Animal lover, wannabe artist and peanut butter fiend with a serious allergy to a 9 to 5. On the other hand: undyingly messy, chronic blanket hog and so bad with directions I can get lost going to the corner store. Wanna know more
Jules and I entered the cemetery in Xela with hesitation. We were unsure whether we would be welcomed into such a personal environment as tourists. We walked around cautiously, keeping a respectful distance from the locals visiting the gravesites. As we watched families gather around colorful tombstones, we noticed a massive difference between the Guatemalan perception of death and our own Western views.
In Guatemala death is celebrated by bringing together the young and the old to share stories and remember deceased relatives. Families spend hours sitting at the graves, eating and chatting, while the children laugh and jump around on stranger’s tombstones playing games.
We were sitting nearby, watching a family at a grave, when a group of kids approached us. They enlisted us to pull down some fruits from the surrounding trees. When they realized we were too short for the job, they took matters into their own hands and climbed effortlessly up the branches. After descending, they presented us with fistfuls of bright red fruit. They pulled us over to sit on nearby graves and giggled while we sampled the fruit. They stuffed handfuls of fruit into their mouths, juices running down theirs chins, and grinned at us with big red smiles.
The older ones of the group introduced themselves and explained their family tree, while the little ones crawled into our arms for hugs. One of the older girls was more serious than the rest. At just 13, Emilia was in charge of caring for her baby sister, who was resting tight against her back wrapped up in a tradition Mayan fabric. She held back from playing with her brothers and sisters and instead kept a watchful eye on her younger siblings. When the parents called on the kids it was Emilia who decided to stay back to say goodbye and let us take her picture.
When she posed for the photo, she had a sense of self-confidence and pride that was very apparent. We may have only had time for a quick chat and snap, but it was enough to capture a very memorable moment.
This little cutie is Milena. We met her family on our last day on the Corn Islands in Nicaragua. We were walking along the beach, discussing the unfortunate fact that although we had really maxed out our beach time, we hadn’t connected with the locals as much as we would have liked. Of course, serendipity kicked in and we were called over by a flurry of kids splashing and giggling in the water. When we got into the ocean, the children immediately started crawling into our arms and using Jules as diving board to jump into the waves. They were also mesmerized by Jules’ huge red beard. On an island where a red beard is as common as a white Christmas, Jules’ facial hair received a lot of attention.
We did experience a first, however, when the kids starting yelling “Santa Claus” and tugged at his beard. They continued to affectionally refer to him as Santa and one by one sat on his lap to tell him their Christmas lists. Eventually their older sister declared it was time to go and all three children reluctantly got out of the water. We took a couple of snaps to remember our afternoon, then the kids each got in their last minute Christmas wishes before saying goodbye to Santa Claus.
With the holiday season officially here (only four shopping days left till Xmas!) many of us will be getting on a plane to visit family or friends sometime this winter.
I personally love flying. Entering an airport gives me an instant high that no other place does. Flying on a plane means taking off on a new adventure, leaving for months at a time to exotic new places, perhaps even visiting old friends. Or it means coming home. Usually after months away, exhausted, relieved and practically falling into my parents arms.
For the past three years and running I’ve left the states in early January, just after New Years. This year I’m leaving a little early to ring in the New Year with Jules in Australia! That is if my visa goes through. It’s been excruciatingly slow and it literally needs to be processed in the next three days so I can leave! Everyone cross your fingers!
So, since myself and so many others will be boarding a plane soon, I’ve compiled some fun, interesting and crazy flying facts. You can share these with your neighbor on the plane or just read them to distract you from the baby screaming 2 rows back, the guy who just sneezed to the left of you and the bitchy flight attendant who won’t give you another packet of pretzels. Enjoy your flight!
1. Are you a nervous flyer?
I don’t like to admit it but I still get nervous during takeoffs. I like to have my music on to keep me calm. Yes, I am that person that the flight attendant calls out in front of everyone.
“Ma’am, we’re taking off now, I’ll need you to turn off your electronic device.”
“Okay, ma’am time to turn it off.”
“MA’AM I can see your headphones under your hoodie!”
Also, side note, I hate being called ma’am. But seriously why do we have to turn off our electronic devices during takeoff? I’m sure there are a million other rule-breakers who keep their iPhone/ iPad/ etc. on and I’ve never heard of it causing a crash. Every time I’m on a flight I wonder this and I always swear after we land I’m going to look it up. And then I forget. Every time. So here I am to impart wisdom on all curious travelers. What’s the big mystery? Well, personal electronic devices (PEDs to people in the biz) emit radio emissions that might interfere with the electronics system and communication with air traffic control. Oh, okay, that makes sense. But the exciting news is that the FAA has given permission to airlines to allow electronic devices during take off and landing! Yay! So let’s all use our Kindles and iPads during take off and see what happens!
2. We’ve all heard it before
The odds of getting in a plane crash are slim to none. Getting in a car crash on the way to the airport is waaaay more likely, and we don’t have any reservations about that. I for one attribute my plane nervousness to watching one too many Final Destination movies. But just how dangerous is getting on a plane? Well to put a number on it, you have a one in 11 million chance of dying in a plane crash. Let’s compare that to some other statics shall we? You have a one in 3.7 million chance of being eaten by a shark, a one in 2.3 million chance of being killed by lightning and a one in 5,000 chance of being killed in a motor accident. Okay so flying doesn’t look so bad now. Also, if you are in the crash, you have a 95.7% chance of surviving. You have the same odds of dying in a plane crash as having natural conceived identical quadruplets. So yeah, I think we’re okay.
3. Just when you started to feel safe..
Here’s another fun fact for you. They say planes can basically fly themselves these days. Well, lets hope so, considering it’s not uncommon for pilots to fall asleep midflight! 56% of UK pilots admit to “in-flight napping” and 29% have said they’ve woken up to find their co-pilot also asleep! Oh brother.
4. Stock up on your Airborne
Planes are filthier than you even imagined! Tray tables and seat pockets are breeding grounds for germs. In-flight water has tested positive for E. Coli. And most major airlines only wash their blankets every five to 30 days! Yuck.
5. Be nice to your flight attendants!
Not only do they have to deal with grouchy travelers, but they are only paid for “in-flight time.” That means that when you are sitting there trying to cram your oversized carry on into the overhead compartment, they are only paid their $2/ hr per diem salary. Do everyone a favor- pack light and get your ass in the seat.
Meet Ernesto, Ernie for short. We met Ernie on a park bench in Havana, Cuba. Just moments before he sat down, a different man had been sitting beside us, smoking a cigar. I was silently trying to get the courage up to ask for his photo when Jules confidently struck up a conversation and snapped his portrait. After he left I was kicking myself for whimping out on the shot. Jules gave me a little pep talk and encouraged me to ask the next person who sat down, whoever they might be. Then came Ernie. Unlike the photo above he sat down in a hurry, with a scowl on his face. I peeped out a buenas tardes (good afternoon), but got no response. Jules shot me a look and I knew I wasn’t going to get out of this one.
I love taking portraits of people, especially while traveling, but it can be intimidating. I never want the subject to feel like a tourist attraction. I also don’t feel comfortable paying people for photos, and occasionally locals will pressure you for money or a gift. And then there’s the whole pesky language barrier thing.
But I realized, what’s the worst that could happen? He’d say no and I wouldn’t have the photo, which would leave me in the same place I began with. So I turned to him and gave my spiel of “I’m a photography student and would love to take your photo, blah blah blah.”
Instantly his scowl was replaced by a warm grin. He chuckled and agreed to a photo. I took the shot and we had a quick chat. Turns out he’s a security guard at night and comes to the park in the day to relax and nap. He asked us about where we’re from and about our photography. Then we said goodbye. I left with a new found self confidence for asking for portraits and he was left to nap on the bench. Thanks Ernie!
We stood on the side of the long dusty road, a puddle of sweat soaking into the back of our t-shirts. We had successfully hitched 141 kilometers that day, but it seemed our luck had run out. The final stretch to the coastal town of Hopkins was the six mile dirt road that connected to the highway and we hadn’t even made it a mile in. Few cars passed and the ones that did sped right past our outstretched thumbs and kicked up a cloud of dust that enveloped us in dirt before settling.
{ The long, dusty road }
Hitchhiking as a backpacker has its advantages and disadvantages in terms of catching a ride. We’ve found that while some locals jump at the chance to give a ride to a foreigner, others are more likely to pick up other locals, especially in smaller towns.
So as we sat in the sun, praying for a ride, a truck with an older couple approached quickly. I stuck my thumb out, stretching it high into the air and Jules waved his arms, and we both attempted our most desperate, downtrodden faces.
We held our breathe as they rolled by and let out a sigh of relief to see that they were slowing down to stop just a few meters ahead. We shimmied on our backpacks and crawled into the hot plastic truck bed. Then we kicked back, let the wind cool us off and didn’t even mind the potholes that sent us bumping up and down. Our luck had returned.
{ No better way to travel than in the back of a pickup truck }
When we finally made it to the hostel, we practically collapsed on our springy wooden bunk bed. We had successfully hitched every part of our journey from the border of Guatemala to the south of Belize.
Wait.. You did what??
Okay, hear me out. Yes, that may sound crazy, hitchhiking across the border of two impoverished developing countries, but, like most travel in Latin America, it’s not as dangerous as you would think. Hitchhiking is a very common and popular method of transportation in Belize.
It’s hard to turn a corner in Belize without seeing someone’s thumb sticking out into the street. And what’s more, it’s difficult to spend more than 10 minutes waiting without catching a ride with someone. It’s as ingrained in their daily lives as driving a car is in the western world.
{ Our cozy ride }
We managed to travel around Belize only paying for transportation once. I’ll admit Belize is a small country but that’s pretty amazing and definitely helps keep the spending down.
Here are some tips for hitchhiking in any country:
Don’t just stick your thumb out for anyone:
Jules and I are very picky about who we get a ride with. We prefer families, couples and other travelers. We skip cars with front tinted windows and groups of men. This will just depend on your comfort level. If you’re two women, maybe you will only catch a ride with other females or families.
Know where you’re going:
Do a bit of research. Try to print out a map or use the one in your guidebook to have a sense of where you’re going. We use the Google Maps app on the iPhone. If you load the maps back at the hostel before you leave, you can still use them on the road and the GPS lets you know where you are, even outside of WIFI zones.
Don’t travel in the dark:
Everything is more dangerous at night. Estimate how long it should take you to get to your destination and then tack on an hour so you can be sure not to arrive in the dark.
{ That time we hitchhiked with an El Salvadorian gospel church }
Chat with your driver:
Hitchhiking is a great way to save money, but its also the perfect way to connect with locals. Locals that pick up other travelers are usually excited to learn about you and you travels, and sometime even to practice their English. Take this opportunity to learn about local culture, the best spots to visit and practice the local language as well.
Trust your gut:
If someone pulls over and offers you a ride, have a quick conversation with them before you get in. Ask them where they’re headed and if they mind giving you a lift. Even with a short interaction you can get at least an idea of who this person is. If it doesn’t feel right, just thank them and wait for someone else. Don’t worry about offending them; better safe than sorry.
We want to hear about your experiences hitchhiking! Have you had any crazy encounters? Do you have any tips to add to the list? Let us know!
I’m gonna be honest, I didn’t love Caye Caulker. Which left me with the great travel blogger dilemma. How to write on a place you’re not crazy about. Do you gloss over the not so glamorous parts and fake enthusiasm? Or do you have an obligation to your reader to be as honest as possible even if that means admitting to some ugly truths? I’m going with the latter, but don’t worry, it’s not all bad!
I’m not going to say don’t go to Caye Caulker. We did enjoy the small town island vibe, and it is the perfect place to meet up with fellow backpackers. However, in the end the suffocating push for tourism had us packing our bags and looking elsewhere.
Starting from the moment we bought our tickets for the express boat trip from Belize City to Caye Caulker, I felt like I had a giant dollar sign tattooed on my forehead. As soon as we landed on the island we were bombarded by hostel workers and tour guides shoving brochures in our faces.
The Caye itself is small and, although filled with tourist shops, it does have a relaxing, laid back vibe. We kicked off our sandals the moment we arrived and went barefoot for our 4 days there. And while the island itself is made up entirely of reef and has zero beaches, that doesn’t stop people from soaking up the sun. Everyday backpackers and tourists congregate at “the Split” on the east end of the caye for afternoon beers and sunbathing.
The touristy area is cheerful and, despite not having beaches, the Caye has a definite Caribbean beach vibe. But the whole thing felt a bit put on to me. Every morning when we left our hostel we were confronted by the same obnoxious Rasta dude trying to get us to buy his “Coco Loco.” Thanks dude, but we’re not interested in your homemade cocktail at 10:30 in the morning. If you wander off the main strip and head to the west side of the island, you start to get a true feel for the place. The cheerful hostels & tour guides start to give way to local residences, which ranges from the modest to the barely livable. It was sad to see the harsh contrast between the nicer hotels and the living situations of some of the locals.
If you’re not interested in the backpacker scene, rest assured, Caye Caulker does have plenty of aquatic activities for sea lovers. Scuba diving and snorkeling are huge, as is sport fishing. We decided to splurge on a snorkel trip and found that most shops will go down to the same price ($30 for a half day tour). The one shop that stood apart from the rest was Big Fish, down toward the western end. They promote themselves as the ethical and sustainable tourist shop and the only one that doesn’t harass the animals. Unfortunately, we waited till the last minute to book our tour and they didn’t have any snorkeling groups going out that day. Instead we settled for one of the other shops that was pretty unmemorable, so I won’t even bother naming it.
Shark & Ray Alley, the second stop on the tour, was the main attraction. True to its name this spot is filled with nurse sharks and stingrays that come straight for the boat as soon as they hear the motor. The alleged story is that this was previously the spot where fisherman would come to clean their fish. The sharks and rays soon learned that the sound of an approaching motor meant they would be fed. The tour boats carry on this tradition and throw bits of fish into the water to encourage the sharks to stay longer. I have to admit, even though the whole thing felt a little artificial to me, swimming among these incredible animals was breathtaking. It was one of those travel moments that makes you stop and think, am I really here doing this??
After the tour I grilled our tour leader on the environmental sustainability of such a practice. He assured me that they fed such a small amount that the bait was more of a light snack than a meal. The other part that bothered me was that the leader picked up a shark for us all to touch the leathery skin, as well as a stingray. I later learned that stingrays have a protective coating on their skin and petting them can be damaging. While the experience was amazing, if I did it again I would definitely go with a Big Fish snorkel guide. While you may not have the same experience, because they don’t feed the animals, you know for sure that you are not negatively impacting these incredible creatures.
After 5 days on Caye Caulker, we were ready to get out of there. While the laid back island lifestyle kept us there for a few more days than we planned, the “in your face” approach to tourism was not our style. We decided to throw our shoes back on our feet and head to the next destination – Orange Walk!
Coming home after traveling for a while can be tough. The excitement of constantly encountering new experiences suddenly comes to a halt, and the inevitable blues of ending your adventure start to set in. That being said, I don’t think any backpacker can deny that coming home has some serious advantages that you otherwise wouldn’t appreciate. Traveling, especially in developing countries, reminds us of the privileges and comforts we take for granted at home and how lucky we are to have these in our lives.
1) Having Clean Water!!
This is a huge one. Coming from an area of California where we are blessed with the deliciously fresh water of the Hetch Hetchy reservoir, I must admit that even I take clean water for granted. Filling up a glass of water at the sink, washing my veggies under the tap and absentmindedly opening my mouth in the shower. I never really stop to think about it. But when we travel, water is such a high priority. Luckily we have our Steripen, which allows us to drink pretty much any water. But drinking sanitized nasty tap water and using environmentally unfriendly water bottles just isn’t the same.
Coming home and being able pour a cold glass of water doesn’t seem like a big deal, but after 10 months without clean water, it’s heavenly. And it’s something we should appreciate considering much of the developing world lacks access to clean water.
{ Glorious tap water! }
2) Being able to sleep in the same bed every night
And not just the same bed, but a comfortable one! My bed is something that I don’t take for granted. (I’ve pimped it out with mattress pads, comfy sheets and a million pillows. I’ve even given it the nickname “The Cloud”.) And there have been times when I’ve really missed it. Like one night when we were settling into bed in a hostel in Nicaragua and I noticed a small brown bug scurry across our pillow. Then we lifted up the sheets to find bed bugs EVERYWHERE. Seriously, I mean everywhere. We are so grateful to be back in the cloud.
3) A car
Nothing makes you more grateful for your own car than having to stand up on a bus for 4 hours with a screaming child wriggling out of his mother’s arms next to you.
4) The supermarket
After spending 10 months eating oats for breakfast, ( I swear I’ll never touch them again) walking into the grocery store feels like a dream. However, the amount of choices can be overwhelming. We spent half an hour at Trader Joe’s before we could finally decide on something to buy. Seriously, is it really necessary to have 10 different types of hummus? (Also, OMG hummus!!!)
{ Our favorite Trader Joe’s hummus. }
5) A private bathroom
We got over not being able to throw toilet paper in the toilet long ago. We adjusted well to not having toilet seats and paying for public bathrooms and could even stand some of the nastier toilet situations in Latin America. But one thing we are really grateful to have back is our own bathroom. Having some privacy while you do your business is priceless.
6) Clothes
After a long period on the road, you kind of just stop worrying about your appearance. Frivolities like make up and deodorant go out the door early. We tried to maintain a certain level of style, but really just ended up wearing the same outfit almost everyday. Needless to say, every single item of clothing we traveled with now has some sort of stain or hole in it. That’s if it even made it back at all. I, for one, am shocked my 5 dollar Target t-shirts haven’t been able to withstand 10 months of everyday use. Ridiculous. Jules and I have been particularly excited about our sweatpants. We’ve basically lived in them since we got back and we don’t plan on changing out of them anytime soon.
{ Autumn leaves in my backyard }
7) Seasons
This one is a bit more abstract, but hear me out. Latin America has basically two seasons: dry season & wet season. We were down there for a bit of both and both get old pretty fast. The dry season is hot & sunny. Everyday, all day. The wet season is either hot in the morning and rainy in the afternoon or rainy all day. Coming back to California in the fall we’ve been very aware of how much we missed real seasons. With the fallen leaves carpeting the ground in autumn, light drizzles followed by sun in the spring and the brisk cold of a winter day. I never thought I’d be so happy to be in cold weather. But, like I said before, sweatpants!
What comforts do you guys appreciate most when you return home? Let us know!
A flashback article from our time in Northern Colombia, late 2012.
After almost 2 months on the Caribbean coast of Colombia, stuffing our faces full of fresh fish and sweating like pigs, we couldn’t wait to experience the chilled out tranquil reputation of Minca for ourselves. We hopped in the back of a colectivo from Santa Marta and watched the road slip away behind us, slowly ascending above the hectic chaos of the coastal city.
We crept further into the Sierra Nevada until the driver dropped us at the “center” of Minca, if you’d call it that. There’s no real main plaza in Minca, only a few desolate shops and local restaurants that line a small main street by the bridge, which curves around to meet the church and a rusty playground.
After checking out several options for accommodation, we settled on Hostel San Souci. It’s a bit of a walk up the hill, but worth it for their incredible view. They offer discounts in exchange for coffee picking work during the season. They also have a kitchen for guest use. A few shops in the center carry basic supplies, but have limited options for fresh produce. We made a supply run down to Santa Marta half way through our stay to pick up fruits and veggies. There are a couple tasty restaurants in town, but most carry the typical Colombian fare. Across from the church a small shop sells chupetes, popsicles for 50 cents. They are homemade and ridiculously delicious, in flavors like peanut butter, rum & raisin and natural fruits. Unfortunately we discovered these treats on our second to last day; otherwise we would have been slurping these down at least twice daily.
Unlike the hub of activity that is Santa Marta, the tranquility of Minca is apparent as soon as you enter the Sierra Nevada. Time passes slowly and no one in town seems to be in too much of a rush. There is a tourist information booth near the bridge in town with useful info on activities around Minca. Waterfall hikes through the hills are fairly easy to DIY. For adventurers, water rafting is available if the water level is high enough and there is even an “extreme donkey ride” tour. We chose to forgo the tours (I know, I know, how could we pass up extreme donkeys?) and spent most of our days walking along the wide, curving streets ascending into the hills.
Walking through town we stumbled across several inconspicuous homes selling homemade organic chocolate. This is chocolate in its simplest form, unsweetened, perfect to grate and boil with milk and sugar for hot chocolate. But if you’re looking for the real taste of Minca- it’s coffee. Colombia is famous for it’s coffee and rightly so. The La Victoria coffee plantation, which rests high up into the mountains, offers tours for $5. There’s only one road up and the walk is a decent hour and a half, but it’s not uncommon to hitch a ride with workers driving up. La Victoria manages the entire process from growing the beans to selling the coffee. Every step is completely sustainable and the whole plant operates off hydroelectricity. After the tour, kick back with a cup of complimentary coffee in their lounge area and take advantage of the free Wi-Fi, which is otherwise difficult to find in Minca.
During our two week stay we volunteered with the local organization, Mision Gaia. The organization’s goal is to promote environmental sustainability and support local projects in education and sustainable tourism. Although we were just coming off six months of working for an NGO in Peru and weren’t actively looking for a volunteer opportunity, we were happy to help out with Mision Gaia. We worked with Diana, the founder and director, helping with administrative support. We were also able to visit one of the local classrooms and help out with a tree-planting day at the high school. As is usually the case, volunteering in Minca gave us a deeper insight into the local lifestyle and helped us connect with the community. If you’re interested in volunteering with sustainable development in the breathtaking Sierra Nevada, contact Diana at Mision Gaia.
On the last day of our two week stay, Jules and I drank a final cup of coffee at the local café. Backpackers just coming into town stopped in for a bite and locals sat down for a chat. The walls were covered in art and flyers for current workshops and classes. After we finished our coffee, the young waitress came over to take away our cups. A semi-dazed look on her face, she asked if we’d like anything else. We said no and she wandered off to daydream behind the counter. No rush for us to leave, no rush for her to wait the other tables. It was Minca in a nutshell.
Tips:
-Most hostels have open kitchens but not all. A few shops in the center carry basic supplies but have limited options for fresh produce.
-Minca does not have an ATM so grab cash in Santa Marta before you come
-try to go during off season, it may be a bit rainy in the afternoons but its worth it to skip the crowds
Volunteering abroad has become an ever more popular thing to do while backpacking. To cater to this growing market, more and more “middleman” companies have swooped in to create customizable volunteering packages for travelers. These companies can charge you upwards of $500 a week to place you in a volunteer program and essentially promise to hold your hand if anything goes wrong. This can be reassuring for first time travelers, but are ridiculously overpriced and have questionable impact on the local community.
Many of these programs include two weeks of volunteering followed by two weeks of adventure activity. That sounds well and good, but you have to wonder how much of an impact you can have in only two weeks? These companies cater to those “quick, get a picture of me holding up this shovel and carrying a small Latino child, so I can show on Facebook how worldly and caring I am” tourists.
How to Find the Best Volunteer Opportunity
Volunteering seems like a natural thing to add to the itinerary while traveling abroad. You have the chance to give back to the communities that are inviting you in, you can connect with locals, maybe practice the native language, and let’s face it, it’s nice to be able to say you did something productive in between those months of tanning on the beach and drinking rum.
However, for some reason, everyone assumes volunteering overseas equals taking care of kids or teaching English. And while many organizations offer those important volunteer jobs, there are plenty of other opportunities out there. Hate kids? (Don’t worry, we won’t judge you). Volunteer at an animal rescue center. Hate kids & animals? (Ok, starting to judge..). Volunteer to do administrative computer work for an NGO. If you don’t enjoy something in real life, you’re definitely not going to enjoy doing it for free, in another language, in a foreign country.
Figure out your marketable skills. Applying to become a volunteer is much like applying for a job. It’s not as competitive obviously, most organizations will find something for you to do, but they’d rather place you in something you’re good at. Bilingual? Help with translations. Have experience in web design? Update the website. Got legit artist skills? Paint a new welcome sign! Seriously, whatever abilities you have, they can translate to the non-profit world.
{ a baby ocelot at a rescue center in Iquitos }
Find Long Term Volunteer Programs
There are plenty of organizations around the world that welcome foreign volunteers. Depending on your level of involvement, some organizations will ask for anywhere from a two week to six month minimum, but the one thing they’ll all tell you: the longer the better. Two weeks is not long enough to make a big impact, and can instead be draining for the administration who’ll need to take the time out to train you. Consider extending your volunteering to a month or longer. You may have to cut some sites out of your itinerary, but trust me it’s worth it. When you’re spending your last couple weeks playing football with the local kids that you’ve actually built a relationship with, instead of roaming around yet another ruin, you’ll be happy.
{ making connections with kids in Pisco, Peru }
Not everyone has months to spend volunteering. If you really can only spend a couple weeks giving back, consider donating to the organization instead. Money goes a long way for these programs, and honestly it will probably be more helpful than your inexperienced butt spending a week attempting to teach English to rowdy kids. If you do donate, ask the organization if you can come in for a day and see how their programs run. They’ll be more than happy to indulge you with the obligatory Facebook photos and you’ll have the satisfaction that you’ve actually helped.
Volunteer Teaching the Right Way
If teaching English is something you’re interested in doing then we really suggest you get yourself a little more qualified before taking off on your next trip. As native English speakers we all assume we can teach English, but it’s not as easy as you’d think. Are you ready to explain the difference between a verb and an adverb? Or what a proper noun is? Jules is a former English teacher in Australia and even he has difficultly explaining grammar.
Rather than throw that idea away, get qualified and learn a new life skill along the way. Completing a TEFL course is the perfect way to get yourself ready to teach English, which is such a vital skill for so for many around the world. And it doesn’t have to be difficult, or expensive! You can complete an online course over 120 hours that will have you throwing out impromptu English classes in no time! And thankfully for our awesome Don’t Forget To Move readers we’ve got an exclusive 35% off discount code over at myTEFL. Not only are myTEFL one of the leading TEFL qualification providers, but they’re also a socially responsible company that donate proceeds from their sales to local charities in Haiti and Nepal. To check out their 120 hour course simply click here and be sure to add your unique promo code MOVEON to claim your discount.
Cost to Volunteer Overseas
While you should be weary of any companies that charge you ridiculous amounts for short volunteer programs, you should expect to pay something. A lot of people are opposed to this. “I’m volunteering my time, why should I have to pay?” Yes, I can kind of understand that logic, but it’s not how it works overseas. It takes a lot of logistics and administrative time to coordinate with volunteers. The weekly dues you’ll pay to volunteer will be going to a stipend for invaluable administrative staff. If room and board is available for volunteers, these dues will likely be going to rent, food and general maintenance. Not sure how much is an appropriate amount to be paying? It really depends on the location and organization. Volunteering in a touristy beach town in Mexico is going to cost more than super rural Indonesia, as the cost of living is obviously higher.
{ building a house for a family in Peru }
Commit to the Community
Volunteering overseas can be a great way to meet fellow travelers from around the world. Volunteering together is a bonding experience and you can walk away with life long friends. This is a definite pro to volunteering, but should not be your main reason for becoming a volunteer. It can be easy to fall into a trap of volunteering with a community during the day and coming back to a house full of volunteers eager to let loose and party it up. That’s fine, but it’s not really that different from traveling and staying in hostels. If the option is possible, do a home-stay. One of the benefits of volunteering is being able to connect to a community. What better way than living and developing relationships with a local family? You may not get the same party atmosphere as a volunteer house, but you’ll gain much more meaningful experiences.
Volunteers Abroad Websites and Programs
In the end, if your heart is in the right place, you’ll find something meaningful in whatever you do. Here are some resources for volunteering opportunities:
