United Planet

It was really fun, I made new friends and had the time of my life. Went to different places, tried different things, food, games, outfit and so on. I would love to experience this again and again. It was amazing

I have done two months of virtual internship with Center for youth Dialogue (CYD), Zanzibar. under Global Citizen Youth Leader Capacity Building Program. It was a great experience to participate in this program and doing the internship. I have learnt many new things and gained new experiences.

I'm grateful to virtually volunteer with a human rights non-profit located in Nigeria. It helped me learn how to communicate with people as well as learn about Nigeria's culture. It broadened my global mindset about the world.

I had a travels a lot with Save the Life Togo / Côte d'ivoire i get some amazing experience as youth project coordinator . I reports to either the functional lead or the project . I helped the project teams manage resources and information and assist with scheduling and planning meetings and project activities. I included additional duties and responsibilities and i expertised in a specific area, and human resources during my trips .

I never could coordinate something like this on my own. You need somebody like United Planet to coordinate and expose you to these countries. When I was in the orphanage they were outstanding and showed me as much as possible. In Acrra with the country coordinator I had a lot of time at the hotel. Sundays consisted of a 3 hour church service (which I loved and really gave you a feel for Ghana) and a one hour orientation. One personal change I got from this is the sense of accomplishment to take this journey by myself was incredible it has given me self confidence and sense of satisfaction.

I knew that I would like Ecuador, but I didn't expect to love it so much. Pablo made it easy for us to add activities to our schedule and change things around so our schedule worked best for us. Every day was a new and amazing learning experience.

I enjoyed volunteering at the daycare we were at. It looked like the place needed some help getting some stuff fixed so I really enjoyed being a part of making a difference to the places. For our cultural activity, going to the indigenous city of Otavalo was really neat.

Everything about the program was great. I learned a variety of new things. Such as the health field, the economic status in Ecuador, etc. I was able to open my eyes to many things about the country. It was a great learning experience.

I thoroughly enjoyed my stay. The staff and coordinators helped me feel very comfortable. They were open to helping with any questions or concerns I had. Elliott King was very accommodating in explaining to the kitchen staff my vegetarian concerns with some of the meals. We had the opportunity to meet with a tribe. I had the opportunity to go to a market in the town of Quito.

I was inspired by after-school programs efforts for disenfranchised children, and the animal sanctuary was very cool. They were exhibiting and inspiring. Machu Picchu was my favorite excursion and the history behind the ruins is incredible.

I am so grateful and extremely happy that this month has worked out so well. We have had the opportunity to see many patients in both Cusco and out in the pueblitos who have been so gracious and full of gratitude for the service. We have all been able to improve our Spanish skills regardless of our level to begin with.

In Kathmandu i was starting to feel like i was getting the hang of daily life, and a deeper level of cultural understanding. Whenever i went out of that zone i felt like a tourist and always had fun seeing new things and learning about different types of Nepali life styles.

Everyone was very receptive to us and welcomed us with open hearts and arms. I loved salsa. It pushed us to the edge of our comfort zones and what an experience it was. I still can't believe I went to Machu Picchu and saw the Incan ruins.

I loved the animal sanctuary. It ranks as probably one of the best experiences of my life. I enjoyed helping it run and I utterly adored the animals, every one of them. The cultural activities were phenomenal. They truly portrayed the spirit of Cusco, of Peru, and I learned so much on them. I learned about the history, the culture, and the beliefs of the Inca, all of which contribute to the culture of modern Peru. I visited historical sites and was able to witness the sheer brilliance of the Incan people; I was able to glimpse history. The tour guides were very knowledgeable and answered all questions I asked them, and they ensured everyone in the group was there before moving on. I loved getting to know more about Cusco, to spreading my culture by answering questions and gaining a new appreciation for Peruvian culture at the same time. Every country I visit changes me, takes away ignorance and preconceived notion, and gives back understanding, awareness, and empathy.

It was amazing. There are so many beautiful places and I believe the volunteers should be given the opportunity to be taken to some of them. I'm always super happy but now I definitely feel like I have a more "simple" perspective on things. I appreciate little things way more now and I'm glad it is that way.

However due to medical reasons I had to leave early and was not able to attend. This is entirely my own fault, not because I was unable to go, I can't really rate the excursion. The plans were excellent and I'm sure the trip would have been excellent.

I loved seeing Machu Picchu and being able to have a guided tour of one of Peru's greatest gems. I also loved the dance lessons with my group. It was one of my favorite experiences that brought many smiles and also a greater appreciation for the culture.

Wow! I am not a big history buff, but I LOVED learning about the Incas! We had wonderful tour guides who took the time to explain things in English in detail and occasionally crack some jokes! Salsa was also a blast-- and I am not much of a dancer!

There were a couple of city tours and archaeological tours which were fascinating to be a part of and allowed me to learn a bit more about Peruvian culture and have different experiences. The Quest made me more aware of problems that people in other places may face, that is a completely different reality from my life .

I loved working at the shelter - the kids are extremely sweet and kind. Although I was crushed in multiple games of futbol, I couldn't say anything bad. They became my friends.

The cultural activities and excursions were an absolute delight and an eye opener. It was fascinating and an insight into the history and culture of the locale and the people. They gave me more of an appreciation of all things around me. The program was an experience that allowed me to give of myself to other and it filled me with much joy and has made me even more open to meeting more people even in my home community.

My experience with the clinic project was very interesting and invaluable experience in the field of medicine at such a young age. With the daycare, it was really fun experience, and quite sad to leave soup kitchen. Wish we could have stayed for longer days. Or have gone multiple days. Loved the equator/chocolate museum, so neat and great way to start trip.

Overall, I had an absolutely amazing time at the counseling center and wouldn't trade it for the world. I really enjoyed being taken to the Hindu and Buddhist temples on my first day to learn about the religions, since it has such a large impact on everything else that I was going to experience later on in my trip.

I discovered some beautiful places with other volunteers. The transport facilities helped us to move to different locations and see the beauty of the Costa Rican's nature.

I appreciated that it was ultimately my decision on where I wanted to be and who I wanted to shadow or work for. Everyone was very accommodating and it made the volunteer aspect very enjoyable. The monkey sanctuary was so awesome and so was the waterfall. I wouldn't trade either of those events for the world.

Teaching was the best part of the whole experience; it was so much fun, and provided very valuable experience for me as I begin my student teaching in the fall. One of the teachers at the school took me a few places, and that was very fun, and I also had several opportunities to explore by myself, so it was very fun, and I got to learn a lot about China. I experienced what it felt like to be a minority who doesn't speak the language for the first time, and that was a powerful experience. I feel like it made me better able to empathize with the immigrant and refugee students I teach in the United States.

The experience at hospital is made by the staff. I worked in A&E for the entire month as I loved both the work itself and the staff on the unit. Some of the best healthcare staff I have ever worked with. Wli waterfalls and the monkey sanctuary are both incredible and well worth visiting.

No complaints with my volunteering experience, and we went to outstanding excursions. The quest made me more aware and hopefully mature. I learned a lot and it changed how I want to make an impact on the world when I am back in the United States.

The chance to have our entire family experience a new country, culture and language has been amazing. At the same time being able to offer service has helped us reach beyond ourselves. In so doing, we have seen that whatever we are able to give is easily reciprocated 2 fold. My wife and kids have been able to connect at a personal level at the orphanage and my kids have exceeded my expectations in their willingness to get out of their shells. Language skills came faster than we expected. Working at the clinic was very rewarding with the sincere gratitude of the patients being my greatest reward. Going out to the small communities to connect with people in rural areas with virtually no access to health care was truly remarkable. This experience leaves me wanting more like it--that's what is neat--It makes you want to give more rather than want more for yourself.

It was exciting and new. I never felt unsafe, despite travelling alone, and everyone involved with my Quest was incredibly nice and accommodating. I loved my volunteer location, my host family, my classes, and my experience. It was unlike anything I'd ever imagined, and I truly enjoyed every second of it. During this Quest, I learned how to take initiative, how to solve problems, how to improvise, and how to be flexible. It changed the way I see the world, the way I view my own world and circumstances. It is impossible to replicate, difficult to explain, but I learned more about myself and about my country. It changed me because I became more self-aware; it changed me because it taught me lessons in resilience and perseverance, courtesy of the animals I helped take care of in my three weeks.

I was placed in two volunteer projects in Cusco. I went to an amazing spanish school where teachers offered one on one classes that were tailored to the specific needs of the students. I loved exploring Cusco with fellow volunteers and especially enjoyed going on field trips with the professors who knew the city much better than the students.

Hetauda center is a close and cozy working environment and I was given much support to start my art therapy program and was able to engage all children on a more intimate and trusting level, which resulted in good feedback from both the Hetauda management and the children. Homestay family arrangement was excellent choice and I was able to learn and involve with the local culture on a deeper level. The overall experience was like with my own family where everyone cared for each other. The Quest has certainly made a positive impact on my life and my counseling style, it was an uniquely amazing experience.

I would recommend UP to anybody. I was out of my comfort zone and learned so much, but I also felt like the help and support was always there if I needed it. I got to work in a rehab clinic with Ecuadorian college students and learned a ton, my favorite part was all the friends I met! UP does a great job fully immersing you in the culture, however what you get out of it is always what you put in.

My experience was excellent because I was enriched with knowledge of wild animals and had once in a lifetime opportunities, connections, and experiences with these animals. I had the opportunity to see and make contact with the Amazon's most exotic and beautiful animals. At my project site, I had the opportunity to live amongst animals, both in captivity and wild, and surrounded by the jungle, which was an spectacular and unique experience. Caring for the animals, which included cleaning cages, feeding them, assisting in some operations, and occasionally playing with them, while staying in the jungle, has led me to find a special connection to nature and my inner self.

The 5 weeks I was in Nepal felt like I was is another world! Sometimes I felt like a child that had to relearn how to take care of myself out of my element; other times I felt a freedom that i've never experienced. Host families are the way to go! Full immersion! Jump right in! In the end you fall in love with them. My host mother had very good connections in her community and set me up to teach English grammar in a school. I was not expecting that, but it was a wonderful experience; I'm glad I jumped at the opportunity. The most challenging part of my Quest was saying goodbye to the children at the project site. Never in my life have I met more caring, polite, or intelligent children. I have to go back for them. Now that I'm home I see everything i don't need but grew up with and thought it was essential for living. The food tastes different. I feel different, I'm already itching to go back.

This trip has broadened my horizons on a culture so unlike my own. I learned so much about a different culture that I was previously not familiar with. I immersed myself with the locals in everyday activities. I fell in love with the country and its people, and I can't wait to go back one day.

This experience was absolutely breath-taking. I can try to use all kinds of adjectives and descriptors to describe how I felt during my experience, but I don't think it would do it justice at all. I can totally write a book on how much I learned about the culture, the mannerisms of the people there, the food, the environment, everything. I really want to thank United Planet for having affiliations with Ghana. The work I did there was amazing and I felt I made a large impact on people's lives while I was there, as they certainly made an impact on mine.

The organization found an excellent project where I taught Deaf Nepalese students because I'm Deaf too. I immensely enjoyed working with them and be a role model as a Deaf teacher. While we communicated differently as I use American Sign Language (ASL) and they use Nepalese Sign Language (NSL), they remarkably mastered to learn ASL quickly because they are educated to learn three languages: Nepalese, English, and Nepalese Sign Language. As time progressed, I learned to use NSL to communicate with them. As a Deaf role model and teacher for the DeafNepalese students, I believe they are inspired to know they can succeed after they complete their education. If I ever think of doing volunteering again during my next summer break, I will definitely come back to work with the Deaf Nepalese students.

It is simply impossible to describe one´s experience when its lived on so many different levels, I could spend weeks talking about my contact with the culture, religion, places I've seen etc.. Yet one constant remains, one word that can sum up what I cannot begin to put into writing, "wonder". A truly lived experience depends fully on the mentality which you adopt when making the decision to volunteer or travel abroad, if you are open and receptive to the environment you are about to be immersed in, then that environment itself will provide you the most complete experience you could wish for. The saying remains <<When in Rome, be Roman>> and thus <<When in Nepal, be Nepali>>.

My four weeks in Peru was, for a lack of better words, life-changing. I never expected that I would've learned so much in such a short amount of period. I volunteered at a clinic in which I was able to shadow dentists and provide assistance when it was needed. As a pre-dental student, I was not able to provide as much help as I wanted. Nevertheless, the little things I did, whether it be calling the patients into the office or replacing suction tubes, made me realize that curing is not the only thing that matters: caring is just as important in the field of health care. Looking at the dentists interact with the patients with such impassioned hearts proved the enormous power of empathy and compassion in a clinical setting--a vigor that showed that dentistry can mean more than conducting procedures and dispensing medication.

What I enjoyed most about the quest was working with the children. They were always happy to see us and a lot of fun to be around. I think the most challenging part was adjusting to a new culture and different way of life but I learned a lot and have returned home with a different perspective on a lot of things and am more grateful for my own home.

If there is one thing that I have taken away from this experience, it is to be thankful for what I have and the life I live. I worked at an after school program for underprivileged children. It was a reality check. So many of those children are put to work to help provide for their family or are put in charge of their younger siblings when they themselves are too young to be unsupervised. Despite not having a "typical" childhood and having so little, they were some of the happiest children I have ever seen. They melt my heart, and I miss them already!! Oh, and Machu Picchu was pretty cool too!

Anyone will tell you that volunteering will completely change your perspective on life, but once you get out of you comfort zone to do it for yourself you will understand what they are talking about. United Planet has provided the perfect opportunity for me to grow as a person through volunteering. My Quest with the children in Peru is going to be a memory I carry with me for the rest of my life. One of my favorite memories of my Quest is that every day three children would run down the hill to simply give us the world's biggest hug. This is the greatest feeling in the entire world. The children of Peru have so much love to offer to volunteers. Take the leap of faith. Volunteer. It is not a decision that you will every regret.

My experience in Ecuador opened up a new door in my life. After just 5 weeks I became a valued community member and I know that I will be welcomed back whenever I wish to visit again. I have to return because I have amazing friends that will be waiting to see me again.

My three weeks in Nepal really flew by. I met the most amazing people while I was at [the project]. The staff were fantastic and I got to meet people from all walks of life from monks to ambassadors. I even met the granddaughter of the first person to summit Mt. Everest. And yet out of all those people, the most amazing people I had the honor and privilege of meeting were the children at [the orphanage]. Whether it was me teaching them about dental hygiene or them teaching me how to speak Nepali I enjoyed every second of my time at the orphanage. From singing Kal Ho Na Ho to playing kabaddi we were always doing something. I learned much more from them then I could have ever anticipated and that made my time in absolutely phenomenal.

The children at the safe house were ALWAYS wanting to play. They were the most joyful and playful kids I have ever met, and it was impossible to not smile when I was surrounded by them. Even children that were up against overwhelming odds and traumatic experiences, their smile and attitudes were intoxicating. I loved everything about the center and what the center stood for in the fight to end sexual abuse in Nepal and around the world. It was truly inspiring beyond measure. My absolutely favorite moment was teaching the girls how to do cartwheels and handstands, and spreading the love I have for gymnastics to them. They learned SO quickly, and it made my heart SO happy! I came home with a new perspective on life. Every time I coach gymnastics now, I will always think of the girls at the center and their bright smiles as they did flips and laughed constantly. This experience is something I will carry with me for the rest of my life.

Wow, where to start? I had such an amazing time on the teaching quest in Ghana. I think the main lesson I learnt on this trip was that you get out what you put in. I would describe myself as quite a shy person, so initially I felt a bit out of depth. However, by the end of my trip I really felt immersed in the culture of Ghana. Everyone was so friendly and the host family were lovely. The students in the school and teachers in the school were equally as kind and friendly and I really enjoyed getting to know them all as well as the society in which they were brought up in. The weekend excursions were beautiful. Overall this experience was incredible. One of the pillars of United Planet is independence and i certainly achieved a sense of independence in learning to cope by myself but at the same I was able to learn so much and be part of another community.

I loved the outcome of volunteering. The people I helped really were appreciative of everything I did. Walking in the first day they clapped for me. It was such a rewarding experience. The country staff was very flexible and really wanted to make sure we were doing something we enjoyed. I could not have had a better host family. They were so welcoming and by the end I was calling my host mother mom! The two daughters even invited me out with friends. I was truly immersed in the culture and they helped me every single way. I love them.

I really enjoyed working in the school and interacting with the students and teachers alike, and they really made me feel like I was welcome there. The country coordinator and the host family were very helpful and open in conversation which was both helpful and insightful. The country was beautiful and the people even more so. It was a truly amazing and inspiring experience and I am definitely going to return as soon as I can.

The one thing I loved the most about being abroad were the people. They were always so nice and kind and seemed to always being happy, especially the kids at the daycare. The culture in Ecuador is really different from the one in the U.S. For example, it’s not common to see people on their phones in public while in the U.S you might even see a toddler playing with one. Another example is the amazing naturally flavored water they have at practically every restaurant. However, in the U.S it’s not that common to have mango or watermelon naturally (not artificially) flavored water at restaurants. Another difference that I noticed was that it is common to see kids or the elderly selling stuff, such as gum or bracelets on the streets to make money. That in itself is a lesson that I will never forget. No matter what problem I will be facing it will not compare to the kid that has to wake up possibly every morning in order to buy himself a candy he wants or maybe even help his parents to put food on the table. Witnessing these cultural differences has made me aware of the culture here. It seems to me that many (not all) individuals here in the United States can never be content with what they have and I have been guilty of that. We always want the best, the latest phone, those new shoes that came out, that new gadget, etc. It seems like what we have is never enough. This has changed my whole attitude on life. I value the things that I have much more and also the loving family that I have. This is something that our society should learn from. For us to not get so caught up with having the latest things and buying this just because all my friends have it. Going to this trip was an amazing experience that has motivated me so much to study abroad, it is not even a question anymore – I will study abroad. I am not sure where but I will. Another important aspect that I took out of this trip was helping those in need. It has motivated me to keep doing great in school so once I graduate I can make a difference in the world by volunteering and helping the less fortunate.

I was glad I was able to interact with the kids and immerse myself in the beautiful culture of Peru. I was also more than glad to be able to work with some amazing people on the trip.I really enjoyed being able to interact with kids and use knowledge I had already learned in school and apply them while out on the field. Despite this, I found it really hard to communicate with the children sometimes because they spoke Spanish so quickly, and for someone who was not as fluent, it was really difficult for me to comprehend what they were trying to say sometimes.

The trip guides were very informative and also very personable. They were easy to get along with and by the end of the week, they felt like our friends. There was a great mixture of volunteer work, cultural immersion and sightseeing. Also, we were housed in a nice hostel and at no time did I ever feel unsafe.This experience was very eye-opening for me as I have never been immersed in another culture before. While I have visited other countries before, I have never been outside of tourist areas or areas of main attractions. This trip showed me just how similar USA is to Ecuador. There wasn't much that I can do In the US that I couldn't do in Ecuador. The city and life in the city reminded me a things in the US as well. The trip also showed me how similar people in general are despite our geographic location. Seeing young adults my age in Ecuador participating in similar things that I do in the US helped me realized how much we have in common. Also, not being able to speak Spanish was a very humbling experience. Living in the US, I always see people who are unable to speak English and before this trip, I never really thought twice about them. Now however, I have a more sympathetic view of them, knowing first hand how scary and difficult it is to be in a country where you cannot speak to most people or even read most of the signs. On the other hand, the language barrier also showed me that human nature runs deeper than any spoken language. While I couldn't always communicate by word with most of the native people there, I was still able to communicate through gestures, smiles, etc. While it is difficult, you can communicate without language. Overall, this trip was very humbling! I was able to see just how vast the world is and how much life truly exist outside my own little world!

I really enjoyed the Spanish classes and how welcoming the orphanage was to guests. My Spanish teacher was so friendly and provided me the perfect instruction, and the orphanage placement was lenient and independent. It was something I will never forget.

I enjoyed this quest because it pushed me. It pushed me to practice my Spanish, it pushed me to become more independent, and it pushed me to become the person I am now. I know that I'm a person who needs to be pushed in order to face up to a challenge, and I'm glad that my Quest pushed me. Because of this push, I know that I am capable of anything I set my mind to.

The other girls staying at my host family will be friends that will last a lifetime, my host family was amazing and I made several other amazing friends. Not only did I work with some of the most amazing kids in the world, I also made such great relationships with the other volunteers that I met there.

The most enjoyable part was the time we spent at the orphanage. It was an amazing experience and one where I grew a lot, especially with communication. I was not a Spanish speaker before this trip, but having an awesome Spanish teacher, I was able to learn a lot and communicate better with the kids. It was amazing to me that even without my Spanish skills, I was able to help out and connect with the students so much. I also loved the Salkantay trek and meeting amazing people during this experience. While it was super challenging, I am proud to have completed it. I am going to take back my skills that I learned here into my classroom that I teach in back at home. I have several students who are language learners and now I understand better about what they are going through and how I can better support them.

Playing futbol with the locals, meeting college students in Quito, and attending an wedding will be my most memorable experiences that i had while being in Ecuador. I think my favorite parts of the trip occurred while being in Otavalo. There I grew closer to my team members, i had a better interaction with the locals and members of the community, and the service that we did there felt more meaningful.

I had an amazing experience in Ecuador. My favorite part about the experience was getting to connect with the people in Ecuador. It was great learning about their culture and language. Our guide was amazing! She was always there to help and answer questions and was right along with us serving the community.

My quest allowed me to be completely immersed in a culture completely different from my own. I could not have gotten this experience anywhere else. Thanks to United Planet, I have a completely new perspective on the way that I view the world. I met the most incredible people in Ecuador. From people on the streets of Quito smiling at me every chance they got, to the people of the indigenous Chilcapamba community who were as eager to learn about my culture as I was to learn about theirs, personal connections are what made my experience unforgettable.

Every step of the journey was well organized and as expected from the orientation through UP to the farewell dinner. Staff and girls at the center greeted me warmly and always treated me like a welcome guest. Never able to help with cooking or cleaning felt a bit awkward but I came to understand that this is their custom for volunteers who visit "guests are like God" so I adjusted but it still left me questioning my role there in terms of how I could help. Teaching yoga with the girls, making friendship bracelets, helping with homework, coloring, and walking with them to school or dance class became my activities with the girls. I learned a lot from them and greatly appreciated their kindness and hospitality, but not sure I offered much in return. I learned a great deal about patience, tolerance, and acceptance.

My experience was excellent due my amazing host family and in country coordinator. Both of them helped me adjust to the life there in Ghana for the 3 weeks I was there and help me stay organized. What I enjoyed most about my quest was being fully immersed into the culture there from eating meals with my hands, bargaining at the local markets, learning a little bit of the language they speak there Ewe and forming relationships with the locals. My favorite experience while I was there was going to church there. The singing, dancing, and drumming from the choir with everyone's energy, I just smiled I think for the first hour I was there. I felt connected to the community and felt like I understood a little bit more about their culture by going there.

Our in country coordinator was fantastic and always available if we needed something. The host family was very welcoming and friendly for our entire stay and most of the hospital staff were very welcoming as well. On top of that this experience was a huge eye opener and an absolutely amazing experience to witness and be a part of the Ghana health care system. Our weekend excursion to the waterfall and the monkey sanctuary we also an amazing experience and to be able to see some of the country was not only incredibly beautiful but an amazing addition to our quest. The most challenging part of this trip was probably adapting to the different hospital policies and seen their lack of supplies and definitely greatly increased my appreciation for what I am able to work with at home.

I enjoyed learning about Ghanaian culture and history. I enjoyed being exposed to the differences in health care between Ghana and Canada. Yet it was hard to accept the lack of resources. It made it difficult to be optimistic and made me feel a little hopeless. Seeing people in poverty I could not help but feel like there was not much I could do as an individual. But I also learned to look on the brighter side of things and be appreciative of what you have. The Ghanaian people are in poverty, but they often have smiles on their faces and do not dwell on what they do not have, rather they are thankful for what they do have. This has changed how I view the world and my life. I enjoyed the excursions to the Wli waterfalls and monkey sanctuary which allowed me to see the natural beauty of Ghana. I also loved meeting the other volunteers and creating memories and friendships that will last forever.

Having the opportunity to experience another culture and language while also doing something meaningful so that I felt that I had a purpose there. We celebrated Dia de Los Mujeres while I was on my Quest in Ecuador. I brought home a cake, and my family consisting of myself, a mom and two daughters, all gave hugs and exchanged flowers. It was very special.

My experience on my quest cannot be described in words. It was such an amazing trip and I learnt so much about life in a different culture. It is very intimidating traveling by yourself, especially to a place that does not speak your native language. All of the challenges allowed me to learn a lot about myself and made me realize that I can do anything.

I loved seeing a different culture from my own and being able to help in any way. I especially enjoyed working with underprivileged kids in the day care and the orphanage. My best experience was being able to participate in indigenous medicine and seeing what kinds of practices the shaman preformed. The biggest hurdle was the language barrier, however, we had fantastic interpreters who made the transition much easier.

Such an AMAZING experience and worth every penny! From the clinical time volunteering to the excursions we did on our free days it was all a blast. Everything was so organized and planned out. Our hostel was close to everything and in walking distance to shopping and restaurants. It also felt very safe! The hardest thing was the language barrier because none of us speaks Spanish! The Spanish lessons and salsa lessons were so much fun!

My experience was made excellent because of everyone who helped us all connect with Ecuador. Our tour person and our driver did great in helping us all arranged where we were traveling too and made our experience much more smooth.

I definitely cannot pick on part of the Quest that I enjoyed over the other. I honestly enjoyed every minute of it. One of the biggest challenges was the language barrier. In Canada, French is our second language so most of us had very minimal language skills in Spanish. However, Pablo and his team were by our sides every step of the way and they helped us overcome this barrier. This Quest has definitely changed my life for the better. It allowed me to experience a whole different culture and have hands on experience in a third world country. The lessons I learned while in Ecuador is knowledge that I will carry with me throughout my whole career and the rest of my life. I have a better appreciation of healthcare in my own country and an even stronger passion to help those in other countries. With that being said, I would 100% go on another Quest to Ecuador in a heartbeat and I definitely have plans to return someday down the road.

What was most challenging was not being able to communicate well, due to the language barrier. We were very grateful to our translator guides, and did manage to pick up some basic Spanish phrases. I absolutely loved going to the local orphanage and helping out there by painting murals, playing with the kids, and giving out donations. As well, having the privilege of being able to visit the local public clinic was such an amazing experience. I wouldn't change a thing about the trip!

I loved seeing a different culture from my own and being able to help in any way. I especially enjoyed working with underprivileged kids in the day care and the orphanage. My best experience was being able to participate in indigenous medicine and seeing what kinds of practices the shaman preformed. The biggest hurdle was the language barrier, however, we had fantastic interpreters who made the transition much easier.

I loved visiting the clinics and seeing how health care works there as opposed to here in canada. The language barrier was challenging when traveling next time I will be sure to study the language better. My best experience was at the orphanage i loved playing and interacting with the children.

My trip to China was a life changing experience. Everyone I met was friendly and inviting, especially the other teachers at the school. The only regret I have is not spending more time there. That being said, I still grew as a person teaching in China. Being immersed in a different culture changed my views on interactions between people, and showed me the value and beauty of language.

The ability to go to another country and help was amazing. That mixed with the amazing support I received from you guys and my in country organization made me feel so safe. My host family made me apart of there family and that has not ended since I've come home. They will be family forever.

My quest has changed how I see the world. Sometimes it can be easy to get caught up in American pride and be blind to what you can learn from other countries. Ghana taught me the value of a community; people who actively look out for each other even if they are strangers.

We had the beautiful opportunity to volunteer and also an opportunity to engage with the Ecuadorian culture and customs. It is more impactful to volunteer in a place you also have an opportunity to meet.I have always loved hearing and reading about other customs that are different from mine because I believe that our diverse world is what makes our world beautiful. Being able to experience the medical part was eye opening to me because not only did I learn t be open to other people ideas but also be open to other customs like the ginny pig. Here in the US we see them as pets. They are pets we give for granted as in Ecuador they are very meaningful. This experience overall changed me in many other ways.

I made irreplaceable friends in the emergency department who were great teachers as well as grateful for my volunteer service. I enjoyed all the friends I made in Ghana. The Ghanaian people are unlike any I have met. welcoming is an understatement. You're constantly invited places by those around you and welcome to join them in their culture. My host family was amazing. They guided me throughout my whole trip, and provided a warm welcoming home.

I loved working with both sides of the Ecuadorian community. We worked with a daycare and it was truly amazing and warmed my heart. We then worked with the elderly community and they had some great stories about their life. Best experience of my life so far.

My quest opened my eyes about what happens around the world. I established amazing relationships with people who I will remain in contact with for a long time. This trip was absolutely life changing. The tastes, smells and cultural experiences were somethings I will never forget. I am forever grateful to be able to experience such an amazing adventure so young.

Everything was very organized. When we arrived we got a schedule of the events that were taking place and we did everything that was on the schedule. Everyone was very nice! There was not one thing that I disliked about the trip. Peru taught me a ton of Spanish that I can now use in my practice. The culture, the language and the people just made it such an incredible experience that I cannot put into words.

My host family was very welcoming and accommodating and the staff that I worked with at Volta Regional Hospital were all friendly and accepting of me from the very first day. Adjusting to the new environment with less technology and a completely different culture was a bit difficult at first, but I was able to quickly adjust thanks to all the new friends and colleagues I made. The most challenging aspect of my quest was learning all the nuances of the Ghanaian culture, such as using your right hand when giving things to others; this was made even more difficult by the fact that I am left-handed. I really enjoyed working at the hospital and assisting the staff with various tasks, but my favorite experience was assisting in suturing. The various experiences I gained in Ghana will most certainly help me as I pursue medical school and a career in medicine. All the relationships I've made, as well as learning about a new culture will definitely help me as I make more relationships throughout the rest of my life. I definitely hope to return to Ghana again one day, as my first time there was unforgettable.

My passion for advocacy and social justice is what initially attracted me to participate in my quest. I was ready to focus my time, energy and passion using my background in education and social justice around strategizing ways of educating communities and uplifting survivors of sexual abuse - in essence, I was ready to make an impacting change on the community (within realistic bounds). But, what ended up happening, was that the community of children, caretakers, and complete strangers that I met by chance along the way actually changed ME in ways that I never imagined going in. I was taught about humanity and what it means to really be a human on this planet, merely through the every day kindness, generosity and hospitality that was offered to me on a daily basis. I realized in the busy life that I live back in the United States, these basic qualities are so underrated, but if practiced are wildly influential in attaining a fulfilling, happy life. Not only for yourself, but for fellow man.

I enjoyed working in the community the most. I was able to be more "hands-on" working with patients. I would have preferred working in the community for the week over the clinic because that was more observational. The most challenging part about this trip was the language barrier. I barely can speak Spanish and the people in Peru spoke so fast that I couldn't really understand much. But, I also had a translator/spanish teacher, Frank, who was great and really helped me out throughout the entire trip. Also he was the best Spanish teacher I have had.

One of the most enjoyable things about my Quest was meeting the other volunteers. We were all from different places and it was nice to have a common connection. I made friends that I will keep in touch with when I return home. My host mom, Doris, was very kind and always made sure that I was safe and took great care of me! The volunteer coordinator, Winnie Dekker, was always available and helpful. Winnie is very approachable and willing to listen to questions and concerns.

My Quest was amazing. I left Ghana feeling like I had made an impact on people's lives, not just for providing them with healthcare at my place of work, but also for sharing my experiences and living with them for a month. We both learned a great deal about the differences in culture, helping to break global boundaries and share in similarities. I enjoyed my place of work; the staff were friendly and very easy to get along with whilst giving me the support to learn valuable skills and also to impart some knowledge of my own into their way of working. A highlight would be my excursion to the monkey sanctuary and Wli waterfalls - both amazing places to visit. I would do it all again in a flash. The experience at the project is made by the staff. I worked in the project for the entire month as I loved both the work itself and the staff on the unit. Some of the best healthcare staff I have ever worked with.

This quest and trip in general was one of the best experiences of my life. I learned about healthcare and life in the city of Cuzco. Everyone was welcoming at the Spanish school and my volunteer site. I met many people from all over the world. I got to experience the majestic Machu Picchu. This quest has confirmed my initial desire to continue partaking in international volunteering.

From the pre-departure support in Boston, to the In-Country Coordinators, to other UP volunteers, to tour guides, to local Ecuadorians, and, last but not least, my host family, I was touched by such a warm and collaborative environment overall, and I had never experienced such a beautiful thing on such a large scale before. Everyone I interacted with before and during my Quest was helpful and supportive, and my experience would have been very different if so many people had not reached out to me during the program. I also loved being able to experience so many different aspects of service in Ecuador in such a short amount of time. The In-Country Coordinator provided much freedom and flexibility in the itinerary, which allowed me to see and do so much more than I had anticipated, which was quite the pleasant surprise.

United Planet was able to help me overcome my nervousness of traveling to South America for the first time. The pre-departure support I received from the Program Coordinator was very helpful to calming those nerves. My quest to Ecuador was an eye-opening experience. I felt a lot more comfortable in myself traveling alone, learning the local language (which I was a beginner in) and interacting with the locals and learning cultural experiences. The quest helped me experience Ecuador in a way I never would have before. I took part in the Environmental Sustainability project, whereby at YanaCocha I stayed for three weeks in the Wildlife Conservation Quest. The quest helped me become more adaptable, confident, patient and increase my problem solving skills. I enjoyed every moment there and would absolutely volunteer with United Planet again.

United Planted has been an uplifting program and as given me the ability to unlock new aspects in my life. I have changed tremendously and have learned more about myself. I volunteered in hopes that my perspective may change with culture simulation and that I may bring my ideas to share with the community. I was given more than I could ask for. The staff were extremely kind and patient, and the locals were super sweet. This as truly been an amazing journey, and united planted is now my favorite volunteer organization.

I wasn't quite sure what to expect in this experience. I was travelling alone with my two children and wasn't sure about safety, etc. I have traveled quite a bit and to many 3rd world countries but this experience truly changed our lives. To live and work in the community and experience the culture, people and heartache was amazing. The absolute best part of our trip was volunteering in the orphanage. The kids were so adorable. It warmed my heart and broke it at the same time, working with them every day. How little they have and how grateful they are for people to come and just play with them.

I found not speaking fluent Spanish to be challenging because it was often necessary. The best part of my trip was meeting the people, I feel like I was able to form really strong relationships. I am more confident now because I had to be self reliant so many times.

It was a really amazing experience. I was able to immerse myself in a new culture, create lasting memories, and make lifelong friends. One of the most amazing parts was seeing how happy we could make students with just our presence. They didn't have fancy toys as we did when we were children but they constantly had smiles on their faces. It really made me think about how lucky I was and about how life is amazing. Living in a patriarchy was something that really impacted my life. Being a feminist it challenged me quite a bit. Reading about a patriarchy and living in one is very different. I could not fathom living their my entire life. It made me want to challenge it even more than my mind had wanted to in the states. It made me really think about how fortunate I was to have the freedoms I do and not be judged by elders in my community.

My experience was very good because it provided me both personal and professional challenges to overcome and learn from. In addition to immersing myself in a foreign culture and improving my Spanish speaking skills, I gained an immense amount of experience in the medical field while being able to help the local community at the same time. The seven weeks I spent in Peru have very much helped me develop skills that are fundamental to being a successful professional in the medical field. The people I met in Cusco, both local and foreign, as well as the cultural experiences I had were fantastic and unforgettable.

My quest in Ghana was spent primarily in the Eye Clinic of the Volta Regional Hospital in Ho, Ghana. We spent three days of the week working in the clinic where I learned much about the field of optometry and saw first hand some very interesting cases. On Tuesdays we were able to go on outreach trips to local primary schools. I made some incredible memories that I will never forget while on the outreach trips. It was so rewarding to be present and observe the way Ghanaian children react to having a "white lady" help them with their eye screenings and try to have conversations with them. I hope they enjoyed it as much as I did. One of the most challenging things about being in Ghana is definitely learning how to eat and enjoy the local food. Living with a host family allowed me to try the local cuisine first hand. It definitely required an open mind and some determination, but ultimately I learned to love the food. You have to learn how to eat with your hands and be okay with it. I also had to learn to go to the bathroom outside without a toilet. Coming from America, that is something I don't often do. It's important to make local friends that are comfortable enough with teaching you the techniques for both eating and going to the bathroom. I also have very fond memories of the local people. Even the people I had never met were so welcoming. You hear "you are welcome" from every new person that you meet. The handshake used in the Volta region was also fun and I was able to do it on a daily basis. It starts like a hand shake Americans are used to, but it finishes with a snap of the middle finger. It was shocking at first, but I learned to love it. This quest has truly been life changing for me. The hospitality that I have experienced, the living conditions that I have seen, and the lifestyles that these people live has been eye opening. I experienced some guilt and anger upon my arrival back home because everything was back to normal and no one ever acknowledges how fortunate we are. It was important to understand that just one month ago, I was the same way and that my family and friends have never experienced a culture such as Ghana's. After a couple of weeks I was able to put my anger and guilt to rest and it turned more towards being grateful. I have been blessed, and I will never forget my time in Ghana. I'm a better person for having met such amazing people and for experiencing the Ghanaian culture first hand.

The wild dogs on the streets were very freaky, many chased me! I loved being able to go to the school and meet other people in the program. I also loved being able to volunteer- though I do feel it is important for administration to remember we are volunteering, it is not mandatory. I went out on my own to visit the salineras- I would recommend that everyone adventures out on their own without a huge group and tour bus, it was an amazing experience. Walk everywhere, it is very possible and you are able to experience so much more of the city and meet many interesting people.

I really enjoyed the home stay. My family was very supportive and a joy to be around. The Spanish classes were helpful. I also enjoyed the extra events (such as: cooking & pan flute classes and the excursions).

Overall this was a very good learning experience for me. I felt that the volunteer sites was a very good experience but only if your proactive. We were able to do and observe many things that we wouldn't have been able to in the US. Within the sites theres really isn't much direction you have to find your own things to do. This is fine it just would be more helpful to know exactly what to do that way you can get the most out of the experience. The excursions included in the trip were amazing, you learn so much about the culture and the views are great. The food was great, I loved our host mom. She was very understanding if we couldn't make it back to dinner and was always trying to be helpful. My only comment would be that there should be a little more organization within the program in order to better the experience of the volunteers.

I really enjoyed spending time at the Orphanage. The children were very sweet and I loved experiencing and learning more about their Peruvian Culture. The quest shined a light on how privileged I am in the United States and how simple you can live your life and have the same level of happiness, if not more.

I took Spanish classes every morning and my teacher was so nice and understanding! In the afternoons, I would volunteer at the orphanage. I was only there for a week and did not think I would make an impact on the children but bonding with them was the best part. I was able to travel to Machu Picchu which was absolutely amazing!! The Machu Picchu tour was very informative and we also had free time to explore. The only challenging part of my trip was the language. I should have brushed up on my Spanish more before traveling to Peru.

I enjoyed my time very much in Peru. I learned so many new things while at the clinic I was working at. I was able to see how different health care was in another country compared to the United States.

What I enjoyed most about my Quest was that we were completely immersed in the local culture. Our tour guide and United Planet coordinator made sure that we knew what the locals do, ensuring that we made the most of our experience abroad!

Even though our plane was delayed and we didn't land until 4am, Alberto our guide and Fernando our driver were still enthusiastic and excited to greet us at the airport. Along with Pablo, every step of the trip was well organized and allowed us to arrive at the locations and contribute as much service as possible without wasting anytime. Everything went along very smoothly and we were truly able to enjoy what we were doing during every moment of the trip. Our group got to bond over fun experiences like salsa lessons and ziplining which along with all the kids we got to help, made this trip unforgettable.

The best part of this experience was seeing the happiness and smiles on the faces of the community members of Ecuador who we were helping. Those moments were priceless and really affirm the reasons for why it is so important for people to become aware and get involved with community service domestically as well as internationally! This experience was one of the best parts of my college experience and I gained new life-long friends and memories that I will cherish forever!

I went into this experience knowing I had to challenge myself to have an open mind, not be afraid of my surroundings, and to try new things but I never would have imagined that this experience would have changed my life so much. Being able to see a different part of the world and engage in a different culture was beautiful every moment of everyday. The struggles that we faced made me realize a new aspect on how to handle situations and learn from them. I have found my passion to serve others and see the world.

I definitely enjoyed the trip to Machu Picchu, but I had mainly been looking forward to the volunteer work in the clinics. I enjoyed going to the mountain village to distribute toothbrushes and toothpaste to the school children and give a hygiene presentation. The pharmacy and hospital staff were very kind and I also really enjoyed the work there. The most challenging part may have been adjusting to the hostel accomadations, but I've been backpacking so infrequent showers, etc. doesn't stop me from having a great time. My highlight would have to be getting rushed down to the ER to help translate Spanish for some Australian couples who had just been in a car accident on their way to the Inca Trail. I was asked if I was an angel. Overall, this Quest has rejuvenated my enthusiasm for my future career in pharmacy and opened my eyes to the culture of Peru.

I feel that the best experiences in life are invariably the ones that are hardest to relate. When I look back on my Quest in China, I find that when I sift through the memories of the people and places I encountered that there is not one single event that stands out as being paramount to the others. The memories I have of the most mundane everyday occurrences are ones that I treasure in equal measure with those of the most spectacular marvels I chanced upon over the course of my trip; memories of sitting in the classroom after school trying (in vain) to translate Proust into Chinese for the flotilla of students gathered at my sides, or playing soccer behind the school building with my fourth grade class are complemented by the pungent taste of Chou Doufu, or the sprawling view from the top of Heng Shan Temple, where the earth seems unfold beneath you and the smoke from burning incense rises over the horizon line. The individual memories overlap and converge to amount to what was undeniably the single best experience of my life.

This experience was a great way to be fully emerged in a new culture. We were able to live and work within a culture and language that is much different than ours. We were able to experience many different parts and cultures of Ecuador. Being able to work in the day care was amazing because I felt like I was actually helping. In the school there is 75 children under age 5 with 6 teachers. All the children and teachers were welcoming. Our host family was incredible and very welcoming. They made us all feel at home. We were able to use the rest of our free time well by exploring Quito. This quest had a huge impact on my life because it was very eye opening. I was able to see the many different ways that Ecuador helps maintain the environment. People in Ecuador are in no way wasteful and they are very mindful of the things that they use. We had a few people explain to us that Ecuador is feeling the effects of global warming because of the actions of other countries. Working in the day care was also very eye opening and different. It is run much differently than those in the United States. It was sad to hear that children get left home alone when parents have to work and can't afford day care. One day while we were working, a man brought a 4 year old child to the day care because he found the child walking the streets alone. When administration called the police, they found out the child was left home alone and had left his house.

My Quest in South Africa has completely changed me! I got to experience life in someone else's shoes and indulge in a different culture. The people I met were the most caring and loving people I've ever met and have helped to show me what type of person I want to be. It was definitely one of the most amazing and life changing experience of my life!

It was challenging traveling alone, across the world. I was definitely nervous because I didn't know anyone, but it was a great way to find out my limits. I was in complete awe of all the beautiful sites, especially Machu Picchu. I had never experienced like that. Peru has such a rich culture and I felt like I was in a whole other world. Much different than California. I want to go back one day. After going on the trip, I have a new appreciation for people that choose to travel the world alone and explore. I am can't wait for my next adventure and I thank United Planet for being such a safe reliable option!

I am a new graduate Registered Nurse from California. I felt a comprehensive volunteer project would be an outstanding opportunity to not only gain some experience in my profession, but to help a healthcare clinic deliver necessary care, and become more competitive during my job search. I also wanted to live abroad, practice my Spanish, and travel--I feel that I accomplished all these things, and made some awesome friends in the process. I learned that traveling the world to volunteer as an RN is something I want to continue to do in my nursing career, with organizations like United Planet.

I arrived in Cusco, Peru on July 27th. I took Spanish lessons at the local Spanish school and volunteered my days at the orphanage. I learned so much during the month of August and grew and changed as a person. For my first week I had 8 hours of Spanish lessons and for the remaining three weeks I had 4 hours of lessons a week. On a typical day, I woke up around 7:30 and had breakfast at 8:00. For breakfast was usually an egg, fried or omelet style with rice. Sometimes I ate the egg on bread. Or on special occasions we had a sort of a different version of a pancake, which I ate with jelly. And then always tea, tea is served with every meal. Then after breakfast which I ate with anyone who was home, I walked to the school on the mornings I had class. The Spanish School was about a 20 minute walk from my home. I had one on one class with my teachers, who were different every week. After class I walked home and around 1:30 it was lunch time. In Peru lunch is the largest meal, usually kids come home from school and parents from work. It is a time to be with your family, and enjoy a nice meal. It really was quality time that I grew to love. The members of my host family were all such amazing people; they opened their home to me and welcomed me as soon as I arrived. I am very grateful to have been given such nice people to stay with for my time in Cusco. They made me feel at home, and I miss them very much. Since lunch was the biggest meal it was usually two dishes. The first plate was a bowl of soup usually containing potatoes, as it is was a main cooking ingredient for my family. Then the second plate was usually some sort of cooked vegetable, for example onions, with rice, potato of some kind, and a small portion of meat. Or sometimes instead we had one large plate of either pasta with vegetables and meat or chicken and rice and potatoes served in different ways. And then following the meal for lunch we drank tea or sometimes John would blend fruits and vegetables into juice. After lunch I would walk to the orphanage which was about a 15 minute walk. My last two weeks I would walk to the orphanage with my friend, who lived near me and also worked at the orphanage. At the orphanage I worked at, there are 60 kids, and there are 6 houses with about 10 kids in each house. The kids ended up in the orphanage because either their parents gave them up due to their inability to provide for them, or they were taken away from their parents because the parents were deemed unfit to take care of them by the state. In each house there are kids of all ages and a “substitute mother” to stimulate a real family. Every afternoon when I would first arrive the kids would be finishing up their lunch and about to start their homework. I would help them all I could with their homework or I spent time playing with the younger ones until they were all finished. Afterward we would watch films if it was raining but since it hardly ever rained during August we would spend our time playing on the playground or doing arts and crafts. Since the orphanage is funded by the state the kids are fortunate enough to have a playground and other nice things that other orphanages might not necessarily have. We also took a field trip up to a famous ruin site where you could see the entire city and we flew kites. My afternoons spent with the kids was the best part of my trip. All the kids are so great, and being orphans all they want is someone to love them. As I got to know them all it made me frustrated that their parents and families just abandoned them. There is an 8 month old baby who was found abandoned on the street alone at night. Someone found her and brought her to the orphanage. When I heard this it made me realize how much of a reality homelessness is for the kids, if it wasn’t for this orphanage. All the kids are so bright and have so many talents. One girl in my house, she is 15. Every day she would come to me and tell me new English words she learned and practice saying sentences. She also would serve a volleyball every day against the playground wall by herself. I can only imagine if she could play on a team, how happy it would make her. That’s what I mean when I say all the kids are so great, they have such kind hearts filled with innocence and a love for learning, whatever it may be. And I know that many Jenkins Fellows work in orphanages but I feel it’s important for me to say that working in orphanages is such an amazing thing for everyone involved. For those of you who think “this is just another orphanage project” everyone’s experience is different and until you work in one you can’t understand truly how rewarding and life changing it is. The kids taught me so much about what family really is. In the houses they all love each other, the mothers treat the kids like they are their own, the kids are like real siblings, and they fight just like a real family too. I feel so grateful that I was able to spend four weeks with the kids, laughing and playing, and honestly just being there for them. That’s what volunteers go to do, to give whatever they can. All the kids want is someone to love them and being that for them is something I’ll never forget. After I left the orphanage I would walk home and around 7 or 8 we would have dinner. Dinners in Peru are generally small and in my host family we would eat either a small bowl of the soup that we had for lunch or a small plate of the rice and sometimes, it was simply hot chocolate or tea with bread. The small dinners were something that I just had to adjust to. On some nights through United Planet I had “cultural activities” that took place at the school with other volunteers. These included, pan flute lessons, salsa lessons, and cooking lessons. On the weekends we had trips that included Machu Picchu and I had a Sacred Valley Tour and a City Tour. During these we visited various famous ruins and various historical and famous sites around Cusco. Machu Picchu was my favorite activity. I and four other girls from UP spent all day my second Saturday traveling to the town of Aguas Callientes where Machu Picchu is located, and spent the night in a hostel. Then Sunday morning we took a bus early in the morning up to the town of Machu Picchu where the ruins are located and the mountain that you hike as well. It really is a spectacular place; I can see why it’s one of the wonders of the world. It was so beautiful, we got to see the sunrise over the mountains, there were llamas everywhere, it really was great. I actually got knocked over by a llama, I was standing around our tour guide as we waited for the rest of the people on our tour and out of nowhere this giant llama came charging at me and knocked me over. I would have face planted if my friend Presely wasn’t there to catch my fall. I also got to meet and spend time with the other volunteers, which was so great because everyone I met was so sweet and had such a passion for the service they were doing at their projects. I’ve realized that everyone that I met in my four weeks were such amazing people because we all went to Peru for the same reason, to do service and learn and speak the language. It was really nice to meet so many people who had the similar passions and interests because I have never met so many people like me in that sense. That was one of the hardest parts of going home, saying bye to the people I met because we had gotten so close. I made friends from the States, England, Poland, Germany, Spain, Canada, Italy, France, Holland, Costa Rica, and various parts of Peru. They taught me a lot and we grew as people together. As I mentioned earlier one day we took a field trip to the Sacaywoman ruins, a popular place in Cusco for tourists and locals to visit and spend time. With all the kids from the orphanage and all the mothers, and volunteers we took the bus up to the top of the city. We went to the Cristo Blanco statue first and afterwards we went to the open grassy area to fly kites and play soccer. It was windy and cloudy and we expected it to start raining. Once we got all the kids kites’ up and flying, it started to drizzle. But it was fine for a while the rain didn’t seem to bother the kids. But then it started to pour and then hail. Which is extremely unusual for the month of August. We told the kids to wrap up their kites and we headed to an area with large trees for shelter. It was really coming down at that point and we knew we should try to catch the next bus. We saw a bus approaching and so in our we ran across the open fields of grass to try and catch the bus. And we have the kites, bags of food, and many kids who are from babies and toddlers. The bus already had people on it and so we crammed up everyone who could fit, got on the strollers and all the babies and headed back towards the orphanage. We were all soaked from head to toe from the rain. I was in the middle of the bus with a baby on my right hip and a large bottle of Inca Cola, the typical soda of Peru in my left hand. As I swayed and struggled to keep my balance and keep the child upright and from crying I realized the thing that had the most impact on me from my whole trip. Not once did any one of the kids complain about the rain, or the cold, or the fact that they had to stop flying their kites. They remained cheerful and laughing throughout the entire time and that is because they are grateful for everything. They though it was so funny that we all looked like we had gone swimming. They were appreciative for being able leaving the orphanage that day, getting to ride the bus, and then getting to fly kites with the other children and the volunteers. They take nothing for granted and on that day I saw firsthand what being orphans has made these children into. They are truly incredible little people who deserve the best. But the sad reality is that they won’t get the best in life. They will have to struggle and work for all that they have. It’s hard to explain and express how I felt on that day but the best word I can come up with is humbled. I was humbled by a group of 60 kids who accepted me and loved me, even the stranger that I was. Who didn’t complain about the rain, and managed to never lose the smiles on their faces. I will never forget that day, and all that it means to me. During my time in Peru I learned learned how to live with a roommate, my roommate was very different from myself but we were good for each other. We got extremely close and I miss her, a lot. I also learned a lot of Spanish, I can now speak more than before and I am grateful because my ability to communicate with the locals made me able to form relationships with them. But more than that I learned a lot about myself, that I didn’t expect. Who I am and what I’m made of. There were challenges during my trip I had to overcome, although I didn’t speak of them. I also learned of my love for traveling. I already knew I had a passion for service but traveling and making a temporary home in a new place is something that I extremely enjoy and I look forward to my next trip, wherever and whenever it may be. But more than learning Spanish and new things about myself I learned about the world. I have a greater understanding of our world as a whole and how big it really is. And in every place how much beauty there is. How the people have such kind hearts, and how much we can all do to help each other out. We have one planet and one life; my trip showed me how much volunteering can do to change our world, and our lives. Before I left for Peru my brother asked me why I wanted to go so badly. I told him that I wanted to put some love back into the world and I know now that I did exactly that. Through my experiences I matured as a person, and learned invaluable lessons. I am not the person I was before I left and I never will be, but I am grateful because I am a better person now. I am so thankful for all that I have in my life. I saw much poverty while I was in Peru but more than materialistic things I am grateful to have a loving family that supports me in all that I do. I have learned, through experiences that for every person in need there truly is one not far who can help. After coming back from Peru I am a different person with different goals and values. I am so grateful to have been given this opportunity of a life time. I miss Cusco, the kids, and all the people I met but I am so fortunate to have such amazing things to miss, and to have the memories with me for the rest of my life. I had the most incredible experience; I am so proud to have been a UP volunteer, and now a UP alum.

My quest to Peru is an experience I will never forget. It opened my eyes to see things farther than my own community, and brought a new perspective on life, that otherwise I would not have gained. I see my home, my community, my education through a new, sharper set of eyes. I examine situations with a new mindset. A mindset to value everyone equally, to see the other side of the story, to help the needy and less fortunate, because they too have dreams, hope, aspirations.

My experience was absolutely life changing. The Boston office had me very prepared before departure and I knew what to expect. Upon landing in Cusco the culture shock set in instantly, and it took a few days to fully adjust. Although the entire city was welcoming, friendly, helpful, and turned Cusco into a home for me. The clinic I volunteered at was by far the biggest thing that I took from my quest. The children taught me just as much, if not more then I taught them. Working there everyday was the definition of cross-cultural understanding. Each of the children impacted my life in a different way and I will forever be grateful for everything United Planet gave me the opportunity to experience throughout my quest.

There is nothing greater then learning and growing from others. This entire experience I believed I was going to go help these people and better their lives. In fact they helped me and bettered my life. To meet people with so much less then you have and to see the routine of there life is an eye opener. For kids that have been treated unfairly through life and function in there society and to continue to play, laugh and dance was truly inspiring. The hardest thing about the trip was the language barrier. At a lot of points I felt starved for conversation and I couldn't wait to speak English to my full capabilities.

Working with the children was very fun. They were always happy to see the "teachers." Despite obviously being poorer than kids at home, most of the children could read and write very well and were interested in learning new things. I didn't understand all the language, but they were not much different from the children in my home town. Most challenging may have been coordinating with the other volunteers. There were a lot of different people with different objectives, or ideas about what the program should be, and usually the "loudest voice" would win any argument. I may have learned more about my own country than I did about Peru on this trip. Some things I have always take for granted were made clear, like emissions testing and regulations for motor vehicles. Some things made me realize problems that I didn't see before, like the higher amount of violent crime in our cities.

I am so grateful that I had this experience, and especially thankful that I stayed there as long as I did, as this enabled me to really get the most out of the experience after the initial adjustment period. Although the Nepali time and organization can be hard to work with at first, you are sure to overlook that aspect, as the wonderful country and people of Nepal will make your time there unforgettable. Until I, hopefully, visit there again, I will long to see the beautiful temples, prayer flags, and scenery that it has to offer.

The program was great on the ground in Costa Rica. The housing and working with the kids at the orphanage was one of the best experiences of my life. The co-ordination was a little spotty at first. I got the feeling I was lost in the system Then I was found and all was made right. My residence housing , in country care and overall support was great. My host family made me feel like a member of their family(they were the best).

The quest for me was a lifelong goal namely to volunteer at an orphanage, that became a reality. The whole experience was incredibly rewarding and having support from start to finish was very reassuring especially going somewhere like Nepal on my own.

United Planet gave me the opportunity to find a home away from home in Cusco, working with children and meeting people through my Spanish school. The quest was not without challenges of course. The children at Hogar de las Estrellas suffer from severe mental and physical problems. Considering the circumstances of being in San Geronimo, part of Cusco, the orphanage was a wonderful place; however, if the same problems presented themselves in America, there would be actual medical facilities to provide assistance. The hardest part of my quest was being aware of how different life could be for the amazing children of Chaska Wasi if they lived in America. I have thought a lot about how the time I spent in Peru has changed me. And I have come to the realization that I live now without stress. In Peru, there was no emphasis on time or punctuality, which although is a wonderful attribute, is handled differently in America. The atmosphere of "let it be" or "take life as it comes" was surprisingly liberating after leaving a country where bills, student loans, and keeping up a job to help with those things is so stressful. Living without worry came easily in Cusco, and I am finding that I brought a bit of Cusco back with me in how I now interact with the world. Living Situation: excellent Community Impact: very good Program Administration: excellent Health and Safety: excellent

Getting to experience a totally new culture, alone, forced me out of my comfort zone. Spending time at the hospital exposed me to very real problems facing underdeveloped nations. Living Situation: excellent Community Impact: excellent Program Administration: good Health and Safety: excellent

Such a great trip! I loved that I had someone to contact 24/7 even if I didn't need to.The most challenging part of my quest was dealing with the different resources available to me. It was so eye opening to realize how spoilt I was by just living in America. Here anyone had access to drinking water and warm water by just turning on a tap. There I found myself panting from walking around at such a high altitude and having to pay for water everytime, or boil water. I had to force myself to be clean by enduring a cold shower and then stepping into a wintery Cusco. But this was a leaning experience and I know I wouldn't have come back a different person if it was all easy. What I would value and appreciate before I came would have to be so big and grand for me to appreciate it, coming here changed that scale to appreciating internet and wifi to talk to my family, having a child offer me a cookie I couldn't take, and warm clean water. Community Impact: Loved them so much, added to the experience! Program Administration: excellent: Supportive and attentive. Health and Safety: excellent

Everyone should have this experience! Volunteering abroad is an amazing way to learn about a new culture, have an incredible adventure, and be a responsible global citizen. Living with a host family and being part of the community was great! I made some great friends during my short stay in Ghana. Living Situation: excellent Community Impact: It was great to have a chance to explore a bit more of Ghana! Program Administration: excellent: Yaw was fabulous. He is such an interesting and thoughtful person. He spent hours commuting just to take me on an excursion. The only negative thing is that I wish he had given me a cell phone so I didn't have to rely on others to contact him. I eventually bought my own cell phone. They took the time to take me around Accra, told me about the history of Ghana, and made sure I was adjusting well to my new environment. Health and Safety: I felt very safe in Ghana. I like that the program was set up with a balance of structure and freedom to immerse oneself within the local culture independently. The only negative thing I have to say is that I did not receive a cell phone as promised. I had to buy my own. Access to a cell phone is important when you are on your own in a foreign country.

I met the most amazing people in the hospital and I always felt welcome amongst my host family. I formed close bonds with the people of Ho and I hope to keep in touch in the future! I can't wait to return to Ghana! Hopefully it will be soon! Living Situation: excellent

It was an amazing experience; definitely one of the best decisions I have ever made. I appreciated the mix of language and cultural immersion, living with a host family, local volunteering, and sightseeing. I really felt like I was making a difference. I liked that the after-school program was completely volunteer run; I had brought string with me to make bracelets or "pulseras" and one afternoon we did this activity with the kids, which they really enjoyed. Living Situation: excellent Community Impact: Salsa and cooking lessons were so much fun (one of the reasons I picked going to Cuzco!). Weekend trips were fun! Would have liked to know more details about the Machu Picchu trip earlier in advance (maybe it would have been possible to get tickets to climb montana Machu Picchu or Winu Picchu in advance). Program Administration: Everyone was very helpful and responsive! My questions were answered within a few hours by e-mail, and alleviated my parents concerns. The summer intern, Lisa, was wonderful and friendly. We would always go to her with questions, whether about our program details or even a restaurant recommendation. Health and Safety: excellent

The overall experience was amazing and would do it again in the future. It was hard to leave on last day from the strong friendships formed. I think we had a strong impact with the doctors and patients. It completely changed how I see global health. Helped open my eyes on the past and future of global health. Living Situation: excellent Community Impact: These trips really made the trip memorable. They were very fun and well organized. Program Administration: The pre-departure sit down meeting really help lay down much of the information that we needed before leaving. Health and Safety: excellent: I felt safe always during my trip.

I gained such a positive experience volunteering over in Ecuador, memories that will last a life time. Community Impact: AMAZING excursions

We had a very pleasant time at the health care clinics, everyone was very welcoming and thrilled to have us there. On the last day we went to a daycare that had children from primarily poor children. We painted a mural for the kids at the daycare and personally delivered the supplies we had brought to different families in the area. It was such an eye opening experience to see the way the families live there and the way their health care is delivered. Our trip was the perfect mixture of tourism and volunteering. It really opened my eyes to how different some people the in world live and I walked away with a whole new appreciation for what I have in North America. Living Situation: excellent Community Impact: excellent Program Administration: excellent Health and Safety: excellent

Before I travelled to Peru, I was very nervous. Mostly because it was my first time traveling to a country where I knew absolutely nothing about the native language. I was also nervous because everybody scared me about living at 11,000ft of elevation in Cusco, Peru. However, traveling to Peru taught me a very important lesson about how easily humans overestimate their concerns and fears. I learned spanish very quickly because I was 100% in it mentally and after my body adjusted to the high altitude, I even played soccer with the natives twice! Sometimes you just have to jump in and that's really what I did - even when we went white water rafting. The hospital experience was fantastic once I found a way to ask the questions I had and push past the language weakness. Another important lesson I took away from Peru was how much the natives love a person's curiosity and effort to become one of them - by pushing yourself to speak the language, eat the food, and respect their values. I couldn't have asked for a better experience. Living Situation: excellent Program Administration: excellent: Very good briefing session. I felt well-prepared as a result of the briefing session. Health and Safety: excellent

While in Ecuador, I had the opportunity to work in a public clinic, observe surgeries in private clinic, work with intellectually disabled youth, and help paint a mural at a day care. Each of these experiences were amazing and eye opening. United Planet also gave me the opportunity to explore Ecuador. I got to go zip lining and tubing in Mindo, go to the market in Otavalo, and more! We had the opportunity to meet other United Planet volunteers, that was cool! We also met some people from Quito. My experience with United Planet has been one I will never forget! Living Situation: excellent Community Impact: excellent: The excursions were a lot of fun, definitely added to the trip. Program Administration: Everything was well organized and prepared. Our guides/translators were very helpful too! The pre departure webinar was very informative. Helped us prep for the trip. Health and Safety: I felt very safe.

Many times volunteers struggle with the idea that their impact will not be global and change the world. It is important to be realistic about the impact you are making but the real secret is to focus in on the opportunity that has been given to you. You have the opportunity to impact everyone, every single life that you in contact with. You can give them a new perspective, you can change the way they think and see life. And maybe that one life is not changing the world but ultimately you are changing their world. Living Situation: excellent Community Impact: excellent Program Administration: excellent Health and Safety: excellent

I also enjoyed being able to visit some of the attractions in Ecuador. I was glad to be able to meet the staff and patients in the clinic and daycare we visited; and get to know them and help out in one way or the other. It was also a good learning experience to observe the roles of the staff and to relate with the patients in the physiotherapy unit and the geriatric unit of the clinic. It was also nice to be able to spend time with the kids at the daycare, and to be able to go on home visits to see the living conditions of some of the children. I was glad to see the children happy and I was grateful for the daycare facility and what they do with the children and families. I think the hospital staff appreciated us being around observing their work and helping out. The supplies provided to the clinic and the indigenous centre will be of help to the community; so I am glad we could help out in this way. The children were thrilled to play and work with us at the daycare centre. And we could paint a mural on the daycare wall which made the vicinity brighter and more beautiful. Also, the families we visited appreciated our visit and were grateful for the supplies provided to the children. Living Situation: excellent Community Impact: It was great to learn about the people of Ecuador especially the native peoples. Going to the Otavalo market was a very good experience for me. Program Administration: The staff were always with us, guided us and also helped us in language translation. I found their support really helpful. The orientation staff was very kind and open. It was a very nice way to start the quest and to get to explore the city. Health and Safety: very good

I could not ask for a better way to spend 3 weeks. The people you meet and the adventures are unlike anything you could ever imagine. It exceeded any expectation of mine. The combination of learning spanish, volunteering, and experiencing the culture of Peru made it an unforgettable journey. It has definitely made me want to travel more! I felt like a new person when I left, cliche as that sounds, your never quite the same after an adventure like this. However, Its not something to describe its something to experience and I am so glad I got the chance to do so. Living Situation: very good Community Impact: excellent Program Administration: Very helpful, I felt prepared and my coordinator Kait was never more than an email away and was wonderful about getting back to me with anything I needed. Our UP intern Lisa was so helpful and did a wonderful job always being there when we needed her! Health and Safety: excellent

Overall great experience with a lot of insight on the poverty and health struggles within Ecuador. It was difficult not being able to speak spanish, going back I would've liked to improve my knowledge a bit more. The hostel andino was great, I felt very safe the whole time. The clinics were great to work with, gained lots of experience in different areas. I feel this experience has opened my eyes to health disparities that are present in Ecuador and the differences in health care compared to where i'm from. Living Situation: excellent Community Impact: excellent Program Administration: excellent

This experience was life changing an has opened my eyes to many different ways of viewing health and the people around me. My overall experience was amazing at one time I felt like I wasn't doing enough at the clinic due to the language barrier but I knew that it had an overall effect on my way of viewing overall health for disadvantaged individuals and how communities rally together to make a change. Living Situation: very good Community Impact: The excursions were a great way to see the country. Health and Safety: excellent

I enjoyed the weekend trips the most, they were a lot of fun. I became more out going because I was forced to talk to a lot of people in Spanish and I met so many people on my trip Living Situation: excellent Community Impact: The excursions were very fun! My only complaint was that they were too short, every quest was over by 5 or 6 pm and some would have been more enjoyable as a full day trip or over night trip Program Administration: Pablo was a great coordinator. He was very helpful and informative and so was my teacher Nancy at the Banana Spanish School Health and Safety: Pablo was very good about making sure we were all safe.

Volunteering in Ecuador showed me that we all have something to give to someone else, and, above all, we can all learn something from someone that doesn't look or speak our language. I learned so much for the people of Ecuador, and appreciate the differences and similarities of our culture in the United States to that of the culture of Ecuador. It's been a week since my trip, and I feel a profound positive change within myself. Because of my experience, I want to continue to give back in my community and world. Living Situation: excellent Community Impact: I LOVED all of the cultural experiences. Ecuador is such a unique country and has so much to offer. I think all the cultural activities captured the authenticity and uniqueness Ecuador had to offer. Program Administration: I absolutely loved the people we got to work with. Everyone was so excited everyday, and I think that energy made our team work more efficiently even when everyone was super tired after a long day of volunteering. Our project manager and guide, Pablo, was a fantastic leader. He keep everything very clear and professional. He was very accommodating and patient. Health and Safety: excellent

I really enjoyed the fact that we were able to really engage in the Ecuadorian culture. The project was phenomenal, and our hosts really helped to make the experience so incredible. Our Spanish lessons and Ecuadorian lecture were very helpful and informative. Both helped to enrich our experience. The excursions were also very fun and informative, for we were really able to see how diverse Ecuador and its people are. I was so touched by the generosity of the teachers and students in our school, and I think that our coordinators did a great job of helping us work through the rough patches to accomplish as much as possible and really meet the needs of the school, while also making sure our volunteers felt supported. I would have liked to spend more time serving in Otavalo. Our time there was enriching and insightful, but the service there almost felt like an afterthought or like we were only checking it off the list. My quest experience really made me realize what matters in life: people and relationships. I really hope to carry this lesson with me. I was challenged by how little I was actually able to do to change the circumstances at the school, and this made me question my intentions while serving. I realized that I strive to look for the root of the problems so that I may understand how I can help to address these problems to really make a systematic change. My experience teaching and playing with the kids made me realize that I am going into the right profession: teaching. I will strive to lead a life of service, not to just volunteer. I want to serve others and myself in all that I do. My United Planet experience helped me realize this. Volunteer Experience: The class could have been more focused on what would be helpful during our time serving versus a general overview. Living Situation: excellent Community Impact: The cultural activities were enjoyable as well as educational. The excursions were incredible. Program Administration: Theresa did a great job communicating with us to plant the experience. We also really appreciated her support and training. It was so nice to actually meet her and have her come to visit our university. Our in-country coordinators were fabulous. They made the experience worthwhile and made sure to help us reach our goals. Health and Safety: excellent

The most challenging part was the culture shock. I love learning about other cultures and immersing myself in their lifestyle, so I thought I would have no problem with Nepal. I was so wrong. Culture shock hit me hard but adjusting to it was such a rewarding feeling and experience. This quest opened me up to how a majority of the world lives. Living Situation: excellent Community Impact: I loved seeing all of the temples and locations in Nepal that I got the chance to see. Health and Safety: excellent

The people we worked with in Ecuador were great and should be praised. Living Situation: excellent Community Impact: excellent Program Administration: excellent

My group and I stayed at a host family in Ecuador, which was the first time I ever did that. They were absolutely great and was a very welcoming atmosphere. We volunteered at a non-for-profit clinic called Padre Carollo. There we helped children who needed physical therapy, worked with the elderly in the geriatrics sector, took patient's vitals and gave vaccinations. The country is beautiful and the people are so nice! It was also pretty safe for a group of 4 girls. I would highly suggest it! Community Impact: The cultural activities were fun and informational. I feel like I have a good grasp on the Ecuadorian culture. Program Administration: Pablo was our guide person and we couldn't ask for a better person. As a group we became attached and were able to tell jokes and were very open with asking about the culture there. He is the best guide and my group also agreed.

I had a wonderful experience in Peru. I truly felt like I made a difference in the lives of many children, especially those that had never before received medical attention. The people were very friendly and they seemed grateful for the work that we were able to accomplish while we were there. I learned a lot culturally and I am very glad that I chose to go on this trip. Honestly, I would go back again in a heartbeat if I could and I will forever remember this trip. I think that what we were doing was excellent especially because some of the people we visited had never received medical care before in their lives. Remembering things like that really put it into perspective for me and allowed me to realize how much we were actually helping the people. Living Situation: excellent Community Impact: We had a Spanish cooking lesson which was a lot of fun and very tasty. We learned how to make a very basic meal but it was delicious and I hope to make it again now that I am home. Program Administration: Kait did a wonderful job and made sure that none of us had an questions. She seemed very educated about the project and the program and I am very glad that she helped us out.

As prepared as I was and everything I was ready for, I was still amazed at what the healthcare industry in Ghana is able to do and work with.The people of Ghana were welcoming, generous and kind. I could not have asked for a better location to volunteer. Learning about a different culture and country is totally different than living in that different culture. You are able to see what it's about and live it, which is a once in a lifetime experience and everyone should be able to experience it at least once. My host family was amazing and so wonderful to me. It was an epic experience and one I will always remember. Living Situation: excellent Community Impact: excellent Program Administration: excellent: Everyone was wonderful, helpful and made the pre-departure experience very easy. Yaw, my in-country coordinator could not have been better. He was kind, knowledgeable and comforting when needed. From the first moment I met him at the airport to the last when he dropped me off he was so pleasant and wonderful to me. He deserves recognition.

It was a wonderful experience, and I am very grateful for United Planet giving me the opportunity to complete my dreams. I hope to volunteer for them in the future. I really enjoyed the program, and the way that United Planet helped to make my experience as great as possible. I also was happy with the Spanish lessons that were provided for me, and I found the entire journey to be very adequate for my wishes. I really enjoyed my time in Peru. I believe that United Planet is a wonderful program, and I have already asked family and friends to look into the program. I hope to volunteer again someday, and I hope to be able to provide more services myself in the future. Living Situation: excellent Community Impact: I was impressed with how the United Planet team helped me to experience the culture while I volunteered. Program Administration: excellent: The pre-departure session was great. They answered all my questions, and gave me helpful instructions on what to do in Peru. I enjoyed working with Kait Yankello and the rest of the United Planet team. They were very helpful, and helped me to have a better idea of what to expect on my journey.

Loved Peru and going to Machu Picchu! Loved living in a small area in the city just like most other Peruvians do. It was close enough to the shops but still far enough away to avoid lots of foot traffic. Also I liked volunteering in four different orphanages! Volunteer Experience: excellent: loved the Spanish teachers! Living Situation: good: Manfred and his family were hospitable Community Impact: good: we had a fun cooking class Program Administration: Manfred was hospitable and the pre-departure training was excellent Health and Safety: We were very safe

Machu Picchu was amazing. I chose this program and went with a student group.

The excursion to Machu Pichu was incredible. Very well-organized and easy for us to travel. I chose this program along with a student group and had very good accommodations.

A highlight of my trip was getting to visiting Machu Picchu. I went with a student group on this program and we had good accommodations.

It was very satisfying to provide children with medical and dental care. I was touched by the smiles on each of the children's faces. I went with a group of fellow UNE students and had good accommodations.

San Jeronimo neighborhood in Cusco, Peru. We volunteered at several different projects including REMAR.

I loved meeting the kids and getting to interact with the families in our neighborhood. It was great that we stayed in a non-tourist area so we could get a more authentic feel for our country. The most difficult part was adjusting to the cuisine and helping children in need of medical attention. I'll always remember this trip and the way it changed my view of the world.

Seeing the need for organizations like this in Peru has inspired me to attempt to go back.

What I enjoyed the most about my trip was getting all of the hands on medical experience with kids that previously had very little health care. I enjoyed seeing their faces that were filled with joy and enxcitement and the feeling that what my fellow volunteers and I did made a difference. What I found most difficult about this trip was adjusting to the altitude and the food, both of these are very different from what I'm use to and it was a difficult transition. The impact this trip has had on my life is irrevocable, being able to do some real good in this world is a rare occurance and to be apart of it was amazing. Being able to help men, women and child that truly need it and leaving them with supplies to continue taking care of themselves is something I will always remember.

I had an amazing time in Peru. I was able to practice and learn Spanish. I provided care to children in dire need. I experienced an entirely new culture and was accepted as a member of the community by the locals. I would do it again any day.

On the last day of our volunteering, we ended up at a site that we were not originally scheduled to work at. After a medical screening with an in-country doctor, we realized one of the boys had a serious life-threatening infection with only two hours left of his life. With our help, we were able to get the boy to a private hospital where he was put on antibiotics and is now able to live a happy and healthy life. This specific boy, in addition to all of the other children we worked with has made a serious impact on my life and I will never forget the amount of satisfaction I felt after helping these children. I know that I have just reached the tip of the iceberg, but I plan on continuing my service to others in both my community and abroad. I went with a group from the U of E. My accommodations were not the greatest.

I walked away with tears in my eyes because I was so upset to say goodbye to the children I had met while in country. Knowing I was able to make such an impact in such a simple way of giving back to the community makes me want to continue to give back in every way I can. I was able to immerse myself in the culture of Peru and I am so incredibly happy to say I enjoyed every part of the culture. Despite lack of running water at times, I felt as though the community welcomed our entire group immediately. I enjoyed educating the children, as well as playing with them as often as possible. Walking down the street and hearing the kids yell, "Teacher! Teacher!" melted my heart because I know I had made a difference in their life. These kids had chased after us just to spend another couple minutes with us, even if it meant only fives minutes of kicking a soccer ball around with them. Our host was not available as much as we had hoped, which left us to do most of the organizing on our own, but luckily we were able to figure it out with teamwork.

Machu Pichu was excellent. I chose the program because I went there with my school. My accommodations were good.

I will cherish the knowledge that we truly helped those kids for the rest of my life. I went on the trip with my school. Very good accommodations!

I LOVED the trip to Machu Picchu. It was the perfect break from volunteering and was a breathtaking experience. I chose the programs because I went with a group from school. I thought that the accommodations were fine considering we were a group of 21 staying in one place.

I came home feeling very fulfilled by my experience in Peru.

This trip has convinced me that I want to do others of this kind in the future.The experience was amazing.

Seeing the smiles on the children's faces was a feeling I will never forget. Being able to see the difference you are making in a child was an unforgettable sensation.

The memories of connecting, laughing, and dancing with the little girls living in the orphanage of Juan Pablo will forever remain in my heart. I wanted to experience the country so I chose this program. My accommodations were very good.

This adventure was a dream come true, and I am so thrilled that I took on this trip. My trip has forever changed my life, and I am so proud that I overcame the obstacle of traveling alone, and having to depend on myself. I now look at life in a completely different way. I now appreciated my life more, and I am more willing to take on challenging tasks. I will without a doubt take on many more adventures in my life, and I would love to work with United Planet again for another exciting adventure! I had excellent accommodations!

I met numerous locals during my stay and as a result I was invited to a traditional Nepal wedding, as well as a birthday party. I was interested in volunteering at the Counseling Center in Nepal. I felt my skills and past experience dealing with females and young children who were victims of abuse, and sexual assault would be a great "fit" for me. My goals were to meet new people, experience a new culture, and work with women who have a common interest. I will be retiring in December 2013, therefore volunteering will be an ideal transition! My accommodations were excellent!

Volunteering has been such a rewarding experience for me. I was able to synchronize with the pace of a beautiful, ancient, spiritual place while spending time with locals who appreciate the extra help. I loved listening to a patient proudly tell me about the culture of the Incas or open up to me about their life. The memories of connecting, laughing, and dancing with the little girls living in the orphanage of Juan Pablo wall forever remain in my heart.

My adventure has changed my life. It has helped me greatly with my Spanish, and my speaking skills has greatly improved. But more importantly, my trip has effected my life. This adventure has taught me that life is beautiful, and you need to cherish every moment. Of course I had my fears of traveling by myself for the first time to a different country, but I can now say that I did it, and I couldn't be any happier. And I am so thrilled that I took the opportunity to travel abroad, and there will defiantly be more adventures in the future!

My trip to Nepal was the best experience of my life. I was fully immersed in the culture and was part of their daily routine, from walking the children to school, to sharing and preparing meals, to helping the children with English and homework and visiting local temples. I took daily walks and hikes throughout the community and I was always greeted with smiles and invitations to share meals and tea. The scenery in Nepal was breath taking and I will never forget the calm and tranquility I felt during my mountain hikes.

Social Tours was AWESOME! Binita was tremendous support and the whole staff was friendly and helpful. I was interested in Nepal because I had heard so many wonderful things about that country. It is rich in history, religion, and culture. I found it very alluring and I wanted to immerse myself in it as much as possible. I hoped to make a difference in the kids lives at the orphanage, and give them some sort of happiness and hope for their future. Loved my host family like my own. They were so helpful, kind, and supportive.

In our school placement, we worked with several different ages of children. In our first grade classroom, I immediately connected to a young boy named Sebastian. He was a vivacious boy who needed help with staying on task and completing the art projects we assigned. While I was leaning over him in his small desk, trying to provide support and help them with spelling his name, he motioned for me to sit in his chair. I said "no gracias," he brought an empty chair over from the other side of the room. At snack time he offered me part of his meal, and I learned this was an Ecuadorian way of the "we culture." I will never forget Sebastian, and I'm so grateful for the opportunity to meet him and his classmates. He was a beautiful and generous boy that touched my heart!

Going to Nepal was a culture shock for the first few days but after that it was such a amazing experience. My host family was better then I could have ever imagined and all the children at the orphanage were so sweet and loving. This experience will forever be close to my heart, and I hope I can continue to visit the orphanage on a yearly basis.

I found myself noticing my comfort zone expanding, as I gained friends, knowledge, and experience in where I was, what I was doing, and what I wanted to be doing. It was a really great experience to be working hard at something, feeling unsure and a bit overwhelmed, but just keeping chugging along, and letting life take you as it would.

The activities were great! And the tours were really comprehensive. I wanted to volunteer in the children's clinic quest because I eventually plan to work with kids as a pediatric dentist. I chose Peru because I wanted to gain cultural insight through study and volunteer work abroad since relating and learning from people across cultures is a powerful experience,€”namely in that it grants a means of understanding the story of others that shapes the emotions and perspectives through which they see the world. This kind of understanding and experience is unlike any other kind of learning. Peru has so much to offer culturally, so I figured it would be a fulfilling place to spend my time as a medical outreach volunteer/ observer. As far as specific goals go, I wanted to see the similarities and differences between the Peruvian and U.S. healthcare systems, especially in regard to pediatric patient care. I can't say enough good things about this second family. We exchanged so many cultural experiences between us. We taught each other favorite recipes, shared music, discussed current events (for example, the border dispute between Bolivia and Peru when it came up on the radio in late January). This host family had four other exchange students at the same time I stayed there. Even though we all came from diverse backgrounds, the sense of community between came easily, and somehow I feel it was our host family that just effortlessly fostered that. We'd all take turns doing chores, setting up for meals, cooking and sharing a favorite recipe from back home, and all the while we were learning from each other. It was really a great experience.

I learned so much about the Peruvian subsidized healthcare systems, since the state hospitals are a hub for the state insurance. Everyone I talked to, whether it was a doctor, a secretary, or even the patients themselves were willing to share about their experience and knowledge with the system--so much so, that I was able to put together an entire research paper with my findings on the system and ways in which people think it could improve. I couldn't get over how most everyone I encountered open and willing to share. They really offered me a window into their culture and their experience.

Memorable Experience : I loved all the activities! Why Choose program : To improve my speaking abilities Description of accommodation : My host family was fantastic!

I enjoyed every moment playing with the children, studying with them, seeing them making fun of each other and laughing. My host family was very warm, friendly and helpful. We would sit in the bedroom around the heater, chatting about our lives and showing each other photos of families and friends; we would go to the balcony, make a fire, and have barbecue together for dinner. They really treated me as family and gave me the warmth of family when I was far from home.

My memorable experience was I came home kinder and more understanding. it made me a better person. Host family was amazing i loved every minute with them. very generous and caring.

I liked how United Planet organized salsa, cooking and quechua lessons, as well as spanish lessons twice a week and at least one event during the weekends. The organization kept me busy with good projects and guided me along with my stay in Peru.

The people I met made the trip for me. I chose the program because of my interest in the Peru Health Care Quest, because of my interest and experience in the medical field. My goals include the amazing and rewarding feeling of helping others, learning medical care in another country, working with other medical professionals, and gaining the experience of a lifetime. The accommodation was good.

I had a very enjoyable experience in Kathmandu, Nepal. The best part I loved about Nepal were the people there. Despite the relatively challenging living condition, all people I met in Nepal were so lovely, nice, sincere, and so satisfied with their lives, especially the children in the orphanage. I just could not help falling in love with the children - they were cute, happy, smart, free of sorrow; their bright eyes and warm smiles had driven away all of my sadness. I enjoyed every moment playing with them, studying with them, seeing them making fun of each other and laughing. I could tell that they also liked me very much - on my last day, one of the boys came to me and gave me a paper rose, a paper butterfly and a greetings card with a poem written by himself, which touched my heart very deeply. I really hope I can have the chance to see them again.

Going to another country, living with a family that's lives a very different way of life then you and having to survive in a place you don't know. Is one of the most amazing adventures, you can ever experience. Working with the children in the orphanage, made me realize just how precious life is and what we have and it made me come home loving the career i chose even more and makes me excited for whats to come. The look on the childrens faces when i played with them read to them, and just showed them love is a feeling and sight i will carry for the rest of my life. Thats what my trip gave me.

Spending time at the shelter was very rewarding. Getting to know the girls that instantly love you and just want love back was priceless. Machu Picchu was amazing and a once in a lifetime experience.

I truly enjoyed learning about the culture and the way people live. I loved all the people I met through my volunteer projects, classes, and other experiences.

My experience with United Planet was marvelous. I arrived in Peru with no idea what to expect. Although the pre-departure sessions and all my back and forth with staff had been extensive and gratefully appreciated, nothing can prepare you for landing alone in a third world airport at the un-travelled age of 17. I will admit I was slightly panicky, and wondering what I had gotten myself into. I met my host family and started to feel a little more settled after having a home base at both my Spanish school and my home-stay. Once the shock wore off, my adventure really began. I have always been bothered by people who come back from life changing experiences and simply say "it can not be put into words", but I am beginning to understand where they are coming from. None the less, I am going to do my best and try to paint a picture of my time away from home. I have made some of the best memories during my quest, and my stay in Peru was and always will be a monumental time in my life. I feel that I made a real difference in the lives of the children in my project, and I can say without a doubt that they had (and are continuing to have)a huge impact in mine. I felt immersed in the culture and lives of the Peruvian families. My excursion to Machu Picchu was an amazing and spiritually enhancing experience. I will forever cherish the memories of my day at the monumental Incan ruins. My overall experience on my United Planet quest to Peru was everything I had hoped for and more. I will have these memories for the rest of my life, and would recommend United Planet to anyone looking for life changing volunteer experience.

My most memorable experience is being enthralled in a new world. It was a new and amazing experience that I will cherish for the rest of my life. I was able to meet new people and learn the cultures of India. Why Choose program : I have a personal connection with the country! My accommodations was a a four out of five.

My most memorable experience is the opportunity to meet people and learn a new culture. I chose the program because I speak the language. My accommodations was 5 out of 5.

My most memorable experience was getting to interact with the local population. I chose this program because I was impressed with the volunteer work and opportunities. My accommodations was a 5 out of 5.

I enjoyed everything about my experience but I enjoyed interacting with the teachers in Yangrima Boarding School the most. They made my time in Nepal unforgettable. I was intrigued by the volunteer options which were English friendly that's why I chose this program. My Accommodations was a 5 out of 5.

Living with the host family was very enjoyable. Meeting the school children was a rare opportunity that I will always treasure. I chose this program because I really wanted to visit Nepal. My accommodations was a 5 out of 5.

My memorable experience is the trip to Machu Pichu that was spectacular. I chose this program because I speak Spanish. My accommodations was a 5 out of 5

Memorable Experience : Interacting with my host family and other local people. I chose this program because I wanted to improve my Spanish Description of accommodations is five out of five

Memorable Experience? EVERYTHING!! :-D Amazing experience! Eye opener for me! Why Choose the Program: The program looked appealing My accommodations was a 4 out of 5.

My Memorable Experience is Staying with a host family and having the in-country experience. I chose the program because I wanted to improve my Spanish skills. My accommodations was a 5 out of 5.

This experience went completely above and beyond everything I had hoped it would be. I had such high expectations, I never thought the trip could live up. Imagine my surprise when I found my expectations fell short! United Planet has been the best resource I could have asked for, and I have never had such an inspiring, educational, and fun trip. I have already recommended the group to several friends, some of whom I hope to see abroad with me in the near future! I could not have asked for more, and I feel truly blessed to have been able to work with this group. The host family was phenomenal, as was the food, cultural experiences, work site, and all the friends I met while I was there. It really was perfect!

My time spent in Cusco was unforgettable. Living with a host family made me feel more immersed in the culture, and the Spanish classes helped me brush up on the language. The weekend trip to Machu Picchu was beyond my expectations and by far the highlight of my trip.

My quest was unforgettable. I had one of the best summers of my life. I worked in a clinic set up to serve people in Cusco who cannot afford the expensive medical attention in the large hospitals. I worked in the lab, pharmacy, and with the one nurse in the clinic. Each day I was given more and more responsibilities. By the last week, I was drawing blood, performing lab tests, putting together medication, measuring blood pressure, and assisting in minor surgeries. I even went to the campo (countryside) and worked in a day clinic for people who could not come into the city to get medical attention.My host family was amazing. We formed a really tight bond. It is hard to express in words just how wonderful my quest was.

This was the most amazing experience of my life! I have been abroad before and this expereince has been the best! I loved living with a host family and immersing myself in the culture. I loved walking around and exploring the community and finding the local markets and hot spots. Volunteering in the medical clinic gave me opportunities to see and do things that would be difficult to come across in the USA. I met a variety of people, both local and visiting and we were able to share experiences and stories. This was the trip of a lifetime and I cannot wait to come back!

There are so many beautiful things about my experienece in Cusco, that words can barely describe how I feel.At first it was challenging, the idea of being away from my comfort in NY was taking over my system. Eventually the friendliness of the locals made feel more comfortable about being there, and as the days passed the altitude sickness went away.After the first visit to the work areas I felt that I wanted to spend more time with the children. Peruvian Children are the most beautiful children in the world!Machu Picchu and the local cultural experience changed my life, I brought so many things home, like wanting to bring Cusco with me. It was ultimately hard for me to leave the country. Now I am back home, and every time I think about my experiences in Peru I feel that I want to run back to Cusco and live there forever.

The quest was an unforgettable experience. The host family was supportive, and they helped me adjust to the new culture. I was able to practice my Spanish and learn about the culture. The in-country staff was great. They kept me updated on activities at the school, and they were supportive as I worked through my volunteering. The clinic was an interesting experience. I got first hand experience with a different health care system. I didn't like all of my time in the clinic, but overall it was educational. I made friends with many of the volunteers, and it was nice to be able to share some of the experiences with them. The excursions were unbelievable. Machu Picchu was even more amazing than I could have ever expected.

The trip was amazing and I would suggest the program to everyone.

My experience in India was an experience of a lifetime. I was enthralled in a new culture and a new world and I met a number of life long friends. It felt great to be a part of the volunteering process. My experiences in Goa will always be cherished and talked about. It was bittersweet leaving India, and when I left Mumbai at the end of my quest I actually cried knowing that I'd leave so many good friends and memories behind. My experience in India has enabled me to see the world in a new light and I most definitely will go back.

I thoroughly enjoyed my trip to Peru. The weather for the first two days was cold and rainy, but after that it changed for the better and stayed chilly but sunny for the rest of my time there. My host family was very warm and friendly. They took us out salsa dancing which i loved. It was also nice being with 4 other UP volunteers, so there was always someone to talk to. Spanish classes were just what I needed-practice with conversation without the pressure of a big class. At times I was overwhelmed with all the spanish but i know i improved. The project was unfortunately my least favorite part. The girls were very sweet, but without structure, we just played the same games with them for hours every day, which got monotonous. Nevertheless, it was hard to say goodbye to them. One of them told me "Amigas para siempre" (friends forever). The trip to Machu Picchu was a lot of fun. Even the journey there was enjoyable because the countryside was so beautiful. We spent the entire day hiking and exploring the settlement. It was one of the most beautiful things I've ever seen, I guess that's why they call it one of the 7 Wonders of the World! The cultural activities such as salsa dancing and cooking was also a lot of fun with the other volunteers. We had enough free time to explore Cusco and immerse ourselves in the culture there, but not too much to be bored. Overall it was a fantastic trip and I wish I could have stayed longer!

Working with the children was amazing! Definitely the best part of my quest experience. Also, getting to witness the culture of not only South Africa, but the culture of the other volunteers who worked with me.

My experience was fantastic and I am very grateful for the opportunity I had. My entire experience with UP has been fulfilling; first as an intern in the office and then as a Quest volunteer. I feel as if I have experienced both sides of the organization and afterwards can say that I fully support UP's work and mission. My host family in Cusco was just beyond amazing. They were welcoming and helpful and kind and Fabiola made amazing food. I would highly, highly recommend them for other volunteers. The volunteer work was satisfying. It was challenging, but that was what I wanted; to be challenged and to experience another culture while making a difference to someone in need. I feel as if UP really helped me achieve this. San Blas Spanish School was great. There was never more than two other students in my class, and I felt I learned a lot. Concepts that went over my head in college classes were easily comprehensible in such a small class. The excursions were unbelievable. Machu Picchu was the most beautiful place I have ever seen in my life. And I will never forget the thrill of white water rafting. I made some great friends and now love speaking spanish. I would recommend this Quest to anyone!

It's hard (impossible) to know how a person or a group of people are going to react when they find that another group of people, strangers, has come to their town to do work- outsiders who want to spend 6 hours a day teaching and playing with their children. Americans who think they know everything coming to "save the day". Thankfully, we were surprised. Sure some looked at us out of the corner of their eye with curiosity. Others ignored us at first. But overall, the village welcomed us, welcomed out investment in the town- in sweat, in supplies, and in business. The kids greeted us with hugs, holding hands, bouquets of flowers, small treats, and lots of shy smiles. Friendships established more quickly and more deeply than I've ever experienced in my lifetime. We laughed. We taught baseball. We read out loud...in English and in Spanish. We sang. We painted. We drew. We put together puzzles. We made origami fish (pescaditos). We climbed walls. We acted out stories. We said our goodbyes. Some cried. I cried. We had 2 weeks together. They were an amazing 2 weeks!

I could not have enjoyed my time in Peru with United Planet any more. From Spanish classes to purely speaking Spanish at my project, I felt my Spanish improve in just four weeks. The cultural activities (salsa lessons, cooking lessons) were fun, and having volunteered during peak season in the summer, there were always other volunteers for me to hang out with. On the weekends, I almost always had an excursion with Macchu Picchu obviously being the highlight. No matter what, I always had something to do. All in all, the month that I spent in Cusco is an experience that I'll never forget.

It was my first trip by myself, in a country I have never been before. I went to help the people but at the same time I myself gained valuable experiences. Interacting with new culture, I could broaden my intercultural viewpoint, as well as my ability to adopt to new environment. Also living there practically by myself, I gained more independence. Meeting the new culture was awesome. I would walk up and down the alleys everyday and find different people and places that are always new in some sense. It was definitely not tourist sites, but where the locals were and I loved learning about their real lives. In terms of volunteering, I know that what I did at the hospital is not a lot physically. However, I believe I built bond with kids that I hope positively affected them in long term. At first, it was not easy talking with the kids since my Spanish skill was not great. However, by the end of my journey, we would be able to understand each other much better, even if I still wouldn't interpret half of their words. The kids needed more attention and care, and I am so glad that I could provide those to them. At one point they started calling me 'papá' and it really touched me. Many of them were separated from their parents since very young because of their disabilities, and they were lacking family in their lives. When I first visited the hospital, I was expecting to see doctors and mainly improve my medical knowledge. However after spending more time with the kids, I realized what I am learning was how to interact with people and provide them what they needed. For the kids, that's what they needed more. I feel I really demonstrated my worth during the six weeks at the hospital. The memory I shared with the kids will be unforgettable. Before the departure I thought six weeks would be more than enough. But by the time I had to leave, I wished I could stay a week or two longer. The time at Cuzco was precious and will always remain as valuable experience that I can apply in my future life.

I had an amazing time. It was my first time away from home so I was really nervous at first. My host family really helped me to settle into Peru and I was really able to enjoy my time.I also enjoyed having so many other volunteers here as the same time that I was, because it made it easier to go out and explore knowing that there were other people there too. The trips that UP planned were also really fun, including horseback riding, rafting, and a trip to Machu Pichu. Everything was nicely organized and thought out. I am hoping to be able to do another quest through UP in a few years.

I had an amazing time. It was my first time away from home so I was really nervous at first. My host family really helped me to settle into Peru and I was really able to enjoy my time.I also enjoyed having so many other volunteers here as the same time that I was, because it made it easier to go out and explore knowing that there were other people there too. The trips that UP planned were also really fun, including horseback riding, rafting, and a trip to Machu Pichu. Everything was nicely organized and thought out. I am hoping to be able to do another quest through UP in a few years.

Memorable experience is the complete cultural immersion. I chose this program because I have a personal connection to Ghana. My accommodations was a Five out of five.

I had a great time experiencing and learning about Peru through the warm inclusion of my host family and with the wonderful people at my volunteer work site. It was also really great that I had the opportunity to spend time touring as well as wandering around Cusco by myself to experience new sights and very interesting personalities.

This entire trip was an amazing experience for me! I look forward to hopefully doing another quest with United Planet in the future.

My Quest experience was, as a whole, worth the time and money. There were definitely some tough moments such as the first few days after I arrived while I adjusted to the new culture and when I got robbed, but my host family was amazingly kind as were the support staff in Peru. The volunteer work was rewarding, though a little difficult to settle into and I wished I could have spent more of my time volunteering because I spent a lot of it with not much to do.

I thought the overall experience was great. Spanish lessons at the language school were very helpful. My homestay was definitely a high point. Great family and they made me feel very welcomed. Work project was good. I would recommend at least 2 weeks. My 10 day stay (including travel) was probably too short.

Nothing can compare with the excited and curious faces of the school children as I explained and showed pictures of my home life in the United States.

My experience in Nepal was more than I ever expected it could be. I met people who are now my best friends. Living in Nepal helped me to find myself and discover who I want to be back in America. My life has changed because of the students I met and the teachers I met. Life is about who you meet and how you respond to them. The students and the teachers treated me as family and made me feel like I was home. It was wonderful to eat only food that was taken from the earth and not have electricity for two months. In short, I couldn't have had a better experience and I would encourage anyone to travel and learn about other cultures. But most of all, travel and learn about yourself.

I have to say that it was overall a very positive experience. I fell in love with some of the children and am interested in finding a way to sponsor at least one of them for ongoing education once she leaves the center.

It was a fantastic experience. I'd do it again in a heartbeat.

My time spent in Ghana was the most amazing yet most challenging experience of my life thus far. Through my work as an English teacher as well as observing an agribusiness NGO, I learned so much not only about this fascinating country but also about myself in the process. There were many difficult challenges I had to face while living and working in rural Ghana, but I have come to realize that the difficulties were, in fact, the most rewarding parts of this experience. I suffered major culture shock when I first arrived, and I had many doubts about my abilities, but the warm and welcoming nature of the Ghanaian people helped me to adjust perfectly to my new home. This experience has opened my eyes immeasurably to the world around me, and I believe every person should take time to do an international volunteer experience like this.

I went on this same quest last year for 2 weeks. I had such a wonderful experience that I felt 2 weeks was too short. I returned this summer for 4 weeks. My experience was even better. I felt so immersed in the culture and got to experience different excursions and tasks. This time was able to help in the schools and visit cape coast in addition to helping at the orphanage. I would do it all again in a heartbeat.

I loved working in quito, Ecuador - the people were wonderful, my host family was so nice, and i felt like i realy made a difference. I am so glad that i decided to go on this quest; it was definately a life changing experience.

My time in Quito was a life changing experience as I had the opportunity to live and work in a completely new place. Volunteering with street children at mi Caleta was one of the best aspects of my trip because the kids were so caring and considerate. I learned a lot not only about them and their lives but also about myself. Quito forced me to step out of my comfort zone and try new things on a daily basis. Whether it was adapting to the schedule at mi Caleta or zip-lining over the rain-forest, I was compelled to live outside of my normal world in the United States. The trip was an exhilarating experience of a lifetime that I would never trade for anything, I am incredibly grateful for my time in Ecuador.

From start to finish, our experience with United Planet was truly fulfilling. Our pre-departure sessions came in use every day, and we were amazed to see how accurate the information provided to us really was. Our in country coordinator was very helpful, and it was relieving to know that she was available around the clock to answer our questions or concerns in a timely manner. We felt very welcome and safe with our host family. We grew attached to them and have continued to stay in touch. Our volunteer experience with the children at the orphanage is one that we will never forget. The children were so much fun, despite the language barrier. Peru is an absolutely beautiful country, and Cusco is not short of adventurous. We are glad that United Planet recommended Peru as a first time volunteer. Though we are not sure where our next voluntary experience will take place, we are excited to do it again with United Planet! Thank you for everything.

I had an amazing experience with United Planet. My quest took me to Cusco, Peru where I was assigned a childcare quest. I received amazing support both pre-departure and during my stay in Peru. The United Planet staff was friendly and also extremely helpful. While in Peru, I had an amazing project. I worked at an after school program for kids in a struggling community and it was so amazing to be able to participate in something like that. In addition to how much I enjoyed my volunteer work, I also loved how United Planet organized other activities. I was able to play soccer against a local Peruvian team a couple times and also take a salsa lesson. I would have never been able to do either of those had I not been with United Planet. I loved how helpful and organized United Planet was from the minute I became interested in participating in on of their quests to when I came back from my trip! I would definitely recommend this experience!

My overall experience in Cusco was more than worthwhile. I was able to provide more at my project than expected, and I was able to communicate with the native people even better than I ever thought possible. The people are friendly and giving even though they don't have much themselves. They gain happiness through relationships with those around them. There is so much to learn from the people you serve, and there is so much they can learn from you. My roommates were fantastic friends that helped me get acquainted and feel comfortable in a new country. You get the most from your experience by what you put in. I gained the most by seeking ways to learn new methods and assisting at my project. No one will ask you to come help a lady give birth, you have to let them know that you want to help! If you want to learn how to do stitches, ask. I have learned so much by asking and because of the friendship offered by those that I worked with. I couldn't ask for a great experience getting to know the people and getting to learn so much. Thanks UP for coordinating it all!

Meeting new people from all over the world at the quest site, and living with them for two weeks

NA

I had an amazing, rewarding, trip in Peru. It was great to see all the sites in Peru whilst giving back to the poorer communities. It was an experience I will never forget.

The host family was excellent and provided many opportunities to connect, learn about the culture, and to engage in meaningful ways as part of their family.

My trip in Quito was incredible. My host family was absolutely amazing and the project taught me so much. I am so happy I went there and have that experience in my life.

I had a really great time during my stay in Peru. It's a beautiful country with a lot of culture and different landscapes depending on where you are in the country. I've met a lot of new friends, some that I will share my time in Peru with and some who I will continue being in contact with for years to come. I met Claire from Colorado and we had a blast together. We went to Machu Picchu which will forever be something I remember. Machu Picchu is absolutely incredible, you see it on pictures, in movies and in magazines but you can't really grasp it and understand how amazing it is until you've been there. The briefing for Machu Picchu was a puzzle but the in-country coordinator was really understanding and helpful with finding a time suitable for all parties. I was really happy with my volunteer project and could easily have stayed for a longer period of time. The first week of Spanish classes was really a dissappointment as the school didn't ask me or made me do a test of how much I had studdied before, they just assumed I was a beginner. I didn't have to go through the entire first week doing basic stuff, but since I've had 4,5 months of Spanish classes, in Spain, before I went to Peru it was a lot of repetation, which is good and needed but I wanted to imrpove my Spanish as well! Thankfully I changed teacher after my first week (after 8 hours of classes) and I got a teacher who understood what I needed to work on in my Spanish to both improve it and practice what I already knew. The Titicaca trip was very well planned and interesting. The guide knew what he was talking about and they had scheduled the tour very well with just enough time on each island to get the information and experience that you were looking for but not too much to bore you. Over all I'm very happy with my entire trip to Peru.

It was a very good experience overall. The in-country support from Kate, the intern, was great from the very beginning. I never felt lost or confused. My host family was very nice, but not the most outgoing. Also, they ate very little, and sometimes they skipped meals altogether, so I often found myself having to go out to eat. This was not much of a problem though, because I found some fairly cheap places and it was nice to go out with friends. My Spanish classes at the school were excellent. Most of the time was just spent having a conversation, which really helped me get more fluent. Also, I enjoyed the cultural activities in the evening a lot, especially the salsa and cooking lessons. My Machu Picchu trip was very fun, but it would have been nice to have a little more detail about it before leaving. I was also disappointed that I didn't get tickets to climb Huayana Picchu, while some of my friends did who went on a different weekend. Taking the bus to work was very easy and inexpensive, although it could be very crowded and time-consuming. The walk from the bus stop to Club CORASON was uphill and very long, so it became tiring day after day. However, the kids often saw me and walked up the rest of the way with me when I got close, which was nice. At the project, I got to know a couple of the kids pretty well, while others I didn't know as well, so it could be hard to try to distribute my attention equally. A few kids misbehaved a lot so it was frustrating to have to supervise them rather than work with the kids who were being good, but luckily Carrie, the supervisor, often handled them. I enjoyed working with the older kids a lot because they were more eager to learn some English from me and they were interested in learning about life in the United States, which was fun to share with them. I also enjoyed playing volleyball with them. At the end, the kids did a very nice goodbye ceremony and gave me a big thank-you poster. Also, many of them gave speeches thanking me for coming to work with them. It was very sad to leave.

Amazing cultural experience!

My trip was amazing. Definitely one of the best cultural experiences I have ever had. I loved every minute of volunteering with the children. I feel as though I have learned so much more than I expected too observing the culture of Peru and communicating with the locals.

It was life changing!!

It was life changing!!

I had a really great time during my stay in Peru. It's a beautiful country with a lot of culture and different landscapes depending on where you are in the country. I've met a lot of new friends, some that I will share my time in Peru with and some who I will continue being in contact with for years to come. We went to Machu Picchu which will forever be something I remember. Machu Picchu is absolutely incredible, you see it on pictures, in movies and in magazines but you can't really grasp it and understand how amazing it is until you've been there. I was at an after-school project, working with kids mostly about 9-12 years old. We helped the kids that had homework do their homework, the others and the ones who finished could play in the backyard, play games or do extra assignments. After that we had either trivia or read a short story about something worth thinking about - for example always fight for what you want, it's possible to change ones future and topics like that. Later the children were divided into groups, two days a week we had English/lecture and the other two days we had social science assignments/scientific experiments. This was very appreciated by the kids as they were fun assignments where they learned new things without having the feeling it was schoolwork. Overall, I was really happy with my volunteer project and could easily have stayed for a longer period of time. I Strongly recommend anyone thinking about going as a volunteer to stop thinking about it and do it, I don't see how you can regret it!

I participated in the Physical Therapy Quest in Quito, Ecuador for 2 weeks in January 2011. I volunteered Monday-Friday mornings from 8am-noon, and had a one-on-one Spanish tutor for 2 hours each afternoon, with the rest of the afternoon to explore the city. I also had the weekends off to explore both Quito and surrounding towns. Looking back on my experience, I can absolutely say that it was transformative. I met so many wonderful people, and had a very fulfilling volunteer experience that was relevant to my career path. Deciding to go on this quest alone was probably the best decision I made, because it forced me outside of my comfort zone. I was able to speak a lot of Spanish, and do a lot of fun activities like salsa dancing class (which I was later able to practice at a salsa club in town!), visiting Mitad del Mundo, and hiking up/biking down Cotopaxi volcano (I highly recommend this as a day trip!) I loved my United Planet Quest, and would highly recommend it to anyone who is considering a short-term quest! Volunteer Experience: I received one-on-one tutoring to practice Spanish. While my tutor was great, I wish the program would allow you to opt out of the language classes for a discounted price. I personally felt that conversing with the locals was more beneficial for me than spending 2 hours/day in the classroom practicing Spanish. Living Situation: I lived with a sweet couple and had my own bedroom and bathroom. My host dad is a chef, so I was fortunate enough to eat a lot of delicious, authentic Ecuadorian food during my stay! Community Impact: I traveled to Ecuador by myself, and was the only American in Quito through United Planet for that particular 2-week period. I was very nervous that I wouldn't meet anyone, and felt a little lonely the first couple of days. Looking back on the experience, however, I actually think all of the circumstances were perfect for me because I was able to meet and spend time with both locals (my Spanish tutor, the director of the Spanish school, my country coordinator, etc.) and people from around the world who I met through my salsa dancing class. I feel like I was able to immerse myself in the culture so much more because I was not relying on other Americans who would have made me feel more comfortable. I think this quote says it all: "Life begins when you step outside of your comfort zone." Health and Safety: As everyone will tell you once you get to Quito, you should always take cabs at night, even if you're only going a short distance. Just like traveling anywhere else, you just have to be smart. I had my phone stolen on a crowded public bus one morning on the way to my volunteer site--somebody cut a hole right in the side of my purse, despite me guarding it closely.

Living and working in New Zealand is an experience of a lifetime. United Planet provides a variety of options -- although many of them are camp related which I found unfortunate. I would have liked to be in a school setting and found out only a few weeks before leaving that I would be placed in a camp. I went anyway and had the time of my life but wouldn't have committed to this location had I known earlier. The logistics of the program are flawless. Lots of in country support and check ins. Good preparation program. It is expensive but the amount of support your receive accounts for that.

I find it difficult to express in words the amazing experience I had volunteering with United Planet in Peru. I took a short, 10 day trip, and had the time of my life. Everything about the program met or exceeded my expectations, and I can confidently say that I made an impact in the local community there. Working with the United Planet coordinators was easy and took all the stress out of planning my trip. They were responsive to my questions, and followed up with me in a timely manner. They also provided virtual trainings online for me before my trip that answered many questions that I didn't even know I had! My host family in Cuzco was very sweet and they had two young daughters that were a joy to interact with and practice my Spanish with (and help them with their English). They provided me with three very good, authentic meals per day, but I did get the chance to experience the local restaurants and nightlife in the city as well. Mafred, the United Planet coordinator in Peru is the owner of a Spanish school in Cuzco. Here, I got the chance to make friends with volunteers from all around the world. This was super interesting and not something I was expecting. Manfred and Niko, who worked with Manfred, were so much fun and helped me in so many ways during my time there. Oh, and the Spanish lessons were top notch too. I had the chance to volunteer at an all girls orphanage that was just a short bus ride from my host family and the Spanish school. The conditions were pretty bad, but that's why they need volunteers, right? All of the kids were so sweet. United Planet advised us to bring along activities for them to do, so I went to the dollar store and bought a bunch of school supplies, educational workbooks, and some games. We had a blast and I could really tell that the girls enjoyed having someone there to care about them and interact with them in a meaningful way. Along with volunteering, United Planet provides excursions to sites around your destination. I got to see all of the Inca ruins around Cuzco, museums, churches, and...oh yeah...Machu Picchu!!! Riding the train through the Andes to Aguas Calientes at the base of MP was like something out of a movie. Actually exploring MP and climbing Huana Picchu was just indescribably incredible. Easily one of the best days of my life. I would highly recommend United Planet for anyone who is looking to travel and make a difference in the world. I plan on taking another trip this year with United Planet. Oh, and if you do go to Peru, make sure to order Cuy. ;) Volunteer Experience: This was strictly a volunteer adventure, but I did take Spanish lessons that were very good. I came in with little Spanish and left being able to put together full sentences.

I find it difficult to express in words the amazing experience I had volunteering with United Planet in Peru. I took a short, 10 day trip, and had the time of my life. Everything about the program met or exceeded my expectations, and I can confidently say that I made an impact in the local community there. Working with the United Planet coordinators was easy and took all the stress out of planning my trip. They were responsive to my questions, and followed up with me in a timely manner. They also provided virtual trainings online for me before my trip that answered many questions that I didn't even know I had! My host family in Cuzco was very sweet and they had two young daughters that were a joy to interact with and practice my Spanish with (and help them with their English). They provided me with three very good, authentic meals per day, but I did get the chance to experience the local restaurants and nightlife in the city as well. Mafred, the United Planet coordinator in Peru is the owner of a Spanish school in Cuzco. Here, I got the chance to make friends with volunteers from all around the world. This was super interesting and not something I was expecting. Manfred and Niko, who worked with Manfred, were so much fun and helped me in so many ways during my time there. Oh, and the Spanish lessons were top notch too. I had the chance to volunteer at an all girls orphanage that was just a short bus ride from my host family and the Spanish school. The conditions were pretty bad, but that's why they need volunteers, right? All of the kids were so sweet. United Planet advised us to bring along activities for them to do, so I went to the dollar store and bought a bunch of school supplies, educational workbooks, and some games. We had a blast and I could really tell that the girls enjoyed having someone there to care about them and interact with them in a meaningful way. Along with volunteering, United Planet provides excursions to sites around your destination. I got to see all of the Inca ruins around Cuzco, museums, churches, and...oh yeah...Machu Picchu!!! Riding the train through the Andes to Aguas Calientes at the base of MP was like something out of a movie. Actually exploring MP and climbing Huana Picchu was just indescribably incredible. Easily one of the best days of my life. I would highly recommend United Planet for anyone who is looking to travel and make a difference in the world. I plan on taking another trip this year with United Planet. Oh, and if you do go to Peru, make sure to order Cuy. ;) Volunteer Experience: My trip was strictly a volunteer adventure, but I did take Spanish lessons that were very good. I went in speaking very little Spanish and left being able to put sentences together after the first week.

I am having an amazing experience volunteering in New Zealand. I am able to do volunteer work that correlates closely to my career field. It has provided me with work experiences that will be advantageous when applying for future jobs. UP provided great support as I was preparing for my volunteer experience and while they keep in contact with me on a regular basis, honestly I feel their usefulness is done now that I am in my host country. My host organization is where I go when I have questions. I understand that the money I gave helps my host organization do what they do, but it still seems like a heap of money. I do wish there would be an opportunity to meet up with everyone in my "year" to learn how their volunteer experiences went and what amazing things they learned. Community Impact: I came to an English speaking country so I had to take English lessons which seemed a little silly to me since I come from an English speaking country. It would have been great if there was an opportunity to learn Te Reo Maori instead of having to take unnecessary English lessons.

This trip was a mix of language study and volunteering. In the mornings, we would spend 2 hrs studying Spanish at San Blas Spanish school in central Cusco. We would then break and spend the afternoon at a Kids Club afterschool program in a distant neighborhood, also run by the San Blas Spanish school. San Blas Spanish School is a great organization with excellent instructors who are flexible and good at instructing. Spent a great, if short 10 days working with children from around the San Jeronimo section of Cusco, Peru. As our trip coincided with the school vacation period, the program was less structured and more informal. It felt like we were learning much more than we could teach, but I do believe we were able to share some great experiences. Our host family stay at a guest house run by Gladis and Fernando Bellota was great. They are centrally located in Cusco, and are warm and friendly.

This program is absolutely top notch and extremely well organized. I loved my home stay and have remained friends with the family. All aspects of my trip were planned out perfectly and it was an experience I will always cherish. I plan to do another United Planet volunteer program this summer in Peru. They are the best!

This was the first time I had volunteered abroad. Safe to say I was pretty anxious about going so far away by myself. But from the moment I arrived in Nepal to the moment I left I felt like I was with family. Everyone connected with United Planet was truly interested in my welfare. The experience I had with United Planet cannot be put into words all I can say is that everyone should be able to have this type of adventure. Paula

This was my first time going abroad by myself and United Planet was a great way to do it. My university didn't have any study or volunteer abroad programs so I had to find one on my own. I think this is a great opportunity for people who want to experience another culture, but still need the support of an established organization. The program in Peru had extra support for its volunteers because it was one of the most popular programs that UP offers. The one downside of my particular experience was that because the program was so popular there were a lot of volunteers and I would frequently hang out with them instead of immersing myself in Peruvian culture. This was somewhat of a personal choice even though I wish I had been forced to interact with the people there more and I imagine this experience would vary a lot program to program. Community Impact: Due to the large number of volunteers involved with the program (it was a very popular program) it was easy to get by without immersing yourself fully in Peruvian culture which I wish I had been forced to do. Program Administration: At times programs and scheduling could be a bit disorganized but overall I felt that the administration team had my back and that I could count on them to take care of me.

I went to Cusco, Peru through United Planet for eight weeks after I graduated college. I can honestly say it was one of the best experiences of my life. I think traveling will always be my favorite thing to do, but I also think a program can either hinder or enhance your experience. I am so glad I chose to go through United Planet, which is why I have decided to write a review. I feel so strongly about how well they planned and conducted the whole experience. Upon arriving in Cusco, I was greeted at the airport by my host family. My host family was amazing!! I cannot say enough nice things about them. I thought I was so lucky, but other volunteers and I would tease that we had the best family, so it seemed like everyone felt the same as I did! My entire stay at their home I felt comfortable and cared for. We had three home cooked meals everyday. I am a vegetarian and United Planet made the effort to place me in a home where they were willing to provide those style meals for me. I was so grateful and it was never an issue. I worked for 5 weeks at a womens shelter. Those girls challenged me everyday and although some days I felt discouraged or saddened by their situations, I learned SO much from them and feel they felt the same way about me. I made some great connections with the girls and it was through this program that I learned how much I enjoyed tutoring English, which is something I am currently pursuing at home. The last three weeks I spent volunteering at an Animal Sanctuary. This had not been my original plan but there were some openings for volunteers at the site and United Planet allowed me to switch over. I loved working here! We were outside all day. I gave tours to English tourists and helped the owners with their English. We painted, cleaned, cared for the animals and cleaned trash out of the river. It was a great experience. I also took Spanish classes while I was there as part of the program. These classes far and above exceeded my expectations. The classes consisted of myself and one or two other students and the professor. This setup allowed for a great deal of personal attention and encouraged us to speak much more than a typical class at home. I could not believe how much my Spanish improved after only eight weeks! There were also weekly cultural activities throughout my time. I loved these because I felt like it was a great way to learn about the culture and meet other volunteers. The cultural activities were also at the school which became a great hub for meeting other volunteers. We took cooking classes, a Quechua language class, origami, and salsa dancing. I loved it! We also went on three amazing excursions. We took a weekend trip to Macchu Picchu which was absolutely amazing. I still cannot believe that I was able to have that experience. We stayed overnight in Aguas Calientes and then hiked Macchu Picchu the next day. There was a group of about 8-10 of us which made it a really fun trip. We also went horseback riding for an excursion and white water rafting. White water rafting was one of the best days of my life! We spent the whole day out there and it was beautiful. We wore wet suits and jumped off a boulder into the river. After we finished for the day we were served a huge, delicious lunch and even got to go ziplining! I can honestly say everything about my trip went smoothly and I would definitely travel through United Planet again. The only issue I encountered throughout my stay was that I got sick, which is obviously completely out of United Planets control. However, when this happened I called the in-country coordinator and she actually came and picked me up and personally took me to the doctors and waited the entire time with me. And then checked in on me for the next few days until I was better. I also received an email from the coordinators in the Boston offices checking in on me to see how I was feeling. I just thought this was above and beyond what anyone had to do for me and I don't think I would get that through another program. I am so grateful for my time in Peru. I met so many wonderful people and still keep in touch with my host family and several volunteers. I highly, highly recommend traveling and volunteering through United Planet. Volunteer Experience: My Spanish classes were daily and consisted of only myself, one or two other students, and the professor. This allowed for a great deal of personal attention and encouraged us to speak aloud much more than a classroom setting at home. I was astounded by how much my Spanish improved after just eight weeks. Living Situation: I lived with an amazing family in Peru. They were so loving and kind. We had three home cooked meals a day, my room was comfortable, and there was just a sense of ease and family in the home. I still keep in touch with them a year later! Community Impact: I felt I was really able to immerse in the culture. I was able to try out two different programs sites which allowed me to experience different areas and aspects of Cusco. I also think we were immersed really well through the cultural activites such as cooking classes, language classes and excursions like my favorite to Macchu Picchu. Program Administration: I had no problems with administration. When I did get sick during my time I felt like our in-site coordinator went above and beyond to check in on me and make sure I was ok. I was very impressed with that level of care.