What inspired you to travel abroad?
This was my second GCAC trip. I was lucky enough to serve as co-leader. It was a fantastic trip. My first was Costa Rica and it was equally amazing. These trips really make you aware of how to interact with the rest of the world. It is so cool to see how other people have invented their wheels! Travel has always been something that we have loved to do.
Why did you choose Global Citizen Adventure Corps?
It really chose me. I was lucky enough to be asked to be one of the co-leaders for this program. To travel with college students, many whom have never been out of country much less been on a plane before, really makes the trip much more exciting and enjoyable. To be able to see the experience through their eyes is so rewarding.
Waterfalls to climb
What was your favorite part about your host country/city?
Seeing and interacting with the local kids. Such amazing hearts. We were able to see the children at the mountain. We were serving on from the moment we got there and every day afterwards. They were so excited to interact with us. Their smiles were just absolutely infectious. It’s easy to flip back through pictures and have the memories be as vivid as the day they happened.
What made your experience abroad extraordinary?
The sheer amount of what we do and see on these trips. I have literally been all over the world. I have never had adventures and local colors like we get on GCAC trips. These trips are absolutely planned from the moment you wake up until you go to bed at night. There is so much to see and do. And it’s not just being on a bus riding around the big city. It is going and seeing, interacting, volunteering, helping, and building
How did the local program staff support you throughout your program?
We have the same drivers and guides for the entire trip. You quickly get to know and trust them. All of the meals are planned. The lodging is always clean, safe, and comfortable. Every hiccup that happens is dealt with before you even know it has happened! The staff that works with the GCAC IN EACH LOCATION ARE WELL VETTED, PROFESSIONAL, AND RELIABLE.
What's one thing you wish you would have done differently during your time abroad?
I wish I had more time! I know everybody feels that and says it, but it’s honestly the truth. I wish these trips were two weeks long, but the logistics were just so hard to work out for that. There are so many wonderful experiences to be had. Time is the only thing that you really need to have more of.
Our group
Describe what a typical day in your life abroad looked like.
We would normally get up at around seven. We would go to breakfast then and be ready to move to our side for the day. Most days, you would be at one site all day long. Some days, however, the day might be split between a morning site and an afternoon site. Lunch is usually at the site where you are volunteering or interacting. After that, I move back to the base. Sometimes, you would stop for some sightseeing on the way. Then dinner around six and games and free time until you collapse into bed.
What did you enjoy doing in your free time abroad?
Free time is dedicated to playing and exploring. We would either be in a field playing soccer or being in the common room playing cards or some other game. It’s astounding how many card games have been made up. And there’s always somebody on a trip who seems to know all of them. And, of course, there has to be snacks.
What type of accommodation did you have? What did you like best about it?
For the Honduras trip, we were housed in a bunkhouse type situation with private bathrooms and very comfortable beds. Guys were on one side ladies on the other. The bunkhouse is located at a children’s home. In Costa Rica we stay in a private house with bedrooms. Many people have their own bedroom, always very comfortable and clean. Always very safe.
What is one thing every future participant should know about your program before their program begins?
These will be the longest, most exciting days you will ever spend abroad. Bring comfortable shoes that you’ve already broken in. And bring clothes that you might not care if you left behind. Sometimes, the people you meet more than you are. Be ready to really see the world. These are truly fun-filled days that you will never forget.
View from the mountain
Would you recommend your program/provider to others? Why?
I have, I do, and I will continue recommending these to others. It is travel abroad like it was meant to be. You get to experience the local culture and get to know the people that live there. I wish every college student and/or high school student could go on a trip like this. I think our world would be a better place if we got to see things like these trips offer.
What do you feel the biggest benefit of traveling abroad is?
Finding out that everyone else is really just like you. so much of our lives has lived in isolation. It is critical for us to understand our position in the world. It is also important to get some sense of how other people in the world view us. Probably the thing I have learned the most going on trips like this is how many people have good lives.
Now that you're home, how has your time abroad impacted your life?
It makes me do a whole lot more planning. And it makes it a lot easier to be compassionate. When you see people who don’t even have clean drinking water and you’re able to give that to them it really puts your life in perspective. These trips. Perspective. It is something I think students need much more of. I wish I had had it when I was 20-something.
What does meaningful travel mean to you?
Meaningful travel to me is trying to give more than I get on a trip. But, it is seldom that way. No matter how hard you work, serve, and volunteer through you personally always seem to be more fulfilling than what you have done for someone else. It’s not why you go, but it always seems to be the outcome.
