Travel for Teens: Thailand

My trip to Thailand with Travel for Teens was the best 3 weeks of my life. I was given the opportunity to intimately learn about elephants, experience true Thai culture with the natives, test my skills at not-so-white water rafting in the Pai River, observe the beautiful temples of Bangkok, adventure into the clear blue waters of Koh Tao, and relax on peaceful beaches and with wonderful Thai massages on Koh Samui. While the activities were incredible, what truly made my experience special were my wonderful trip director, fabulous counselors, and lifelong friends I met on the trip. Before the trip, I was extremely nervous to travel on my own for the first time at 15 years old. But as soon as I met the TFT crew at the airport, my nerves vanished and I knew I was going to have a blast. The counselors and trip directors respected us as friends rather than treating us like immature children. They constantly made sure we were safe while still having fun. My mom was especially grateful for the daily email updates from our trip leaders. The trip would not have been the same without our trip director Keith. Within the few weeks we were in Thailand, I became extremely close with Keith, along with all the other students. Everyone shared plenty of stories, which made us all both laugh and cry, and countless memories that will last me a lifetime. I would give anything to go back and relive my Thailand excursion so I could spend another 3 weeks growing as an individual, while spending plenty of time with the people that quickly became my second family. I truly believe this trip made me a bigger and better person with an increased awareness of the world around me.