Free to Roam Adventures inspires insightful gap year adventures
Testimonials
Laura with fellow volunteers in Costa Rica
“I had always dreamt of traveling and making a difference in my community. After completing high school, I looked for a gap year counselor who could guide me in choosing programs that would be best suited for me. Susan helped me find the perfect programs, and I am grateful for everything I learned and discovered about myself. I got to visit several places and meet new people. Last year was the best year of my life.”
“OMG - what a fabulously life-changing experience for him. He seems more confident, comfortable and empowered. Thank you sooooooo much for your guidance. ”
“My family and I highly recommend Susan Staley and Free to Roam Adventures in planning a gap year or semester. She takes ample time to get to know the student with written questions and casual conversations and finds the perfect fit for the person and intention of the trip. She has vast personal experience traveling on her own and leading groups abroad and she is exceptional at preparing the student for what they may encounter, whether it’s logistics or different social/cultural norms in the area of travel. She remains available while the student is abroad, in case any problems arise. We felt very well-prepared and cared for during the time she was assisting us. Thanks to her knowledge and resources, we were able to learn of possibilities for our daughter that we simply would not have discovered on our own. Considering the potentially life-changing experience of such a journey and the impact it can have on an individual’s path, having Susan’s help has been absolutely invaluable to us. Should our second daughter chose to have a gap experience, we will hire Susan again in a heartbeat!”
“Our family used Susan to plan our daughter’s gap year travels (between sophomore and junior year in college) in South America. It was a wonderful experience working with Susan. She is knowledgeable and super friendly. Easy to talk with and a good listener; she gave us some really fine program suggestions. Her vast experience traveling in South America is evident. Her follow-up was quick and she kept my daughter on task about visa, vaccines, etc. I would definitely work with Susan again.”
Jane in Ecuador
“We are unequivocally happy about Robert’s gap year experience!”
““What an incredibly enriching and life-changing experience it was for our whole family on our travels through Italy and Europe over the spring and summer of 2019 - thank you wholeheartedly for all of your very kind and invaluable support throughout. We had such unforgettable adventures in all of the destinations on your suggested itinerary - the children especially loved Berne and Grindelwald in Switzerland, as well as Sevilla, Spain, and my absolute favourite memory was the fabulous week we spent on our “bikes and barge” tour along the river Danube! Best of all, we were able to share some truly dear and special memories - ones that we will always treasure. Each of the kids matured in so many remarkable ways, and we all grew so much closer as a family from these wonderful shared adventures and spending such precious and meaningful time together.””
“My experience getting to talk with Susan last September before I embarked on my three-month journey and still talking with her today has been great. Susan not only talked me through the different program options, but she took plenty of time to sit down with me and list out the pros and cons for each one. She asked me great questions like what I wanted to get out of a program and how long I would wish to be away from home. I loved every single minute of my trip. I know I chose the right program for me and I couldn’t have done that without her help. I have one more thing I’d like to add. Susan and I still talk to this day and catch up with each other occasionally. This goes to show that following up with people, even after they return home, is a great quality of hers. If you read this, I highly recommend using Susan Staley as your gap year coordinator! ”
“Semester in Europe allowed me to create many lasting memories and friendships while exploring 13 countries across Europe in a matter of 9 weeks. This experience was truly eye opening as I learned so much about the world and myself which allowed me to grow as a person and prepare for a career in International Business. This trip also pushed me to develop many life skills such as complex planning and cultural awareness which I could not have done in a classroom setting. As a result of this trip, I am a firm believer in experiential learning and I look forward to planning my next adventure. I challenge every student to explore the world as you simply will not regret it. If you are looking for a memorable experience, I highly recommend working with Susan as she is full of recommendations, logistical knowledge, and truly wishes for each of her clients to get the most out of their experience abroad!”
“While growing up, I was always told that spending time in foreign countries, experiencing other cultures, and meeting new people would make me more well-rounded. For precisely those reasons, I took advantage of a nine weeks study abroad that made for lasting memories. My time abroad instilled in me more gratitude for differences and even pushed me personally to have a deeper appreciation of life.”
Samantha in Switzerland
“From a young age, my parents always instilled in me and my siblings the importance of traveling. They said traveling opens your mind to new ideas and creates a greater appreciation for other cultures and sometimes even your own. You will meet so many interesting people in places you would have never imagined. You will learn to try new things and be spontaneous. Most importantly you learn a lot about yourself and those you are traveling with. Seven and half weeks later, eleven countries, twelve cities and I can honestly say traveling has done all these things for me and more. I have opened my mind to new cultures, met awesome people, tried a lot of new things, and learned way more than I ever expected about myself. ”
Angela in Switzerland
“Susan was an excellent guide who diligently prepared our schedules for each location and distributed any necessary information well in advance to have our days run smoothly. As a soon to be business school graduate, I appreciated Susan’s attention to detail, time management, concern for safety, and her approachable demeanor during our two and a half months together. This trip was truly an experience of a lifetime that I will never forget. Each day was an adventure filled with historic tours, unique activities, or culinary treats that I would have had much difficulty finding if attempting to plan on my own. I hope to one day be a participant of a second Free to Roam traveling excursion because I cannot wait to explore more of the world!”
“I learned a valuable lesson that has hopefully forever changed my perspective on life. — Money isn’t everything. Working your life away is not the only way. It was eye-opening to be in all of these different countries, to see their standards of living and their work-life balance. This experience has changed my mind about what I want to do after graduation and how I want to live the rest of my life. I did things that I never imagined I would and I grew into a person who I am proud of. I came home with a new self-confidence and a burning passion to live the life I want to live.”
“Working with Susan was an amazing experience. When I made the decision to take a year off from school I was really nervous and unsure about what I wanted to do. When I found Susan and started working with her I felt so much relief. She takes the time to get to know you, and what you are interested in so that she can help organize a gap year experience that will be just right for you. She takes everything you mention into consideration when she is making a plan for you. She is so knowledgeable about what there is available, and when she offers suggestions she provides pros and cons to the choice. She puts real time, effort, and thoughtfulness into what she will suggest for you. She has also traveled a lot herself so she is an amazing resource for advice on how to handle nerves and how to push yourself outside of your comfort zone in order to grow and learn.
The gap year experience that Susan helped me organize was really amazing. There were definitely ups and downs throughout the entire experience, but I know that I grew so much as a person, and Susan helped me consider so many different options. She was always very good about checking in with me during my travels as well, just to see how everything was going. And when I had a pretty low period, Susan was there to talk to me and help me plan out a better schedule for myself and get through my emotions and the doubt that I had. I really don’t think I could have done it all without her. I highly recommend working with Susan on any gap year plans you may have.”
The Guptas (children of Elizabeth Lai-Fook) on their Family Gap Year
Nick in Peru
Mitchell & Samantha in Italy
“More than anything this trip has given me the opportunity to find a different side of who I am and discover what is important to me. My experience abroad has been truly invaluable thanks to Free To Roam.”
“Susan, our primary contact, was very thorough and efficient in all aspects of pre-planning and management of the program. In particular, her past experience related to participation, leadership, and planning of similar study abroad programs was a huge plus as she had a very well-rounded perspective on managing all aspects of the program. The various faculty members, students, and administrators involved in the program all enjoyed their experience. I have no reservation in strongly recommending the services of Free to Roam Adventures.”
“I have learned more in one semester of traveling with Free to Roam through Europe than I ever have before. I would absolutely recommend this program to anyone interested in traveling and adventuring, or learning about different cultural perspectives and international business, or anything in between!”
“With perfection, Free to Roam incorporated our academic curriculum into each city we visited and the sites we saw and experienced. The way this trip was set up was well organized and very carefully developed. Our schedule throughout this trip was jam packed, but there was never an overwhelming feeling thanks to Free to Roam’s precise scheduling.”
“I learned that if you push yourself out of your comfort zone you can find and see amazing things. Climbing a glacier was something I would have never dreamed of doing in my life, but it will probably be one of the most memorable parts of the trip when I look back at it years from now. Learning to step out of my comfort zone opened the door for so many amazing experiences on the trip, like trying new foods, cliff jumping, horseback riding in the mountains and hiking to see amazing waterfalls.”
“My semester traveling with Free to Roam changed my very being — my perception and my attitude. Take the chance, we don’t get a chance like this many times in our lives, and when we get older we might not get the chance, so get out there. See what the world has to offer!”