Travel is all about experience.
Experience that is only gained by seeing, eating, doing, and being in a particular location. But, to be able to do any of these things, you first need to allow yourself the time. And I’m not talking a week’s vacation.
To experience the most when you travel, you should volunteer.
Experience More (For Longer) By Volunteering
Volunteering is an excellent way to make the most of your travel experience.
When you volunteer, you’re basically offering an energy exchange. By offering your time and energy in labor, you get room, a meal, and time to spend in your destination of choice.
More time means more experience. Allowing you to connect to that destination on a much deeper level than you would if you were just passing through. As a volunteer, you get a plethora of information and insight that a passing tourist doesn’t. But it takes time to gather that type of intel.
For a small exchange in labor, you can get access to this information without having to spend the time searching for it. You get to partake in a wide variety of touristic activities – often with free entry into touristic events. And to top it off, you get better insight on where to go that tourists usually aren’t. Meaning your touristic experience just got more authentic.
Types Of Volunteer Opportunites
Volunteering somewhere doesn’t have to be full-time, you don’t need to dedicate an entire year to it, nor does it need to be extremely laborious.
All you need is a little drive and some flexibility in the details of it. In exchange, you’ll be rewarded with time.
That earned time translates into a cultural experience that is ultimately priceless. I remember it wasn’t until after my 5th month volunteering at a Rio hostel that some friends and I were able to find an apartment together. The apartment was located high up in a nearby favela (“favela” means slum in Portuguese) and it was only accessible by stairs. Lots and lots of stairs. There, I got to experience what life is like for the locals living there. And I would’ve never had the opportunity to do so if I hadn’t been around long enough for the opportunity to arise.
So, if you’re looking for raw, gritty and authentic experiences, volunteering is a fantastic way to find them. You don’t need to dedicate an entire year or build up a huge savings to help make it possible, but you do need to be willing to dedicate a little time and energy. Afterall, the best things in life aren’t free.
