I’ve now spent 6 weeks here at KSTR bonding with the workers and becoming an important part of the team. I believe I previously mentioned that Sam and Barb are the backbones of the clinic. Well Barb has decided to retire from working at the clinic full time. She’s worked wry hard for quite some time so it’s not much of a shock to any of us. However this means… Read More
…..where even though it’s winter the sun is shining, the birds are chirping, and the animals are still very active. For the last month and a half I have been volunteering with Wildlife Act, an organization that monitors key animals on various reserves in the KwaZulu-Natal province. These animals are either endangered, threatened, or are highly vulnerable to poaching. Amongst these animals you have lion, rhino, elephant, leopard, and wild… Read More
Ive been here at KSTR for a month now, and I’ve loved every day. The workers here have become like a second family. The days are getting longer as I am given more and more responsibilities, but I do what I can to help. We recently released one of the owls I was in charge of so that was awesome. We also released a titi monkey who had been electrocuted,… Read More
Impoverished, destitute, hopeless. All words I have heard used to describe the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation. The only information that most people have about life on reservations (nevertheless Pine Ridge, who’s reputation for poverty is known globally) is extremely limited and negative, having primarily come from a tiny bit of representation in the media. And I’ll be the first to admit that before educating myself, I too was one of… Read More
I have been volunteering at Parque Ambue Ari for the last three months and it has been an unbelievable experience in so many ways. The park is located 6 hours outside Santa Cruz, and sits on a 800 hectares of jungle. I live with no electricity, no hot water, and all the mosquitoes you could ever want, but I love it here. I wake up every morning at 6:45 and… Read More
My first two weeks at Kids Saving The Rainforest in Quepos, Costa Rica have been amazing. First off, it’s beautiful here as most people would imagine costa rica to be. It does get pretty hot and humid but you get used to it pretty quick. KSTR is a wildlife refuge organization, connected to a bed and breakfast called the Blue Banyan Inn. A day in the life of volunteer goes… Read More
So I’ve been in the DR for a little over a month now and it has been amazing. Ive been able to do so much in my short time here. Ive tutored students, coached basketball, surfed, snorkled, danced(in the loosest definition of the word), had conversations in spanish, and even took a short slightly illegal trip to Cuba(lets all just agree not to say anything,ok?). This has… Read More
Hello one and all, greetings from Honduras Child Alliance of El Porvenir, sandwiched between the beautiful Caribbean and rolling mountain ranges. I live beachfront on the last stretch of main road, the only paved piece in Honduras.There are many different sections of El Porvenir that expand from there, and HCA trys to reach into these different parts of the community with multiple programs, and teaching locations. I’ve been here just… Read More
I have only been at the Mystical Yoga Farm for a month now but I can already say with some confidence that I will remember my time here as one of the the formative experiences of my young life. I came here with the intention of seeing and experiencing my life in a new way and I have already done that more than I ever expected. There is so much… Read More
Ghana can be overwhelming to the senses. It is a country of contradictions to ones sight, smell, and taste. During the day, the sun blinds me as I walk to the trotro station and then to school. As dusk falls, the sky darkens and is lit by giant bolts of lightning. If I sit on the porch, it’s like sitting in a theater as I watch the lightning echo throughout… Read More
Well hello you all, I have done it…made the quick transition from the depths of the jungle into the fast paced “real world” to try to remember how to use shoes that aren’t rubber boots, clothes that don’t wreak of mold and sweat, a computer and, oh my, write a blog post! After one month traveling in Costa Rica and another in Ecuador during my winter break I have found… Read More
During my group semester here in India I was very homesick, but between this being my third time in Dharamshala and living in my own apartment this place definitely feels like a home away from home. There is never a dull moment here in India but it’s great being back. Since I’ve been here I have been working with a woman named Elise who started a hand-made, fair trade, kids… Read More
Hey guys! Aden here checking in from Obera, Argentina, where I have been interning at Mama Roja for the past month.
At Mama Roja I, along with six other interns, have been learning about various methodologies to promote a more sustainable lifestyle. So far, there have been workshops on earthen building, seed saving, permaculture design, food and drink fermentations, and more. The other interns range from ages 20 to 28,… Read More
I have been in Bolivia for about 6 weeks now. My experience thus far has been very different than I imagined. It was really hard for me when I first arrived in Cochabamba for my homestay and Spanish lessons. I felt so overwhelmed and lonely, being in a new county by myself where I don’t speak the language. I wanted to jump right back on a plane and come home.… Read More
Three months alone in a foreign country is a long time. It can be intimidating and overwhelming, especially when you go into it alone. When I first got to my placement in Cusco, Peru, I didn’t know what to do with myself. I was incredibly lost, and lonely. For the first two weeks I wondered if I had made the right choice by coming here.
At the beginning of my… Read More
Here in Thailand, I am thoroughly exhausted, sunburned, and smiling. Truthfully, I have never been happier. When I first touched down in Chiang Mai, after many requests to stay home while the political unrest blew over but coming anyways, I was delighted and exhausted. Here I was, alone in a country. No friends, no acquaintances, just a name and an organization that would be my home for the next four… Read More
Hello from Sri Lanka! I want to start by saying how amazing it is to read about everyone’s adventures. It is crazy to think about how we all met just a few months ago in Portland, and now everyone is spread out all over the world!
I can’t believe it has already been a month since I arrived at Millennium Elephant Foundation here in Sri Lanka. I remember it like… Read More
When I first started by FVP I was not happy, in fact, I was miserable. When I landed in Cusco, Peru I was frustrated, disorientated, and confused. I had not slept in 24 hours and had insomnia, I had not eaten in about 14 hours but my stomach was so upset I could not force anything down, the altitude was making me sick, it was cold, I was alone, and… Read More
I am loving my time at Kariega Game Reserve. Everyday something new and exciting happens. Since I started on February 17th I have already ran into the elephant herd 5 times and with every encounter they walk so close to our open air truck, I can reach out and touch them if I wished (but that would be insane so I prefer not to). Our group here keeps running into… Read More
I have been in the incredible city of Bilbao for about a month now and it has been a great experience so far. Bilbao is a city located in Northern Spain in a region referred to as “Basque Country”. Basque Country is an especially unique part of Spain; it has it’s own language, in addition to spanish, called Euskara. This language is unlike any other in the world and it… Read More
