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through my eyes... the world according to a globe-trotting, sight-seeing, day-tripping, frequent-flying damsel in de-stress

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There are [0] photos and [33] stories tagged with "voluntourism".


Saying Adios to the students of Ayudamos a Vivir...

ECUADOR | Sunday, 11 Sep 2011 | Views [1190]

Today was my last day at the school, which completes the first phase of my Ecuadorian vacation. We had a special program complete with dancing, food, and a puppet show. A visitor came by the school to see the facility and observe the students. She engaged ... Read more >

Tags: adventures, language, voluntourism


Mis amigos especiales...

ECUADOR | Friday, 9 Sep 2011 | Views [1348]

It's inevitable that I have my favorites. It happens every time and there's no rhyme or reason to it. I have several this time, but I think the most special is Vanessa, who I've already mentioned. She's mentally sharp, but trapped in a body contorted ... Read more >

Tags: adventures, voluntourism


Un dia en la vida...

ECUADOR | Thursday, 8 Sep 2011 | Views [1357]

The neighbor's rooster is confused. Muy confundido. At 1:30 in the god-forsaken morning, he begins notifying all within earshot that dawn is at hand—a full 3.5 hours before the first rays of sun make their timid appearance. Soon after, the neighborhood's ... Read more >

Tags: adventures, voluntourism


Hay uno solamente...

ECUADOR | Tuesday, 6 Sep 2011 | Views [1262]

This is going to be a challenge. This is my fifth volunteer trip. Of those five, only twice did I actually do the job for which I applied. It's funny how that works, but it's yet another instance in which you must 'go with the flow.' Well this time, ... Read more >

Tags: adventures, language, voluntourism


Buenos dias from Quito

ECUADOR | Sunday, 4 Sep 2011 | Views [1138]

It's been a stressful summer at home. When I travel, I often feel "ready" for a vacation , but I don't recall ever feeling quite as desperate for time away as I have before this trip. Here's a little story to illustrate just how much I've cracked ... Read more >

Tags: adventures, voluntourism


Adventures of a Voluntourist: Vietnam

VIETNAM | Tuesday, 31 Aug 2010 | Views [1416]

This is the fourth and final installment of a series that I've written for WorldNomads, the company that hosts this blog. The anecdotal stories focus on my experience volunteering abroad. http://journals.worldnomads.com/responsible-travel/story/62254/Vietnam/Adventures-... Read more >

Tags: adventures, voluntourism


Adventures of a Voluntourist: India

INDIA | Monday, 9 Aug 2010 | Views [1346]

This is the third installment in a series of four stories that I've written for WorldNomads, the company that hosts this blog. The anecdotal stories focus on my experience volunteering abroad. http://journals.worldnomads.com/responsible-travel/story/61228/India/Adventures-... Read more >

Tags: adventures, voluntourism


Adventures of a Voluntourist: Peru

PERU | Thursday, 22 Jul 2010 | Views [1347]

This is the second installment in a series of four stories that I've written for WorldNomads, the company that hosts this blog. The anecdotal stories focus on my experience volunteering abroad. http://journals.worldnomads.com/responsible-travel/story/60273/Peru/Adventures-... Read more >

Tags: adventures, voluntourism


Adventures of a Voluntourist: Greece

GREECE | Saturday, 10 Jul 2010 | Views [1406]

WorldNomads, the company that hosts this blog, contacted me to see if I was interested in contributing stories about voluntourism to their Responsible Travel page. I was pleased to do it and my first (of four) stories appears here: http://journals.... Read more >

Tags: adventures, voluntourism


An interview on blogtalk radio...

USA | Friday, 2 Jul 2010 | Views [1267]

I was recently interviewed by Kim Orlando of Traveling Mom for her blogtalk radio show. Have a listen! (Tip: If you don't have the patience to listen straight through, my part begins at around 20:00 into the show--just slide the cursor forward.) http:... Read more >

Tags: adventures, voluntourism


On war, struggle, and saying goodbye...

VIETNAM | Sunday, 16 May 2010 | Views [2118]

My last official day at the orphanage was Friday, but I couldn't stay away. After meeting with a new friend on Saturday, I introduced her to the kids who have stolen my heart. Today, I returned to the orphanage alone to say my goodbyes. When it was ... Read more >

Tags: adventures, voluntourism


A birthday in Vietnam...

VIETNAM | Thursday, 13 May 2010 | Views [1933]

Yesterday was my birthday. The day started by taking the bus to the Ky Quang temple/orphanage, which is more Vegas than Vietnam in its appearance. The temple was built to appear as though it was carved into a mountain of rocks, with huge fake boulders ... Read more >

Tags: voluntourism


War remnants...

VIETNAM | Tuesday, 11 May 2010 | Views [1034]

As I mentioned before, the orphanage where I am volunteering is privately run by a Buddhist organization in a fully functional Buddhist temple (Ky Quang). Government orphanages are available here, but they are very crowded; as a result, children in ... Read more >

Tags: sightseeing, voluntourism


On the Mekong, motorcycles, and volunteering...

VIETNAM | Sunday, 9 May 2010 | Views [1107] | Comments [1]

After a few days of relaxation in Sihanoukville (a sleepy Cambodian beach town), it was off to Vietnam. The first stop was Chau Doc, which is a small city in the Mekong Delta. It was while in Chau Doc that I had the pleasure of experiencing a motorcycle ... Read more >

Tags: adventures, voluntourism


My last day at the center...

INDIA | Sunday, 19 Apr 2009 | Views [938]

After several days of volunteering in a cramped room in 100+ degree heat, we finally had a morning with a breeze, making the temperatures tolerable enough to take the boys to the park. As we walked through the busy Nizamuddin Railway Station, it pained ... Read more >

Tags: adventures, voluntourism


Hangin' with street kids....

INDIA | Friday, 17 Apr 2009 | Views [1319]

Life in Delhi has been going smoothly. I've already fallen into a routine: I go to the center in the morning and work with the boys on their English, then we do physical education in the afternoon. After I leave the center, I take a tuk tuk to some Delhi ... Read more >

Tags: adventures, voluntourism


On Agra and volunteering...

INDIA | Monday, 13 Apr 2009 | Views [1737]

After Jaipur, we headed to Agra. Agra, of course, is home to the spectacular Taj Mahal, which took an astounding 22,000 workers 12 years to build. It was built in 1631 by Shah Jahan (a Muslim ruler) as a memorial to his third wife, Mumtaz Mahal, who ... Read more >

Tags: adventures, voluntourism


Saying goodbye...

PERU | Thursday, 4 Oct 2007 | Views [948]

Has it been a month already? Amidst a swirl of activity—of sightseeing, volunteering, and the buzz of day-to-day living—the time has flown by and already feels like a dream. After a month in Peru, I find the prospect of leaving bittersweet. There are ... Read more >

Tags: adventures, voluntourism


The last day of school...

PERU | Wednesday, 3 Oct 2007 | Views [1180]

Today was the last day at the Pumamarca school for many of us volunteers. Knowing this would be the last time that I would see the school and the children (for now, anyway), I was plagued by a feeling of melancholy from the moment I woke up in the morning.... Read more >

Tags: adventures, voluntourism


Building a home...

PERU | Wednesday, 26 Sep 2007 | Views [940]

Today we had a full day working at the school at our various duties (for me, that meant English grades 5 & 6, then assisting with hygiene), and then we went to work on Hernan´s house. For those of you who are actually reading all of these entries, ... Read more >

Tags: adventures, voluntourism


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