Why did you decide to volunteer abroad with VFP in Thailand?
Sara: After doing extensive research of various volunteer organizations and opportunities around the globe, a friend and I decided to work with Volunteers For Peace. Their very name sums up their mission, which was in complete alignment with our personal goals. The group’s well-organized website made it easy to search through the hundreds of volunteer opportunities they offer and find exactly the workcamp we were looking for. The program costs were very reasonable, and it was clear that our money would be used to further their mission, and not go to any excessive administrative costs. I loved the idea of staying together with the other volunteers in a communal space that was simple, yet met all our basic needs, and included sharing cooking duties.
What made this volunteer abroad experience unique and special?
Sara: We selected a cultural exchange and teaching workcamp in a small, rural village in Thailand. There had never been foreigners in this village before, and we were welcomed with open arms, literally becoming members of the family.
From the day we arrived, I loved it, and soon decided to stay on after the workcamp to continue teaching at the local high school and elementary school for an additional two weeks. At the end of my time, the principal of the high school called me into his office and offered me a teaching position for the next school year. At that moment, my life changed irrevocably. I was not professionally a teacher, I had only spent one month in Thailand, and I had never lived in another country before. But I felt at home here, it seemed like a good decision, so I took a deep breath and accepted the position.
How has this experience impacted your future? (Personally, professionally, etc)
Sara: Six years later, I’m still living overseas. I’ve been to over a dozen countries in Asia, living, traveling and teaching along the way. My life remains inspired by that first workcamp, where I learned the joys of being in a classroom, of making strangers your family, and how trusting your gut instincts and taking a chance can pay off.
While your workcamp experience may not have quite the same impact on your life that mine did, it will certainly change the way you view the world. Spending two weeks in a community, working with fellow volunteers towards a common goal, and getting to know the local people will expand your horizons and might even change your definition of “home.”