If you are trying to track down Mac and Jackie Gimse, do not start the search at their Dundas home; instead, try checking places like Morroco, Egypt, Nepal, Japan, and Israel. Those are just some of the countries the couple has visited in their 26 years of leading St. Olaf abroad trips.

Predictably, the Gimses are on the road once again, leading the Global Semester for their third time. "It truly is subscribing to an adventure," says Mac. "You experience things everyday that force you to step out of your comfort zone." Things like a visit to an orphanage in rural India and discussions with Palestinians and Israelis in Hebron keep the couple energized. "I love seeing the group fully engaged with locals," says Jackie. "It's, in a sense, our way of giving something back and showing our appreciation."

After leaving Minnesota in early September, the group spent time in Geneva, Jerusalem, Egypt, India and Nepal; the 28 students are about half-way through their current stay in Hong Kong, where they're studying Chinese art. But, it's not only the students who are learning: "I can't wait for the Chinese painting lectures next week!" says Jackie. "We've been on non-academic trips before and they're just not the same -- they're really pretty shallow," adds Mac. "This is definitely the way to do it."

The Global Semester covers a large section of the world in only five months, but it is not a travelogue designed to fill passports with stamps and visas. "This is not just floating around the world and plopping into port for a few days. The depth and breadth of knowledge that we acquire during our stays is phenomenal," says Mac.

Seeing a variety of countries in a short period of time allows the students to gain a broader perspective on their own world. It was Global's diverse itinerary that caught Seth Patterson's ('02) attention. "Global lets me see the world and compare all the different cultures, whereas other trips concentrate on one area. I'll have a much broader view when I go back."

The Global academic schedule is very rigorous; many days are filled with five hours of lectures and additional evening field trips. The lessons, however, are not all learned in the classroom. "It's like a giant sociology experiment," says Patterson. "Twenty-eight college students living and studying together for five months. They told us during orientation that we would know each other very well by the end of the trip. I did not think it would be true, but it is. We know everything about each other."

Watching students forge lifelong friendships is one of the things the Gimses enjoy most. "It's fun to see what happens after the trips," says Jackie with her trademark laugh. "We love the reunions and getting invitations to those weddings!"

"It's a great chance for us to get to know students better," adds Mac. "It doesn't matter what kind of person, shy or outgoing, we get to know each other in a way not possible on campus."

Mac, who delayed his retirement for a year to lead Global again, says he and Jackie are looking forward to retirement so they can visit friends, many of them former students.

"We really see Mac's retirement as a time for us to concentrate on relationships with family and friends-- something we've never had a lot of time for," says Jackie. That doesn't mean the couple won't be traveling; they've already hinted at trips to see friends in Bali and Singapore.

Jackie, however, has her sights set on a destination a bit closer to home. "I really want to go to Florida. I've never been there!"

Perfect for retirement.

--Ryan Palmer is currently traveling on the Global Semester. He is a former Executive Editor of the Manitou Messenger.