First-year Avrey Roberts is not a typical high school graduate. While many students spend their senior year of high school finishing up their education, she chose a different path — graduating one year early and enjoying a gap year filled with adventure, learning and self-discovery.
“It all began with that trek in Peru,” Roberts said, her eyes light up with the memory.
In the quiet paths of Peru’s Inca Trail in November 2019, Avrey Robert’s journey commenced with a single step that she said ignited her spirit of adventure and redefined her sense of purpose.
“This was the first real adventurous trip she’d [Avrey Roberts] been on and so she declared that she was going to finish her senior year online and spend a year traveling before going off to Pepperdine,” Avrey Roberts’ father, Brian Roberts said.
Inside the bustling airport on their way home from Peru, the two bought the first travel magazines they saw. Waiting near their gate they said they began circling destinations that sparked their shared desire for adventure.
One of those circled destinations was Vietnam, where Avrey Roberts would experience the thrill of a street food tour in September 2022.
“That’s when I really was like, ‘OK, you’ve got to just try the local food,’” she said.
Immersed in the lively streets, Avrey Roberts said she savored the authentic Vietnamese cuisine and indulged in sweet and savory dishes including dragon fruit, pho and banh mi.
“When I think of Vietnam, I think of the amazing food,” Avrey Roberts said.
The sun-drenched embrace of Sayulita, Mexico, captured Avrey Roberts’ heart from April to July 2022. Living among the infectious energy of the coastal town, she said she volunteered with a local kids’ club.
“Volunteering with the kids’ club was a highlight of my time there,” Avrey Roberts said. “It was a reminder of being simple and the joy of human connection.”
Another place circled in her collection of travel magazines was Tanzania in East Africa.
Avrey Roberts traveled to Tanzania solo in October 2022 and found herself in the vibrant community of Eden Daycare in Arusha, where she taught first-grade students numbers and letters.
In March 2023, Avrey Roberts got a glimpse of an underwater world in Australia while scuba diving in the Great Barrier Reef. She said she was in awe of the kaleidoscope of colors and life beneath the waves.
“Our world is so beautiful and we need to take care of it,” Avrey Roberts said.
Through her gap-year adventures, Avrey Roberts learned valuable lessons about herself and the world around her.
“I hate the phrase ‘Don’t talk to strangers,'” Avrey Roberts said. “Talking to strangers is the best thing you could do for yourself.”
Her dad instilled traveling advice in her, she said.
“A rule my dad says to live by is that [flight] prices are lowest on Tuesdays,” she said. “Also, put it all in a carry-on — you’re gonna run into an issue when you have a checked bag.”
When Brian Roberts reminisced with Avrey Roberts about his travels, he said compassion was essential.
“Compassion leads to the appreciation that you go home with,” Brian Roberts said.
Most people are just afraid to explore the unknown and go out of their comfort zone, Brian Roberts said.
“It’s far more dangerous to sit home on your couch and have your parents protect you in life and tell you not to do things than to let your kid go experience things,” Brian Roberts said.
He urges all people, especially young adults, to be more adventurous, and go beyond visiting the same place every year.
“You have to take the leap,” Brian Roberts said. “You have to make that first step. You’ve got to try, you’ve got to go see if you don’t like something.”
Brian Roberts said the biggest thing Avrey Roberts’ gained from these trips is increased confidence.
“Every single trip has brought us something, whether it’s just a sense of appreciation for our home life or seeing new cultures, seeing new food, it’s always worth it,” Brian Roberts said.
In the end, it’s not the miles traveled or the stamps in her passport that define Avrey Robert’s journey — it’s the moments of connection, the laughter shared and the memories made along the way.
As she sets her sights on new experiences at Pepperdine, her business administration major and a future study abroad experience in Heidelberg, Germany, in Fall 2024, one thing remains clear: the adventure has only just begun.
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Contact Victoria La Ferla via email: victoria.laferla@pepperdine.edu or by Instagram @vlf_insider
