The Mekong is an odyssey, a journey that pieces together the similar and disparate aspects of the region diverse, inspiring and misunderstood. On the Mekong semester, we explore three themes: Mind Like Water, Bombs and Bureaucracy, and Daily Rhythms. Focusing on development, religious diversity, economics, political history and village life, we follow the river for three months, learning its contours and secrets while meeting with locals who provide insight into nuances of specific communities and how they are related to those who share the river’s bank.

Our journey begins in China’s Yunnan Province where we trek through sacred Tibetan Buddhist landscapes and examine the impacts of China’s controversial mega-dam projects. In border villages, we explore transnational trade, ASEAN, and China’s impact on the cultural integrity and economic security of the Greater Mekong Subregion. We live with families in villages clinging to the gorges above the river, helping in the fields and discussing life while sipping tea. We visit dams and national parks to witness the interplay between preservation and transformation. We study three languages and various spiritual traditions while traveling thousands of miles on the banks of the river connecting them all. Our time in China forces us to see how these traditions are surviving or struggling in the mad dash toward modernization.

Crossing into Laos, we explore the province of Luang Nam Tha on treks beneath the jungle canopy and travel through some of the most remote regions in Southeast Asia, where cross-border trade and a booming ecotourism industry are contributing to rapid modernization and environmental degradation. In Vientiane, we turn our focus towards public health initiatives, visiting an international NGO working to clear unexploded mines leftover from the US’ Secret War. We enter rural home-stays on the idyllic river island of Don Dohn, relaxing into “Laos time” as we prepare for the final leg of our journey.

In Cambodia, we learn about the ancient Angkor empire and the tumultuous history of a region ravaged by war that is once again at the forefront of development work. We meet with NGOs in Phnom Penh and stay with communities living on the banks of the sacred river. The highlight of our time in Cambodia, though, is the homestay. Situated on an island in the Bassac River, we settle into rural life and work side-by-side with families, cooking together, shareing our stories and truly feeling what it’s like to live as a local in Cambodia.

On the coast of the Gulf of Thailand, we engage in a final learning service project focused on preserving farms from encroaching sea levels before taking a boat to a picturesque island to reflect on the social, political and ecological health of the river ecosystem and those who live along its banks.