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Readers respond on 'volunteer vacations'
Here's what some people say about how their time off shaped their outlook – and in some cases, their line of work.
from the March 19, 2007 edition
Page 3 of 3
(Note: The Monitor asked the following reader to elaborate on her experience.)
El Salvador volunteer
I went [to El Salvador] with a friend whose church had organized a trip to help. We joined Central American Mission. We were actually the 19th team that had come down to help with rebuilding. We stayed in a mission complex that had bedrooms and a kitchen for us. It was well organized, and we were kept busy with traveling and building. Sometimes we didn't have hot water for showers or we had to wait for food or e-mail. It was not always comfortable, but the 29 people from the US learned to get along, to be patient, and to do without.
When I came back to the US, not only was I more appreciative of all that I had, it changed my life forever because my family and I now live in Croatia working for an NGO and helping people who have had fewer opportunities.
– Rebecca Javorksy, Osijek, Croatia
A good fit in Costa Rica
In the fall of 2005, after leaving my job (and at the age of 45), I went abroad for three months to volunteer. Assigned to work in an orphanage, the first days were chaotic. The children had enough energy to dribble a thousand soccer balls.
Before arriving in Costa Rica, I had worried about fitting in, assuming that other volunteers would be recent high school and college graduates.
Sharing bunk beds, bathrooms, and showers with a battalion of young females seemed formidable. However, within the first week, I fell into a rhythm, enjoying the budding companionship of my younger colleagues.
I miss the children at the orphanage and think about them often. If you have ever considered a volunteer-travel experience, go; you'll come back changed!
– Julie Germano, Cleveland, Ohio, USA
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