Read what happened when this Semester in the Rockies grad decided to visit 30 countries before her baby’s first birthday and get the inside scoop on a NOLS gap year. Plus, brush up your pack packing skills with tips from senior instructor Marco Johnson.
![Erica and her baby daughter smile at each other while traveling in Denmark](https://info.nols.edu/hs-fs/hubfs/Email/Newsletters/NOLSie_News/2019/February%20/Erica-Nala-Denmark-Tivoli-1024x1024-1.jpg?width=1180&upscale=true&name=Erica-Nala-Denmark-Tivoli-1024x1024-1.jpg)
Photo courtesy of Erica Levine Weber
NOLS grad Erica Levine Weber admits that “My choice of going on a Semester in the Rockies was as absurd as traveling to 30 countries with a baby before their first birthday...I had never been canyoneering, kayaking, rock climbing, ridden a horse, or even camped before.” Thanks to her “why not?!” attitude, she’s done both—while having a great time.
Read Erica's Story
![NOLS students look through binoculars on a semester in New Zealand](https://info.nols.edu/hs-fs/hubfs/Email/Newsletters/NOLSie_News/2019/February%20/molly-hunt-group-binoculars-1.jpg?width=1180&upscale=true&name=molly-hunt-group-binoculars-1.jpg)
Photo by Cameron Pattison
Gap year student Molly Hunt reflects that, “While not fully realizing it, I began my NOLS course as a somewhat timid, indecisive, and insecure 19-year-old. But I left as a mature leader who had found her voice in the backcountry of New Zealand.”
Read Molly's Story
![pack packing with Marco Johnson video with camping supplies in background](https://info.nols.edu/hs-fs/hubfs/Email/Newsletters/NOLSie_News/2019/February%20/image.png?width=1180&upscale=true&name=image.png)
Ready for your next adventure? Brush up your pack packing skills with tips from senior NOLS instructor Marco Johnson.
See How to Pack a Backpack