In January 2012, 16 Carnegie Mellon students, two Student Affairs staff and a faculty member went on an adventure of a lifetime to nearby Oman. The students had an opportunity to learn about the Omani culture through several hands-on activities. In the capital city of Muscat, the traveling Tartans explored the Grand Mosque and the ancient Mattrah Souq, enjoyed some local cuisine, including the famous Omani dessert ‘halwa’, and learned about the rich traditions and history of Oman through several museum visits. The trip also featured an opportunity to explore the ancient capital of Nizwa, and the fort that lies in the middle of this inland city.

The adventure trip was rounded out with wonderful opportunities to explore the vast and diverse terrain offered by Oman. Students went dolphin watching, snorkeling and hiked trails in and around Muscat. The Tartans on the trip came from IS, CS and BA and all 4 class years – creating an opportunity for a diverse group of students to learn about the Omani culture and importance of outdoor education.

Below are some thoughts from the students who participated in the trip:

“One of the best parts of this trip was being able to step out of my comfort zone and face my fears. Another great part was interacting with new people — people I never really talked to before in CMU and it was really great to get to know them.”

“I learned that I am a lot stronger than I thought and that if I really try I can do anything. I never expected myself to ever do anything like the activities we did in this program and being able to accomplish them gave me strength and the ability to believe in myself more.”

“Because of the trip, I am now motivated to be more active on campus and I have resolved that I should apply to participate in all trips and activities like this — not just for the sake of fun and adventure but most importantly for the memories and experience that you gain from it. Furthermore, it made me more grateful and proud to be a CMU-Q student.”