What our other readers are saying:
Helping children in Brazil
I participated in a volunteer vacation for eight weeks during June and July, 2004. I was a volunteer with Cross Cultural Solutions in Salvador, Brazil. The time spent there was an exciting adventure and a life-changing experience.
First and most important was the volunteer work I did at CAASAH, a residential clinic for children and adults with HIV and AIDS. Every day, myself and the other volunteers would spend three or four hours with the kids, and sometimes the adults. Most of the children were HIV positive, ranging from newborns to thirteen-year-olds. They had all been abandoned, orphaned, or removed from their homes by the state government. It felt like I was living in the novel, The Lord of the Flies. These kids had never seen structure, discipline, or unconditional love; they had developed their own hierarchy of power and control over one another. The facilities left much to be desired, as well; CAASAH was underfunded and understaffed. There weren't enough diapers to go around, so often the babies would spend most of the day in one diaper, leaking down their legs and all over their beds. And they didn't have anything to play with, so trash became toys. The older kids were supposed to stay in one room all day, not much bigger than an average living room, with a television and nothing else to do. Our 'job' was to help the staff change and bathe them, play with them, and keep them under control in this one room (all of this done, of course, with only about fifty words of Portuguese between us).
Our work at CAASAH turned into so much more than this. Over eight weeks, the connections we were able to forge with most of the children were indescribable; after a while they were no longer little devils trying to make our lives miserable, but loving, attentive, brilliant kids who only needed to be touched and talked to for them to transform. There was a deaf girl, Michele, who had never been exposed to any kind of sign language and had no way to communicate. I taught her how to use sign language and suddenly we couldn't get her to stop! She was instantly making up signs and teaching them to the other kids; for the first time she had a name and an identity that she could share with her friends, and she was able to ask for things she needed and tell people how she felt. There was also a boy named Joao who was totally out of control when we first came. He would kick us, bite us, call us names, and spit on us every day. But then we realized that all Joao wanted was to be held and hugged; he needed to feel important to somebody in the world. His personality did a complete flip. He'd run up to me and give me a huge hug and then two kisses on each hand. Saying goodbye to him was heartbreaking for me, because he'd become my best friend at CAASAH.
Our work was frustrating every day, and often tremendously depressing, but at the same time is the most fulfilling work I have every done. We all worked so hard to change things about CAASAH and improve what we could for the children there. I wondered a lot if the kids would even remember me six months from then, and if any of the things we helped accomplish would still be in effect. And, the more time we spent in Brazil and at CAASAH I became disillusioned, knowing that what we did wasn't really changing anything in the grand scheme of things because this was just one orphanage in one country, in a world of poverty, sickness, and despair. But one day, after a particularly sad day at work, my mom wrote to me, saying, "You are an angel. Of course you are making a difference, because on some level these children will know that someone loved them once." And she is right, as usual. I know that while we were there we changed people's lives. We were able to give these wonderful, little people something to look forward to every day. We taught babies to walk, toddlers to share, and English to old men on their deathbeds. Thinking about the kids now is still very hard and I miss them terribly. I worry that Michele won't have anybody to sign with, and that Joao will have reverted to biting, and that the new babies that come to CAASAH will stay in their cribs all day without anybody to touch them or hold them. But, like my mom said, these kids knew they were loved, and I've discovered that is the best gift you can give to someone.
Beyond CAASAH we were able to experience so many things that the average tourist would have missed. The organization I worked for really pushed for cultural exchange, providing us with Brazilian dance classes, guest lecturers, capoiera shows, and cultural and historic tours of the city. The staff also offered us great recommendations for weekend trips around Bahia, the state Salvador is in. We spent two weekends on a tropical island called Morro de Sao Paulo, hiking to waterfalls and laying on postcard-quality beaches. We went for four days to a huge national park called Chapada Diamantia, where we trekked up enormous plateaus, slid down waterfalls, and snorkeled in the crystal blue water caves. We went to beach towns up the coast and to a farm inland, in the rainforest. We got to see an American couple married in a traditional Candomble ceremony, which is the African religion brought to Brazil by the slaves. And of course, we spent countless afternoons and evenings after work lying on beautiful white sandy beaches, walking through the historic district of Pelourinho, and hanging out in little restaurants and bars, attempting to do the samba and forro. It was perfect.
Coming back to the States was much more of a culture shock than being in Brazil ever was, and has definitely taken some adjustment. Everything in Salvador was on Bahian time, which means that you didn't need a cell phone or a watch or a to-do list because everything just happened how it happened. Needless to say this was a much-needed change from the vigorous routine of graduation, moving, and graduate school I was contending with when I left in June.
For anyone considering a volunteer vacation, I would make a couple of recommendations. First, do your research. Make sure you understand what will be expected of you and that your placement will meet your expectations. Second, know what your expectations are. If you just want a vacation, this isn't the right thing for you. If you want to experience a city, a country, and a culture, while working for improvements and social change within that setting, this might be just right. Finally, know that you are an outsider and are not only not expected to transform the community you work in, but do not have the right to do so. It takes time to establish trust and camaraderie within your volunteer experience.
Sara Schmidt, Ann Arbor, Mich., USA
Remembering the cleanup effort for Katrina
A group of us from work had signed up to go to a conference on disaster planning and readiness in New Orleans (which was sort of odd since they appeared to be poorly prepared for Katrina). After we signed up, I did a little research to see if there were things we could help with while we were there. It turns out that Habitat for Humanity was offering some programs where people could come down and help with the cleanup. Since we were already going to New Orleans, I figured we might as well take a few days and help out. I spoke with my co-workers and they thought it would be a great idea.
We were staying at the conference hotel. When I spoke to the Habitat folks they said they would allow us to stay at their 'camp', but only if we stayed there from the start of the week, which we couldn't because of the conference. But they agreed that we could show up late in the week and help out, we just couldn't partake of their accommodations or meals.
When we drove to the Habitat coordination area, we just looked out the window of the car and were speechless. It was the quietest ride I had taken in a long while. The damage was so much worse than I had thought or seen on TV. The devastation was overwhelming. My first thought was, how lucky am I! My second thought was, how did anyone survive and how were they going to fix this? I mean this place was devastated for miles. We drove a long way and nothing but devastation – no people, stores, traffic, nothing. It was a war zone.
When we arrived at the coordination area, it was a tent village – just like the tents on the TV show "M*A*S*H." Except there were a lot of them – I would guess 50 to 100. As you entered the camp, there were armed guards checking you in and making sure you should be in the area.
After we got there, it was clear that there was a lot of chaos or disorganization. We went from one tent to another, and back again to get our paperwork straightened out. It probably took better than an hour to get our credentials. Once we got them, we were told on multiple occasions that we could help, but we could not eat with the people – no food for us, since we came late in the week. It was fine and we understood, but it felt like they were afraid we were going to eat their food. It was fine, but weird.
Our first day of helping was very interesting. We arrived very early in the morning and were assigned to a team, with a leader and a person in charge of tools. We were put onto a bus and driven a couple of miles to the house we were going to work on. Our job was to rip the entire house apart, and leave only the bare structure standing.
Our team was very interesting. Our leader was not more than 20 and the entire team, except for us, was comprised of a group of students from the University of Pennsylvania. It was a mix of young men and women. I was stunned to see how dedicated they were to helping. These young folks were hard at work and not complaining one bit. And believe me, there was much to complain about. It was hot, humid, and the smell was unbelievable.
My co-workers and I were the old guys on the job, but the group accepted us right off the bat – we were big and strong, and there were some heavy things to move. The first thing we did was to remove the refrigerator – which had stuff in it from the day the storm hit – 9 months prior to our arriving. It was on its back, so we had to lift it right side up. When we did, it started to leak and the smell was awful. We moved it as quickly as we could to the street, and placed it where we were told to put the appliances. The next thing we moved was the washer and dryer. The washer had clothes in it from the storm, and it too was quite fragrant. Then we started the complete demolition of the kitchen. The cabinets came off in Steve's hand, and out they went.
We had to wear masks and helmets and safety shoes. We knocked down walls that had huge amounts of black mold on the wallboard. We removed carpeting that was infused with sewage. We removed insulation, lights, everything.
The most disturbing part was collecting things that we could save, and there wasn't much. Anything paper was no good. We did find some knick-knacks and cups and glasses but all that we could save could easily fit in a medium sized moving box.
What we did wasn't near enough. It was the hardest work I had done in years, and without question it was the dirtiest, but it was so insufficient. These people needed help and the best we could do was a little cleaning.
The students from Penn were unbelievable – in fact their efforts have completely changed my view of that generation. They are hardworking caring people who will do whatever they can to help others.
Curt Edge [CIO, First Church of Christ Scientist], Boston, Mass., USA
Reflections on trips to Mexico and Peru
I have taken two trips, one to the rim of Copper Canyon in Mexico, and one to Lima, Peru. Both trips were very powerful experiences.
In Peru, we were told that people there thought that everybody from the US behaved like the people on the Jerry Springer TV show, until they became acquainted with us. It dawned on me when I was asked where I had traveled from that saying I was an American was not helpful. Any person from either the North or South American continents are Americans.
In Mexico, working with indigenous people and Mexican missionaries, where no one really was fluent in any two of the three languages spoken, was a challenge in some ways, and also helped all of us learn that verbal communication is not the only way to share.
In Peru, everything seemed to have its direct opposite. The most vivid example occurred early one morning. Our vehicle passed a large pile of trash in the middle of the intersection where men were digging through it to salvage anything that could possibly be used, even plastic grocery bags. Two blocks further a healthy looking mongrel dog trotted along a clean sidewalk, holding a neatly tied plastic grocery bag of items in his mouth.
The Mexico trip was to teach basic hygiene and healthcare. The trip to Peru was to refurbish a room and to build tables, chairs, and shelves [for] a donated library.
We also went to provide hope and friendship to those we thought had little. I came home feeling that those I went to help were actually the ones who had helped me the most by showing me anew how truly fortunate I am, and to teach me that true friendship and peace have no restricting boundaries when everybody wants to work together.
Volunteering helps you work with real people in real places. Hotels are hotels a few miles from home or halfway around the world, which constrict people to the set expectations of hot showers and guided tours of the local attractions – not unlike visiting a zoo. I don't consider volunteering a vacation but just as a way to live my life to the fullest.
Karen McNeely, Columbia, Missouri, USA
Lucky to be able to volunteer
I have been volunteering abroad with the organization Cross-Cultural Solutions for about 10 years now. I've been to Ghana as a volunteer 3 times, Tanzania 3 times, India, China, and Thailand, and will be going to South Africa next month. I started when our last child went away to school and I realized I had the time to do overseas volunteer work. It has changed the direction of my life and has enriched that of our entire family as they have met many of the people I've worked with – both the wonderful volunteers and the people we served abroad. Learning about another culture and sharing your own while helping out is a most rewarding experience and I'm so lucky to be able to do it.
Carleen Kunkel, Trumbull, Conn., USA
(Note: The Monitor contacted the following four readers and asked them to elaborate on their experiences with volunteer vacations. )
Working on an organic farm in Japan
How did you choose the place you went to? WWOOF Japan maintains a database of organic farmers and environmentally friendly businesses that is available to its members. I searched for a farm that would host me for a long weekend (all the time I had available on my busy work schedule), contacted them, and arranged for transportation to their bucolic home in the mountains above Toyama on the Sea of Japan. As for how I chose WWOOF Japan, I'd heard of the WWOOF concept when I was working on a friend's organic farm in Vermont about eight years ago. I like to support organic farming on the consumer side; this time I wanted to help on the supply side!
What facilities did they have? My host in Toyama put me up in a guest room that was partitioned with paper and light wood walls. It was a traditional Japanese home with a heavy-tiled roof and modular rooms. I had hot water inside and a traditional bathhouse down the road. My hosts maintained a coop of free-range chickens, hectares of organic produce, and rice patties fertilized by ducks.
Was it well organized? It was organized enough for me. WWOOF Japan just maintains the database, individual members and hosts correspond to organize everything else. My host had email and spoke English, so we knew exactly what to expect of each other. I was taken care of from start to finish.
What did you do? I made organic chicken feed, collected eggs, milked a goat, weeded a carrot patch, fertilized a cabbage patch, and packed eggs to go to market. All of my meals, provided by the host, contained foods grown on the farm.
If someone else wanted to do this, what advice would you share? Be prepared to work but know that you won't be overworked. There will be time to play, share one another's culture, and relax. I found WWOOF Japan to be a wonderful window through which to see part of the country and culture that rarely makes it to the media: that of individuals who've escaped the rat race and are leading a quiet life in the countryside.
Jeff Mattison, Long Beach, Calif., USA
Details on volunteering in El Salvador
I went [to El Salvador] with a friend whose church had organized a trip to help. We joined Central American Mission, a group that works in Central America. 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 very busy with traveling and building. Sometimes we didn't have hot water for showers or had to wait for food or email. It was not always comfortable, but the 29 people that went from the US learned to get along with each other, to be patient, and to do without.
We traveled to two different small towns from San Salvador each day and spent time mixing concrete, and building cinder block walls. Unfortunately much of the construction in El Salvador is not earthquake proof so many times buildings fall when a quake happens. We were helping to build with reinforcements so that the church would be stronger. We had an El Salvadorian foreman and learned to work closely with people from El Salvador. Not only did we learn some new Spanish phrases, we made some new friends.
If anyone would like to do something like this I would advise to go in [with] humbleness, be willing to learn from others, leave all expectations of efficacy behind, and have fun. We worked hard and sweated a lot. We made friends with people from El Salvador and changed our world view a bit. 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 less opportunities than those in the US. Be careful if you go, it might change you in a big way!
I think there are many opportunities to help – in so many ways. If you are an engineer, a doctor, a librarian, a teacher, a mom, a construction worker. Whatever. I was certainly not a builder, but I worked. I know needs are great in so many different areas. Step out! Take a risk and be prepared to be richly rewarded.
Rebecca Javorksy, Osijek, Croatia
How one reader chose her volunteer vacation
How did you choose the place you went to? I researched volunteer oppertunities for Louisiana online. I had learned a lot about the organization ACORN when I was in college, so I contacted the local ACORN organization. I chose Louisaiana because, although time had passed from the hurricane, so much help was still needed.
What facilities did they have? At the time, March 2006, FEMA had a campus on Camp Algiers. I think it has since been closed, but the facilities were beyond amazing. Restrooms for her/him, showers for him/her and community sinks/powder rooms. It was very nice.
Was it well organized? ACORN was not as well organized as other larger volunteer groups such as AmeriCore, but they were extremely nice and did the best they could.
What did you do? Help tear down homes so insurance companies could assess damange for individuals who could not afford such manual labor. At night and on Sunday, we explored the city to get the cultural scene.
If someone else wanted to do this, what advice would you share? Make sure you find out exactly what you want to get out of your volunteering vacation. Do you know what activities you want to help most with? Housing? Feeding the Poor? Helping with medicine? Know your own skill sets and how they can contribute. Make sure to research potential volunteering organizations. What activities do they participate in? How likely is it that you will participate in the activity you are most intersted in? Also, if you want a lot of contact time with the people you are helping, make sure you ask about that. Certain activities will allow you to spend more time with the people you are actually helping.
Sarah Cousins, Riverside, Calif., USA
Another reader reflects on his numerous volunteer vacations
I have gone with Global Volunteers to Jamaica, a Native American reservation, China and other locations. These places were chosen because of an interest in their cultures and because they were places where I had not traveled previously.
The programs were exceptionally well organized, with pre-departure discussions with staff covering program and expectations, written materials on rules, process, and local culture, and on-site daily conversation on learnings and dealing with any issues that had arisen that day.
The facilities differed in each location, from rooms in homes, to hotels, or staying in a school we were constructing. Food was plentiful and healthy and reflected local cuisine. Great care was always taken by staff concerning safety and health issues.
In Jamaica, I have painted and organized a summer school for children, dug the base of a coffee station, put in water piping, and developed a business plan for a farm. In China, I gave lectures on American life at the University in Xian and taught English in the school. On the Native American reservation, I wrote a grant for the village. My activities were based upon decisions made by the local communities of their needs.
Global Volunteers is based upon the concept that local communities have the ability to determine their needs and that relationships are based upon joint respect.
For others, I would suggest a sense of humor and flexibility. I have not had any experiences without some surprises. The best moments I have had in my life are sitting in a field, or local home, discussing philosophy or common interests and realizing that many of these people have a strong sense of values and that you admire what they have accomplished.
The secret of the experience is allowing yourself to learn and being able to see the world through new eyes. Global Volunteers has changed the way I view the world, other people and myself. I learned that I could adjust to different situations and that our similarities were much greater than our differences.
Global Volunteers has become my ongoing continuing education about the changing world and how I might influence that world. I would, and have, encouraged many others to take advantage of this wonderful experience.
Todd Lefko, Elk River, Minn., USA
More reader responses:
Rewarding, educational, and fun
Without really knowing what I was getting into, I signed up to go to Africa with Cross Cultural Solutions. I was placed at the TunaHAKI shelter for street kids in the Kilimanjaro region of Tanzania. It was the best thing I have ever done, giving my life a whole new perspective and purpose. Not only was it rewarding and educational - it was fun! The TunaHAKI Shelter specializes in the arts, using acrobatics, dance, music, and drama to rescue AIDS orphans and vulnerable children, and these kids are the most joyful beings on the planet. I spent each morning with them, each afternoon learning about the local culture, and each weekend going on amazing excursions into the beautiful countryside - it was a dream vacation that changed my life, and one that I highly recommend.
Scott Fifer, Santa Monica, Calif., USA
Experiences were life-changing
I treated myself to my first trip abroad after graduating from college in 2003. What I expected to be a three-month Tour 'De Southeast Asia turned into a year long adventure doing volunteer work in three areas of Thailand, nine months of which I spent living and working with migrants and refugees on the Thai-Burma border.
What I learned about myself, life, the lives of others, and my place in this world during my time in a part of the world so very different from my own was certainly more rewarding and meaningful than anything I experienced in four years of college. I realized many things through my service, probably most importantly and impactful in my life was the realization that being born in the States is like winning the lottery off a ticket you didn't even buy (something I committed to not squander).
The many very eye-opening experiences I had in Thailand and Burma led me to completely change the course of my life. I am now in my second year as an AmeriCorps*VISTA volunteer in Appalachia and I will use this experience as a solid springboard to a career in the non-profit (or "social profit", as I see more fitting a title) world.
I am a fervent advocate for anyone taking the time to give of themselves to others less fortunate and am particularly passionate about folks getting completely out of their own culture to do so. What an amazing lesson it is to experience life through the lense of people so different that yourself. (An experience I admittedly have even had here in Appalachia).
One final note: I found it to be extraordinarily easy to find ways to tap in and help out – once I got there. Don't be fooled into thinking that there are only volunteer opportunities available that require that you pay to do so. I was amazed at how easily I found "work" once I started traveling and talking to people. I spent all of my time there living and working with wonderful local people who offered me room and board in exchange for my services. I am certain I got far more than I received in that time and am forever and humbly grateful to have had the chance to make so many friends (many of whom I am still in contact with) and to learn more of this world by seeing and experiencing first-hand how other people live.
A few good resources I recommend:
www.transformabroad.com
www.burmavolunteer.com
www.idealist.org
http://www.orionsociety.org/pages/ogn/ics.cfm
Jenny Becksted, Fayetteville, W.V., USA
Helping a community rebuild is most rewarding
I took a Volunteer Vacation last spring to help ACORN and their efforts to rebuild Louisiana after hurricane Katrina. One rewarding aspect of vacationing is to experience other cultures or places, but I can't think of anything more rewarding than helping a community rebuild. It is truly inspiring and rewarding.
Sarah Cousins, Riverside, Calif., USA
Joy comes from giving
I took a vacation to El Salvador and helped rebuild a church after the earthquake. Through this experience I saw joy comes from giving and from building friendships, and not from material possesions. The people we were helping to rebuild their church were very poor, but full of such laughter and happiness. I learned far more than I was able to give on that trip.
Rebecca Javorksy, Osijek, Croatia
'Voluntourism' creates a cycle of dependency
Voluntourism seems like a noble objective, and it does have some merits. In my opinion these ventures should really only be "awareness trips". Our eyes need to be opened as global citizens, but it's almost as if we are repeating the 19th Century's "White Man's Burden" attitude. We are also potentially creating a cycle of dependency on foreign help rather than empowering others to empower themselves. At best our efforts only put small bandaids on gaping and festering wounds created by exploitation of people and resources going back to colonial times. Essentially our answers to Third World developmental problems are First World solutions. The answers need to come in harmony and from the hearts of the developing countries, and what we are doing with these voluntourist projects is different in guise but essentially unchanged in spirit since the 19th Century.
B. Dyer, Lindsay, Ontario, Canada
Global Volunteers
Global Volunteers changed the way I looked at the world. Their concept of servant learning, their high quality staff, and the thoughtfulness of the process and support materials have provided relationships with villagers and other Americans that I could not have obtained in any other form. They provided the context for an experience I hope to continue for the rest of my life.
Todd Lefko, Elk River, Minn., USA
Volunteer year-round, not just once
I take vacation to get away from much of the volunteer work I already do as an officer in 6 different nonprofits on a year-round basis. I applaud the civic mindedness of students and others working on a volunteer vacation, but question whether it is just a feel-good issue. Most small nonprofit and volunteer organizations need help year-round to keep going, and it is those members who work year-round [and] take time out of every week that I admire the most.
T. Johnson, Fargo, N.D., USA
A powerful experience
I have been twice on service trips with "Friends of Kakamega", a small Maine-based non-profit that helps AIDS orphaned children in rural Kenya. Every July/August, for about two weeks, a contingent of Americans and Canadians brings joy into the life of the children by running a summer camp with them. It has been overwhelmingly the most powerful influence on my life so far, and I can say for certain that no volunteer has not come back with a changed view of the world. It's not just aid, but it's immersing oneself in an entirely different culture and worldview. To find out more about this trip, go to www.friendsofkakamega.org.
Any trip to Africa will be a powerful experience. As long as you're not going to a war zone, it is very safe and everyone is incredibly welcoming. This trip and thousands of others like it are great ways to connect with African families and live a totally different life for a few weeks.
Back in America, after going to Africa, you will always be appreciative of what you have.
John Chisholm, Freeport, Maine, USA
Habitat's Global Village
My husband and I have vacationed with Habitat's Global Village program twice - once in Portugal and once in the US (Taos), and we hope to go again. It's an experience I recommend to anyone and everyone. It sounds trite, but you really do get more out of it than the people you went to help!
Janet Moore, Havertown, Penn., USA
Willing Workers on Organic Farms
I have participated in the Willing Workers on Organic Farms (WWOOF) program in Japan. There are WWOOF programs in various other countries of the world. The idea is that volunteers work about 6 hours a day on organic farms, nature centers, and other environment-friendly businesses in exchange for room and board. It was a great way to see the country, learn about its land and people, and honestly save some money on travel.
For those who see Japan as an expensive place to travel, I would recommend that volunteering some work in exchange for a place to sleep and eat is a great alternative. I forged close relationships with my hosts; more than I ever could have by staying in hotels. I might not have saved the world like in other volunteer vacations, but I did make an international connection, which I believe is another tenet in the concept.
Jeff Mattison, Long Beach, Calif., USA
Cross-Cultural Solutions
Imagine this daily experience – children running full sprint, calling your name as they spot you yards away, smothering you with loving hugs and kisses until they practically carry you inside to your work area. Why would a person ever leave this job? I have asked myself this nearly every week since returning from a fabulous volunteer experience in Costa Rica with Cross-Cultural Solutions. For twelve weeks I spent my mornings with affectionate, lively children of San Carlos, a small city about an hour away from frothy Arenal volcano, one of the five active volcanoes in Costa Rica.
In the fall of 2005, after leaving my job, and at the age of forty-five, I went abroad for three months to volunteer after thinking about doing it for what seemed forever. Assigned to work in an orphanage--the first days were chaotic. The children had enough energy to dribble a thousand soccer balls. There were three of us volunteering at the orphanage that accommodated twelve children from two months to ten-years old. Fortunately, my two colleagues could speak Spanish, so I smiled and nodded a lot while I tried to learn some Spanish quickly. Eventually, the children taught me a necessary vocabulary, and some things require no language: drawing, painting, soccer, piggy-back rides, hugs, and kisses.
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. Meaningful conversation substituted for TV and computers. We talked about our placements, our families, books, movies, and our love of and desire for travel. I should have realized that a natural bonding occurs among people choosing to volunteer, bridging over chasms of age, occupation, and geography. I made lasting friendships with several volunteers. We traveled together, laughed together, and when it was time for one of us to leave, cried together.
Our volunteer placements were all in the morning with afternoons for Spanish lessons and cultural perspectives programming. Placements varied from teaching English in the schools, assisting in a nursing home or elder day center, supporting teachers in special education classes, working with disabled adults, or helping at the orphanage. There were also opportunities for additional volunteering activities in the afternoons which generally meant teaching English. On the weekends I traveled with other volunteers to beautiful beaches and popular hotspots: Playa Tamarindo, Manuel Antonio, Playa Caihuita, Montezuma, and Monteverde.
It's difficult to encapsulate this entire experience abroad of volunteering, traveling, and living except to say that it has made me hungry for more. Life slows down measurably in a place like Costa Rica. There are fewer distractions and an authenticity and simplicity to daily life that comes about effortlessly. I miss the children at the orphanage and think about them often. I also miss the fellowship of the other volunteers as well as the Cross-Cultural staff. If you have ever considered a volunteer-travel experience, go; you'll come back changed!
Julie Germano, Cleveland, Ohio., USA
