This year I decided to pick up my bags and travel as a volunteer. I choose to volunteer in Bali, Lovina teaching English with IVHQ and it was the best decision I made. From the second the airplane landed it was paradise. The landscape surrounding me was green, the smells were natural and pollution free, and the plants, the fruits, the sound of the birds, the people singing, and the children playing filled me with a sense of complete joy. The program was very well organized. An administrator sent a driver to pick me up from the airport, and on my very first hours I was already exploring different places. It was a mesmerizing experience!
When I arrived at the volunteer house I was nervous to meet the rest of the volunteers. After all, I was traveling alone from the other side of the globe. From the moment I got there, we were all automatically connected. It was amazing! the very first day before our introduction to the program we all went out to watch the sunrise and dolphins. It was down the street from where we were staying and it cost us only one dollar per person. Incredible! Some free afternoons we went to waterfalls or hiking, and each day was better than the one before. I went to Bali thinking I could make a difference in the lives of others, but little did I know the life that would be changed would be mine. The team from IVHQ made a big impact in my experience. They always made us feel at home, they helped us with everything, they cooked amazing meals in the mornings, the afternoon, and the evenings. Something I loved is how they played their guitars at the end of each day. They truly made the atmosphere a happy and welcoming place. Just thinking about it and writing about it feels like a dream again.
Let me tell you about my teaching experience. I never realized how much impact we make on these children until I was there. Every day these kids had their papers, their pencils, and were ready to learn. They waited at the doors and they had the biggest smiles on their faces, and they loved getting their papers graded. They felt loved and they were learning English and interacting with people who really cared for them and had the desire to teach them. I thought them healthcare Education, the classes can include topics such as brushing teeth correctly, washing hands, general body cleanliness and nutrition. I also tought them English using games, songs, art, sports and music and I teamed up with other volunteers for additional support. We all had so much fun! When I saw their excitement, I realized that I was little by little starting to make a difference in the world one person at a time. The last day, the kids prepared a good-bye surprise where they wrote letters and brought flowers and little presents.
It is amazing how you come into this program as strangers and you leave with bonds of friendship that will endure. You see all the human beauty of humility, patience, inner happiness, and souls at peace with the world as it is. These are all “Lessons of Life” that I could have not learned in a classroom. I am not a teacher, in fact I’m going to be a lawyer, but what I experienced in Bali, no money or college degree can buy. I transcended race, religion, language barriers and cultural divides to arrive at happiness and peace. The dresses and trinkets I brought home may remind me of my time there, but the true souvenirs will be the memories of the warmth and smiles of the Balinese people. Those souvenirs cannot be lost or broken and can’t be stashed away in the bottom of a box or the corner of a closet. They will always be within me. My way of seeing things has changed and I can change things for the better one person at a time. I’m extremely thankful for all the help and professionalism of the IVHQ team in making this experience exceptional and look forward to the next volunteering opportunity. In fact, I have already been accepted to volunteer in India during my winter break! Thank you IVHQ !!!
