What inspired you to go abroad?
To travel with purpose. To offer something of myself to some small piece of the world and gain a memory and experience different from popping on and off a tour bus. I think I’m able to operate, at times, in the upper portion of Maslow’s Hierarchy… Transcendence. Give back and collect experiences, not things.
Why did you choose GoEco - Top Volunteer Organization?
I felt drawn to go to the Galápagos Islands. After teaching all my life, on this trip, I specifically wanted to work with animals. The GoEco website looked inviting so I mucked around in it and felt comfortable exploring the idea of going somewhere through them. I felt drawn to several of the programs and finally chose the Galápagos.
What was your favorite part about your host country/city?
I found the people to be warm and caring. They don’t have nearly the physical and material life I’m used to but the sense of community, the connectedness, the family, the happiness at every age was something to envy. I could walk in any direction and find the end of town within 15 minutes. Small by my standards but comforting and a wonderful realization about other peoples’ joys in life.
What made your experience abroad extraordinary?
Experiencing a new culture, new biome, new animals, meeting and making friends with folks from all over the world. By volunteering you get to immerse yourself in your chosen place in ways typical tourism can’t begin to offer. When I was inside the corral feeding the giant tortoises, I knew the tourists (or most of them)wished they were me!
How did local staff support you throughout your program?
Our local staff was fine. I can’t say it was amazing. They supported the volunteers but it seemed to me and the volunteers I worked with that once we were set up, we only interacted with them on an as-needed basis. However, we were invited to participate in a local festival with the staff. That was very fun and allowed a little bit of connection. I wonder if we had not been part of the festival, would we have known the staff much at all.
What's one thing you wish you would have done differently during your time abroad?
Gotten a better weather report prior to leaving and packed better. I wish I studied Spanish longer before my trip. My minimal Spanish was a hindrance. Thank God for translation apps! It was fun and funny to type and hand your phone to someone to read your meaning. But also a bit embarrassing to be in their world and not be able to speak their language.
Describe what a typical day in your life abroad looked like.
Every day was a delicious breakfast with my host family. It was great that I was allowed to talk about my food preferences before I left with the GoEco staff. My host family was very attentive to my food needs and desires. That was greatly appreciated. Monday through Friday we worked from eight to noon. Sometimes the work was very rewarding and sometimes a little mundane. We worked in all sorts of weather conditions. It wouldn’t have been for the weak. We ate lunch (included) together in beautiful spots often along the beach. The rest of the day was ours to do what we pleased. Dinners were with our families. Weekends were completely free for investigating anything you wanted or nothing.
What did you enjoy doing during your free time abroad?
Swimming every day in the beautiful Pacific Ocean. Often with seal lions, penguins, pelicans, boobies, sea turtles and occasionally iguanas. Sometimes snorkeling sometimes not. Walking through town eating ice cream. Some side tours to see volcanoes, farms, more rugged habitats, renting bikes, making friends.
What type of accommodation did you have? What did you like best about it?
I lived with a family, but my room was separate and private with a private shower and toilet. My family was warm and accommodating and we enjoyed our time together including some extra time we spent because we wanted to. They did my laundry several times, which was very important due to the heat and rain. I really appreciate it ability to be private and resting or interacting as the day dictated.
What is one thing every future participant should know about your program before their program begins?
Working at the giant tortoise breeding center in Isabella was an amazing experience. However, you are there as a helper. You get access to more of the facility than others, but you are really not working with tortoises directly other than feeding them and getting them clean water. There was a lot of time raking and landscaping to keep the grounds clean and beautiful so that paying tourist groups would have a great experience. It was not hard work but it was hot sometimes and rained sometimes. A volunteer should be physically ready for that sort of work.
Would you recommend your program/provider to others? Why?
I would recommend this to everyone who wants to help the world will be a better place. I would recommend it for people who want to experience South American culture. I would recommend it to people who like or want to experience tropical island living. I recommend it to people who love animals and want an up close ability to meet them in their natural habitat. For instance, while swimming on the beach, pelicans were fishing, literally next to us. One was so close to me that when it flew away, it’s wing grazed my face.
What do you feel the biggest benefit of traveling abroad is?
I have never done tour bus travel, and I never will. My foreign travel has always been with purpose. I believe, staying in one spot, even for a few weeks, allows for a better and bigger growth experience. I’ve seen castles and cathedrals and works of art enough to know that, given a choice, I’d rather get to know the people and see everyday living. Volunteering, as a component of travel, help me feel like I make a difference.
Now that you're home, how has your time abroad impacted your life?
I’m still sorting that out. As with all my travel and volunteer experiences, I feel wiser, more cosmopolitan, more adaptable, more valuable, and more comfortable with myself… That my time on the planet is, in some small way, making it better as well as myself. There is something (secretly) elevating about volunteering and staying put while you do it. It’s difficult not to brag about what you’ve done. I hope I’m getting better at explaining without putting on airs.
What does meaningful travel mean to you?
The place I visited is hopefully better. The “me” I bring home is hopefully better. They say tech technology is making the world smaller. That is absolutely true. But more importantly, being a great ambassador for yourself and your nation is very meaningful to make our shrinking world a happier world.
