it. They have a real understanding of what works and what doesn’t.

Themselves

Who wouldn’t want to hang out with such passionate, committed, interesting people? Working together for a common goal is way more fun than sitting by myself at the kitchen table with my laptop. Which I am doing right now.

Don’t forget to register your teen for our amazing camp in Oaxaca this summer!

Filed Under: Cuba, Mexico, Nepal, Peru, Uncategorized

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