August 15, 2025
By: Camey VanSant
By Marissa I arrived in Turkey mid-September to begin my exchange with AFS intercultural programs. Living and studying here for the past 10 months has been an incredibly rewarding experience full of little adventures and unexpected moments. I’m excited to...
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August 13, 2025
By: Camey VanSant
By Sanjaay In the first two parts of my blog series on happiness, I wrote about my hiking trip in Nepal and my exploration into Nordic happiness policies in Finland, Sweden and Denmark. The first essay explored the pursuit of...
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August 11, 2025
By: Camey VanSant
By Alexa For our last show of the season, Ballet Idaho put on Christopher Stowell’s version of The Sleeping Beauty. Although I knew it was going to be challenging, I had no idea how much of an undertaking it would...
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August 10, 2025
By: Camey VanSant
By Anson Upon returning home in late November, to keep with the theme of horticulture and history, I volunteered at the Howard Peters Rawlings Conservatory, the second oldest steel-framed-and-glass building still in operation in the United States. Within the conservatory...
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August 8, 2025
By: Camey VanSant
Natasha is a member of the 2023-24 DGYP cohort. This post was written earlier in 2025. [caption id="attachment_5338" align="alignnone" width="1024"] Fireworks during a float parade in Beigang Township / 北港鎮, Taiwan[/caption] In the final two months of my time in...
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August 3, 2025
By: Camey VanSant
By Ella When I left on my nine-month journey across the world, with nothing but a backpack and a heart of service, I had no idea what lay ahead or what would come from my time on the mission field....
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July 22, 2025
By: Camey VanSant
By Jimena First, exchange was something to look forward to. Months of mental preparations, saying goodbye to family, packing my stuff and moving across the world. It was a lot. A whirlwind and an experience that is one of a...
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July 17, 2025
By: Camey VanSant
By Sanjaay One can’t speak about shaping happiness without bringing up examples from at least one of the five Nordic countries — Finland, Sweden, Denmark, Norway and Iceland. Should we believe the rankings — are the Nordic countries genuinely the...
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July 16, 2025
By: Camey VanSant
By Griffin After getting back to my hometown in early May, I started proctoring AP exams at my old high school. It was a nice way to stay busy and earn a little extra money, and being back in the...
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July 15, 2025
By: Camey VanSant
By Ian I would say my gap year follows the script of an average slow burn Hollywood film. A flashy opening which introduces the characters and sets up the story followed by a lengthy exposition where plot is furthered and...
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