Crooked Trails: Non-Profit Community-Based Travel, Educational Outreach, Community Development

The summer days are growing shorter, many vacations have wrapped up and the kids are going back to school. I love the moody, contemplative days of autumn that provide a space for daydreaming and planning. Ready to make some travel dreams a reality in 2009? Our travel program schedule has just gone up at www.crookedtrails.org, so it’s time to start visualizing!

This month’s issue of our newsletter features the third installment in our trilogy on responsible travel. Chris Mackay introduces an exciting new direction that we have been working towards for a long time – “Bringing it Home”. It addresses that conundrum of returning from a life-changing experience abroad and floundering for a way to process the deep thoughts and feelings it has produced, as well as harness that transformative energy into a positive, permanent change in your life at home.

We’re also happy to share a personal story from a Crooked Trails traveler, Sarah Mackay, who participated in our first Family Program this August. Her eloquent words will have you aching to visit (or return to) the wonderful country of Peru. That trip also inspired the launch of our new Seis Vacas Para Peru program, which Chris Mackay explains in her write-up.

There’s also a re-caps of the very successful “A Night in Durbar Square” event to benefit education in Nepal, and highlights of many more events to fill the coming weeks. We hope to see you out there!

Happy Travels,
Angela Dollar
Crooked Trails Director of Operations

Quote of the Month

“We live in a wonderful world that is full of beauty, charm and adventure. There is no end to the adventures we can have if only we seek them with our eyes open.”

In June we began a three part series on responsible travel. I wanted to introduce three important core concepts. 1- Reflecting on why we endeavor to give service, 2- In this age of philanthropy, how do we give responsibly? And for this final section on responsible travel I wanted to touch on the importance of integrating one’s travel experience into life after the trip. Often we come home, tell our friends we had a great time, download the photos and get back to life. This “shelving” of

the experience often happens because we either are experiencing reverse culture shock or we simply don’t have lack the tools necessary to integrate the experience into our “regular” lives. The idea of a post trip program is something Tammy and I have been talking about for over 6 years. We have seen the need first hand of a comprehensive, easy, fun and meaningful way for clients to come home and make sense of what happened on their journey with Crooked Trails. In comes iLEAP.

A few months ago I was speaking with Dr. Britt Yamamoto the Executive Director of iLEAP at the Center for Critical Service at Antioch University. Britt has a great deal of experience in dealing with integrating travel experiences into post trip life and he has developed a program called Bringing it Home. Crooked Trails plans on working with Britt to offer the Bringing it Home program to Crooked Trails alumni in an online interactive program designed to be enlightening, interesting and most of all useful. Below is a piece written by Britt about iLEAP and his programs. Plan on hearing more about this dynamic partnership between iLEAP and Crooked Trails soon.

iLEAP: The Center for Critical Service--Bringing it Home,
by Dr. Britt Yamamotto

iLEAP: The Center for Critical Service (www.ileap.org) is a 501c3, tax-exempt nonprofit organization with a mission to cultivate a new generation of social entrepreneurs and changemakers who have the practical skills, critical thinking, and global community of support to create positive social change in the world. Our Vision is a worldwide community of interlinked individuals, communities and innovative organizations who are committed to taking risks and engaging life with a humble passion and abiding sense of humor as they work with, and in the service of others. This worldwide community is nurtured and sustained through iLEAP's global programs which offer both transformative life experiences and a commitment to an ongoing relationship with its participants. Through this commitment to community, iLEAP envisions the emergence of creative partnerships that will fundamentally shift the practice and purpose around international travel, volunteerism and service, and business and development.

A vital piece of iLEAP programs is what we call Bringing it Home, or the process through which people who have been abroad can 'bring back' their transformative experiences and integrate them into their present and future lives. For all of the push and widespread popularity of international travel and work abroad, there is a stunning lack of attention given to the piece of returning home. After the 'nice to have you back' comments and those interested in viewing your travel photos fades, the unfortunate tendency can be to bracket off the overseas experience and, like a photo album, shelve it as a nice memory. For some this is just fine. But for many, the urge to 'do something more' or amplify their experience into something larger--a life with more intention and purpose--can be haunting and difficult to pursue alone. iLEAP has designed Bringing it Home for these very people.

iLEAP believes that the period immediately after returning home presents a critical (and fleeting) window of opportunity where the potential for creative action is at its highest; Especially for those who have experiences abroad that have given rise to questions about such things as community development, social justice, and sustainability. This window is the time when great intentions and inspired clarity can be harnessed--before the inevitable tide of day-to-day responsibilities sweeps away the possibility for such changes. For this reason, we have developed a curriculum that is intended to help people to process their international experience so that they can integrate their transformative learning into their practice and purpose in their home communities and everyday lives. This is done through a structured curriculum that emphasizes reflective practice, experiential learning, and a critical engagement with subjects such as power, political economy, and development. At the same time, iLEAP feels that this Bringing it Home piece must not merely rest in the realm of the personal (how have I been transformed?), therefore this piece of our programs pushes participants to connect their awareness in collaborations with others (how will we transform things together?). What this means is that an essential piece of the Bringing it Home program is the participants indentifying and working with a community or organization of their choice.

iLEAP is interested in working with Crooked Trails alumni to offer the Bringing it Home program. For more information on Bringing it Home or iLEAP, please email Dr. Britt Yamamoto, iLEAP Exeuctive Director at britt@ileap.org.

Featured Trips

Crooked Trails 2009 Travel Program Schedule Now online!
We know many of you are anxious to make plans and pack your bags for adventures in the coming year. Our 2009 international program schedule has received its final touches and is live on our site. Go to www.crookedtrails.org and find “Program Schedule” under the “Travel Programs” heading.
Where will you go with Crooked Trails in 2009?

By Crooked Trails co-founder, Christine Mackay

Usabamaba lies over 13,000 feet in the Sacred Valley of the Inca high in the Peruvian Andes. This small, impoverished, rural village, close to the main tourist highway to Machu Picchu, is passed over by the lucrative tourist trade as thousands of tourists each year stop to visit the Sunday market and buy one of a kind weavings in the nearby town of Chinchero. For the past 6 years Crooked Trails has also supported Chinchero weavers, Paulino Quillahuaman Llancay and his wife Vilma at their Chinchero weavers cooperative and community based tourism projects in their home. Using the funds from the money they have made from selling weavings, last year Paulino decided to pay it forward and build a boarding school and weavers training center for the children of Usabamba. With the help of Crooked Trails Board President, Tracy Klinkroth and an anonymous group of donors, over $25,000 has been raised and the boarding school this year began to become a reality.

This summer, at beginning of August, I visited Chinchero on a Crooked Trails family program with my 5 year-old daughter and saw how fast the adobe brick walls were going up. Excited about the project, Paulino invited our small group to Usabamba to visit the children who would attend the boarding school in Chinchero. Upon our arrival, the president of the village came out to greet us. We brought tablets of paper, pencils and sharpeners for all the kids in the village and spent time playing with the children. As the sun began to set and a light rain washed over us, the president made a very sincere thank you speech for the gifts; stating every bit made a difference. Humbled by his words, I felt like these gifts were a small gesture and I could see the children in their tattered clothes, with their rosy cheeks needed so much more and so I asked him point blank, “What do you really need in Usabamba?” “Nutrition is our biggest problem,” he answered solemnly. A glance at the children, waiting patiently in line, verified this fact. A buzz went through the group as we brazenly stormed an answer and a donation of cows for daily milk needs seemed a viable solution. How many families live in the village,” I inquired. “Thirty,” he quickly replied. “ So, we need thirty cows?” “NO”, he replied. “One cow can provide milk for five families.” “Then we need six cows total.” I said. “Yes, six cows.” he smiled.

Six cows can change the lives of his community members forever. I looked at my group and everyone was grinning. We can do this they nodded. Steve Havas, one of the fathers in our group traveling with his 12 year-old daughter, was standing next to me, “Count me in for a cow,” he said. The president’s eyes radiated with gratitude as I spoke, “We will have 6 cows for you come October” and we rumbled back down the dirt road to Chinchero. There was a lot of excitement in the group as we plotted the many cows that this small Crooked Trails group could donate.

Seis Vacas Para Peru is based on what other organizations have done so successfully- such as Hefer International. The idea is that giving a live animal to a family which can provide milk and manure for years to come is more beneficial than giving small amounts of money to buy limited amounts of food. With 6 cows, this small Andean community will be able to provide badly needed nutrition for their children and can raise more cows in the future.

It’s amazing to think about how powerful and direct support can be. We can change the lives of a family in Usabamba immediately. Each cow will cost $450 US and this will also provide money to pay a local community member to manage the project; making sure that the community members learn how to care for the cows and that donors receive updates on their donations.

If you are interested in donating a cow to the families of Usabamba, please go to Crooked Trail’s community support page at: www.crookedtrails.org/community. You don’t have to buy a whole cow for $450, but you can purchase part of a cow. Once we have enough for a whole cow we will wire the money to Peru, and the cow will be bought and delivered to the family. That fast, that simple! Holy cow! Please join Crooked Trails in improving the nutrition of the children of Usabamba.

A Night in Durbar Square: A Night of Many Successes!

On July 21, Crooked Trails partnered with ArtXchange, a contemporary global art gallery, and Namaste Children’s Fund, a non-profit funding children’s education, to put on a night of food, fun, and music in celebration and support of education in Nepal. Crooked Trails was raising funds for the Shree Kalika School in Bhaktapur Nepal that we have been building as part of our service project component on our trips to Nepal. Namaste Children’s Fund was celebrating its organizations launch and raising funds for scholarships for tuition, books and supplies for children in need.

ArtXchange was transformed for the night to replicate beautiful Durbar Square in Katmandu, Nepal. Our fabulous vendor partners Ten Thousand Villages (www.tenthousandvillages.com), Snow Leopard Trust (www.snowleopardtrust.org), and Laughing Buddha (www.mylaughingbuddha.com) lined the room with gorgeous and authentic handicrafts from the Himalayan region. Teacup (www.seattleteacup.com) sampled Nepalese teas for

guests, sharing the story and history of the delectable drinks. Food was provided by Everest Kitchen (www.theeverestkitchen.com) and gave attendees the opportunity to sample delicious Nepali momos and potato chat. And James Whetzel (http://ilike.com/artist/James+Whetzel) a modern day mixologist played to the crowd with some classic sarod sounds, truly encapsulating the vivacity and spirit of Durbar Square.

Ending the night were presentations by Chris Mackay, Crooked Trails co-founder who spoke about Crooked Trails and the Shree Kalika school, Cora Edmonds co-founder of Namaste Children’s Fund and ArtXchange Director who gave a follow up story to the famous Namste Boy picture, and very special guest Dr. C.M. Yogi, founder of the HVP holistic education schools in Nepal. Following the fabulous and inspiring talks attendees were given a chance to ‘raise the paddle’ and sponsor a child’s education for a year. All donations were also matched by an amazing anonymous donor.

Because of the efforts and support of everyone involved, we were able to raise over $10,000 for both organizations!

Thank you to everyone who came out, all of our business and vendor partners, and a vey special thanks to our volunteers for the night Nicole Juracek, Caren Beecher and Gail Reed.

Crooked Trails to be Featured in Seattle P-I Getaways

Mark your calendars for September 18th and check out the Getaways section of the Seattle Post-Intelligencer to catch a great write-up on Crooked Trails unique travel programs and responsible travel philosophies. Not a subscriber? Check it out online at http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/getaways/

Weaving a New Experience onto the Backdrop of Daily Life

I was one of the fortunate travelers to join the Crooked Trails Family Program to Peru in August. We were a multigenerational group of nine that included a grandmother, her grandchild and twins; all of us with the hopes of exploring and getting to know Peru. We took a train, a plane and many buses to see four cities and one village in ten days. We traveled in and around this beautiful country that is brimming with a vibrant and rich culture that begs to be explored.

I eagerly adopted Crooked Trails’ philosophy of allowing the country to guide my experience and while the program would follow the itinerary, we were encouraged to be open to the unexpected. On my adventure to Peru I was looking for the unexpected and was moved and invigorated by the glimpses into Peru. As Chris Mackay, cofounder of Crooked Trails said to me one day, “It’s hard to take a bad photograph in Peru”. I quickly realized that I would have many images to capture, such as the woman cooking potatoes in a field as our host Paulino kindly asked her to allow us to sample them. The children and parents we met in Usabamba, a village at 13,000 feet into the Andes Mountains, gave me a refreshing perspective on what it means to be a community of families. I felt humbled watching the children line-up to receive the school supplies we brought to share. There were so many more moments, such as seeing Peruvian children herd pigs and their piglets down a steep hill towards the river below against a backdrop of Inca stone steps.

At the beginning of our program we spent a couple of days in Lima, the major city of Peru, and then flew into Cusco, which lies at 12,000 feet. Many of us felt the challenges of less oxygen, but acclimated quickly enough to walk the stone streets built by the Incas and visit such sites as Sacsayhuaman, the fortress built above Cusco. That same day, we went horseback riding in the hills just outside Cusco. During the ride, we dismounted our horses to see ruins and learn of some Peruvian history. The guide explained to us how Peruvians praise their Apos (spirits), only I thought he said apples; it was funny and yet it was telling how easily I misinterpreted his words. I began to ask myself how do we begin to understand one another’s cultures; how do we find common ground and connect?

There were astonishing Inca ruins around every corner, each with a history and brilliance of its own. In our ten-day trip we would visit the Sacred Valley and Machu Picchu where we walked through, around and on top of ruins that the Incas built over 600 years ago; stones that were precise and fit perfectly into one another, a puzzle of perfection.

A highlight of the program was our three-day stay with our homestay family. We were given the rare opportunity of getting to know Paulino, Vilma, their four children and their extended family. The food was excellent and I think I had seconds at every meal! What impressed me the most about our homestay family was their ability to connect and share their lives with the many visitors they receive throughout the year. They were adding on an orphanage to house almost 30 children. During our stay with them, we watched a presentation of the textiles they create with patience and great talent. Their woven textiles are created using their environment of plants, animals and insects. Needless to say, all nine of us purchased and carried home many woven Peruvian treasures.

Each of us perceives new experiences and environments with the backdrop of our daily lives in mind. It would be impossible to suspend our beliefs, culture and history in order to completely immerse ourselves in a new culture; however, we can use what we know from our daily lives to weave in the new and connect, bridging the cultural gap for as long as possible. One morning, during our home stay in Chinchero, a town which lies in the Sacred Valley about an hour drive from Cusco, I took a run on the Inca Trail where I waved to a local farmer, came nose to snout with a sweet, rather large pig, and met a Peruvian family of six who were taking a rest on the trail and offered me some local vegetables and fruit. I practically wept at the beauty and stillness of what I saw on the trail. I could almost believe that I had suspended time for a brief moment.

I was pursuing and found an experience in Crooked Trails where I could connect with the local Peruvians, be somewhere that was different from my own world and absorb the colorful and multifaceted culture that I’ve only begun to know and yet have already fallen in love with.

Crooked Trails at Adventures in Travel Expo

Rick Steves, Arthur Frommer and Phillipe Cousteau are just a few of the featured presenters at the 2008 Adventures in Travel Expo, happening here in Seattle on September 13th and 14th.

Also in the line-up is Crooked Trails’ Executive Director and Co-Found Chris Mackay. She will be on a panel for the discussion: Wandering Women… Planning Your Next Great Adventure on Sunday, September 14, at 11 am.

Along with lively and informative panel discussions, the expo boasts featured travel presentations, exhibits, cultural dances, food, drinks and much more. Hands-on adventure activities include a scuba pool, rock climbing wall, kiteboarding simulator and more.

For free tickets, enter the code: LIP
For more information on the event click here

Crooked Trails Upcoming Events

AARP Life at 50+ Expo
When: September 4-6
Where: Walter E. Washington Convention & Exhibition Center
Cost: AARP Members $20, Non-Members $30

AARP, one of the world's largest member organizations with over 39 million members is bringing its annual Life@50+ National Event & Expo to Washington, DC on September 4-6, 2008. This national event for AARP members and their friends and families will have something for everyone with exhibits, experts and entertainment at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center. Crooked Trails co-founder Chris Mackay and Crooked Trails Board President Tracy Klinkroth will be at the event launching the 2009 trips, including some newly added 50+ trips.

Seattle Tilth Harvest Fair
When: Saturday September 6 10am - 5pm
Where: Meridian park in Wallingford
Cost: Free!

Come out for a family friendly day of food, fun and music! Find out why "eat local" is such a hot topic in the news these days and get a taste of all the opportunities in this exciting movement. Enjoy the festivities while taking a class or workshop, meeting backyard chickens and mini dairy goats, stocking up on organic produce or "green" goods, enjoying the excellent lineup of music, eating some of the best food in town, and celebrating the year's harvest!

Adventures in Travel Expo
When: Sunday, September 14 at 11am
Where: Washington State Convention and Trade Center
Cost: Free (enter code LIP on the event website by clicking here)

Join Crooked Trails Executive Director and Co-Founder Chris Mackay at a panel discussion called: Wandering Women… Planning Your Next Great Adventure.

Chris, along with other veteran women travelers will share their tips, techniques and inspiration for getting the most out of your next adventure! They'll talk about today’s travel climate, incorporating eco-friendly tips and stepping out of your comfort zone while you’re on the road. This session will enlighten you on how to travel safely and happily no matter your budget. Whether you’re going solo, with family or friends, or with an organized group, get ready to plan your next trip!
Along with lively and informative panel discussions, the expo boasts featured travel presentations, exhibits, cultural dances, food, drinks and much more. Come out to support Crooked Trails and see where in the world you want to travel with Crooked Trails next!

Sustainable Ballard
When: Saturday, September 27 and Sunday, September 28
Where: Ballard Commons Park
Cost: Free!

Sustainable Ballard is a Seattle organization that fosters new awareness of the importance of community connections and meaningful sustainability in response to excess energy dependence and consumption, and the depletion of key resources. Crooked Trails is proud to partner with them for their annual outdoor festival where attendees can enjoy everything sustainable and green. Events range from a children’s scrap box derby, a compost competition, creating bags out of used fabrics, and a neighborhood planning station. Come out and enjoy this great event for a great purpose.

Volunteer Tourism with Crooked Trails co-founder Chris Mackay

When: October 18th at 1:00 p.m.
Where: The Savvy Traveler Edmonds
Cost: Free!

Have you heard all the buzz recently about “voluntourism”? Learn about the idea of a vacation with a difference from Crooked Trails’ co-founder Chris Mackay. A pioneer in this fast-growing niche of the tourism industry, Chris has been designing unique volunteer programs in destinations around the world for over a decade. Learn more about this popular way of travel and how you can lend a hand the next time you leave the country.

JUICE : A Night of World Music to benefit Crooked Trails
Featuring DJ DMZ & DJ RHYTHMA

When: Saturday, November 1st starting at 9:00 p.m.
Where: The Nectar Lounge in Seattle’s Fremont district
412 N 36th St Seattle WA 98103
Cost: $5

Calling world music fans! Join DJ's Darek Mazzone (KEXP, Wo-POP) and DJ Rhythma who will be spinning the freshest tracks out of South America, Europe, and Asia at Seattle’s only modern global night. Come and shake your stuff with Crooked Trails’ finest and support our mission while having a blast – all proceeds from this show go to furthering Crooked Trails’ work.

Experience Peru with Crooked Trails co-founder Tammy Leland

When: November 15th at 10:00 a.m.
Where: The Savvy Traveler Edmonds
Cost: Free!

Back by popular demand! Peru’s diversity is one of the greatest in the world for a country of its size. From the Amazon rain forest and arid deserts, to the cloud forests and high mountain regions, Peru has it all! Peru is also renowned for its unique culture heritage and artistic traditions which continue to thrive.

Tammy Leland, cofounder of Crooked Trails and part-time Peruvian resident,
will show slides, maps and photos and give you ideas of how to travel with a purpose in this wonderful South American destination.

Our Deepest Thanks Goes Out…

To the wonderful volunteers who have helped out this month:


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