The most significant cultural experience I have had so far on this trip has been the monk chat. Before the Monk chat I knew not much about Buddhism or the daily life of a Monk. Learning the guidelines for practicing Buddhism has really inspired me to follow them. Comparing how people in Thailand treat each…
I think my biggest personal challenge while here has been the nightly patrols. After waking up early and working all day in the heat of the sun, you’re exhausted by the time patrol comes around. Not only are you exhausted but your muscles are sore and the difficult hours of patrol throw you off your…
The most cultural experience that has impacted me what when we were at La Iguana Chocolate. I really learned a lot from Jorge and his family. I thought that their farm was a separate business from their lives. The cacao farm IS their life. La Iguana Chocolate has taught me that when you love something,…
So far on this project, I have been challenged by the language barrier between myself and the kiddos and with wanting to control all of the details of how certain tasks get done. However, the chance to work with these kiddos and see the joy and happiness that is brought into their lives by what…
Why travel to a new country to volunteer, I think the better question is why not? There are so many incredible opportunities that accompany the experience of traveling to a new country to volunteer: the opportunity to meet am amazing, new people who can become lifelong friends, the opportunity to learn about a new culture…
This program has been quite an adventure. There will be so many thanks that I will remember and cherish. I will use the memories as a learning experience. I will remember the funs time I had at the chocolate farm. I had a blast at the waterfall and the river. The things that I will…
Question: 1.) Why travel to a new country to volunteer? Answer: I did something a little crazy and pretty unorthodox for me. I packed my bags, hopped on a plane, and headed out to a country I had never been to before to meet a group of people that I had never met or even…
All my life I have always wanted to travel and to see the world, and I always imagined that I would in the future. However, the opportunity had never presented itself until now. The main motivation for me was that I would finally get out of the United States and see a new country, which…
I didn’t know if I would have that specific moment during our Surin project. I knew what I wanted to write about and what I was feeling from the beginning of this trip, although last night was when it really sunk in for me. The morning of Friday, our last night in Surin, I felt…
Going on this trip was a big step for me. Because I was purposefully stepping out of my comfort zone by myself. I did this because I wanted to see how I would do and with what I learned, be able to apply it in my future. During our first workshop, I mentioned a weakness…