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Link Crew: Everything you need to know about Link Crew

Link crew applications are due Monday 22. Hear from Link Leaders and a Link Crew coordinator to learn more about the program.

“Link Crew is a program; it’s not unique to East — Shawnee Mission Northwest has it, Shawnee Mission South also has it and other school districts around the country have Link Crew. It’s run by a company called the Boomerang Project. It’s a program to orient students to the school but not just show them around the building, it’s to orient them to the physical space, orient them to the culture of the school, how we interact, how we behave, how we treat each other, what are some of the traditions like. They can learn the school song or [the] pep club will do some chants. It’s kind of like an inculturation into life at East.”

“We didn’t get to do one last year, obviously because of COVID. We don’t know if we’re going to be able to do it this year … Normally, it’s the first Friday or the second Friday of the school year. It’s in the cafeteria. I don’t know what it is that people love about [it] so much, but people always say it’s the best dance of high school, even including prom. I mean, I shouldn’t say that because I don’t want to knock prom, but people love it and here’s why I think they love it: It’s casual and the expectations are low, and we expect you to have good behavior when you’re here, but you don’t have to go out and buy a fancy dress, you don’t have to come with a date, there’s no corsage or boutonniere — all those things that feel like a big risk to some people. There’s none of that. You just come as you are. I don’t think the freshmen realize at the time, but it’s like their, obviously the first school dance, but it’s their orientation to East school dances like how do we dance, how do we hang out, what do we do, what are the songs everybody wants to sing along to, that sort of thing. So they learn a little bit about what dance is like. It’s fun, it’s ridiculous, it’s pretty good.”

“We have a two-day orientation, and we follow the orientation that the Boomerang Project recommends. The others might say something else, but to me, it’s like three pieces of the pie. One is for the Link Leaders to form their own communities so they get to know each other, develop strong communication skills, teamwork skills, leadership skills, among themselves too. [The second piece is,] we try to update them to what the range of freshmen experiences might look like — what it looks like when someone is struggling and scared, what it looks like when somebody is ready to take on the world. You’re dealing with those two extremes and everything in between. The third thing we try to train everybody on is probably where we spend the bulk of our time and energy, which is preparing them to lead the freshmen through the freshmen-only day and all of those activities.”

“I think a lot of people assume that we have a certain type of person in mind — somebody who is involved with everything, somebody who has perfect grades, none of that is true and here’s why. The freshman class is very diverse. They’re diverse in terms of their abilities, their interests, the things they are involved in, their family background, the language they might speak at home, their ethnic background. Our goal is to have a Link Crew that’s representative of the freshman class, so every member of the freshman class can see themselves in a role model. We’re not looking for a specific type. We look at the resume and a cover letter, and we want to see somebody, I would say above all else, who actually cares. They care about others. They show empathy. They care about our school. They want our school to be a welcoming place. They want freshmen to feel welcomed and cared about. That I think is most important.” 

“Applications close on Monday [March 22]. And we get a lot of applications, and our applications are pretty qualitative. We have to read about students learning experiences service experiences, aspirations, clubs, groups and teams they’ve been involved in and that takes time. We determined how many Link Leaders we have based on the size of the incoming freshmen class because we try to maintain a certain ratio. So first, we have to figure out the size of the freshman class and how many Link Leaders we’re looking for. I’d say second week of April might be a little optimistic, third week of April is probably more realistic.”

“Honestly, this is the English teacher in me, but if there’s errors, it’s not that I can’t stand errors, but it sometimes tells us did they spend enough time on this? How much do you care about this? Do you care enough about this to write it the night before in a rush, or do you care enough about this to get started way in advance, revise it, maybe have somebody look at it for you if you want to? 

Everybody makes mistakes, I’m not going to mark somebody down because they spelled a word wrong, but we want to see that people are taking time and care with their application. I would recommend take time and don’t make it a rush job the night before. Sometimes we can’t tell that somebody did it last minute, and sometimes it’s very obvious. So, take your time on the application.”

“Oh my gosh, I love the Link Crew. I’m not gonna say one thing, I’m gonna say two things. First of all, I love being a part of the Link Crew team of coordinators. We have a good time together. It is such a high functioning team. We all work very hard to do well. We rely on each other. Everyone does their part. 

The more diplomatic answer I think that I should say is that, and sharing my own experience from the past, I was a very confused freshman. I was the oldest in my family and my parents were really disconnected from the school. I was back and forth between two households, because my parents were divorced. I was confused, overwhelmed, it felt pretty lonely. For me, it’s a culture building enterprise in that the culture that we want to see in a typical East student, Link Crew is one way to transmit that culture — a group is representative of all of the members that make it up. So, every member of the freshman class is important.”

“Compassion for others, being able to understand situations, the background of students and meeting them where they are in their life, whether they’ve undergone hardships or whether they’re trying to feed a balance in their schoolwork. In addition to open mindedness, the experience is not a one-fits-all kind of program, you’re going to deal with students with many different responses to high school, and you don’t know what they may be experiencing outside of the high school day. Being able to relate to students regardless of your own biases regardless of your own experiences, but being able to take what you’ve learned and apply it to multiple different situations.”

“I believe that it gives the in-coming students a better idea of what to expect while in high school. With pop culture, they paint this idealistic persona of what high school is meant to be especially from the perspective of a world that it does not exist whatsoever. Having Link Leaders let’s students know that they have a voice, especially with upperclassmen, it let’s them integrate better with their peers. Even though you may have some courses that are primarily with your grade, you’re still going to have other experiences, whether that’s in sports, and you have to be able to relate to other groups of individuals regardless of age or background. The program also helps students be sure that they have a person who has resources, whether that’s a tutor for a class or information pertaining to dates and times, and even someone to just talk to you about meaningless information. It can be multiple things for many different people, it can be a friendship, it can be a learning opportunity, it can be whatever those upperclassmen are looking for, the Link Leader is there to provide a sense of community and understanding.”

“Individuals will take what they need from you, and be willing to understand your role, but they don’t always need you. It’s just like, you don’t always need your parents to be there to hold your hand, but you do need them in some situations — Link Leaders are there to help you regardless. But sometimes there are students that don’t need you, and you have to be okay with that. The Link Leader program helps students transition who are having difficulty with that transition, but there are plenty that are able to integrate without the help of them. The program is there to be beneficial to the students, and you get out of it what you put into it.”

“I would have to say the Link Crew dance. As a result of COVID-19, we weren’t able to have it this year, but the Link Crew dance is a great opportunity for students to let go of those pressures that have to do with the school environment. You’re able to celebrate going into a new school year, and you’re also able to see another side of your Link Leaders that isn’t completely structured. I also really enjoyed those days where we were going through training and playing games with one another, and all of the Link Leaders are very much interconnected. We talk about all kinds of different things and we’re able to relate to one another, especially even if they aren’t your own Link Leader you can definitely talk to any of the others, who’ll give you a similar account.”

“The training days were a combination of games, activities and personality analysis, understanding the personalities of not only your fellow Link Leaders, but also students they may encounter and being able to understand and empathize with individuals. During that time when we’re playing games that we’re going to play on their first day of school, that are activities, ways in which you can truly understand a person and chip away at the shell. And on those days we also figure out who our partner is going to be the other fellow Link Leader that is going to help you navigate your 10-12 incoming freshmen, go through activities and that exciting first day of school where you’re all piled into the gymnasium and going through Mr. Foley’s shenanigans, just experiencing. So what to expect for that first day of school is mainly what we go through on those training days.”

“I remember it as if it were yesterday. And I remember how understanding they were and how, in some ways they were just as nervous as I was. They are teenagers, just like we are and are not there to act like a figurehead or anything but are there to provide advice and to understand who you are as a human being. A lot of games, talking about classes and what teachers, and navigating the building in order to know where you should go at a certain time. But overall, the main thing that I took away from them was even after that first day of high school, I would get calls from them, or even a text like, “Hey how are you doing. I saw you around campus, and I just want to make sure that you’re doing all right.” Just the little things really helped in the long run and even being able to go and see them graduate was very fulfilling. It was a partnership where you get the benefit out of it, regardless of what you put into it. But even if you reach out, you’re going to receive something. So Link Leaders are all hand-picked, they’re involved in so many different activities and are great human beings overall.”

“My older sister was a Link Crew Leader, and I just thought it was really cool and I wanted to get involved, and my Link Crew Leaders were super cool and fun and so I wanted to to be like that.”

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Link Crew switches things up

Distance learning makes for changes in connecting freshmen to upperclassmen

Hillary Currier

During Freshman Orientation 2019, freshman Isaac Lafohn and junior Anthony Salazar tried to pop balloons back-to-back. It wasn’t as easy as it looked.

By Aubrey Jordan , Yearbook Editor, Staff Writer October 12, 2020

      Link Crew Leaders help freshmen stay connected during their first year of high school. 

     In the past Link Crew has been responsible for leading freshmen through their first day of school by providing activities and resources in hopes of making their transition from middle school to high school easier. 

     “I think that Link Crew helps connect freshmen to the school because we plan different events specifically to help them adjust better, and I feel like without that freshman year would be a lot harder,” senior link leader Maddie Hagood said.

     But, this year, the leaders are switching things up. 

     Since the school can’t meet in person, they have been coming up with a plan to move their activities and advice online. Originally, their plan was to have a forum style meeting on Zoom where the leaders would answer any questions the freshmen might have. 

     “By hosting a Zoom webinar type event only the panelists see the questions and can therefore choose which they want to answer without all the participants seeing them. Additionally, the viewers don’t see the other viewers, just the panelists,” Link Crew advisor Cynthia Pellicci said. 

     With this type of event, the leaders would get to control the environment to make sure each question was appropriate, and not disruptive. 

     However, because Zoom is blocked on Chromebooks, and Google Meets doesn’t have the panelist feature, Link Crew had to change their approach. 

     “We will be reaching out to freshmen through pre-recorded videos this year since we can’t be together, and I think it’s a great idea,” senior link leader Gillian Coplin said. 

     These videos will allow each freshman to know the link leaders and better understand what it is like to be a Tigard High School student. Each video will be 2 to 4 minutes long and contain possible answers to who their favorite teacher is, what they like most about Tigard, or any advice they have. 

     Along with the videos, Link Crew hopes to have pre-recorded events. 

     “I think students can still participate in an activity and get to know our link leaders even through an asynchronous event. Hey, if Bob Ross could do it, so can we!” Pellicci said referring to the painter of television fame, who encouraged viewers to paint along to his pre-recorded show.

     Even if the leaders and freshmen can’t meet in person, they hope the videos can give them the opportunity to feel more connected and a part of high school. 

     “Link Crew was so beneficial for me. My leaders were always there when I felt overwhelmed or needed to talk and that really helped me, when I was still adjusting,” Hagood said. 

     While the leaders had to change their approach to make sure the freshmen still feel connected, they will be sending out videos in the near future. 

     Freshmen should be on the lookout for upcoming Link Crew news. 

Link Crew activities encourage community-building

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What is Link Crew?

Link Crew is a high school transition program that welcomes freshmen and makes them feel comfortable throughout the first year of their high school experience. Built on the belief that students can help students succeed, Boomerang Project’s proven high school transition program trains mentors from your junior and senior classes to be Link Crew Leaders. As positive role models, Link Crew Leaders are mentors and student leaders who guide the freshmen to discover what it takes to be successful during the transition to high school and help facilitate freshman success.

More and more studies show that if students have a positive experience their first year in high school, their chance for success increases dramatically. Link Crew provides the structure for freshmen to receive support and guidance from juniors and seniors who have been through the challenges that high school poses, and understand that the transition to a larger school can sometimes be overwhelming.

Link Crew is a year long transition program with four components that contribute to its success:

High School Orientation - During Orientationweek Link Leaders and freshmen start building a mentor/mentee relationship. Freshmen also receive information about how to be successful in high school. Academic Follow Ups - Link Leaders support freshman academic success and character development through structured classroom visits throughout the school year.  Social Follow Ups - Link Leaders and freshmen connect outside the classroom at school-sponsored social events to increase student engagement, and promote positive school climate. Leader Initiated Contacts - Link Leaders connect with their freshmen on a more individual basis to help them adjust to high school. 

Link Crew's goal is to provide schools with a structure in which students make real connections with each other thus increasing school safety and reducing incidence of bullying with anti-bullying education. Through this program, freshmen learn that people at school care about them and their success and leaders experience increased self esteem as well as overall character development. Link Crew is the high school transition program that will increase attendance, decrease discipline referrals and improve academic performance at your school.

For more information, visit our parent organization's website, The Boomerang Project .

"What Is Link Crew?" Boomerang Project School Transition Programs. Link Crew, n.d. Web. 22 June 2017.

What Every Freshman Must Know

A helpful list from your link leaders.

Know your priorities - Grades come first. Don’t get caught up in temporary things!

Stay in uniform on campus and ALWAYS wear your badge!!

Take freshman year seriously - focus on getting a high GPA.

Manage your time - save time for study and homework.

Don’t lose confidence in your work and ability.

Don’t put yourself last - take care of yourself at school and at home.

Get involved!!

Choose your friends wisely.

Check your grades often.

Respect the Museum visitors.

Don’t be shy to ask for help (but from the right people!)

Make sure you have a hoodie that is in dress code - this school gets cold!

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Link Crew? More like De-Link Crew

The Boomerang Project, the founders of Link Crew, states that a successful crew contains these four components. South’s Link Crew only upholds one of these; which is the High School Orientation. Graphic: Emma Pederson

Emma Pederson , Opinions and Social Media Editor May 27, 2016

One of the most important things when you transition into high school is knowing that you are welcomed and accepted at your school. A school can accomplish this in many different ways such as holding summer sports camps, having club meetings over the summer or holding an incoming freshman open house. For some schools, like South, we have a designated student group whose job is to establish a bond between upperclassmen and lower classmen, and to make freshmen feel welcome into the school.

Link Crew, a group of student mentors and facilitators, is a transition program designed to help students accumulate to the academic and social environment of school. But over the past few years, Link Crew has only had a “one and done” type of effect on freshmen. Its summer student orientation gives students a very fleeting sense of what our school is about before it sends them into the school year unattended.

The foundation for Link Crew was started by a group called the Boomerang Project, who states, “Built on the belief that students can help students succeed, Boomerang Project’s proven high school transition program trains mentors from your junior and senior classes to be Link Crew Leaders.” They discuss how important the transition is from middle school to high school is and how having a Link Crew helps students succeed in their school.

The four components that the Boomerang Project attributes to a successful Link Crew are: High School Orientation, Academic Follow-ups, Social Follow-ups, and Leader Initiated Contacts. Looking at South’s Link Crew, it is no wonder that we aren’t successful in maintaining a Link Crew. We have only one of the components, which is the high school orientation

On the Boomerang Project website it states, “Link Crew is more than just a one day event. It is a structured high school transition program that provides mentoring and character development spanning an entire year at your high school.” The goal is for freshman student to have at least 8 positive interactions with their Link Crew leaders. At South, most students only have one, which is at the orientation, a week before school starts.

For a group like this to be effective, consistency is the key. Group leaders need to be established and dedicated to be a mentor. More often than not, group leaders sign up for Link Crew to get out of class and to only participate in popular events, such as the student orientation. If we want to continue to have a successful Link Crew, we need to expand what we think of as student mentor ship and leadership. Link Crew adviser and racial equity and diversity coordinator Ethan Dean told me about what he is looking for in future Link Crew leaders. He said, “The big thing is a desire to put themselves in interactions with ninth graders. We want them to be, ideally, dialed in already with some activity or student community, but I’m not going to make that a requirement.”

Kyleigh Malberg is a Link Crew leader who joined her junior year and is an example of how an effective Link Crew leader and group can leave a legacy. Link Crew made a big difference for Malberg when she was a freshman and she wanted to make the same impact for other students. She said, “My Link Crew leader made an impact in my life in high school. When we were on the orientation, she just felt so welcome and friendly. Every other time I’d see her in the hallway, they would say hi.”

Kyleigh explained that she felt the purpose of Link Crew was “to make kids feel welcome into high school and feel like they are apart of something right when they come into high school. And to make them not feel so scared about the seniors and the upperclassmen. I keep in contact with a lot of mine that I’ve had. One of them I play lacrosse with now.”

Malberg has seen a lot of changes happen within the Link Crew. She said, “Junior year was more organized, we did more things. And now, no one ever knows that a meeting is even happening. We went from like 40 people last year to 5 this year. No one gets the details anymore.”

Next year, we need to work harder to accomplish each of the four components the Boomerang Project laid out on their website. Like Malberg noted, our Link Crew is too disorganized to get the job done. We need more academic and social interactions with our freshmen students consistently over the year.

Academic follow ups could include peer tutoring, study groups, and or classroom visits to discuss topics such as mental health and school, choosing classes, and the other in and outs of high school academia.

Social interactions could include reviving the Link Crew lunch group, hosting more pep fests, or selling food and drinks outside during lunches. The ideas for how to reach out socially to freshman are endless.

In order to better accumulate freshman students into South High, we need a consistent, present, and vocal Link Crew. By following the four components that the founders of Link Crew established, we can strengthen our student population and come together as a school. Instead of having such a disconnection between grades and students, Link Crew can help us “link” together to make South High stronger.

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Alice Conry , Features Editor

May 16, 2024 • No Comments

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How much are tickets to see billy strings on tour in 2024.

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Billy Strings won’t have many days off this year.

In addition to his summer tour and festival headlining gigs, the beloved bluegrass musician just added 16 concerts to his 2024 tour schedule and announced his live album ‘Billy Strings – Live Vol. 1’ will hit shelves on July 12.

And while he doesn’t have any New York or New Jersey gigs lined up, he will get close when he performs back-to-back nights at Bridgeport, CT’s Hartford HealthCare Amphitheater on July 26-27, Worcester, MA’s DCU Center July 30-31 and Baltimore, MD’s CFG Bank Arena on Oct. 31 and Nov. 1 .

As of now, tickets are available for all concerts and festival dates on Strings’ itinerary.

Some are quite cheap, too.

At the time of publication, the lowest price we could find on tickets was $55 before fees on Vivid Seats.

All other shows have tickets starting anywhere from $56 to $563 before fees.

Want to see the artist that made WTF podcast host Marc Maron say “his fingers and mind and heart are all synced together in a very rare way”?

You’re in the right place, Strings fans.

We’ve got everything you need to know and more about Billy Strings’ 2024 tour below.

Prices listed above are subject to fluctuation.

Billy Strings tour schedule 2024

A complete calendar including all tour dates, venues and links to the cheapest tickets available can be found here:

(Note: The New York Post confirmed all above prices at the publication time. All prices are in US dollars, subject to fluctuation and include additional fees at checkout .)

Vivid Seats is a verified secondary market ticketing platform, and prices may be higher or lower than face value, depending on demand. 

They offer a 100% buyer guarantee that states your transaction will be safe and secure and your tickets will be delivered prior to the event.

Billy Strings 2024 festival appearances

As you may have noticed above, Strings has a handful of spots at major festivals lined up this summer.

For a closer look at the who, what, where and when, here are all the essential details you need to know about each Billy Strings fest:

Outlaw Music Festival

For just one show, Strings will join elder statesmen 91-year-old Willie Nelson and 83-year-old Bob Dylan on their ‘Outlaw Music Festival.’

That show takes place Aug. 10 at George, WA’s Gorge Amphitheater . The aforementioned trio — Nelson, Dylan and Strings, that is — will be joined by John Mellencamp and Brittney Spencer.

You can grab tickets for the star-studded affair here .

Billy Strings set list

Like many other adventurous artists, Strings does not stick to a script on the road.

Each show is a bit different than the last.

Still, for a closer look at a sampling of what you  might  get, here’s what Strings played at an April 2023 gig in Mobile, AL, courtesy of  Set List FM .

01.) “Hide and Seek”

02.) “While I’m Waiting Here”

03.) “A Robin Built a Nest on Daddy’s Grave” (Ralph Stanley cover) 04.) “Libby Phillips Rag” 05.) “Enough to Leave” 06.) “Hollow Heart”

07.) “Dealing Despair” 08.) “Cattle in the Cane” (Tony Rice cover) 09.) “All Fall Down” (John Hartford cover)

10.) “Little Addy”

11.) “Dust in a Baggie” 12.) “So Many Miles” (Billy Failing cover) 13.) “Paddy on the Turnpike” 14.) “Leaders”

15.) “Doin’ Things Right”

16.) “In Case You Ever Change Your Mind” (Bill Anderson cover) 17.) “Stuck Inside of Mobile With the Memphis Blues Again” (Bob Dylan cover) 18.) “Alabama Bound” (Lead Belly cover) 19.) “Rank Stranger” (The Stanley Brothers cover) 20.) “Meet Me at the Creek” Encore:

21.) “Doin’ My Time” (Jimmie Skinner cover)

Billy Strings new music

On Friday, July 12, Strings will release his first-ever live album.

Prior to the record’s release, fans will have the opportunity to win free Billy Strings tickets for life if they accurately guess the complete track list.

Huge stars on tour in 2024

Many acts that with distinctly American sounds are on the road this year.

Here are just five of our favorite acts you won’t want to miss live these next few months.

•  Tyler Childers

•  Chris Stapleton

•  Sturgill Simpson

•  Marcus King

•  Jason Isbell & the 400 Unit

Who else is on the road? Check out our list of the 50 biggest concerts in 2024 to find the show for you.

Why you should trust ‘Post Wanted’ by the New York Post

This article was written by Matt Levy , New York Post live events reporter. Levy stays up-to-date on all the latest tour announcements from your favorite musical artists and comedians, as well as Broadway openings, sporting events and more live shows – and finds great ticket prices online. Since he started his tenure at the Post in 2022, Levy has reviewed Bruce Springsteen and interviewed Melissa Villaseñor of SNL fame, to name a few. Please note that deals can expire, and all prices are subject to change.

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A Girls’ Trip to Costa Rica. But With No Phones, Did It Happen?

Travelers are signing up for phone-free tours, to try to escape technology’s tether on daily life. But would it make for a better experience?

By Christine Chung

We were on a quintessential girl’s trip to Costa Rica. Together, we gulped icy drinks by the hotel pool, were battered by waves during a surf lesson, had our tarot cards read aboard a catamaran, and danced our hearts out, powered by espresso martinis, to early 2000s anthems on a rooftop.

But we didn’t capture any of this on our phones. No Instagram stories were posted of the fun being had. No TikToks either. We didn’t text photos to friends and family in far colder climates back home.

And if there wasn’t a picture, well, did it happen? I had wondered if a vacation without my phone would reprogram my iPhone-addled brain, whether it might deepen the connections I made or improve my travel experiences. So, in mid-April, I joined a group of 10 other women in their 20s and 30s for a four-day, phone-free tour of Costa Rica’s Guanacaste Province, on the country’s northwestern coast, a picturesque place of breathtaking beaches, tropical forests and, everywhere around you, the chance of a surreal wildlife sighting.

To document my vacation, I brought only a pen, a notebook and a disposable camera.

‘More present in the moment’

FTLO Travel , which started offering group tours in 2016 for solo travelers 25 to 39 years old, organized our phone-free trip. Most FTLO clients are women, said Tara Cappel, the company’s founder and chief executive, and the majority of them are traveling solo for the first time.

The company has long had a rule prohibiting phones at dinner, she said, and the phone-free trips, which began this year, are an extension of this. “Removing that sort of temptation has always helped facilitate better bonding and conversation,” said Ms. Cappel, 35.

The hope in providing an entirely phone-free experience, she continued, is that travelers could “be present in the experience and the destination and with each other.”

She added that FTLO’s phone-free trips this year, which start at $1,699 and also head to Iceland, Mexico, Cuba and Puerto Rico, are in strong demand . My Costa Rica trip was sold out and overall, the company anticipates about 3,000 travelers across the hundreds of trips they’re offering this year.

The interest in these trips stem in part from a growing trend among travelers to try to escape technology’s tether on daily life. Operators are moving beyond offering meditation retreats and truly remote locations — even cruises and hotels in buzzy vacation hot spots these days market their disconnection experiences. At the Grand Velas Resorts , on Mexico’s Riviera Maya, guests can opt for a detox concierge, who will remove the hotel room’s flat screen television and lock all personal electronics in a safe. With Unplugged , a company specializing in tech-free escapes, you can book a “digital detox cabin” to spend three tech-free days in the English countryside.

Heather Orton, a nurse practitioner and my roommate in Costa Rica, said that going phone-free was the main reason she’d booked the FTLO trip. She’d previously gone on two trips with FTLO, to Crete and to Morocco, experiences where she made lasting friendships.

“At work I have to always have my phone on, be responsive to texts, emails and calls,” said Ms. Orton, 37, of Ohio. “It’s nice to turn that off and get away.” She said she felt she was “more present in the moment” and fully immersed in Costa Rica.

A bit like sleepaway camp

We’d come from all over the United States, including Texas, Alabama, California and Minnesota, and most of us were meeting for the very first time.

It felt like sleepaway camp, or college orientation — it was a social situation structured around group activities that quickly gave rise to new friendships, even if they were brittle ones. Two ebullient trip leaders corralled us to various activities and recited facts about local flora and fauna, all adding to the feeling of a camp for adults, and at times like being chaperoned on a school trip.

They directed us to their favorite restaurants and watering holes, and attempted to draw everyone into conversation and ensure no one felt left out. One afternoon, Mandy, one of the co-leaders and a certified yoga instructor, led a trio of us in a restorative flow at our hotel. Dani, the other trip leader, who was born in Costa Rica, was on crutches because of a recent ankle injury, but he hobbled along energetically on nights out, swaying to dance music on one leg.

Companies targeting younger travelers, like FTLO, G Adventures , Flashpack and others, aren’t touting their ability to get you to a place, but the connection they can deliver.

“The inspiration was really to help people go abroad who had the desire but didn’t necessarily have people to go with,” Ms. Cappel said of creating FTLO.

Sambavi Venkatesen, a 32-year-old therapist who lives in Austin, Texas, told me she had booked the trip after turning to TikTok to research group travel for people of color.

“The opportunity to meet other diverse women is not something that’s easily accessible in your 30s. That was kind of a big appeal,” she said, adding that she felt a real connection to other tour participants by trip's end. “I genuinely want to see people again and hope they visit me.”

Unscheduled time

We were based in Tamarindo, a lively tourist playground set along the Pacific Ocean that spanned just a few blocks, making it easy to navigate without GPS. We were given a printed map of the town, which I barely used. With my phone and laptop locked in the hotel room safe, gone were all the tools I usually rely on while traveling (and check frenetically): map and translation apps, social media and internet, for restaurant and activity searches. But thanks to the tour, this work had already been done.

We spent an afternoon ziplining through canyons and then crossed a rickety suspension bridge to plunge into the icy, refreshing waters by a waterfall. We surfed and drank beer — two activities I do not generally voluntarily sign up for. We lounged on the netted deck of a catamaran, where we watched a deep-red sun sink into the sea. Nearly every night we frequented a different nightclub.

We started the trip knowing nothing about each other’s lives, from our ages to interests. Our first night was characterized by icebreakers (“share a fun fact about yourself”) and the occasional awkward silence. But by the third night, we were screaming the lyrics to Lil Jon’s “Get Low” in the club. And the conversation grew more nuanced, as we shared stories about jobs, relationships, beloved pets and the rhythms of lives back home.

Some of the best moments happened during the time left unscheduled, when I made my own decisions about activities. A highlight of the trip was an excursion my roommate and I booked on our own, through the hotel, to kayak in a mangrove-bordered estuary, where we spotted iguanas, howler monkeys and a crocodile, watchful and still in the murky waters.

A fuzzy food photo

Overall, I didn’t miss my phone. The absence of Slack notifications and countless other digital intrusions was bliss. Conversations unspooled more fluidly than I expected they would without the crutch of a phone for idly filling silence. I slept deeper than I had in months. But my phone’s phantom presence loomed large. I swiveled my head, a Pavlovian response, when I heard the ping of another tourist's phone. My bag felt too light, which made me feel uneasy.

Mainly, I missed a good camera. Others had wisely brought digital cameras along, but I had to ration the pictures on my disposable camera, and only allowed myself to take one food photo. It’s fuzzy.

Not everyone on the trip was fully committed to the screen time ban. One night, as I tried to capture sunset using my disposable, one of my trip mates pulled out her phone and took a picture. I’m sure her photo is better than mine.

Toward the end of the trip, I learned that some other travelers had surreptitiously used their phones throughout (to text and call their moms, mostly).

But we delighted in seeing a drowsy tapir, a large mammal almost mythical because of its rarity, wake from an afternoon nap in Hacienda Guachipelin , a private property by Rincon de la Vieja National Park . There were also dozens of howler monkeys perched atop mangroves swaying in the wind, and one night, a man who was absolutely shredding on the guitar at a beachfront bar. All were incredible moments that I’ve already revisited in my memory.

On the last day of the trip, we switched our phones back on, literally jolting us back to real life with pings and vibrations. We shared Instagram handles to connect online, and I returned, almost without realizing it, to a stream of information, push notifications, digital itineraries, unfettered scrolling and the expectation of a quick reply to a message.

I’ve tried, however, to maintain the feeling of being phone-free in Tamarindo: the delicious lack of immediacy, the way time seemed to expand languidly.

Simply put, I’m using my phone less.

Follow New York Times Travel on Instagram and sign up for our weekly Travel Dispatch newsletter to get expert tips on traveling smarter and inspiration for your next vacation. Dreaming up a future getaway or just armchair traveling? Check out our 52 Places to Go in 2024 .

Christine Chung is a Times reporter covering airlines and consumer travel. More about Christine Chung

Open Up Your World

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