"The trips are NOT as advertised"

"Cons:
-If you aren't a social butterfly, you might want to take a friend. Everyone is in "I must make friends" mode for the first few days, so if you don't find a friend quickly you're kind of out of luck for the trip. Everyone is really nice though, it's just high school clique-ish-ness that's at fault.

-The trips are NOT as advertised. The itinerary is total crap. The trip will still be amazing, but it will be because of the few special moments you have and bonds you form with the local people, not because of all the picturesque things described in the itinerary. The days of the trip will likely be more repetitive than described. For example, on my Service in the Clouds trip, each day during the first week in our first village we taught English in the morning and built a playground in the evening. It didn't feel at all mundane, but it wasn't the shiny list of different activities every day that was described in the itinerary. Don't get your hopes up for one particular event described in the itinerary, just read it for the general feel/focus of the trip, which IS maintained.

Counselors: What you get as a Rustic counselor is a young adult who is a very experienced traveller but wants to enjoy the trip just like you do. You don't get a teacher or a mom. This can be a pro or a con. For example, I am kind of a worrier so when I got a weird-looking bug bit in India I freaked out and got kind of hypochondriac. My counselors were nonchalant about it, and they were correct because it turned out to be nothing and they are experienced enough to know it, but they didn't take me to the doctor or anything which was a bit disconcerning to me, being the worrier I am. It has also been great, though, because the students get a lot of freedom during their trips because the counselors can relate to the students and the counselors seem approachable and fun to the students. They are not at all unqualified, just young and wanting to enjoy travelling along with you. It's as if you are going on a trip with a slightly-older friend who can show you the ropes and stuff."

- from a rustic pathways student