The Cultural Exchange Project

I’m so grateful for this opportunity. It was nerve-racking at first, but I’m so glad that I went for it. I met so many amazing people and my host family was amazing! I saw so many beautiful views and monuments during my time in Spain, as well as other countries I traveled to while out there. I highly recommend this to everybody who is willing to take the leap.

I know English well and I can teach any one English language to the fullest , am a good cheer giver and I have a high school certificate, degree in bachelors of commerce, i have communication skills, and friendly

Thank you! The course required an effort on my part, as I'm not the biggest fan of online work. It had many practical topics that I felt were good to reacquaint myself with, and the units on lesson planning were especially helpful. Most of all, I liked the reflections and practical assignments that allowed me to share my ideas. I’m a classroom teacher and I’d recommend this course to anyone interested in teaching English as a second language.

I could not be more grateful for my experience abroad. I have learned so much about myself and the world through this journey. My favorite part has been getting to know my host family and their culture. I feel so lucky to have met them and to know that I have developed a meaningful friendship that will last me a lifetime. I highly recommend a travel abroad experience to anyone who is considering it– mine has truly changed my life!

The fact that I got to try out the course first was a big reason I jumped in. I needed to see if it worked and what the course was like and not worry about if I wasted my money. It is a great TEFL course and I'm ready for the next step.

My goals for this program are honestly just to relax and make the most of this experience, to utilise it as a chance to grow as a person. I was able to do a weekend trip with my host family to Naples at the end of July :) It was really nice being a part of the family while traveling. My host father likes to play The Clash and AC/DC while cooking. That gets everyone in the house excited for dinner and family time. Very different from my own home. Being in Sardinia, I am spending a lot of time at the beach. The beaches are phenomenal, wild yet so serene. I feel very at peace here! I definitely recommend purchasing and bringing alone a guidebook to wherever you will be visiting. I know you can Google places, but sometimes the WiFi service isn’t good. Having a reliable guidebook has come in handy. I’ve enjoyed this program because I get to travel. I have been to Golfo Aranci, Porto Rotondo and Palau, which are just north of where I am staying in Olbia. I’ve also been to the Tomb of Giants and Castello di Pedres archaeological sites, and I am hoping to go to Asinara Island, home to the Sardinian albino donkeys! It’s a great program.

I came in to the program with the goal of better understanding the German culture, but now my goal is to also do a few more trips around Germany over the weekends. This program is perfect for that. To that end, I recently visited Cologne with one of the girls I tutor and we had a great time. It was my first big train ride in Germany so it was nice to go together and chat on the way. She was also very interested in American music and so we listened to music on my phone all the way to Cologne. It was a great way to bridge the cultures. If I were going to tell others one thing to do if they come to Germany to tutor, bring hiking gear. There are so many opportunities to get out and enjoy the country. I just didn’t think about it before I came. A place not to miss are Rudensheim near the Rhein. Beautiful.

I came with the goals of observing and adapting to a new culture, improving my Spanish closer to fluency, and learning to be more independent as I travel alone. I have definitely made progress on all three of these goals. Girona is a stunning city with gorgeous streets and sights to stroll through. More than that, though, were the kindness of the locals; while there, I spoke with numerous vendors who were so patient with my Spanish and kindly shared a bit of their perspective and life with myself. It was fulfilling to be able to communicate with these people in Spanish, and meaningfully, not just small talk. Truly a life-changing experience. P.S Don't forget menstrual products and board games.

I've been home for 4 wks today, but I think of my trip everyday. I experienced so many wonderful things and saw so many cities that made the trip like a dream come true. My Italian family, made me part of their family and took excellent care of me. I fell in love with the family and know that I have made a connection with the family forever. I, in turn, was able to do some things for them, that I know they will never forget. Such as, treating them to their first, complete Thanksgiving feast before I left. I also painted them a picture while I was there and gifted it with personalization for them. I also have to thank my Italy connection, GeoVisions, because she they were so helpful to me navigating the first couple of weeks and kept in touch the whole time to make sure everything was going well. GeoVisions, like the family, was awesome. I'm ready to go back next year already!

I decided to teach last summer with GeoVisions Foundation in Thailand because one of my goals was to experience a new culture and immerse myself into it. I feel I have really accomplished that during my time here in Thailand teaching. I’ve developed a routine and a way of living here. I’ve had such a great time exploring Thailand but even better, getting to know the people that live here. I have developed friends and a “family” here and I couldn’t be more thankful for them. I’ve been able to travel around a bit despite covid. I am sad I am not able to travel around more because of covid but I am making the most of everything. If I had to recommend something to put on the packing list, it would be dark socks. I’ll be you don’t hear that everyday. In Thailand, you have to take off your shoes in some places but it’s polite to wear socks. Dock socks are great for that.

Well, I came to teach in Thailand during Covid, so many things are not open and there are many restrictions. But I would say come here with no expectations. Expect nothing just let everything be and don't be afraid to jump in the mix. This could be worth learning the language, making friends and meeting people, or taking on new activities. I decided to head to Thailand to teach because I thought I could learn how to not hold on to so much stress and to de-clutter my life. It is a very chill experience. I can honestly say it worked. GeoVisions really placed me in a great spot. I recommend them for sure. You can’t go wrong with those guys.

My time as an au pair in Germany has been good! If you’re okay with not saving money and are in it just to experience another place, this might be for you. Unfortunately the au pair health insurance I was given in Germany doesn’t cover everything and I was never fully reimbursed, so be careful and know ahead of time. I wouldn’t recommend Geovisisons, however. I felt extremely alone in the au pair process, and frankly I could have done it for free online. Geovisions is extremely expensive, and using them has not given me any added benefits or safety that my other au pair friends who used a free website have.

I really enjoyed my teaching experience in Madrid. I was placed in family with 5 teenagers, 3 of which were triplets. The family provided me with a private room and bath. My family was very busy and the parents worked long hours. The kids had tons of homework from their school so scheduling lessons was sometimes hard. One of the family's goals were for the triplets to pass the Cambridge English Language exam. All of my lessons were tailored to prepare for the exam which had an oral section, a listening section and a written section.With the older 2 siblings I helped one with her high school English homework and with other, we analyzed popular songs. When I requested practice materials for the test the family complied. They gave me access to a computer and printer so that I could print practice exams. In the end 2 or the 3 triplets took the exam and one of them passed and the other got a very high mark. The significance of this test is that many doors will open for the kids with this high level of English proficiency. I am very proud of them and what we accomplished together. The mom and I spoke everyday about all sorts of issues and we became friends. It's been a year since I was in Madrid and we've stayed in contact. The family also helped me sign up for a Spanish class and to plan a trip to Zaragoza where I was able to see the Holy Week processions.

It's great to be on a program where you get paid and become so close to your host family. I have everything I need. My advice: Hop on the train, leave the guide books at home and just get lost for a few minutes. Metro stops are close enough that it's hard to get completely lost. Also, book some weekend tours to get out of Madrid and see other cities - they're all great! I would recommend bringing a floppy hat and some sunglasses -- you'll need them! The funniest thing that has happened to me is the kids got nosey and barged into the bathroom while I was showering...there's no curtain, so we all got an eyeful. The parents were annoyed with the kids and explained why they shouldn't go in the bathroom when someone else is using it. It was an all-around pretty amusing experience. If you go with the flow you'll have so much more fun.

Signing up to volunteer to teach English to a family in Italy was the best decision I've ever made in my life, no joke. It was an amazing experience that I will never forget. It was everything I wanted out of this experience! I also could not have been placed with a better family! They we're AMAZING people and we still keep in touch! The family was extremely welcoming and I felt at home immediately! I am welcome back at any time! I am actually in the process of planning a trip back, hopefully permanently! I made so many friends! They were all more than happy to show me around their city, and introduce me to their friends and families as well! I keep in contact with many of them, and they are begging me to come back! Anytime I travel I always get suggestions of things to do from locals. I prefer this over touristy suggestions on the internet! It's a completely different and unique way to experience a city! I also suggest walking to most places at first, it helps you memorize landmarks and with becoming familiar with a city. By the end of my trip I was giving directions to people who needed help! It did take me about a week or so to get completely familiar with the European train systems, but the family was just a call away if I had any questions and were incredibly helpful. (If you are already familiar with New York train systems then this might be easier for you to figure out). After I became comfortable with the train system in Italy I was able to use other European train systems without any problems. Google Maps was also a huge help in telling me exactly which train I needed to be on. I would also like to add that I am a solo female traveler and had no issues with safety. I flew, took busses, and trains to other countries by myself, and I would do this a million times over! Traveling solo as a female was a very freeing and empowering feeling. You can learn a lot about yourself, you realize you can do absolutely anything you want to do. I encourage more woman to try more experiences like this, and not let fear hold you back from creating some amazing memories and building confidence! Thank you GeoVisions for providing opportunities like this and pairing me with an amazing family who will be part of my life forever!

Just be open to the experience and all it has to offer. There are days of frustration, nervousness, anxiety but those days don’t outweigh the absolutely amazing days. Give yourself time to adjust and once you do you’ll have an amazing time and learn so many different things. I’ve been here for two months and I already can see how much I’ve grown as a person. I do a lot of things that I’d never do back home and it’s all thanks to rolling with the punches and being open to all the possibilities of living abroad. I’ve been to a few places since I got here in March. Pisa, Lucca, Bologna and I want to visit Venice and Milan very soon. Traveling by train is very easy to do in Italy, just always remember to validate your ticket before boarding the train, it’s very important if you don’t it can result in a fine. Outside of most train stations, there are tourist centers where they provide you with a map and a quick overview of the city that’s extremely helpful because it shows you the main points of the city etc. While traveling try to eat in the not so tourist areas, they are usually not as crowded and the food is amazing. Every time I walk around Florence I discover something new. Italy has so much history. There are always new things to see. I also took language courses which helped me learn more about the country. Learning the language and its history was very important to me. I just try to make the most of everyday. Back home I’d spend my days off having lazy days etc. I try very hard not to do that here because I know that the time goes by quicker than you think. So anytime I have a free day or an afternoon. I’m out exploring, traveling doing something. I want to make the most of this experience so I try to minimize my lazy days unless I really need one.

I decided to become an Au Pair after completing my first semester of nursing school. I was at a time in my life where I did not know exactly what I wanted to do, while everyone around me seemed to know exactly what they were doing. I was in a rut and I needed to shake things up a bit. That's when I found out about GeoVisions Au Pair program. Although the most common (and preferred) Au Pair stay is around 6 months-1 year, I only stayed for 3 months. I left the US in September and returned in December, and let me tell you, I would not trade my experience in France for anything! I have always been pretty timid, so traveling to the south of France (Sommières to be exact) by myself was definitely a challenge that I am happy to say I overcame. As soon as I arrived in Sommières I was immediately greeted by my host family at the airport with open arms. After a few days of settling in, my host father showed me the ropes of what I was expected to do and even helped me learn how to drive a "stick shift" car. The workload (even though I really shouldn't even be calling it work) included waking up with the kids in the morning, making them breakfast and bringing them to school. When they were off at school I had the whole day to do whatever I wanted until I had to pick them up around 16:30. After school I played with them, helped them with homework, and sometimes made dinner and put them to bed. Then, I had the weekends to do whatever I wanted as well. The family was always very involved and I was always able to reach them. They were so kind and generous and they had a lovely home. They took the kids and I to Aix-en-Provence and Barcelona, Spain, and to a few other places during my stay. They always paid for food, they always paid for gas for the car, and they were just the best host family I could have ever asked for! I also made many new friends through the Au Pair program. During my first month, AFJ (the other organization I was working with) held a meeting with all the new Au Pair's in Nice for a weekend. There we got to explore the city and meet other Au Pair's near us. All the other Au Pair's were very kind and they were from all over the world. I have never experienced so much culture in my life it was truly outstanding. As for the south of France, I am itching to go back and I've only been home for 5 months! Sommières is a beautiful little village about 40 minutes away from Montpellier. The town center is charming and rustic and the surrounding villages are the same! I don't know what else I can possibly say about the trip, but it was an experience of a lifetime and I will definitely be returning in the future.

My GeoVisions trip to France was one of the best experiences of my life. My host family was extremely warm, inclusive and supportive. I loved spending time with the family and helping them learn English. It provided the perfect opportunity for me to practice my French and experience the country. My family provided with me with a bike, and I took many day trips riding along the Saone river to the closest city, Tournus where I shopped at the weekly market and ate chocolate croissants. The people in Tournus and my village of Simandre were very friendly and helpful. I toured the local area and explored the many cultural sites of interest. My family generously included me in extended family events and took me to other cultural areas of interest. I had plenty of time to roam the gorgeous countryside enjoying the fields of wheat and sunflowers. My family's home was super nice and I had a lovely room to myself. They had just built a pool which we all enjoyed. I am very thankful to GeoVisions for helping me have this enriching journey.

I got to explore the Köln Dom and it was amazing but I get to see so much more than one area for 2 weeks! The people are so friendly. When they find out I'm from Seattle, I get lots of questions and comments about the rock scene! I came over to Germany with the goal of learning the language and learning more about the culture. My goals haven’t changed, I’ve just added a few! I am totally learning German thanks to being immersed in it. I recommend this experience.

An au pair is an unmarried young adult aged 18 to 30 years, who has no children and travels to a foreign country for a defined period of time to live with a host family. The au pair is considered as a full member of the family during the entire stay. ... However, the au pair is neither a housekeeper, nor a nanny.

I came here with the goal to see and do as much as I possibly can while helping my family with their English skills. While I still have this goal, I think it has shifted more towards doing as much as I can. I really want to immerse myself in this culture as much as I can while I’m here. Living like the locals is my main goal for this trip. (While also making them some American foods to try of course!!) I came here with the goal to see and do as much as I possibly can while helping my family with their English skills. While I still have this goal, I think it has shifted more towards doing as much as I can. I really want to immerse myself in this culture as much as I can while I’m here. Living like the locals is my main goal for this trip. (While also making them some American foods to try of course!!) My host sister took me on a walk/hike with her the other day around our village. We took the back roads and walking paths that I would have never seen without her telling me. We walked through the vineyards, past some farms, and even saw where rock was taken out of hills to use for buildings in the town. It was all so beautiful and peaceful. I truly made me feel like a local. The Bassin d’Arcachon is absolutely beautiful! It is definitely worth a trip if you can make it there. I also recommend just exploring Bordeaux. It is the perfect city to walk around and see new things.

It was not what I expected, but on the other hand I gained more than I expected to. My advice is to have prospective tutors learn EXACTLY all the circumstances surrounding their expected programs. All in all a very positive experience.

I had the out most best experience in Australia living and working as a nanny I loved it so much i am currently trying to move out there permanently on a skilled working visa. My family was amazing and the staff with geovisions offered so much support and guidance I want to do it again or try another program!

I was an au pair with GeoVisions in Madrid for two months and loved every second of my experience. I had always wanted to go to Spain and this was the perfect opportunity to learn about Spain and its culture.

My stay in Thailand was amazing!! It wasn't just a place to visit, but a series of divine encounters. My fellow teachers, the students, community of Uttadarit and Xplore Asia as well as the Thai people I met impacted my life in ways I can't express. The attitude of the culture is one of respect and acceptance that goes way beyond what I have experienced anywhere else in my travels. Combine this with the beauty of the country, the food, the travel and the graciousness of everyone I met and I had the Thaime of my life. I would go back to Thailand in a heart beat and I hope I get a chance to someday.

My goals for doing this program were to become a better English teacher and to get to know the city where am I staying. Since being on the program for a month, I definitely feel like I have accomplished my goal of feeling comfortable in my city. My goal with being a better English teacher has been narrowed down a little bit; in other words, it has gone from the general (wanting to be good) to the specific (help my family improve their English skills in tailored ways given their personal goals and feedback). The Tower of Hercules is the local UNESCO World Heritage site - a must-visit for anyone in Coruña or Galicia. Another highlight was traveling to Ponferrada, in the province of Leon, and visit the 12th-century Templar castle located there. I have been to the beach in Coruña many times but only once was the whole city gathered on it. La Noche de San Juan, a celebration of the summer solstice, took place on June 24th and I will never forget how the normally empty and quaint beach was filled with tens of thousands of people and dozens of bonfires. People came from all over to be a part of the festivities and I am so glad to have been here in Coruña to witness it and soak in the atmosphere of a celebration unlike any other.

I wish I had asked what the weather is like on a daily basis. I brought too many of the wrong clothes. Also make sure you know how much time you are actually going to have with the kids because it gets quite boring not doing anything for 6 hours of the day 3 days a week, unless you want to go out to the city all the time. GeoVisions makes it easy to communicate with your host family before you leave home, but I would recommend asking lots of detailed questions to the family. My host family bought me a car to use while I was here to help drop off and pick up the kids and they put a GPS in my car to help me get around or get back home if I got lost, but I don't use it that often it's not that hard to get around. Make sure your first priority is the kids, they are always the main priorities always making sure they are safe and healthy and eating good nutritional food. If you do that, the remainder of your time will be fun.

I highly recommend the GeoVisions au pair program in Italy. But keep and open mind and be flexible! When you join a host family, you basically jump on a moving train. Take time to observe and find a way to make your presence meaningful in their family while also not changing their daily routine. This program will give you plenty of time (and money) to travel and explore. I am going to Croatia and more around Italy before I head back the States. Must see include Cinque Terre in Italy and Prague so far. I took time to explore Milan and constantly am visiting small cities in northern Italy. The best part about living abroad is being so close to all the hidden treasures. One priority for me was to go to a few cities that weren't on my list before I got here. I also want to make an effort to make more Italian friends and not just new friends from America or other English speakers. That's easier to do when you're traveling.

After my au pair job in Spain, I will be going back home to Mississippi to prepare for my next job as an English teacher for grades 7-12. I have traveled a good bit during my time here and would highly recommend both Rome, Italy, and Barcelona, Spain. They were my favorite trips out of about 9/10 total trips. If you come over as an au pair, don't be afraid to become attached to the kids! Your time will be more fulfilling in the long run. Also, ask ahead of time when the long weekends are if you want to travel. GeoVisions sets you up to email or Skype with the family before you leave home. So make sure they understand you are also there to travel. It can make life much easier. I found a walk and talk group which met once a week and allowed me to learn secret insights into Madrid, which is where I have been since January. There are several types of ways to meet people and really make the most of your experience. This program has given me the ability to listen more and I have forced myself to immerse myself into a culture much, much different than my own. I now prioritize my wellbeing more in comparison to having been a college student who never worried about anything other than classes.

My friends at home are constantly asking me if I am out seeing everything I came here to see. I always say yes and no... because I have already seen a lot, but have a lot left on my list to see. Many people go 'aw that sucks I hope you see everything!' But this experience has been so amazing that even though I have not seen everything I want to see, I am so happy where I am and very comfortable with my host family! That said, I have seen the Newcastle beaches many times, and have been up to the Hunter Valley where my host family is moving, but there are also beautiful vineyards and many Kangaroos. I recommend this program highly. I'm finding myself a little more each day and the program lets me do that. And I still have 5 months left, and it's exciting to think about who next I'll meet.

Before traveling abroad, I was unsure what or how I would end up traveling. I knew I wanted an authentic experience living in another country and immersing myself in another culture. From my first interaction to my time abroad, the GeoVisions team has been incredibly helpful to make sure I found the right abroad experience for me. After deciding to be an au pair, the GeoVisions team made sure I the process of finding a host family was as easy for me as possible. I was matched with two different families who did not work out. The GeoVisions staff (I worked with Kirsty) always assured me that I did not need to be worried or anxious about the matching process. If it hadn't of been for them I may have given up on finding the right family for me. Luckily we found a great host family and my experience has been wonderful! GeoVisions was an integral part in helping me feel secure going abroad. If they didn't know the answer to a question, they had resources available to help me know who to contact. The only part of the process I wish they would have helped with was getting the visa to stay in Europe for over 3 months (most of that I had to figure out on my own). Even after I arrived, the GeoVisions team has still checked on me and I am confident that if there were any issues they would be there to support me. I highly recommend using GeoVisions if you are thinking of going abroad for work!

I have been able to meet a lot of friendly people that will go WAY out of their way to help me. You just have to use your extra best judgement to know who is worth your time and who is not. And don't overcompensate for being a foreigner by smiling and being extra friendly (as a female). There are a lot of opportunities to travel. I have yet to see Phuket, but have been to Phung Nga and Koh Luk. I have a broken arm and the cast won't come off until the end of the month (hopefully), so until then I won't be doing much traveling. After a few more months I think I will head up north to check out some of the areas up that way. I am considering volunteering in an elephant sanctuary for a few months before leaving Thailand. So while teaching is going really well, so is the opportunity to experience all Thailand has to offer.

It's been three years since I left the Gabrielli family and to these days, I am still very much part of their household's life. I am very fortunate to have them in my life. Only when I was halfway staying with the family that I realised they didn't have any Wifi connection, and that they actually worked a pact with their neighbour one floor above them to share the password with me. The Gabrielli family was very accommodating and they treated me as a member of their family. Alessia, the matriarch was always concerned about me heading out by Metro all by myself at "funny" hours, warning me I would be targeted by gypsies. As luck would have it, I truly got targeted by three bullies who were trying to snatch off my belongings. The story had a happy ending as elderly Italian ladies came to my rescue by barricading me against the intruders, who left in a hurry at the next Metro stop. My month staying with the Gabrielli is exactly how I wanted it to be, living like a local and doing every day mundane things. I missed those days when out of spontaneity, Silvanu, the patriarch of the family would take me out to Vatican City and to listen to sermon given by the Pope, the day when Alexis, the "princess" of the family would come to me, sulking and singing the Frozen's theme song in an Italian rendition, cheering on for Gabrielli's children whilst they played competitive soccer in a play-off, prepping dough for pizza with the family on the weekends. These are the experiences that couldn't be bought or exchanged through travel brochure. For me, this is a small gesture of paying it forward to humanity. Along the way, I share with the Gabrielli of what lies beyond Italy. I would like to think that for a better world, it's best that we are building bridges to connect the dots rather than building walls to keep people away from one another. Only through respect and understanding that we humans get to learn to co-exist and to live in harmony with one another. That being said, this program is suitable for people that are highly adaptable, curious and open-minded. If you are set with how you life your life, you might find such experience stressful, considering that my host family speaks very little English. Thankfully, with a bit of help from Google Translate, we are able to communicate and to make learning English quite a rather entertaining proposition. If I have free time, I would do it all again in a flash.

This program has given me the ability to travel everywhere! I have had the opportunity while my host family was on holiday to visit Melbourne, Brisbane, and the Gold Coast, Queensland. In May, when I complete my contract with my host family, I will be traveling to Bali, Thailand, Vietnam, Cambodia, then from Italy travel through Europe and some east coast stops in the US before returning to California. If you are hesitant or weighing your options to stay or go and they keep evening out, just go! I have a great host family and that has made all the difference for me, so I am so glad I invested the time from the beginning to chat with potential host families and ultimately go with the best match for both parties. GeoVisions was very open to setting this all up and giving me time to find the family that I thought was a best match for me.

Thailand is an incredible country, and through my program I had an amazing opportunity to gain experience teaching and provide a wide range of English skills to my students. As long as you have an open mind, and aren't afraid of occasionally feeling awkward with not only a language barrier, but a cultural barrier, there's no shortage of new experiences and adventures you can have! During my time here, I found most Thai people are appreciative of the fact that you're putting in the effort to even learn the language. A great way to help you learn about your host country is by visiting the many beautiful temples. I have done this in both Chiang Mai and Bangkok and felt it helped me to understand the rich culture and history of Thailand. I have had incredible support from the beginning of my program, from teaching strategies to feeling safe exploring on my own. During my free time I have even been able to attend music festivals and visit Pai, Khao Yai, down south on the islands. There's certainly no shortage of adventure in Thailand!

The program is really great. I think I rated the program down a little because I’m homesick. If I were talking to anyone about the program, I’d mention that it’s easy to miss everyone at home when you’re on a year-long program. The program isn’t at all what I expected, but I think I focus too much on some of the negative parts of my experience and I’m slowly learning to realize how fortunate I am to be here and living and working in another country for a year. I also know I’ll feel much better once I make more friends and broaden my connections. I have been able to travel. MUST SEE: Rotterdam, Paris, Barcelona, Madrid, Utrecht.

I have been teaching in Thailand for just over two months now. I would say that in order to fully get the experience, you have to make an effort to get to know your Thai coworkers. It's easy to get into a routine and do the typical "hello, how are you?" dance. In getting to know them, you can make life long relationships and do things that are once in a life time opportunities, like going to a Thai wedding. Since it is close to New Years, I am very excited to see how they celebrate it here. I have heard that this is one of the biggest celebrations and they go all out for it. In Lampang, they took about 2 weeks to set up lights and displays for New Years. This experience is allowing me to take time for myself. Back home, I try to put everyone else first and sometimes I ran myself tired. I make sure to take the time to relax and do things for me and this program gives me the ability to do exactly that.

I just arrived home last Thursday as I spent a month in Spain after leaving France. GeoVisions did a superb job matching a French family and a Canadian English instructor!!! Thank You for being the liaison in connecting us. Besides having 4 wonderful children to work with I also had access to the countryside for daily walks with their chocolate lab dog. Living with and meeting friends and relatives of my host family was an excellent way for me to experience the French culture, and partake in French cuisine daily. My relationship with the family shall continue. I believe it is a plus that the application process with Geovisions allows for candidates to look at the family resumes and see if they would be comfortable living with the family and vice versa. Access to a Geovisions staff member is readily available, another plus! I would certainly recommend Geovisions to anyone wishing to share their English skills in exchange for experiencing a new culture. Thanks for providing opportunities for enhancing one's life.

Moving to South Korea is a complete culture immersion, everyday is a new adventure. I have gone to Busan, Daegu, and Gyeongin. My goal is to explore as much of South Korea and nearby countries as possible.

The main reason I decided to take part in this program was to able to travel to China. I was really interested in the convenience of the program and how it would easily allow me the freedom to travel and explore whenever and whatever I wanted. I would teach a family English and have a place to stay in China and meals provided for me. I could leave to explore whenever I wasn't busy with English lessons. After a bit of time though, I have discovered that this unique situation of living with a family in another country and teaching them is much more than just a place to sleep and eat. It has been very fun to travel to another country and see the different tourist attractions, but staying in and spending time with the family was even more fun. We have exchanged cultural beliefs and practices and learned a lot from each other. Being able to share my culture and also learn about another country's culture has made my time abroad very fulfilling. I feel more pride for my own country, more aware of other cultures, and also less ignorant. This programs offers a very unique opportunity to be able to travel to a new country and experience another culture from a unique perspective that cannot be attained by traveling there normally. This experience has been so unique and I would not trade it for the opportunity to see any landmark or tourist attraction. My family shared a few songs that they like with me. They were very popular American songs which was a little surprising. Many popular American artists like Queen and Michael Jackson are well known in China which I found very interesting. I have gone to most of the popular tourist attractions in China like the Hutong Markets, Lama Temple, Houhai, Wangfujing, Beihai Park, the Olympic Village, Tiananmen Square, the Summer Palace and the Temple of Heaven. I would recommend trying to visit all of these places, but most of all, I highly recommend trying to see the Great Wall. This was by far my favorite place to visit in China so far. There are multiple parts of the Great Wall that people can visit, but I went to a part of the Great Wall called Jinshanling. It is a bit farther from Beijing than other parts of the Great Wall, but it was well worth the extra distance. Apparently, this part of the Great Wall is much less touristy and fewer people go there. This part was also restored less than other more popular parts of the Great Wall, which I really liked. More ruined and original parts of the Great Wall can be seen. It is not as easy to visit the Great Wall as it is to see the other places I mentioned, but I highly recommend trying to visit the Great Wall while in China, and visiting the part that I went to if you can. I haven't been to any sports games or matches, but I have been keeping up with the Olympics. My host family and I have been watching the Olympics together every chance we can, I obviously cheer for the United States, but whenever China is in an event, I cheer for them too with my host family. Usually, my host family and I end up cheering for both the United States and China. My goal for coming to China was to explore the country and learn about the culture here. Also, I wanted to gain experience teaching English and also maybe adopt some of another culture's practices and traditions. My goals have not changed much, but I have added learning a bit of Chinese to my list of goals. I am happy to say that I am achieving my goals and will continue to work towards them.

This has been such an amazing opportunity that GeoVisions has provided me with. This allowed me to teach abroad without giving up my job at home. Thailand is filled with such caring and kind people. I felt support from the teachers at my school and the people in my town. GeoVisions slowly introduced us to Thailand in a way that made me feel safe and comfortable with this new country. I learned many things about the culture and teaching in Thailand during our week long orientation before being sent to my school. Geovisions is such a fantastic organization!

This is a great program. You must go with no expectations. You will likely get something completely different, but exactly what you need. The team did a great job preparing me for my time in the classroom and helping me feel confident to go out into my own city in Thailand. It is an experience of a lifetime!

I can honestly say this has been the best summer of my life. Its sad to thin its coming to an end. I wish I had more time to stay in this genuinely beautiful and peaceful country. If I was not starting a new job back in New York City, I would extent my contract with out a doubt. While I came here to teach my students, they have taught me so much more in return. I have learned the value of patience which is not easy growing up in New York. GeoVisions was such a great company to start with and Xplore Asia was a great transition into a country I knew nothing about. GeoVisions had such great customer service and would answer to any and every (which was a lot) e-mail I sent. Since me and my girlfriend were doing the Summer Teach in Thailand together they assured us there would be no problem placing us together. Which there was not. However, they have ZERO knowledge of the placement as the second you land in Bangkok you are handed off to a company called XploreAsia. XploreAsia was a great company which really made the transition easy. This is a culture I knew nothing about and after a full action packed week orientation I felt as if I have been here for years! The hardest part about orientation was leaving the people we formed such tight relationships with in that short week. I don't have a negative thing to say about this experience as I kept my exactions low (one thing you have to do in this country). Go in with an open mind and know what you want to get out of the experience. I would love to do it again, if not here, somewhere else across the world! Thank you GeoVisions and XploreAsia!

Geovisions was friendly, informative, and helpful from the very beginning. They were also very patient with my many questions, and were available via phone and email. My boyfriend and I applied together and we were successfully placed together, something that we made clear from the beginning was very important to us. Our experience in Thailand has been wonderful. There are of course hiccups along the way, but that is how you learn and grow. Throughout my experience, I have never felt alone- I knew Geovisions and XploreAsia were always available to help me with whatever I needed. I highly recommend Geovisions and teaching in Thailand to anyone!

This was such a neat experience!! I really lucked out by having such an amazing family as a host!! They were all so kind and welcoming and really went out of there way to show me the best of Italy. I also really enjoyed being placed in Northern Italy. I was close to Turino and Milano and the town I stayed in had so much character. Of course it is a bit strange staying with people you've JUST met and who don't speak the same language as you but you find ways to communicate just the same which is such an amazing part of this experience. The lessons were definitely a touch challenging though as my student ended up being far more advanced in English than I anticipated. (His parents only knew a few words so when my student wasn't around we'd get creative with our communication). My student was in post secondary so I had to scrap a lot of the lessons plans and ideas I came prepared with because they were far to basic. Thank goodness I brought a laptop! If you have the means, I definitely recommend bringing a laptop or tablet to assist with your lesson plans. I found I did a lot of research trying to find activities for us to do that focused more on grammar than basic "every day" English. I used quite a bit of the materials provided by GeoVisions but even ran out of those sooner than expected so I had to source other free lessons and ideas online too. I also found the language app/game Duolingo to be quite helpful. It's a great language program (and free!) and having a native speaker go through it with you adds another element. I had a basic knowledge of written Italian so when we'd get stuck on a phrase or word, between my english and my student's Italian, we could find the answer. So that was really cool!! I hope my student was happy with our lessons. I do wish I was more prepared for that aspect. It's one thing to speak it everyday, it's another to teach someone the nuances of grammar when one doesn't think of them in their every day speech. I also found myself brushing up on the specifics of grammar as well so that I could better explain the rules and irregularities of English. Outside of our lessons, my student would also take me out with his friends which was great! We'd go for coffee in the square on weeknights and out for dinner and drinks on the weekend. His friends are wonderful and it was so nice having a good social network out there. As mentioned at the beginning, the whole family was just the greatest. They took me on a few day trips to Venice, Florence, Milano, and the coast and were just so proud of their country (as well they should be). I even went out on a few excursions of my own to Milano and Turino. The Trenitalia platform announcer is engrained in my brain now having gone on so many train rides around that region. And they were so generous at the house too. They always made sure to have breakfast items on hand, and made the best meals for lunch and dinner. I felt a bit out of sorts not being able to help out in the kitchen though I offered many times. GeoVisions was easy to get a hold of too not that I needed to much after I was on my way. The application process was great and everyone who I spoke with via phone and email was really kind and helpful. The only delay I found was in getting access to the lesson materials and once I had them I didn't know where to begin. Maybe mine was a unique situation because my student was more advanced but it would have been nice to have a bit more direction with how to make the best use of the guides provided. And of course I was super nervous travelling across the globe to stay with a family I'd never met before. But thanks to GeoVisions for scoping out a great family for me to stay with! I hope they enjoyed it as much as I did. All in all, it was a fantastic experience and if you're reading this and wondering if you should go for it.....you totally should. It was an amazing way to travel and really get to know a culture outside of North America with such a personal touch.

My family has been really amazing. I have my own space in the house and it's in the perfect location between downtown and the beach. I only work three days of the week so I have a lot of free time. Sometimes I do get bored though. There are tons of other Au Pairs to meet up with but not very many American girls. My only complaint would be how much I actually paid for the program. I have realized that every other Au Pair I have met simply went to an Au pair agency for free and they set them up with a family (the families pay the fee), while I had to pay hundreds of dollars for the same service.

Like most recent college graduates, I had no idea what I wanted to do with my life when I graduated. While all my friends were applying for "real jobs", I decided to take the less traditional route and move to Thailand. When deciding what program I should go through, I just googled "teach abroad in Thailand", applied to about five programs, and crossed my fingers and hoped for the best. Geovisions was the first program to get back to me and after speaking to them on the phone I was sold. They help you with literally everything and answer any questions that you may have at any time. I still feel super well taken care of even though I'm currently half way across the country. The first month of the program was spent in Hua Hin completing a TESOL course and cultural orientation. I highly recommend taking the TESOL course in person rather than online. There are three other foreign teachers at my school and let's just say that I was the most prepared in terms of what to expect out of Thai schools. Completing the TESOL course in person also gives you a really strong support system of people who get what you're going through. It's such a reassuring feeling to know that at the end of a really bad (or good!) day, you have a group of people who you can reach out to, vent about your frustrations, or just have a normal conversation with in English. It also makes traveling cheaper because you have plenty of people you can stay with all around Thailand. Thinking back on my experience, I wouldn't have wanted to do it any other way. Geovisions really helps you out with everything and I'm so happy that I went through them :)

My experience has been very positive with the Gallia family. My living situation was wonderful; their house is absolutely gorgeous! The children were great. I will miss them when I leave. We traveled to beautiful places on the weekends and they fed me the most delicious food. I appreciated being able to interact with their extended family as well.

I had an unbelievable time living in Rome for 2 months with my host family. I was able to immerse myself in Italian culture and live freely while getting my feet wet in teaching English. These two months were the best of my life and I will always remember this journey! I also still stay in contact with my family and I hope to be able to see them soon!

I chose to do the volunteer to teach English abroad program in France, primarily to gain exposure to the French language and way of life. I feel that I was lucky to be placed with a wonderful and generous host family, who took me on many weekend outings and included me in everything they did with generosity and love. I am fortunate that the program coordinator in Quimper found me a post as an English assistant in a local high school, and also found me French classes at a local community center. My host family also found me a post as a volunteer for people with handicaps. I have met a lot of amazing people that way. Although I'm in a small town I have easy access to the bus line. It has also been fun teaching English to my host family, usually during dinner and usually with conversation games. I have found that the people in Bretagne are very generous and helpful, and the region is also very beautiful. I've had the chance to visit other towns and that has been very enriching.

I know it sounds cliché but this was truly one of the best decisions I've made so far. This has been the most challenging, rewarding, and eye-opening experience and I've loved every second of it. There are definitely times where things were a little bumpy, but they were just that. A LITTLE bumpy. However I have a great support network, and there are tons of people I know I can reach out to if anything were to go wrong. Geovisions made the process leading up to getting to Thailand as smooth as possible and they put up with all my silly questions graciously and put my mind at ease. I recommend to anyone that wants a new experience that they just go for it. I don't mean to make moving to a foreign country and starting a new life sound like a breeze because it is by no means a job for the faint hearted, but if you're up for a challenge I promise you wont regret it.

I had a great experience in France. My host family was very accommodating. Along with tutoring my host family, I also got to meet up with other GeoVisions people, which was nice. I had the freedom to travel with new friends, or on my own. I would definitely recommend GeoVisions and this program.

You absolutely must do it. If you're as far gone as looking at reviews, do it. Follow your heart to the other side of the world. Don't hesitate. It will be the best decision you ever made. Whether you au pair or teach English... Whether you go to France or Spain or New Zealand... just do it. I personally am really enjoying my experience with GeoVisions in the Netherlands. The program and support are superb, and the Dutch people are warm, kind, and welcoming. This is truly a wonderful place to begin your lifetime of traveling (and the Netherlands is situated ideally for travel all around Europe on your free time - I just got back from Paris this weekend)!

I spent 6 months au-pairing in New Zealand, and went through Geovisions in the US. The entire time I was abroad, I felt supported and had plenty of resources and contacts just in case I needed anything. The Geovisions program makes sure that you are matched with a good family in a secure location. I highly recommend Geovisions if you are considering a safe, secure, and fun overseas adventure!

I have done lots of traveling and it's been great, I've experienced many cultures in Italy. I think it's very rewarding, and can be tough at times, but so worth it.

I would say to take it easy and not have expectations. The Thais are very laid-back and last minute with their planning, so it would be difficult to feel comfortable if you must have every hour planned out every day.

La dolce vita is real! That is all I have to say about my wonderful 3 months in Italy. It was by far the best experience I have had to date. During this time, I grew in ways I could not imagine possible and met a lot of beautiful souls along the way. If you are wondering if you should take the gamble and do something out of the ordinary like this, the answer is a million times YES! I searched for many different opportunities that would bring me to this beautiful country and Geovisions had the perfect program for me. I decided I wanted to partake in the Walk and Talk program with them because it was part-time au pairing and part-time tutoring and they had great reviews. I have heard many wishy washy stories about au pairing because sometimes all isn’t as it seems. You never really know what type of family you will have until you arrive. This program felt more like a gurantee that I would have some freedom during my stay and the family would be on the same page as I am. It also felt a lot safer because everything done is through an agency. When I got there I was put into contact with their sister agency, who made the process of easing into a new culture a lot smoother. The family I was paired with was absolutely amazing! Very welcoming and respectful. I had the pleasure of tutoring and au pairing two lovely boys age 10 and 15, sweetest boys I have ever met. It was an absolute joy to get to know them and experience life the way they do. In Italy family is very important, so we had dinner together every evening unless I had plans or vice versa. It was a great balance of work and play! Also living so close to Milan was a plus. They give you access to ESL tutoring supplies and you create the lessons yourself. It isn't bad and its pretty easy to just go a long in order. Although i did run out of material it wasn't hard to come up with assignments! Finding this program was one of the best things that I have done because now I have an idea of where I want my future to lie and that is in Italy. My experience there thanks to Geovisions was so great that I have been invited back to stay with my host family another three months to continue teaching them, which I will be doing in the next few weeks.

Firstly, before I say anything else about my experience, I think it's really important to note that one's experience teaching in Thailand is heavily dependent upon 1) what school one is placed in, 2) the quality of the agent representing you and 3) your honest, deep-down reasons for choosing to teach abroad. Providers like GeoVisions and XploreAsia (who they connect you with for training and placement in Thailand) don't have much control over where you are placed, so my feelings about my placement shouldn't be thought of as their doing. My boyfriend and I were placed in a public high school in Amphawa, Thailand, a very small town that rarely sees English-speakers. I taught grades 10-12 (M 4-6 in Thailand), and most of my students had a very low proficiency in English, despite having had years of English from Thai teachers. The experience was hugely challenging, and it took at least a month before I felt truly comfortable and like it was enjoyable. GeoVisions was fantastic in the support they provided and the promptness with which they helped us out, every time. XploreAsia also was easy to work with and very helpful, both regarding matters in the classroom and in life in Thailand in general. They leave you with very little to no choice in where you are placed, however, so that's just something to be aware of if one chooses to go through XploreAsia. My boyfriend and I really didn't mind this, as our minds and hearts were open as to where we would be teaching, but it's just something to consider for those who feel strongly about a specific destination. We loved our agent- she was extremely helpful, friendly and made us feel really welcome in Thailand, and our accommodation was fantastic- our landlady and her family are the people we miss most from this experience. We both loved our time in Thailand, but it's also what you make it. If you just go for yourself and your own needs, you may find the challenges too hard to overcome- but if you go to make a difference and to change kids' lives, I'm sure you will love the experience as much as I did.

GeoVisions helped me a lot to get going on the au pair program, and assisted me with paperwork and logistics before heading abroad. They were always available to talk and even checked in a few times while I was over seas, I would definitely recommend working with them! The job itself definitely had its ups and downs. The lifestyle took a lot of getting used to; it was very different than my lifestyle the previous 4 years in college. While that is expected, it still came as a bit of a shock when I had to adapt to earlier bed times, having to let my host parents know my plans outside of work (it wasn't required but just a courtesy), and feeling like a guest when it came to making food and just hanging around the house. My host family was more than welcoming and kind, however, it still feels a bit weird to open up a strangers (at the beginning) refrigerator and make yourself a sandwich. With that being said, that all went away after about 2 months. I just want to put it out there so that future au pairs are prepared for things that I didn't even think about before going. Don't let it change your mind of going though because it was truly one of the best years of my life. I learned so much about the Dutch culture, and while some of their traditions are very different than my own, I was more than thrilled to experience that. The schedule for me was ideal, I worked 4 days a week and had every weekend off. The host parents would often give me random days off as well, so I really took advantage of my location and travelled all over Europe! I always had a friend to go with as well because there were a lot of other au pairs in my area (The Hague). As I said in the title of this review, it was a very rich cultural experience. American traditions and Dutch traditions are different and I absolutely loved being put out of my comfort zone and living that life for a year. I would recommend the program, it really helped me grow as a person and The Netherlands will always be in my top 3 favorite countries!

This program allowed me to live in the South of France for 2 and half months with a wonderful and welcoming family, while teaching their youngest son English. I was able to travel through France and soak up as much of the culture as I could. It was one of the most incredible experiences I've ever had that not only taught me about French culture, but also taught me a lot about myself. I couldn't be happier that I chose to take part in this program and I have the very friendly staff at Geovisions to thank for that! I recommend this program to anyone!

I came to the Netherlands after working in the Hollywood Entertainment industry for several years after University. I needed to get away from that lifestyle and experience something totally new and refreshing while I "gathered" myself and started to focus on a new direction in life. I live with a very kind and loving family who go out of their way to make sure I'm happy. The pay is quite bad, but since you're not spending any money on room or board, all that money goes directly to your bank account as spending money, so if you're frugal you will have plenty to explore the Netherlands on the weekends. The social connections here are fantastic between Au Pairs (I know I rated it a 5/10, more on that later) because through House of Orange Au Pair Agency, they give you the contact list of EVERY one of their au pairs in Holland, so you have at least a hundred if not more people to reach out to in order to make new friends. I rated it a 5/10 for two reasons, and one is because I'm the only Male au pair here, and I'm a bit older than the other au pairs. All the other au pairs I've met are young teenage girls fresh out of high school, and though I don't mind spending time with girls I really have a hard time meeting other "dudes" to hang out with. Luckily many of the girls I've met are more mature than the typical teenage girl, but that doesn't apply to all of them. Secondly, keep in mind that Dutch people are very, very private. Spontaneity is not a word many Dutchmen are familiar with. Meeting strangers in public, at bars or events is considerably more difficult than in the US. Dutchmen keep to themselves and tend to have a big "wall" constructed around their lives, and the only way to meet Dutchmen is through an organized activity or social event. It is considered taboo to show up unannounced at somebody's house (even children looking for playdates). ALL social events are scheduled well in advance, so calling up a Dutch friend for a spontaneous drink or to "catch a film tonight" just isn't likely at all. It's more like "The third Thursday of next month I'm free, maybe we can do something then?" Being a spontaneous, outgoing person like myself, this kind of lifestyle was the hardest part of adjusting to life here. But otherwise, the au pair program has been fantastic and the last thing I will say is one of my favorite quotes: "Nobody said it was going to be easy, but they promised it would be worth it."

I had an absolutely beautiful experience abroad. The family I lived with is one that I will be friends with for life, and the things I learned are innneumerable. My French is conversational now, I learned about new foods, about how I want to travel in the future, cultural differences, and a lot about my self. I was bothered that I didn't have as much freedom as I would have liked to go places and do things as I would have wished and chosen for myself. However the family was so adventurous that I was never bored. Geovisions always helped out and is a reliable program. I never had an experience that I had to rely on them for, but I always knew they were available.

Being in Thailand has definitely been quite the experience! I will tell you, it was definitely not love at first sight haha. It had taken me a bit of time to adjust to everything: the different climate, culture, and overall way of life... but in the end, I wouldn't trade my experience for the world! I have met so many new friends, seen some of the most amazing views, and learned a whole lot about myself, and life along the way.

The program was a huge success for me, the procedures to follow for signing up were easy. Each step of the application was straightforward, contact with the people at Geovisions throughout the application process, was really helpful. I felt I had a fantastic relationship with everybody I spoke to, the process was smooth and Geovisions soon found me a family. I would recommend this program to anybody, it is a fantastic, worthwhile experience for broadening your horizons, meeting amazing new people and experiencing a culture different to your own, it provides you with memories to treasure for a lifetime. I am grateful to Geovisions for making this program so accessible to people, with its affordability being immensely important. If you are thinking of travelling abroad, expanding your conceptual knowledge of the world, speaking a new language, making awesome new friends and feeling a part of a new community while providing the opportunity for others to learn your language. You really cannot go wrong with this program and I would urge you to sign up, it has changed my life with the experiences I have and the friends I have made, and I cannot wait to revisit in future. Thanks Geovisions!

The title says it all, I've been teaching in Northeastern Thailand for a year, and every day it seems like it just keeps getting better and better. There are lots of challenges of course, especially when you first start teaching at your school, but that should be expected. I teach at a public high school, and everyone at the school loves my girlfriend and I. Our hours are very fair, and we get paid enough to live comfortably in Thailand. Geovisions always answered all of our questions promptly, helped us get all of our visa paperwork sorted, and got us connected with an awesome TESOL agency in Hua Hin, called Xploreasia. My girlfriend and I were a little nervous putting our faith in a company we read about on the internet, but we got our TESOL degree, some volunteer experience, and a job within 50 days of being in Thailand. This program far exceeds all my expectations, and I would highly recommend it to anyone who is ready for this kind of adventure.

The staff were very helpful in placing me with a family that fit my lifestyle. I had the most wonderful experience with my host family in Granada. I am grateful to GeoVisions for helping me plan my trip and for keeping in contact with me; making sure I was ok and everything was going well while I was abroad. I honestly could not have asked for a better experience, my only regret is that I wish I could've stayed longer!

GeoVisions has been nothing but incredible in allowing me to gain a priceless experience that has forever changed my life. I speak highly go GeoVisions to all of my friends and family when sharing the experience I had abroad and will continue to do so!!

I was an Au Pair with the absolute best family I could have ever hoped for, for two months. It was simply the best summer I've ever had. At first I was a little nervous about living in a foreign country, where I don't speak the language but before long, I was settled in and loving the Italian life style. The family are from Pisa, but move to a coastal town called Lido di Camaiore in the summer months, so we all stayed together in their house there, and it was amazing. In the morning, it'd just be me and Gherardo (5yrs) so I'd get him fed and watered before heading to the beach by bike. We'd spend the morning and early afternoon at the beach: in the sea, pool or playing with his friends before heading home for some pasta. At weekends I had lots of free time and travelled to: Florence, Lucca, Pisa, Viareggio, Venice, Rome, Sienna and Cinque Terre during my time in Italy. I would highly recommend Geovisions as your Au Pair company, they are very friendly, helpful and everything you want from a company - and will find you the best family that you can hope for!

I've been a teacher in northeastern Thailand for just over a month now and I LOVE it. This has been an amazing experience and I can't wait to see what the next months hold in store. I'm so happy that I went through GeoVisions because the application process was extremely transparent, took only a couple weeks (wow!) and they've provided continual support and the timeliest responses to every one of my questions. Moving abroad is a big decision and I feel so much better knowing that there is a team of people that I can count on whenever I have any questions or issues. I would absolutely recommend teaching abroad, it's unlike anything else.

The whole experience made me speechless. I didn't know what to expect coming in, and it was everything I could of hoped for and more. From day one, you meet some really amazing people all on the same boat as you- looking for a change, learning a new culture, trying to leave their comfort zone..etc. Geovisions was always there if I needed any help with visas, any advice from prior participants, and pretty much just making sure I was 100% prepared before I took off to Thailand. This was hands down one of the best decision's I have made. The Thai people are some of the kindest, optimistic, selfless people. Teaching these beautiful kids everyday and bringing happiness to their lives was one of the most rewarding feeling's. If I could, I would do it all over again.

Having never been out of the country, I decided to sing up to teach English in Thailand so I could not only have the opportunity to visit another country, but to learn about it. This was the perfect experience for that! It was just the right amount of time to get a wonderful feel for the Thai culture and to try my best to embrace it. I was able to learn Thai dancing at work and go to celebrations almost every week that helped teach me about Thailand. It also gave me time to get to know my coworkers and other Thai friends really well! It was also really neat to learn about Buddhism first-hand! It was a wonderful experience, but rough at the same time. It challenged me in ways I never thought I would be challenged. I would not take back the experience for anything. However, I would have liked to be more prepared for the program. I was not connected to the program I would be traveling with until 2 weeks before the start date. The teacher preparation in training and at the school was lacking as well. It was very difficult to teach 1,000 students of all different levels with no resources given. Despite these circumstances, it really taught me lessons in patience and going with the flow!

I am so thankful for Geovisions for helping me realize my dream, get my butt in gear, and go abroad! I have been wanting to do something like this for years and I was always too scared, or something else was always more important. However, the staff at Geovisions, namely Jodi, were very helpful and made the process painless. I had nothing to worry about and could just enjoy my time connecting with my host family, loving on the kids, and learning a new language. I cannot express how thankful I am for this experience! If anyone has even an inkling about becoming an Au Pair in France I would say just take the plunge!! My only caveat would be to suggest making sure there is a train station within walking distance of where you're placed. Being stuck in a small town with virtually no options to travel except the kindness of the great friends I made was a little annoying at times. Overall, it was amazing and I can't say how much I miss my "Second Family in France!"

It has been approximately one week since I returned to Ontario, Canada from my temporary home in Natab, Songkhla, Thailand. I was volunteering there at a local school as an English teacher as well as tutoring my host family in English. The experience was one that I wouldn't trade for anything. Interacting with people of all ages from a culture so drastically different from my own and discovering ways other than verbal in order to communicate and teach English was very rewarding, particularly when I was able to see the comprehension in the faces of the people that I was teaching. As previous reviewers have mentioned, the one truly becomes a member of the family when taking part in the homestay program. I felt that I was very quickly integrated in the day-to-day lives of the family, which was very large - a mother and father, three kids, two grandparents and two cousins and their mother, all of whom were extraordinarily sweet and charming, and did everything that they could in order to ensure that I was comfortable. In return, I made it my priority to do everything I could to help out, although after the first time, they didn't always let me cook...I'm not entirely sure that they trusted my cooking. One of the largest things that I took from the homestay program, and the reason that I would recommend it to anyone else looking for a unique experience different from a teacher placement, was that I was able to observe and take part in Thai culture firsthand. As part of a Thai family, I was shown things that as a teacher exploring on my own, I don't think that I would ever have figured out. I experienced religion, cuisine, academia, family life, night life, and pretty much every facet of life and how it's done in Thai culture. The family and the small community from Natab (particularly the school) was sad to see me go, and the feeling was more than mutual. As part of a family, connections are developed that are much more than work relationships. I felt as though they are an extended part of my family now and I will most assuredly be keeping in touch with them as long as it's possible.

My Experience with GeoVisions on my teach program last year was great. I had a culture course online before I went over. It really helped me know what to expect when I got to China. My placement was not exactly where I wanted at first, but everything worked out in the end. I had one hiccup with the accommodation. The previous tenant at my apartment left the place filthy. When I called GeoVision's partner XPloreAsia they were great and took care of it right away and got it cleaned and fixed. Every time I had any issues GeoVisions were always there to support me. One thing that I was quite lucky with is that I got a good Chinese co-teacher at my school. I recommend that anyone teaching in China should definitely make friends with their co-teachers. It really helps to not only make things smoother in the classroom, but also to show you around and help you get used to the local culture. Overall it was a great experience and I wouldn't trade it for anything.

Looking back, I kind of went into this a little blind. I didn't really know different options or what to expect. But I'm so glad I continued anyway! All the people I've worked with at Geovisions (mainly Jodi) have been so helpful and so quick to respond to emails. I could tell they all truly cared about my experience and well being. I remember the first time I talked to a representative on the phone, and any fears or hesitations I had just went away. She really put me at ease and gave me the confidence I needed to feel safe. They are also great to help with all the paperwork and insurance information, which again looking back was a great relief! I really lucked out my family, I watch two really great kids in a really great family. I'm their first au pair but you wouldn't know it. They are so welcoming and so loving, they really a second family. They also pay for my own "apartment" in a separate building which is nice. So I have my own space to go to. If you are interested in the program I would totally recommend it! And feel free to really investigate the family that you will be staying with! Multiple Skype sessions is a good idea and write down your questions beforehand!

My overall experience in Thailand was wonderful. There was a period of culture shock and working with Thai people is very different than working in Western countries. I lived in a relatively small town in Thailand and worked at a poor public school. I taught large classes, and although the students could be a bit crazy at times, they made showing up every day worth it! It was amazing to see some of the progress these first and second grade students made in such a short time. It was hard work but very rewarding! Living in Thailand was fantastic, it doesn't take long to get your bearings and to feel safe and comfortable. The food and people in my town were great and I already miss them dearly! I would highly recommend this experience to anyone who wished to see the real Thailand!

I did not have a very good experience in Thailand. I loved the culture and the atmosphere, however I was not happy with XploreAsia and the services they provided. I feel that they took on WAY too many teachers in their 2014 November group. They were not able to accommodate all of our requests and it felt as though they did not care about us as individuals. We contacted them many times about issues at our school and they were less than helpful in regards to answering our questions and addressing our concerns. I would have rather gone through a different satellite company. Geovisions, on the other hand, has been wonderful! I have felt the personal support and guidance from the minute I signed on with the program. I would recommend Geovisions to anyone looking for a safe and exciting experience abroad.

I had the most amazing time in France!!! The family I was placed with were a super great family in Le Paradou, in Provence. The first day I arrived I was treated to a proper French lunch in sunny and beautiful Marseille, then whisked away to the wonderful home they had in Le Paradou. My hosts were so friendly and only the wife, Carine could speak English, but her husband Ludovic was super helpful with me learning French too! Their children were so sweet and well-behaved the whole time. I was there and the daughter Alicia, who I tutored the most was such a sweetheart! We had so much fun and she taught me just as much French as I taught her English! We would organize fun little games or read out of books together. Together, we made learning really fun! There wasn't always time for a full, standard lesson plan to be done, but I found it was even more fun teaching in such a fun and dynamic way! On top of the fun I had teaching English, the family was really resourceful with helping me to get my tourism on while they were still working full time and taking care of the kids. Almost every day I went to either Arles, St. Remy de Provence or Fontvielle to experience the beautiful scenery and architecture of France. I had many days where I was treated to coffee by locals or where I would make new friends in the local town, just walking around practicing my French and meeting new people! They also took me along for a ski trip to the Alps, and experience I will never forget! They even set me up with my own private ski teacher, that I still keep in touch with! Of course, the family is very busy, but just like any working family in America, we all need to work. I think that the hospitality they offered me in the midst of their busy schedule is unmatched. I couldn't have asked for a better experience and will be forever grateful to them for my first experience in France being so amazing and memorable!

My time in Australia has really been such an educational and amazing experience. I've only been here for 2 months and I'm already enjoying it so much, that I can only imagine my next months will be even better! I've developed several groups of friends, all of which are very nice and welcoming. I've set a routine that works for me and helps with making my very busy days run smoothly. I'm enjoying the family that I'm living with and getting used to the way things work. GeoVisions has been very helpful along the way and it is very reassuring that they check up on me once in a while to see if I am settled in and happy with my family placement. The whole process with GeoVisions, mainly Rebecca LeGrant and Angela Mulcahy, has been very pleasant and easy going. They made sure that I was placed with the best possible family for my likes that were mentioned on my application and put in an area that they thought I would be comfortable in.

I was an Au Pair in Spain for three months and had a wonderful experience! I was placed with a family that I fit with very well. It was important to remember that cultures will be different but overall the kindness of people worldwide is the same. I learned so much about the Spanish culture and was able to bring part of my culture to them as well. I saw an improvement with the kids and their English and I definitely learned a lot of Spanish while being over there. I got to travel on the weekends and see so many unique places! It was an amazing experience that I will never forget.

I have just spent 12 months living and working in Mianyang, Sichuan, China. Please allow me to preface this by saying that the experience has definitely improved my life- it has forced me to grow and develop, learn an appreciation for the Chinese way of life and its people/culture, and I wouldn't change a thing about what I did. I have no regrets and am grateful for what I have been through. So, after months of paperwork, I landed in Mianyang and was picked up from the airport. There were communication and cultural clashes from the very first second. Everything was more difficult than I had anticipated, although the support from Geovisions was amazing. I thought that the standard of living there was going to be below what I am used to in Australia, although there were many, many uncomfortable challenges for which I received little assistance. When I was severely unwell, I was taken to a doctor to receive Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) [ie a bag of tea], instead of getting the help I thought I needed. My apartment was absolutely tiny, and although I was incredibly grateful for my western toilet, it was said to be 'fully furnished', which I can vouch that it wasn't. It had a few items (uncomfortable, scratchy linen on the world's hardest bed, an old TV I never used and a tiny chair. The kitchen was impossible to cook in with the lack of equipment (only two stovetops), and the washing machine had definitely seen better days. To top this off, it was snowing when I arrived, and my bedroom had a hole in the wall that led directly to the outside of my building (15 floors up). I received little help from the school. For example. in the first fortnight, my MacBook Pro managed to erase all my data. As someone fairly competent with computers, I knew I needed professional expert assistance. I was told "just to look for someone", by my teacher assistant at the school. I have absolutely no Chinese language skills and there is no English in the city I was placed. I spent many hours of my first month in tears from all of these challenges, but I reiterate that it was a learning experience and definitely what one calls, "character building". I eventually coerced one of the Chinese-English teachers to help me (one of the very few who obeyed the instructions of remaining in the classroom throughout my lesson - most would disappear leaving the kids to run amok throughout my class), and we found someone to wipe all data from my laptop and re-load the operating system (in Chinese). I had entered the school and met with the few other foreign teachers, some of which were the calibre of people I would readily avoid if I were to meet them in my hometown. However, they were kind enough and provided advice and company when I asked for it. I worked very hard on all of my lessons, but the schedule was incredibly demanding (teaching 24 lessons per week to 24 different classes, each class with ~60 students in it). Teaching exactly the same 40-minute lesson plan 24 times a week is incredibly monotonous and at times, I wanted to just get out of there, it was driving me insane. The kids were friendly and absolutely loved me, although I oftentimes wished for a place where I could get some peace and quiet (constant construction work in the apartment next to mine left me with migraines many days). I was definitely unable to get peace and quiet at the school; of 8000 students in the school, approximately 3000 of them knew my name, so would always run up to me and try to speak to me in Chinese. It had its days where I just wanted to be invisible. However, it also had many days where it was incredibly rewarding and the only acknowledgement for my work was from myself. As mentioned, there was little assistance when I required it (in finding out how to check and reload my gas and electricity cards, setting up phone and internet, etc), and there was absolutely no notice or organisation of daily changes to timetables, such as exams, swapped classes, sports days, etc. This often left me unprepared for absent classes or spontaneous class changes. In addition, another point to add is the serious change of diet and food availability. I was given a meals card with the school to eat in the school cafeteria 7 days a week, for three meals a day (in very limited time slots). However, the meals available were not particularly fresh, nutritious or varied. A scoop of an unidentified meat dish and a block of rice was the standard, which was fine (as I am fairly open and non-vegetarian). However, after weeks of these oily, greasy, salty and rather sloppy meals, I wanted a change and was craving some fresher, healthier and a little less-processed foods. I was able to buy fresh fruit and vegetables from the ground market stalls nearby my school (which I had to have discovered for myself, of course). Washing these caused grief, however, in that the water was so unsanitary for consumption, that I felt the need to cook everything I bought to eliminate the possible bacteria (and kill the bugs), and all I really needed was a salad or some steamed vegetables. Although there are a variety of foods available in the markets, hidden supermarkets, or a bus-ride into Walmart, it was not easy at all to head for a quick fresh or healthy meal nearby my home. Most food I consumed was oily and salty, and having mentioned this, I found I was susceptible to poor diet (and with lack of adequate exercise), and consequently I put on a few extra kilos, but I really wished I had the means and access to healthier food throughout my time. Having mentioned all of this, I finally navigated my way through it. I faced these challenges and worked my way through them. It gave me a great understanding and appreciation for daily life in China and the Chinese way of living and working. I now have a new appreciation for the luxuries and extravagances of Australian life, and even having mentioned all of these problems, I wouldn't change anything that happened. I have grown from it, I have been encouraged (forced) to learn some Mandarin Chinese just to survive in the city, and I was lucky to get an absolutely true and authentic teaching experience. The city was far from touristy (like in the larger cities of Beijing or Shanghai), and the lack of non-Chinese in the city meant that my appearance was cause for much excitement and talk throughout the streets. I was constantly having photos taken (which became incredibly frustrating and annoying) and people all wanted to come and talk to me, but found it hilarious and impossible to believe that I didn't speak any Chinese at all. They believed I must be fluent in standard dialect, but I just struggled to understand the Sichuanese accent - not the case. I didn't speak any Chinese at all! I am now home and looking back at my experiences. I know that there is no way that I could write about everything I've done and for everyone to believe some of the things I went through; the banquets and drinking culture, the bizarre business meetings, the lack of need for privacy (I had the principal of a school casually ask me questions whilst looking me direct in the eye as I was using a door-less squat toilet...) I can't thank Geovisions enough for helping me to grow and learn as I have. I look back and know that had I not applied to them for a teaching position in China, I would have continued along in my administration role in Melbourne and been, honestly, very fed up with it as I was before I left. Instead, I wanted an adventure, a challenge, and I wanted to go and do something exciting to feel alive again. I found this. I absolutely found this. Thank you, Geovisions, for opening up the world to me and giving me this opportunity. I highly recommend it to anyone who wants a change, a challenge and a bit of adventure. I have made some new friends for life as a result of my time there, and a lifetime of memories and photos to bring along wherever my journey takes me now. Knowing what I know now, would I go back and do it all again rather than remain in my comfort zone in Melbourne? Probably. Would I go back to the same place tomorrow and do it for another year? I definitely don't plan on it... But let's see where life takes me.

I have loved every minute of my time here in the netherlands. Utrecht is the city I'm staying in and it's amazing so many au pairs that I can be with on my time off, which is definitely needed. I was very nervous coming into this program. I can be shy, at first, and non-confrontational. You never know what to expect, but I have had no problems so far and my host family has been extremely helpful and kind to me. The first few weeks were a bit scary and overwhelming, but after that it's an amazing time. Every day I'm grateful to be in this country and to get to travel Europe on my time off. You get a chance to meet so many great people and see so many beautiful sites. The pay isn't amazing, but hey you are getting free room & board so it kind of evens out. Anyone who is has an interest, even a tiny one, please go do it! It's a chance to see the world and not just as a tourist.

Overall, this was a very cultural experience. It was difficult for me to settle in because I am not used to not going out and seeing new things and being very active, but I am grateful for the lesson in sit and stay and just relax in what it is. It was nice to live with a family and experience their life style and customs. The food situation was difficult for me because I eat very healthy and high protein meals, so sometimes I had to go out on my own and buy my own food. I'm glad I did it and felt like I was helpful and a part of something.

So far, my experience as an Au Pair in Germany has been great. The Cultural Exchange Project has been extremely helpful, especially in the time leading up to my trip. I was paired with a great family, with many similar interests. Since being here, The Cultural Exchange Project has checked up on me several times. I have only been here for a month, and so far, all is well! I would suggest this experience to anyone.

First of all, my French is basic and this whole experience was primarily motivated by my desire to improve it. There were moments I couldn't understand a word or say the proper word but this program helped tremendously! I stayed in 2 places with 3 host families. Charleville-Mezières in north of France and Saint Malo along the coast in Brittany. The families were amazing, they do all they can to give you a great experience with their excellent hospitality, by planning activities for you and introducing you to their close network of family and friends. A few days I was home sick but for the most part, I felt safe and the rooms were comfortable and families well chosen. The first day I arrived in Charleville, I found out they were taking me to a cabaret show which was fun and very French. Charleville itself is small but the family makes the most of it, and brought me into Belgium as well! I feel this is the best way to learn a language and found my French to be improving right away, however it was difficult at times and it's no easy task. You hear and engage in everyday phrases, which is invaluable and you get to use your teaching skills to help them with their English! The beautiful hills and mountains of Les Ardennes are scenic and I rode over 60 km of maintained bike trails which they call La Voie Verte. It's a network of abandoned railway tracks that they converted to beautiful paths and I got to see a bunch of charming French villages. Saint Malo is a beautiful place and must visit! The 2 families here were also great and lent me a bike to ride down to the beach and old city which was 5 minutes away! They also took me to Mont St Michel, Cancale, Gacilly, Dinard, Dinan, Omaha beach, and a music festival. That whole coast was spectacular and the ancient towns are rich in culture and history. I was even treated to a small boat ride where we sailed and docked in front of a private beach on an island. There are cultural differences, so as long as you're respectful and curious it's a fun experience to share stories and customs with the families. Being a guy, I particularly enjoyed the introductory kiss on each cheek from girls that they call 'les bises'. I also found out that they do not play baseball which made my glove that I brought useless. I've never had so much wine and cheese in my life! The food is great, I had fresh baguettes every morning and tasted several fine wines and a wide assortment of cheeses, yum! Other food highlights were the oysters from Cancale (a speciality), the home-made galettes and the mussels. The French really know how to eat and every meal felt like a feast. Away from the families, I managed to visit Paris for a couple of days and 4 days in the south of France. I really feel I got a great tour of France yet there are so many places I still want to go. It just shows you how much France has to offer. Overall, this was an excellent experience and I'd recommend this to anyone that wants to improve their French, experience French culture or just for the adventure! Traveling really opens your eyes and you treasure the friendships you form along the way!

I have been here for just over a month. The Cultural Exchange Project was extremely helpful in the time before I came. This is my first time living abroad, so of course, I was a bit anxious in the time before I left. I had a person with The Cultural Exchange Project assigned to me, so I had someone to answer any questions, both over phone and email. This definitely ,made me feel more comfortable about leaving. Since arriving, my agent has checked in with me several times, and is always available for questions. As of right now (I'm only 1 month in), I would recommend this trip to anyone looking to take a year off of school, or for after graduation. Great way to experience a new country!

I was a camp counselor for summer of 2014. In general, it was the greatest adventure of my life. If you are considering this program, you must be willing to travel frequently throughout the country, be open to different and sometimes challenging situations, and have a real desire to impact the lives of all the Thai students you will meet. As teachers, we were always treated with the utmost respect. There is truly nothing in the world like Thai hospitality and generosity. It will also be completely different than anyone's vacation to Thailand, in that you are seeing how the locals really live and interacting with Thai people in a much more genuine way, one that no tourist would ever get to experience.

I was in Italy as an au pair for three and a half months, and it was a lovely time. I worked in the morning for about five hours doing various tasks such as preparing breakfast and doing English homework and playing with the nine year old girl that I watched. After that I would go to the beach with the family or meet up with some of the other au pairs in the area for a gelato. On weekends we would take day trips to the surrounding areas. Once we even went to France! The family was very nice and they treated me like I was one of their daughters. I would recommend this program to anyone who wants an adventure, but is short on funds.

Well! My stay in France this Summer has went by swimmingly! I could literally write a book about all of my adventures. I've swam in both of France's seaside oceans, I've hiked the Pyrenees, I've been to an innumerable amount of castles, cathedrals, mansions, crypts, caves, forests, museums, exhibitions, shows, parties, etc. I've had about as many different French cheeses and wines as I can stand. I've braved "escargots." I've had the complete experience -- but I am definitely coming back to France. Geovsions is a wonderful program designed to satisfy the insatiability of anyone's hunger for adventure. There are, however, a few drawbacks: 1) the price. It is considerably cheaper than any other similar program, but on my end of things, there wasn't much of a real "program" to follow. They found the families, they insured me, they kept me in contact, etc. I was told that I would be tutoring the children everyday, 15 hours a week -- but that did not happen at all. The families did not even want that. In fact, as they told me, my 3 different families over the Summer all told me that they did not know anything about any actual tutoring. So really, beyond being a kind of "support team," don't expect much organization on this end. The families themselves are not paid. They fed me, took me places, paid for most meals, gave me a bed -- that's a lot of money. Considering how much I paid, and that none of that goes to the family, is a bit disconcerting. However, insurance is expensive, and indeed there are great tutoring materials made available. It is understandable. 2) Transportation between families was tricky. Geovisions does not arrange that. Buses, trains, Blablacars, planes, etc. -- it's up to you. I ended up paying about 200 dollars in all -- which is not much, considering the entire Summer, but on top of having to pay for a plane ticket, the program price, etc., it was a bit frustrating. But all in all, I would recommend this program to anyone! If perhaps it weren't so pricey, and the communication a bit more clear between the families, the applicant, and the program, it would be much "awesomer". My Summer in France was something I'll never forget -- made possible by Geovisions. Despite the negatives, my Summer was overwhelmingly positive. Bon voyage!

I am currently teaching in Thailand and I am loving the experience here. GeoVisions helped me out immensely with the whole process. Going to live and work in another country can be quite daunting, but with their guidance and support, I was able to get everything in order. Especially Jodi was always just a phone call or email away if I had any questions or concerns. They made sure that I would be legal, safe and happy in my new home.

I was about to graduate college and I HAD no IDEA what to do with my life. There was the whole grad school business, apparently my 4 year degree is meaningless in today’s economy. Society pressured me to apply to grad school and everybody wanted to know what my next move was going to be. I didn't know and they sure liked to pretend like they knew but we all know that they didn't know. And, truth is, I don’t really want to go to grad school... right now. I was in my room googling WHAT SHOULD I DO WITH MY LIFE and, the inevitable happened… YES, I had an outer-space-revelation. I looked at my world map and realized that all I've ever wanted to do is to... yes, TRAVEL!!! The best part— no experience required. It was mid-January, and, like many people out there: I was freaking out about the rest of my life. Most my friends were pursuing grad school, marriage and talking about things that didn't interest me. And, soon enough, February came along and brought more confusion to my life. I knew I wanted to travel... but where? I contacted a friend who was a Teacher in Thailand. She informed me about Geovisions and I found myself reading and re-reading blogs of people who lived in foreign lands. I fell in love with their adventure and I wanted some sort of adventure in my life. I've never been much of a phone person but decided to call Geovisions.... best decision of my life. I talked to Christopher LeGrant for approximately 40 minutes. About what? You may ask. About life! And, soon enough I was working 3 jobs to pay for my trip. Costly but worth it. Geovisions introduced me to Jodi and she became my e-mail pal. She cares about where I go, what I do and I update her with news. She always gets excited when I send her pictures and I am excited that someone on the other side of the world cares. What I love about Geovisions is that they are always there for me. They answer my silly questions. Their partner, Xplore Asia became my family here in Thailand. I completed my TESOL course in September and I feel equipped to teach English anywhere in the world. August came along and I flew across the world to start my new life in Thailand. I am currently sitting in my balcony watching a sweet lady make pad-thai noodles while listening to Thai music. I don't understand much but... I love where I am in life. I am happy. My school is 5 minutes away from my apartment. I wish I could teleport myself and say: "it is going to be ok. You will find purpose and you will fall in love with Thailand. Enjoy the ride and smile!"

I am writing this review while the program is currently underway. I am currently writing this review from my new desk! Yup, I start my new job today- in BKK! My first real job is in Bangkok, it sounds so great, doesn't it? I have grown very fond of Hua Hin, it is a very good place to live. Very small, yet you can pretty much find everything you need to find. The street markets are def my favorite part and all the friends I made! I took Muay Thai Boxing for 3 weeks and the trainers were quality trainers. The English camp was seriously one of the highlights of my life. The kids were so happy and excited. We played a bunch of games (red, green, yellow light) and every time I would run out of ideas, we would just do the "macarena"--thank you, to whoever created such great/easy dance moves. So now, I will be finding an apartment here in BKK! I have to re-write what I just wrote because it sounds crazy. I am gonna be finding an apartment in a ginormous city! AHHH, i love the sound of it! I have also learned that ambiguity is my new best friend. This program is the best thing that has ever happened in my life. I highly recommend people give it a try.

I am currently on the Teach English in Thailand program with GeoVisions. I have been here two months, yet it also feels like I've been here for years. Everything here is going great. The locals are quite kind, and my coworkers and neighbors are taking good care of me. I almost never pay for dinner; someone is always at my doorstep with more food. Teaching was tough at first, but it's getting easier every week. From my first day in Thailand, Michael, the head of your office in Thailand, has been in close touch with me. I only stayed in Hua Hin for orientation, not the full TESOL course as the others. But the amount of professionalism the staff in Hua Hin displayed in this short week was quite impressive. I arrived in Hua Hin on Monday. By Wednesday, I was on the phone with an agent about an open teaching position. Saturday morning, I was taken to a bus station where my transportation was arranged, and then I was driven to where I've been for the past six weeks. During my five days of orientation, we visited an elephant sanctuary, a local temple, took a Thai cooking lesson, had a barbecue on the beach, and learned some basics of the language and history. Michael and his teammates are very passionate about their work. I have three phone numbers I can call at any time if a problem ever arises. The culture shock upon my arrival, I admit, was overwhelming, but these guys did an incredible job of making me feel welcome.

From the day I contacted GeoVisions to inquire about the possibility of teaching in Thailand I was impressed by their service. Within 24 hours I received a telephone call, where the staff answered any questions I may of had. I was worried that GeoVisions could of been a scam as there are so many companies which offer a similar service that are. But these fears were erased when I payed my deposit and the wheels were set in motion. I received informative information and I was relaxed by the time I left for Thailand. I must say this is the best decision of my life and I can't thank the staff at Geovisions enough for their guidance and help along the way.

I am still on the program, in Thailand. But saw that I could leave a review. Suphanburi is such a cute town! I'm considering staying with my school longer than my original agreement. There is a few schools in my area so all the teachers stay at the same apartment building, Yoo Dee Mee Sook. There are 4 teachers altogether on my side of the school and they have an EP program on the other side of the school where there are another 8 teachers. Unfortunately, allllll the teachers I have met have already been here over a year and leave this October. So I'm hoping the new teachers placed here are ones that went through Geoviosions, as Cara and Emily were awesome! I hope they are loving their towns as much as I am. I talk to Emily here and there and we are going to try and meet up soon. You picked some great girls to go through your program, for sure :) I highly recommend this program.

I'm in Lopburi-(north of Bangkok)-and it's a better situation than I could have hoped for. I'm on my second day of teaching-(I have free period now. I'm in the computer room with some of the gifted students). The last 2-days have been the best since arriving in Thailand. The students are all so courteous, respectfull-always saying-"teacher, teacher" - coming up to me asking my name, how Im doing. They are the BEST!!! They are so happy and grateful, and just satisfied with a simple smile or nod of approval. They sing a song to me at the beginning and end of each class-regardless of age, level in school (kintergarden-high school), they always greet me and are always eager to learn. The staff/faculty are extremely friendly and accommodating. They have embraced me and I feel very welcome and taken care of. I'm very pleased with my accommodations. Things are going better than ever. This is an amazing program.

In one week, we have become a family; our curiosities, secrets, motives, and desires have served as catalysts to bonds typically reserved for months of interaction. With this family, I have experienced blessing by a Buddhist monk at the Khao Tao temple and received a fortune reading. I have fed, hugged, and played with elephants. I have bagged food for over 2,000 rescued dogs. I have cooked Pad Thai and spring rolls. I have eaten deep fried frog. I have had wordless conversations. I have been waved at by school children. I have been clapped at for taking my shoes off as I enter a building. I have been smiled at as I bowed for the King passing by. I have trekked the beach at night. I have divulged my life to strangers. I have a travel blog about this experience, and have written somewhat extensively about everything on the Teach in Thailand program in the last 4 posts.

Geovisions did an amazing job answering my questions promptly and getting me all in the information I needed. I could get ahold of their staff within a few minutes, seemingly 24 hours a day. When I had questions for their partner, Xploreasia, I was put in touch with them and had my questions answered quickly. I am currently doing the TESOL training and my teacher, Jaco, has years of experience and is not only an amazing teacher but a genuinely positive human. Mike Volpe is running the program here in Thailand and could not be more helpful, we spoke on Skype several times before my departure and he clarified everything I needed to understand about the program. I have received everything I was promised, and more, and cannot speak highly enough about the Geovisions staff, the Xplore asia staff, Hua Hin (where the TESOL training takes place), Thailand as a country and the people here, everything is more perfect than I could have dreamed of. Wether or not you believe in destiny, there is a reason you are reading this in this moment, let it be to lead you on the adventure of your life. Sign up through Geovisions to teach, and for the TESOL training with Xploreasia. You won't be disappointed. PS. I have never written a review of anything on the internet before. But the quality of service with Geovisions and Xplore asia has been so good I had to write this review.

My experience with the Teach in Thailand program has been incredible. No matter how prepared you may think you are, there will always be bumps in the road. This is just the way it is and I have been so happy to have Geovisions and their partner Xplroeasia to support me during my transition into my new home. All things considered, it is really amazing how easy my move to Thailand has been! The experience is absolutely mindblowing. Thailand is incredibly beautiful and the people are so nice, so nice that you will never want to leave this enchanting place. If you want to make a difference in a group of children's live and also discover what it is like to immerse in another culture, than this program is perfect for you. I have already changed so much in the short time I have been here, and I have Geovisions to thank for that.

Throughout my whole teach abroad experience, Geovisions and Xplore Asia have been very helpful to me. From the logistics of getting a visa to integrating into a new culture, they were extremely knowledgable about the entire process. I am very happy that I went through Geovisions because without them I don't think I would have known how to even begin to start living in a different country. Jodi especially was an amazing resource for me. She was always available and willing to talk about any questions or concerns I might have had. This was my first experience living and working abroad and I really couldn't have done it (properly) with out Geovisions or Xplore Asia.

I had an amazing experience in Thailand with GeoVisions. I think that it was half luck. I got placed at a really amazing school in an English program where I was able to work with the same ten kids all day every day. It was really rewarding. The kids learned a lot, and the other teachers and administrators at my school were very kind and helpful despite the language barrier. GeoVisions' partner in Thailand was also helpful throughout the semester. They were available to answer questions and provide support and even made a trip to Chanthaburi to check out my school since it was the first time that they had placed anyone there. The main suggestion that I have for improvement: During orientation, I was placed in the Elementary level group which mainly discussed activities that were appropriate for 7-10 year olds. My students were 3, turning 4. So, I was not able to use most of what was discussed in orientation. Working with GeoVisions was enjoyable and the staff were professional and helpful. I hope this program continues to grow in the future.

I cannot thank GeoVisions enough for helping create such a perfect experience. GeoVisions was even able to place a friend in the same town. It was a magical combination of being in a totally foreign culture and sharing it with a friend. That will forever be an unforgettable memory. My school and town, Anukoolnaree School in Kalasin, was amazing. The staff could not have been more welcoming and helpful. The town was a very comfortable size and we were truly immersed in the culture. Isan (the northeast region) is not a destination on many (if any) tourist maps and thus we were in the true Thailand culture. I loved the unique experience I received and saw that it was drastically different from my friends who were stationed elsewhere in the country. Orientation was beneficial and I would definitely recommend it to anyone who has never been to Thailand and/or doesn't have any teaching expererience. Having already been to Thailand, the culture/language portions of the orientation were very basic but I could easily see how beneficial they were for first timers. One suggestion I can make is to have different levels of language courses/more teaching seminars available for those who have previous experience in these areas so that they do not feel like they are wasting time. As far as the application process, it was so easy. I sincerely appreciated how available the was at GeoVisions and how quickly they responded to me on issues of any size.

Everything I have experienced has been excellent, the family is incredible and Geovisions provided incredible support for getting me connected with the family and out here! The staff at Geovisions is hugely helpful, and the family I'm living with is perfectly lovely! Talking to other au pairs across Australia is a great way to not feel homesick, and I'm even considering staying longer than six months! I'm hugely thankful for the role Geovisions played to get me to Australia, and thanks to them, as well as the great family I was placed with.

Australia is a dream come true, and it's going great! This is SUCH a great program, I'm really glad that I chose it and I'm thankful for the assistance you guys constantly provide

I was really happy with Geovisions, and my year abroad in Australia! Geovisions took the time to find the perfect host family for me, and made sure that we were compatible and would work well together. I had a wonderful time living and working for my host family, I couldn't have asked for a better experience, I am already missing the family kids a lot! It would have been helpful if Geovisions had checked in more often, especially around the 2-3month period when homesickness really sets in, so that we could get some advice or reassurance during that time. Other than that I would high recommend using Geovisions for working/volunteering abroad!

I have been in Australia nearly 3 months now, and I am so happy with my decision to come! GeoVisions has been wonderful throughout the entire process. Both my sister and I had applied for placements in New Zealand, and then decided that we also wanted to go to Australia first. Because they had a few host families available GeoVisions helped us to get everything set up, and not only found us both families, but found them in close proximity to each other (though not always guaranteed). I have really enjoyed my experience with my family, and so has my sister. There have been no major problems, and the children and host families have been absolutely lovely! The people at GeoVisions have kept in contact with us the entire time that we have been here as has the partner in Australia. The people that I have gone through were Ann Sherer, Rebecca LeGrant, and Melynda Davis. Every month I have received and email checking in on how we are doing as well as asking if there is anything that we would change about the program. All of these them have made this experience so much easier! I would highly recommend using GeoVisions, and I certainly will be again very soon.

Do this program if you're dedicated to traveling and immersing yourself into the Thai culture. Because that is what you do. A lot of travel. And you see so many kids wanting to learn English. I became a camp counselor in Thailand to become more open and to grow more independent. I have grown tremendously from this experience. If you do this program, be sure you travel to Khao Yai and see the temple at Khao Kho.

I am on the program now and wanted to write that things are going really well here, I couldn't be happier with my placement! The family is so friendly and accommodating and the kids are adorable. The tutoring is very informal, mostly I go with my host mother to pick up my host brother and sister from school, then spend time with them in the afternoon and evening and help with any English homework they have. I'm really happy to be in Rome, it's a huge city with so much to see! I don't know now if two months will be enough :)

In a flash, I'm going to conclude my time with my host family in another week. I have been doing Conversation Corps Italy. For me, this is a better way of getting myself immersed into local cultures. I came to Europe over a decade ago as a tourist and upon finishing my visit, I felt something's missing. Then, I returned to Europe again but this time as a backpacker. Armed with Lonely Planet books and deluded with a sense of invincibility, I started to do the backpacking scene but after a while, I felt that something's still missing inside. Whilst it's true to a certain degree that backpacking provides you with an opportunity to meet myriads of people from different countries and from different way-of-life, after a while, you would identify that there's also a pattern associated with it: drinking, late night, irresponsible behaviours. Then, I decided to volunteer myself to stay with local families for a while and I would like to see Europe from their perspectives. With this particular type of travelling, my host family's priority comes first. My travel comes secondary. If you were lucky enough to be placed with caring and emphatic host families, you would realise that the mutual respect attribute would benefit both parties. By placing yourself with host families also meant that you are relinquishing control and that you are embracing the unknown. For me, this provides me with an opportunity to learn to adapt to handle myself in trying circumstances. Also, if you were being good listeners, you would get tips from host families to go places that are not even mentioned in Lonely Planet books. There seems to be local scene versus the traveller's scene, which I appreciate immensely. Italy holds a special place in my heart for some inexplicable reasons. Somehow, I find Italian's appreciation of beauty, their grounded humility and sincerity, their total devotion to their family, their intuition with their food and drinks are simply admirable. My host family has given me all of that and more! I think the most touching of all is that they give me this opportunity to come to grasp of what it meant to be Italian. I also found that there won't ever be any clean break. Somehow, we grew attached to each other. After this volunteering session is over, I would make my way to visit my two other host families in Italy and France, who I have also come to know as friends. They even proclaimed me to be their brother from another mother! This type of volunteering may not be suitable for everybody. That being said, if you were genuinely curious and inquisitive, and that you want to give (rather than take), then, this program is definitely something that you should look at seriously. I would like to think that once you give enough, the rewards would present themselves one way or the other. I am utterly blessed to be a part of this program and I am immensely joyful to share my experience to the readers out there.

At age 55, I finally became the exchange student I always wanted to be. Only at this age, I was the teacher. The total submersion into the Italian culture and schools was a very rewarding experience for me. I have made friends for life, I stay in touch with my students, and I can't wait to do this again. I was treated like royalty at the schools. The students were always smiling and happy when I walked into the classroom. They looked forward to their English lessons when I was their teacher. My families always included me in all activities (I had two families) and made sure my comfort was a priority. They seemed genuinely happy to have me in their homes (there were tears shed when leaving my first family). Although I was matched with wonderful families, I expected more academic direction from GeoVisions. I was able to take the bull by the horns and figure out a "teaching" program for my students with the assistance from the local teachers. I think GeoVisions should prepare its volunteers with where to find materials and how to use them to their best advantage. Being an older volunteer and having never taught, it took me a couple of weeks to get in the groove. I feel my first students did not get the best out of me. I had the wonderful opportunity to stay with two different families (it was a new program in the area where I was assigned and families were hesitant. Now, there are all eager to have a volunteer!) My families made sure to include me in all activities and to show me around their towns and nearby communities. We went to local festivals and local sites. I felt like I knew how Italians live by the time I left. Both homes made sure my comfort was a priority. Coming from the land of internet availability, it took some time to figure out my connectivity in Italy. It took a few weeks for me to figure out a program for my students, but once I got the hang of it it was smooth sailing. As I pointed out below, more direction for new GeoVision volunteers from GeoVisions would be very helpful.

Excellent experience for both host & myself. I would do it again! I only hope My host got as much out of it as I did. Key - I left her with resources to continue practicing her English.

My host family was very accommodating. They were quite patient with my almost non existent Italian. My host mom was the only one in the family who spoke at a level I could have a conversation with. So if I had it to do over I would probably want to learn the language a bit better so I could have a better idea what they're saying and contribute to the conversation. The kids seemed to enjoy the games I brought along for the most past, although it was hard to compete with the Adriatic Sea. The highlight of the trip was the many dinners they took me to with their friends and extended family. They took me to several restaurants and insisted on paying for everything. I think that's probably above and beyond what was expected in the program. They also took me to many parties and always tried to introduce me to their friends that spoke better English. All in all, a good experience. I'm glad I did it, but I would advise anyone entering the program to try and learn as much of the native language as you can.

This program set me up with the best resources and the right family. They were more than helpful in the application process and were there for me the whole time. I knew I was in good hands.

I was placed with an amazing host family outside of Lyon. I was supposed to tutor only the two children, but at dinner even the parents were getting in on the classes of comparing food and daily activities in English. On weekend, they took me to the mountains and treated me as a member of the family. Counting informal sessions, I probably tutored about 18 hours a week. A little more than the recommended 15. But the family enjoyed it so much, I went with it and didn't complain. I thought GeoVisions did a great job getting me ready to go, making this placement and they emailed me 3 times when I was away to check in on me. It's a great program. And I know I'll see my host family again. I wouldn't think of traveling to France without taking time to see them.

Ultimately I was very pleased with my experience in the Conversation Corps. However, this had more to do with the luck of my family placement than with anything else. I was disappointed with how little input Geovisions had during my actual stay, like my French coordinator had absolutely no contact with me whatsoever when I was there (and she happened to be living just 5 minutes from where I was staying). Second of all, I originally asked for a program duration of 3 months, though I was only found a placement for two of those months, and was only notified that my third month placement would not work in the middle of my stay in France. In other words, I got the impression that everything was done very last-minute (including my initial placement which I found out about 1 day before the refund deadline). On top of that, I think the program fee is exorbitantly high, especially since the family does not receive any of it as compensation for their costs. Though I was very lucky to be placed with the family I had, (and I appreciate Geovision's role in that), overall I would not recommend this program to anyone else.

I have the best host family I could possibly have. We have a lot of interests and values in common. The children are adorable, the food is delicious, they are enjoying their English lessons and practicing it a lot, and I'm understanding French a lot, even their conversations at normal speed! I'm having a terrific experience! I'm still having memorable experiences. My time with the children is a lot of fun. I chose this program because I wanted to learn more about the French culture and improve my French, and this program seemed to offer total immersion and I knew that is what I needed. I have my own adorable room with my host family. I live in Castres, France and I could not have it better.

GeoVisions moved along quickly to place me with a wonderful family in France. I was a part of Conversation Corps. I spoke English with the family throughout the day and worked when possible with the children individually. The parents had a good knowledge of English but wanted to improve their conversational English. The children had had English exercises in school but using English in conversation was difficult. We tried games and songs, etc. to improve their English in a fun way. We built vocabulary using things from daily routines, special holidays and trips. I visited the classrooms of both children and participated in English lessons at their schools. At all times the family made me fell welcome and a part of the family. I have been an elementary classroom teacher for more than 35 years. What a wonderful opportunity for a retired teacher like myself!

Conversation Corps was the perfect balance of independence and security while living in a foreign country. Being able to share my language and culture with my host family and learning about theirs in return was an absolute pleasure. Watching their English improve week by week was a real treat.

I have been in Korea for several months now and the experience has been amazing. I am really loving it. GeoVisions was extremely helpful and their local team, especially Cid, helped me get all settled in. My apartment is great. I have already made many friends with some fellow teachers and have had a chance to explore but the weather is still quite cold. My overall experience with GeoVisions was excellent and I would highly recommend people to go the route of a local partner. I was so nervous and didn't know what to expect but they were very patient in walking me through the process.

I always thought that I needed to already know the Korean language in order to apply to teach in Korea. Thank goodness to this program for making me more confident and prepared for the journey ahead! They have prepared me by letting me participate in their TESOL and Korean Cultural Foundation course. These courses breakdown the country of your destination into simple science --learning the culture, language, teaching methods, and faux pas to better navigate the different social circles you will encounter. I am teaching in South Korea now, and the constant check-ups I receive from Jodi at GeoVisions makes me feel like she is genuinely looking out for me. I highly recommend the program.

When I first was considering teaching abroad I was actually thinking about going to Thailand but the more Jodi at GeoVisions told me about Korea and what it has to offer, the more hooked I became. The process took a long time but whenever I had any questions or concerns, I got a quick response from GeoVisions. I took the online TESOL through their partner XploreAsia and it really helped to prepare me. My trainer, George, was great and I met other teachers on the course and we still keep in touch. I arrived about six months ago and I teach at a Hogwan in Busan. It is about as far away from Seoul as you can go but I don’t mind. I like that it is a much smaller city and the country side around the city is so beautiful. The great thing about South Korea is that everything is pretty compact so it only takes about two hours on the high speed train to get to Seoul. I definitely recommend going through an agent like GeoVisions because they were helpful in the interview and preparation. They also helped me prepare for my trip and their partner on the ground picked me up at the airport and helped me settle in to my new apartment and town. They also have a party for their teachers every few months. I haven't been able to attend one yet but I will one of these days.

After completing my Bachelor of Arts degree in April 2012, I decided to pursue the idea of teaching English as a foreign language in South Korea. In July that year I submitted my resume alongside the application form to GeoVisions to go teach in South Korea. Shortly afterwards I was contacted by their partner in South Korea, XploreAsia. For those who are interested in teaching in South Korea be aware that the application process is arduous. However, the team at GeoVisions and XploreAsia are encouraging and helpful. I am grateful to them for their support. I was posted at Hongwan High School, which is located in Buyeo County in the Chungnam Province. It is a technical high school mainly comprising male students, so I often feet overwhelmed. Whenever I feet down I re-read an email that my agent sent me before coming to South Korea, which explained that living and working in a quaint town is more rewarding than living in a cosmopolitan city like Seoul and that the challenges I have faced with only make my experience more meaningful and memorable. Although teaching low-level students was a challenge, there were moments when the students surprise me. Teaching is an enlightening experience and living in a rural area is peaceful and I have been exposed to the essence of Korean life.

The overall program gave me a very neat insight to Spanish culture, and also helped me learn to relate to different people whether it was teaching the kids English or teaching local friends games or other skills that I know. The family was welcoming, and encouraging my practice of the Spanish language. My goal is to become an educator and I think this trip has definitely helped me acquire useful skills for my future. However, as far as learning Spanish goes, I don't think this was the best program to learn Spanish. Although very enthusiastic, I found it very easy to neglect my Spanish textbook and studies. The main practice I was able to get, was with friends that I met in Spain, the locals. With them, I was able to practice and I was forced to communicate in Spanish. However, I was only with them on average of a couple of times a week, so my practice was limited. Due to schedules with the family, I was mostly around the kids with whom I had to speak English. So, when at my stay, I was mainly speaking English aside from the occasional small-talk with the parents or housekeeper. This experience definitely challenged me in a good way, and allowed me to see a lot of the Spanish culture and a lot of Madrid. As far as travel is concerned, my host family lived an hour and a half outside of Madrid via public transit and only 20 mins via car. I would definitely research public transportation prior to arriving, but I would also highly recommend this program if future plans involve teaching. It helped me with lesson planning, analyzing progress as well as struggles, and also with my patience. If the main objective is to learn Spanish, I recommend finding a class to take while there that way studying is mandatory. Befriending the locals definitely helps and I feel is the best for learning because you're forced to talk, which at first is frightening and very intimidating. My experience was phenomenal, most people are very patient and very welcoming. Spain is very rich in it's history and is a very beautiful country. Find a way there whether it's through this program or another!

My host family were extremly welcoming and made me feel at ease straight away. They met me at the nearest train station and were very understanding. Also, they let me join in activities that they happened to be doing like swimming or going to the cinema.

My experience with Geovisions was fairly good and I enjoyed the experience in Spain thoroughly. The family were amazing and you really get the opportunity to experience another culture entirely. I wish to complete another program with Geovisions as I know they are trustworthy and always available to help.

I had an amazing experience as a French au pair. My host family immediately made me feel so welcome--my host parents are the most caring, fun, and adventurous people I have ever met. I had a lot of free time, the girls were so much fun and very smart, the wages were great, and they took me on vacation to Greece. I truly couldn't have imagined a better trip!

I really don't know how to put into words how amazing and life changing my time abroad was! Thanks to the awesome team at Geovisions, I was able to spend a month living I'm with the sweetest family in France. I don't know what was more fun- talking to my French dad about being a pilot for the French Air Force or walking my French brother home from school while eating freshly mad baguettes! I also had the opportunity to travel to Spain, Zurich and Rome....and after my trip to Europe, I visited Jordan and Lebanon! I HIGHLY recommend this program! It will be the best time of your life!

This program is the perfect alternative for people who don't want to spend all day taking classes and doing homework. It's also great for people who want to go abroad but can't find classes they need to satisfy their major requirements. You get truly immersed in the culture and having that connection with a family is fantastic. I can't say enough good things about Geovisions and how much I've enjoyed my time as an au pair in Paris. It's a much more "real life" experience that I could have gotten from studying at a university here. The Geovisions staff is always so attentive and helpful and they respond right away to any emails. They really want to make your experience the best it can be.

The Au Pair in France program is a well-designed abroad experience that allows for total immersion. With the helpful people at geovisions behind you to support you, a potentially scary experience can become an exciting and fun one.

Geovisions is an amazing program and I couldn't have asked for a better experience. They are very clear about what is included in the program cost and are helpful throughout the application process where you find a family. Upon arriving in France, I stayed with a family and taught their son English while practicing my French in the village and in Paris. My host family included me in all their activities–going to the Sunday market, visiting castles, and cooking traditional food, to name a few. They even gave me a long vacation so I was able to explore the rest of Europe on my own. All this time, a Geovisions representative kept in contact with me to see how things were going. I was very impressed with this program and would definitely recommend it to anyone who wants a cultural immersion.

I lived with an great host family in Almeria, in southern Spain. It was a great experience to learn Spanish, practice teaching skills and travel abroad. I worked 20 hours a week teaching lessons and always speaking english to the children. The rest of my time was free to explore and adventure! I was able to spend quality time with the family and travel independently. Overall I was fortunate to meet a lot of great people and connections and see a lot of Europe!

I had an awesome experience through the Geovisions Au Pair in Spain program. I met some amazing people that I will forever be friends with over there. The family I lived with welcomed me with open arms and loved me as if I was part of the family. My only problem was that I went in with such big expectations. I should have read more into the job description, I was over there more as a language assistant rather than au pair. It was my job to sit down with each of the family members for an hour and teach them English. This was difficult for me only because I hadn't had any training in teaching English. Overall, it was an experience that I will never forget, and it has opened the door for so many more opportunities.

My time in Spain was incredible. I absolutely fell in love with Spain. The idea of getting food, shelter, and some allowance with days and some weekends free is great. It is slightly risky as my family was rather difficult to live with. I feel it was worth it to be immersed in the family culture, and get to do so much traveling on my own. I feel that this experience has caused me to grow and change for the better.

I thought the price for the program was fairly reasonable. I found the GeoVisions staff to be communicative (even more so than myself) and very friendly. The family was nice, patient, and was well-prepared to have me. I learned a lot about the culture of Northern Spain and became close to the family and plan to keep in touch.

I spent nearly 9 weeks teaching English in a home stay in Khao Tao, which is a small fishing village located about 20 minutes from Hua Hin- 2.5 hours south of Bangkok. It was an opportunity to live with a family and to teach English, as well as to learn about another culture. It was a pretty brilliant time as well as slightly nerve racking- knowing that the family where depending on me to help them learn an new language/ I could ot have been made to feel more welcome by the Mum and of course the maid's so- both of whom i taught. They were ready everyday to learn and were using the things i taught them regularly. The benefit was i had wifi so i was able to download heaps of resources and flash cards into my iPad- which were invaluable. I also learned to cook some Thai food, and helped round the house as needed. We talked about Australia and my home town of Melbourne and i taught them our national anthem and about my culture. It was really sad leaving but i know that in some small way, the little boy i taught will have had his future changed because i was there...

I am writing this review while I am still in Thailand: I am currently on a home stay in Khao Tao, which is 15 mins from Central Hua Hin. I have been very much welcomed into the family home and made to feel comfortable. Mae-Thai for mother, cooks the most amazing food and she makes sure that I am fed-probably too much. I have been hovering as she cooks and writing down recipes as i know i will want to cook these foods when i go home! Mae and I spend a few hours in the morning doing English words and we muddle through conversations about the difference between Thai culture and Australian culture. There has definateky been lessons for both of us! In the evening, the family's maid drops off her 11year old grandson Ngeun for english lessons. Sometimes Mae and other family members sit in too. It's been wonderfully delightful teaching how to say hello, as well as beginning to learn words... There have some laughs and fun times and of course some frustration, but mostly it's been really good! It's such an amazing opportunity to think that in some small way I may be contributing to Ngeun's future and his options. For me, the experience has been so rich and joyous, and also I've loved getting to see the local area and discover the temples, beaches and rural life of Khao Tao. I've even hired a small scooter and am zipping to the shops and to the beach,sharing smiles with people as I ride past. And I cannot fathom the kindness of my host family...GeoVisions and Xplore Asia have been brilliant in helping me settle in and making sure everything is ok...I cannot stress what a amazing opportunity this is..."

I had the most amazing experience this summer; aupairing in Italy. It was everything I imagined and more. I could not have changed anything about my tri. my family was awesome, I met sooo many people and I created a life for myself there. All I can say is aupairing is the BEST way for a young person to travel and you will not regret doing it too.

I was very pleased with the GeoVisions program. They matched me up nicely, and the family was really fun to work with and get to know.

My time as a New Zealand Au Pair was challenging and rewarding. I grew and changed in ways I didn't realized I needed until it happened. The country itself is incrediably beautiful and the New Zealand people are an unique and honest people.

I couldn't have asked for better! They were really understanding with my travel arrangements because I got sick before getting to Italy. They were friendly and accommodating , they really made me feel like one of the family. Can't wait to hang out with them again, either in Italy or Australia. Definitely recommend the whole experience, except it is harder for Australians then USA with organizing details due to time difference.

I'm an older participant and was worried that GeoVisions was too geared for the younger crowd. I was pleasantly surprised at how eager Marybeth was to have me in the program and she placed me in Northern Italy, with a great family. They offered to include me on a lot of things they did, but I also wanted my own time to explore Italy and be on my own. If you're older and you want to do this program, GeoVisions will take you. Just make sure you're upfront with your host family in the beginning that while you want to be there with them, you might take off for a few weekends and go off on your own. It also provides some needed space between you and the family. The kids I tutored thought of me as their Grandpa, and that was fine with me. I always felt included and I highly recommend the experience for an older crowd, not just a younger one.

Since I have done a month abroad in the past, I am very aware that the experience can be wonderful or disastrous. In this situation, it has been absolutely wonderful. From the moment of my arrival, my host has done everything possible to make me feel at home. She is very competent in all matters of housekeeping, cooking, cleaning, laundry, etc. therefore, I always felt very comfortable and cared for. She has been very willing to share her culture with me and made my stay here very interesting. She is also a very good student. I feel that we have accomplished a lot in my time here. Also, my host is a very caring and loving person. She has always taken into consideration the fact that I am old enough to be her mother, and has been very patient with my health issues. I can't say enough good about her. GeoVisions did such an excellent job of matching me with her. I will always be grateful for the opportunity to get to know her and her father, and I wish for many wonderful and amazing things to come her way as a result of her desire and effort to learn English.

Well my program was truly amazing! I loved every minute of it, loved the town I was in, the family and oh goodness the food. I got to better my Italian and learn some dialect as well, I left family there when I came back :). Aside from teaching the two boys, I got to volunteer at a local elementary school and made amazing friends there. :) during my free time I also got to travel around and took sooo many pictures ...

I am half way thru my stay here in Italy and can not thank GeoVisions enough for placing me here. The family is wonderful and I do believe we will be friends for a life time. The children are so sweet and their mom said I am teaching them a lot. Perhaps I should have been a teacher in life and not a construction worker. LOL I have been able to see Florence and next week I take a train to Rome for a couple of days. Just thinking like that is kind of beyond words and I truely love Italy. What a memory your GeoVisions gave me. The entire staff has been wonderful.

I had a wonderful experience in Italy. The family was great, and I really enjoyed the entire thing. I must admit that Geo visions were fantastic: the matched me with a family on short notice, and they would respond and help quickly and with ease, and the always seemed there to support you. One thing I should really point out though is that it is really you and the family you're placed with that shapes the programme. In this regard it is a hefty price for what they do, which is essentially match you with someone. But, you most likely won't get a better price anywhere else. And, also, I like the fact that they don't interfere as it makes everyone's programme unique.

I had a great time. I felt so lucky to be placed with a family like the one I had. Things couldn't have gone any better. I felt like a part of the family and enjoyed all my time with them. I had chances to travel to a few places myself and with them also. The family said they prefer to learn English mostly through conversation and the cultural exchange process, although I sat with my host brother everyday for about an hour to work with him out of a workbook. I have developed such a great connection and relationship with everyone in the family and wish I could have stayed here forever. I also love Italy so much that I want to move there! Thank you, GeoVisions, for all your help coordinating this.

GeoVisions matched me with a wonderful couple in Italy. They were my age with no kids, and we became fast friends. I had no issues during my placement that warranted intervention from GV. Everyone was very professional and helpful in getting me set up for Italy.

I had the time of my life. I am impressed with GeoVisions. I spoke to other women in Italy who were doing the same program as I am, only they went through other organizations. I could not believe the lack of support they received from their program. On the flip side, my stay was flawless. Also, I now have a friend who is signing up for the same program simply because I cannot say enough positive things about my experience. I highly recommend this program with GeoVisions.

My experience in France was a really great one. I had an excellent host family that was really passionate about American English and the United States in general. I think I got the maximum out of my month. My host-father drove me up to Bordeaux for the day and gave me an excellent list of places to visit while he was at work. My family made sure that I visited great local towns, beaches, and natural wonders (La Dune du Pilat!). I had my own bike, so I could have a little alone time. They included me in everything - almost to a fault. But I was never left out or lonely, and keeping busy made my month go fast. I'm 29 and totally independant, so this program worked for me. Know though, that there is not much personal support once you arrive (at least in my case). Besides the weekly "hope things are good" email from my contact in the USA, I was not contacted by anybody while I was in France. I spoke with my host family many times before I got there, so there were zero problems with getting there and meeting them. I just don't think somebody that needs a lot of support would be very happy. Also, where does all the money go? I figured for my $1400, that about some of it would go to my host family for room and board. That seems like a lot for administration (I only talked to my USA contact, and emailed "helpmeteach" once). Overall, it was awesome. I did exactly what I thought I was going to do - an hour long lesson with my host sisters in the morning, and conversational English the rest of the day with my host parents (who already knew a lot on English). I really enjoyed living with a family, even thought it was trying at times - sitting in the back seat for a month and not making any of my own decisions was difficult. Coming up with the daily lessons for the girls was my least favorite part. But (as a French teacher), I loved that I got to see the culture first-hand, learn cool expressions, and see and experience a part of France that few tourists will ever see. Anybody would be satisfied with the trip I had. Note - I was in a small beach town, so there was no possibility for weekend travel. I arrived in Europe 8 days ahead of time to do a little traveling on my own. I went to Brussels for 3 nights, Germany for 5, and spent my last night in Paris. Great experience - totally worth it! Everyone back home was, and still is, envious of the Summer I had.

I had the best experience of my life traveling overseas with Geovision. I met people that I consider to now be my life-long friends, and I learned so much. I recommend everyone do this at least once in their life.

My experience with GeoVisions was an extremely enjoyable one. I am remarkably impressed with the way that the firm conducts business and would like to commend GeoVisions on that. I believe that they are miles ahead of their competitors in terms of customer interaction and service delivery. Should I ever wish to travel abroad, GeoVisions would be my first choice. My experience in France was amazing. I was blessed to be placed with a host family who is so welcoming and friendly. I got on very well with everyone and I was heart sore to leaving. From the day that I arrived they accepted me into their family and were very accommodating which is amazing. The children are adorable and I immediately formed a close bond with them – they are a pleasure to spend time with. I feel that my level of French improved and I understand much more now than when I first arrived! The family is also more confident in expressing themselves in English and there was definitely visible progress. With regards to the children, I found it far more useful to introduce them into the English language with light hearted games such ‘eye spy’ and ‘hang-man’ and these have proven to be great fun! I also was able to soak in the French culture, from the people to the food, the traditions and the expressions –it has been a great learning experience for me. Another great benefit of this programme is that it allows one to travel. In my free time I have visited many nearby towns and villages and was lucky enough to see some of the Tour de France in Rouen! Overall it has been an awesome experience that I would recommend to all.

I'm in denial about the fact that I actually had to leave my host family to return to the US. The time in France absolutely flew by! I have never met a kinder, more welcoming family than my hosts. I feel like a member of the family at this point. I was included in every family activity, from game nights to 4-day motor home excursions along the coast of Normandy. I also had plenty of me-time, as well, to travel independently. With the help of my host parents, I visited Mont Saint Michel, Saint Mâlo, Brocéliande Forest, Honfleur, Caen, Paris, Versailles, the cliffs of Étretat, and the beaches of Cabourg. The children (and the parents!) improved their English daily, by playing games, singing songs, reciting short poetry, and through general conversation. Each child kept a notebook of those songs and poems, words and sentences of the day (sometimes of the week), as well as corresponding drawings. The kids are still young, so sometimes it was like pulling teeth to get them to have their English lesson. I learned to integrate English into every activity, making most things impromptu, informal lessons.

My GeoVisions program in France was fabulous. Today is my last day and we would all feel like crying except for the fact that we have already planned to meet again in August as I will still be in Europe! We got along famously and not only that but the progress I have made in French is outstanding as is the progress in English seen in the host family! We went traveling to the Cote d'Azure, Lyon, Annecy, and Grenoble. We climbed on of the lesser mountains in the French alps, took lessons from a real French pastry chef on making real French macaroons and spent a few days in Geneva, Switzerland. It has been the experience of a life time and I have made life long friends in the host family. I am so grateful to the program for presenting me with this opportunity. It has changed what I want to do with my life!

GeoVisions arranged two host families for me in France, the first for two weeks and the second for five weeks. Both families provided comfortable accommodations, good food, and a welcoming attitude. In addition, their homes were located near a major city (Avignon), and I had easy access to local public transportation. Even though I was with the first family for only two weeks, I found it fairly productive in terms of language improvement; in fact, I could hear improvement after only a few days. The downside was that I had to move after only two weeks. During my second homestay, the wife's mother was hospitalized, so my hostess had to leave and attend to her mother in another city. Because my hostess would be away for a week, she suggested that I travel on my own while she visited with her mother. I had little choice but to go, because the alternative was to stay home with her husband and son for a full week, which would have been awkward. In any case, this was travel I was not anticipating, since I had expected the full five weeks to be covered under my GeoVisions fee. Applicants for the Conversation Corps program should be aware that there can be circumstances beyond your control that could affect the homestay. As it turned out, I was able to do the additional travel fairly inexpensively, but that may not be true for all volunteers.

Besides gaining exposure to a foreign country, one has the opportunity to gain life long friendship. Jodi is a superb representative for GeoVisions. Integrating within a family is an excellent way to immerse in a culture.

Italy holds a special place in my heart. I have visited Italy countless of times but I know that I never wanted to be just a tourist. I want Italy to be my friend, my lover, my confidante, my soul mate. I don't want Italy to be just an acquaintance. To be able to stay in Rome, the Eternal City is a dream comes true for me. I want to take things easy, to live an ordinary existence, to be able to feel the pulse and rhythm of an ordinary Roman life. At the same time, I also would like to be sure that by the time I leave Rome, my host family would have a firmer grasp of English. I am matched with the Gabrielli family. This case is more challenging than my previous postings because the Gabrielli speaks not a single word of English. So, how am I able to communicate with a family who speaks only Italian whilst I only speak English? Thankfully, with advent of technology (WiFi in this instance) and Google Translate, the gap is bridged. Upon seeing the children under my care, Tiziano and Alice, my heart melts as I have a son of the same age. Alessia (the mother) and Silvano (the father) bond with me immediately. The Gabrielli family is very warm and genuine. Three minutes driving to my host family's abode, the whole family starts to talk to me simultaneously. Despite that I say to them earlier that I only speak "Piccolo Inglis", they continue on in Italian anyway with a lot of hand gestures. I say to myself that, it's going to be a very full-on experience in Rome. That thinking is prophetic indeed. Eating is a chore for the children and every day, there will be fight of immense proportion to get them to eat. Somehow, I have become the peace maker to mediate between the parents and the children. Then, there's the challenge of getting the children to switch off from watching their favourite TV programs and to practice English with me instead. English curriculumn in schools in Italy is getting better but nowhere robust enough to enable Italian to become proficient in English. I encourage the Gabrielli family to make good use of Internet and library to source English DVDs and reading materials for the children. In the end, it is obvious that the parents are more eager to learn English than their children. By the time I leave the family, the parents are able to converse basic English sentences with me whilst I am able to speak some basic Italian sentences. In the daytime, when the children have gone to school and the parents have gone to work, I use my spare time to do house cleaning for them. I do laundry for them and sometimes, in the evening, Alessia will compete with me of who would get the iron first to press the clothing. Silvano is very good in making home-made pizza. On weekends, they would take me out to the City Centre and sometimes, to the Vatican City to do Sunday Mass. Whenever opportunity presents itself, we would sneak into a coffee shop to have our shot of espresso and brioche. Silvano and Alessia have been wonderful in helping me to plan my day trip. They have been rather upset when I am mugged in the subway but that could happen anywhere in the world. Furthermore, a few elderly Italian ladies are fending me off from the muggers in the subway, which touches me immensely. Need I say more that soccer is very much imbedded in Italian culture? Tiziano is very proud of his soccer club and he always wants me to watch him playing soccer. On weekends, Silvano and his son would be screaming, yelling, thumping their chests whenever their beloved Roman team wins and their apartment would be as silent as a morgue whenever their team got beaten. I leave Rome with fond memories of gracious but expressive Romans, Romans who wear their emotions on their sleeves; Romans who are understandably proud of their Roman heritage and culture; Romans who are saddened by the aftermath of global recession and yet, that doesn't undermine their dignity and they keep on living their lives in the best way that they could; Romans who have taken me into their homes, sharing their values, families and friends with me unconditonally and the list continues. Being a volunteer is not actually taking advantage of cheaper boarding but in actual fact, it's about immersing ourselves into whole new culture and new way-of-life. This helps us in developing empathy and having a wider perspective and understanding of a very diverse world. This also nurtures our appreciation for new interests, making us more patient, having a keener eye in details for problem solving. All and all, we become a better and richer individual. I come to the Gabrielli's family in the name of friendship but I leave the family as one of its family members. It's not if but when I am going to return to Rome to be reunited with the Gabrielli again. I am utterly blessed and privileged. This may not necessarily work for everyone but with a positive state of mind, I sincerely believe that you shall have the time of your life by not having any expectation but simply throwing yourself into the deep end without asking why.

I think this experience was great. I couldn't really complain about the staff and the process because it was really comprehensive. Although they have resources to get you started with the lessons, they should emphasize on how much work goes into creating lesson plans for 15 hours a week. I would probably would spend more time asking the family more questions before I went in with them to really find out if you are a fit. Other than that GeoVisions is a good alternative for going abroad.

My participation in GeoVisions Conversation Corps really changed the direction of my life. I was placed right outside of Avignon, France with a great host family. The experience absolutely changed my life, and since then I have been majoring in French and Education to become a French teacher, hopefully, when i graduate this spring. I would never have been able to be introduced to such an amazing culture and new world if it was not for your program. I really can't tell you how profound the experience was in the path that I am now on! I still keep in touch with my host family and actually have returned to visit them :) I also recently spent a semester abroad in Rennes France. This is all thanks to my summer spent doing the conversation corps. So, thank you!

I arrived safe and sound in Miami yesterday evening! I'm exhausted!! I flew from Beirut to Jordan (8 hour layover) then from Jordan to Paris (where I had a day and a half until my next flight. I spent it with a friend!) and then I flew from Paris to Berlin (10 hr layover) and finally from Berlin to Miami! I'm back to school today so I haven't had any time to rest! :( From the bottom of my heart, I owe a huge THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU to all the wonderful people at Geovisions and their partners around the globe. They do such an amazing job and help make people's dreams a reality! Without these wonderful programs, I wouldn't have had the chance to travel to 7 countries by myself and experience such wonderful things! I've made so many friends and met the most interesting, fun people on my adventures! I actually made a lot of use of CouchSurfing. It's such a cool site to meet fellow travellers as well as locals in the area who want to meet foreigners and share their culture! I think I may be interested in doing another program with GeoVisions. I graduate in May so I may want to go abroad again as an au pair. I would go with GeoVisions because of their brilliant five star staff.

Going across the Sydney Harbor Bridge for the first time in the early morning and catching a glimpse of the Sydney Opera House. I wanted to travel and continue to work as a nanny, GeoVisions gave me a way to do that. I have my own room and share a bathroom with the kids, I can use the cars for outings with the kids, and am also provided pocket money and three meals a day.

I think the most memorable experience was my first time doing karaoke with my Korean friends and co-workers. I really wanted to travel and go to Asia because I have heard so many wonderful things. Korea was my ultimate pick because the salaries are good and I love Korean food. My accommodations were excellent. Nice, clean and password key-less lock. It is a little small but accommodations are so expensive in Seoul.