This year, instead of spending your two to four weeks away from the living hell that is our daily grind of work, work, work, lying on one of the many generic beaches comatose in one of the many tourist hotspots around the world, why not do something different for yourself and moreover, helpful for someone in a less fortunate situation in one of the non standard places around the globe? Believe me, they do still exist and don't worry, you can still get a tan! In honesty, when it comes to volunteer trips, unlike holidays, you can go pretty much anywhere and still get the same feeling of fulfilment and relaxation as anywhere else, without sitting around doing nothing for 14 days and being ready to go home after 10, as so often happens when doing nothing on the beach!
So Much Choice! So Many Options! What Should You Do?
When my friend first mentioned the idea of sidetracking our traditional booze filled break on one of the generic beaches of Europe, I was not happy to say the least. However, once he had talked me down from my fury, I was happy to find out that volunteering is not what it is stereotypically made out to be! Working as an international volunteer was so much more than it was cracked up to be, we ended up signing ourselves up to do some marine conservation in Mexico. Mexico! The beautiful landscapes, sandy beaches and crystal clear waters made me rethink my whole outlook on the world, after all, who could not want to help preserve a land and wildlife like that?!
I came back to the UK after one of the best volunteer trips around, I'm sure, feeling more refreshed and more relaxed than from any other holiday I have ever been on and, even better, I had the feeling that I had helped someone on my time away, even if it was marine life, I can honestly say that I have made a difference in this world. My next move is to start looking into other courses and volunteer trips around as I have really caught the bug for being an international volunteer, the travel and thrill of adventure is unbeatable and I love the warm feeling I get when I see the fruits of a day's labour and the gratitude on the faces of those who I have spent so long helping out!