2025 Mullen Greece Cultural Journey

Fundraising

Need to Raise Money? We Have You Covered.

Walking Tree Travel is proud to team up with Equal Exchange, a worker-owned cooperative that distributes organic coffee, tea, sugar, bananas, avocados, cocoa, chocolate bars, and more.  There is no limit to the amount you can earn, so the sooner you can start, the better!

Learn more here.

Accommodations

Group Flight

Once your flight schedule has been confirmed, the itinerary will appear here.

Walking Tree will secure a seat on the group flight for each participant unless otherwise instructed.

Travelers are responsible for checked baggage fees. Please visit the airline’s baggage webpage to learn if you should expect to pay anything.

We will provide a group manifest – complete with reservation codes and ticket numbers – to the Group Organizer/s before departure, and travelers will need to check in at the airport in order to receive their boarding pass and have documents verified. We recommend arriving no later than three hours prior to the scheduled departure, but contact your Group Organizer for specific details on exactly where and when to meet on the day of departure.

FLIGHT INTERRUPTION, DELAY OR CANCELLATION 
Air travel can be unpredictable.  Regardless of proper planning, there may still be instances when a flight is delayed or cancelled due to staffing shortages, weather, mechanical problems, etc.  Please note that in such an event, Walking Tree Travel (WTT) is not financially responsible for unanticipated costs incurred by travelers en route.  Our programs officially begin and end in the destination country, and because our staff doesn’t fly with the group, Group Organizers (the traveling faculty member/s) become the front-line advocate for the group in the event of a delay. In most cases of cancellations or delays, the airline will be the one who re-books travel or possibly arranges a hotel and food the night.  Our primary role will be to  keep families updated and provide support to the Group Organizer to reach a  quick and effective resolution.

Host Community and Project Details

Packing List

What follows is a sample packing list but you know yourself better than we do so please adjust accordingly. We recommend you bring a larger piece of luggage like a roller, duffel bag, or backpack, as well as a smaller backpack that you can bring on daily outings, weekend excursions and shorter activities.

“Less is more” is a packing tip we encourage for all our travelers. The list below should cover everything you would need, but know yourself and what you are comfortable traveling with.  We suggest bringing only as much as you would be able to carry on your own.

Finally, we recommend consulting a weather forecast for your destination. 

CLOTHES 

• Underwear
• Socks (a mixture of good hiking socks and casual socks)
• T-shirts (some quick dry)
• Long sleeve sun shirts
• Light rain jacket
• Comfortable/light-weight pants
• Comfortable/light-weight shorts
• Durable athletic/walking shoes
• Sandals, both casual and sport/water sandals
• Hat/s with good sun protection
• Swimsuit/s

TOILETRIES

• Your basics
• High SPF sunscreen
• Basic 1st aid
• Hand Sanitizer
• Medications in original packaging. Prescription meds should show patients name

MISCELLANEOUS

• Passport and one photocopy
• Student ID
• Sunglasses
• Journal and pen
• Book/s
• Camera
• Debit card/US Dollars (we recommend about $100-$200, depending on amount of desired souvenirs, extra items etc.)
• Durable water bottle (Walking Tree provides all drinking water)
• Quick-dry towel
• Soap for washing your own clothes (optional)
• Flashlight/headlamp
• Deck of cards or other portable games
• Sense of adventure

Support Team

At a minimum, one experienced Program Leader will travel on every trip. In addition to this full time leadership presence, Walking Tree has additional staff in all destinations and 24/7 support from our headquarters in Denver, Colorado. Below you’ll find the the team members involved in the preparation, planning and execution of your program.

Luke Mueller

Co-Founder of Walking Tree Travel and Business Lead - Denver, CO

[email protected]

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Emory University – B.A. Sociology and minor in Latin American History

During college, Luke spent a semester living and traveling in rural Mexico. His experience sparked a fascination with Latin America and a commitment to community service that continues to this day. Upon graduating from college, he joined WorldTeach and lived with a local family in a small village in Costa Rica while teaching elementary English. After this experience, he moved to San José, the capital and largest city of Costa Rica, and wrote for The Tico Times newspaper. Luke has since traveled to over 60 countries on five different continents.  Now settled in Denver with his family, he continues to crave massive helpings of rice and beans.

Juan Pablo “JP” Rabanales

Global Country Operations Manager

[email protected]

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Earlham College – B.A. International Studies, Minor in Economics

Born and raised with a big family in Guatemala, JP spent seven years living and studying in the US where he was exposed to highly diverse communities. JP worked as a Wilderness Leader guiding expeditions in the Southwest of the US. After spending two years in New Mexico studying the International Baccalaureate, he moved to Indiana where he spent the next four years at Earlham College. His passion for international affairs brought him to spend a semester in China, and several other Southeast Asian countries. During his time abroad, he spent his summers traveling and backpacking through 15+ different countries, and participating in several service projects. Today JP is based in Costa Rica where he works full time with the Walking Tree team.  Juan Pablo also enjoys hosting friends and travelers coming to visit. He’s always down for an exciting road-trip around the country, or even better, around Latin America. He is a long time art and design enthusiast, and a photography aficionado.

Jordan Sparrow

Director of Operations - Lisbon, Portugal

[email protected]

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University of Kansas – B.A. Latin American Studies; Global and International Studies, Minor in Brazilian Studies

Jordan hails from Kansas City where he spent his entire childhood. Although he didn’t realize it at the time, his first international experience would set the course for the rest of his life.  After high school, he traveled to Guatemala where he began learning Spanish and cultivated a deep interest in everything Latin America. In college, Jordan spent almost half of his university career studying abroad in both Costa Rica and Brazil.  In 2010, Jordan moved to Costa Rica for six years where he began his professional career teaching Portuguese to Costa Ricans and working with Walking Tree Travel.  From Costa Rica he moved to Denver, Colorado and spent seven years traveling the USA and experiencing life as an adult in America for the first time. Jordan is trilingual and has traveled to more than 30 countries around the world. He currently lives in Lisbon, Portugal and enjoys practicing yoga, hiking, biking, spending time at the beach and cooking Middle Eastern food.

Group Roster

Below is a list of the travelers enrolled on the program.

• 1 Adam Joas
• 2 Addison Geffre
• 3 Alexander Andrews
• 4 Alison Croci
• 5 Alivia Trujillo
• 6 Amanda Sherpe
• 7 Aubrey Titus
• 8 Audrey Kupper
• 9 Brady Gemperline
• 10 Braelynne Lawler
• 11 Bryan Keiser
• 12 Caden Garrison
• 13 Catherine McMorrow
• 14 Charlotte Morse
• 15 Claire Lenich
• 16 Elizabeth Jablonsky
• 17 Evan Arangua
• 18 Favian Fuentes Loyola
• 19 Hadley Juchem
• 20 Isabella Titus
• 21 Jaxson Cady
• 22 John Hopkins III
• 23 Kaitlin Tucker
• 24 Kylie Jarosz
• 25 Laurel Gerali
• 26 Lea Conroy
• 27 Maddison Sanchez
• 28 Madelyn Meisner
• 29 Mary Hoeft
• 30 Matthew Dean
• 31 Matthew Martinez
• 32 Morgan Stewart
• 33 Noelle Carrington
• 34 Paige Schonher
• 35 Priscella Sanchez
• 36 Samantha Loyola
• 37 Talon Penrod
• 38 Tammy Christensen
• 39 William Rainey

Blog and Communication

During travel we work hard to keep families updated as frequently as possible with blog posts and photos, giving you peace of mind that your traveler is safe and thriving on their program.  Students regularly contribute to these posts, providing families bak home a great way to vicariously track the progress of the trip. You will be notified when the first update is posted, after which we recommend checking in regularly via the black “Program Blog” button at the top of this webpage.

Assuming your school allows the use of cell phones, most destinations are wired enough to allow participants access WiFi at different moments in the program, allowing them to communicate directly with home. Ask your Walking Tree representative about the degree of connectivity on your program.

GLC Curriculum

Standards of Behavior

In order to run a safe and successful program, it is vital that travelers are prepared to be on their best behavior and bring enthusiasm and interest to each and every day. A communal atmosphere of trust and mutual respect is the foundational.  As such, all individuals participating on a Walking Tree program are required to take responsibility for their actions and adhere to a high standard of personal conduct.

IMMEDIATE DISMISSAL

1. Possessing, consuming or distributing alcohol or illegal drugs.
2. Associating with participants while they are in possession of alcohol or illegal drugs.
3. Behaving in a way that consistently damages the group dynamic or jeopardizes personal or group safety. This includes consistently displaying a negative attitude, intimidating or excluding other participants, sneaking out, disobeying group leaders, and any other behavior that is not conducive to an atmosphere of trust and mutual respect.

GROUNDS FOR DISMISSAL OR IN-COUNTRY CONSEQUENCE

1. Getting a piercing or tattoo.
2. Stealing, or deliberately damaging or defacing any personal property, buildings or materials.
3. Threatening physical or emotional harm, or brandishing a weapon.
4. Possessing, consuming, or distributing tobacco or nicotine, including vape pens.
5. Riding mopeds, motorcycles, or any other type of unauthorized vehicle.
6. Being out of designated area or accommodations after curfew.
7. Breaking group rules.

These standards of behavior are essential for the successful completion of your program. Please take the time to review these as a family and make sure everyone understands and agrees to them.

Health and Safety

We strongly recommend visiting the CDC Greece website to get the most updated information on health and vaccination considerations in your destination country. In addition, we encourage you to consult with your personal family physician so you can be as informed as possible when making important decisions about vaccinations and other necessary health-related preparations before travel.

Our in-country staff prepare meticulously for all programs. Walking Tree will register our programs and travelers with the U.S. Department of State Smart Traveler Enrollment Program (STEP) in case of emergency. In country staff also verify the safety records of our partner organizations, vendors, and transportation providers, thoroughly vet homestay families via in depth interviews and home visits, and keep up on important current events in the region.

Program Leaders are seasoned travelers who are CPR and First Aid certified, undergo thorough training in crisis management, and participate in a multi-day leadership training retreat. We do our best to prepare for any eventuality and have detailed emergency protocols for our leaders, in-country staff and U.S.-based staff.

We receive medical disclosures from all participants to ensure we are able to meet every students’ needs during the program. Please inform us immediately of any additional health issues that you did not list during your initial registration process. Program Leaders will also hold an online information session before your departure, as well as an arrival orientation in-country, in order to give participants important instructions on food safety, hygiene and preventing injury and illness. Leaders and in-country staff always respond immediately to any mental, physical or emotional health issues and follow comprehensive emergency protocols.

Insurance

While we work hard to ensure the safest experience possible for our travelers on program, experience teaches that travel is never without risk. For this reason, we recommend that all travelers consider a travel insurance policy with  two additional provisions: Cancel for Any Reason (CFAR) and Bed Rest. Detailed explanations of both provisions can be found on the link below.

To provide travelers and families with a quality option, Walking Tree has partnered with Travel Insured International, one of the most respected providers in the industry.  Begin by getting a quote here.

IMPORTANT NOTE: in order to secure coverage with CFAR included, you must purchase the plan within 21 days of your deposit/first payment. You must also insure 100% of your trip cost, so program tuition + flight.