Program Reviews

My trip to Thailand was my first time out of the country. The group of people that I went with I became life long friends with! It was the most influential and life changing experience. Since this first trip, I have traveled all over Europe and to Africa. It sparked the travel bug in me! One of my favorite experience from Thailand was the ceremony we did on a kayak trip we went on. Being able to go into the ocean late at night with nothing but a blow up kayak and our guide was terrifying but moving. There was nothing else that mattered in the world than where we were at that moment. It was a very freeing experience that everyone should do. It felt like this was the only thing that mattered. This is just one small thing that happened during the trip. There are more stories than I could possibly write.

The most eye opening trip of a lifetime. I was on the turtle conservation trip, patrolling the dark lively beaches at night. During the day we would clean the beaches of plastic andgarbage, clean the hiking trails, carry the trash out and new food in. But of course there was also plenty of time for cooling of in the beautiful ocean and just lounging around being a beach bum! The biologists, our chef and 'mom', and the isv workers were some of the most amazing people i have ever met. So high on life and extremely intellegent, informative. All around they had a way of opening your mind and heart and always putting a smile on everyones face! Anyone who loves nature this would be the best trip for you because you cant escape it. From bioluminescent plankton to sea turtles to howler monkeys having conversations with the dudes in our group! this is one trip that is the biggest eye opener into real environmental stuggles and how humans have caused such destruction but we can easily fix the mess. Every lecture my mind expanded as everyone in the group had ideas and perspectives of our environmental imact and the steps it takes to lessen our footprint. We talked lots about plastic, poaching, co2 emmissions amongst many other topics of course. We learned so much about sea turtles of all sorts. Some people think of volunteering as work but this volunteer trip was a tropical paradise. We never worked a single day.

This was the first trip I have ever been on, but I can tell that it will definitely one of my most treasured memories. To start: the staff provided by ISV are amazing! They are always positive and read to go!
This program is split into two parts: a volunteer portion and an adventure tour. The volunteering portion though, for me, was just as enjoyable as the adventure tour. The volunteer portion was comprised of habitat assessments and visiting a local school to educate students on the importance of their environment and taking care of it. These kids are amazing, extremely enthusiastic about learning.
Our group was also informed about issues that are problematic in South Africa. For instance, we learned about there being TOO MANY elephants. This is just one of the many things we learned.
The day-to-day activities wouldn't have been complete without the breathtaking scenery; each early morning was a treat, with the sun rising from behind the mountain and its heat beginning to warm the day (it was actually cold in the mornings 1-4 degrees C where we were). Honestly, I could go on further about the volunteer portion, but you have probably gotten board of hearing about mountains and cold weather and such.
The adventure tour was.... honestly I don't have the words to do it justice. This was the best time of my life. Every day has you doing something that may be outside of your comfort zone, but it is all 100% worth it. During the adventure tour we traveled from SA to Swaziland, to Mozambique.
Writing this, looking back on this trip, I recommend every person take a trip like this in their lifetime. The animals, the food, the culture, the scenery, the adrenaline rushes; these are things you will keep with you forever. However, I know this trip wouldn't have meant as much to me without the people who I embarked on this trip with. Over the course of the month they became more than just acquaintances, they become your closest friends.

TLTR? I understand. So, in the words of Shia Labeouf: "JUST DO IT!!"

This volunteering experience ended up being the most wonderful experience of my life. Being surrounded by new friendly faces and a completely different culture gave me a sense of happiness that allowed me to express myself completely and laugh the entire time. There were serious times when we needed to get to work and pour our hearts out into our volunteer work, but even this ended up being fun and extremely rewarding. I think the children and environment made more of a difference in me than I could ever give back to them. I know it's cheesy, but when I committed everything I had to experiencing such a beautiful experience, I now look back at that time with such a desire to go back and laugh with the people I met during these four weeks. The two weeks of adventure after volunteering made me wish everyday was filled with that much thrill and excitement. I tried so many new things and made so many fulfilling memories with people that I daydream about when I'm having a bad day.
One of the most memorable moments on this trip was on the adventure tour when we ziplined into a pool that was 50 feet below where we started from. A few people had successfully gone down and plopped into the water shouting and laughing. The next person to go did not hold on tight enough and when she got just barely past the edge, she fell and hit the wall when she plummeted to the bottom. Not a second after he saw her let go, Adolfo dove to the rescue and was in the water before she even got there. He was like superman and although it was a scary situation, the girl who fell was completely fine with nothing but a scrape on her knee, and Adolfo was our new hero.
There is a treasure chest of priceless memories I have of that trip, from skinny dipping in the atlantic ocean, to being intentionally bitten by ostriches, I can't say I have experienced such freedom to do whatever comes to mind. Propelling down waterfalls was by far the scariest thing I have anticipated to do, but once I started, it was beautiful and rewarding. In the volunteering portion, the children were so lively and energized, it gave me a sense of playfulness and happiness. I remember one recess session where the children all lined up to the swing, and I began swinging them and laughing at their extreme excitement to get a turn with the swing!
Another beautiful memory in the school was at the very end when we had a talent show, and two talented dancer boys competed against one another in a dance off. I could see the freedom and beauty in this culture and the joy within themselves spread through their dance moves and into my heart. It was also extremely rewarding to work on the house we finished for a school teacher at the school we were helping with. It was amazing to see a direct correlation between the two types of work we were doing, and it was also amazing to swim down the river behind the house except when we saw a chicken floating down it, inflated with water. This was definitely a memorable time. Yet another memory was when we spent time in Santo Domingo and got to see all of the ruins from the colonial times. It was fascinating to hear the history of this beautiful place, and to spend time in a large city for a change. Dinner at Blue Moon was always special, we ate chicken, beans and rice for basically every meal, and it was delicious to be immersed in the food of this country. There are too many beautiful memories to list them all, but these were a few of my favorite ones!

In this program, we stayed at the Mae Kok Foundation. It is a nonprofit organization in which children, ages 3-17, can live and grow around Christian principles and discipline. The program is established for children whose families are unable to provide proper care for their children. The ultimate goal is to produce smart young men and women with the capabilities and knowledge about how to be successful in college and the future. We played with the children and taught them English. This place was our home just like theirs for two weeks.

This was my second time traveling with ISV. I chose them for a second time since I didn't feel comfortable traveling to South Africa without a group, for safety reasons. We also went to Swaziland and Mozambique for the adventure part of our tour. I got to volunteer on a cheetah reserve, which was amazing. We also helped out with other animals on the ranch, in rehabilitation and mating. It was a unique experience since we did many different aspects of the care that happens on a daily basis. The best part was we actually lived on the ranch, which meant on walks we would often see giraffes and impalas. The travel/adventure part was also amazing, we got to: cliff jump, repel down a cliff, go white water rafting, scuba-diving, visit an orphanage and of course go on safaris :) I fell in love with South Africa.

This was my first trip traveling alone and it opened up a whole new world for me to explore. The structure of ISV: two weeks of volunteering and then two weeks of exploring the east coast of Australia, allowed the best well rounded experience for a first time traveller. The best part about volunteering (besides helping out the environment :) ) was being able to participate in local events that a tourist wouldn't normally see. It was an overall amazing experience that set my life into craving more adventure and traveling to more places!

My travel experience through ISV was one of a kind. It was the first time I'd traveled to a country while also being able to make a difference that I could come back to in the years to come. We got to spend a week working in a sub-tropical rain forest and the second week rehabilitating a local beach that had just been hit by a storm. (We also got to go surfing later on the same beach)

One of my favorite parts was being able to see wild kangaroos on the beach at sunset. The view was breathtaking and the wildlife was amazing.

Our program leaders were all from the area and we got to learn a lot about the culture, environment, and economy. We also got to try Aussie food like Vegemite and Tim Tams. It was so cool to see not only the country, but to go off the beaten track and live like an Australian, not just a tourist.

"I said 'remember this moment,' in the back of my mind."

Wise words by an even wiser Taylor Swift. That line from her song "Long Live" is the mantra one should have throughout the entire ISV experience. Not only is this the words we lived by during the four weeks of once-in-a-lifetime experience, but it also happens to be one of my best friend's favorite songs. I met this best friend on this trip. So not only has ISV given me a chance to explore one of the most beautiful countries in the world and chance to ACTUALLY make a difference in the world, but it has given me some great friendships. Definitely above and beyond anything I could have expected.

After two weeks with a small group, you become a family, and then you get to meet the other families during the last half of the month. Whether it was Tasmania, Melbourne, Phillip Island, or random places such as Francis and Robe, every location depends on volunteers. They depend on us. There is no better feeling than having someone depend on you and being able to come through for that person/town.

I can't really put into words the surreal, breathtaking, wonderful, wanderful experience that ISV offers, so I'll just say this: one month with ISV has given me a desire, a NEED, to come back to Australia...so I'm studying abroad there next semester.

If I had to sum up my experience, I would turn to my Phillip Island family and quote our girl Taylor's song one last time.

"I had the time...with you."

Meeting people of your little home town in the same country at the other end of the continent is a feeling you cant explain. Almost like it was meant to be, that two people are there at the same time, just by councidence!? I dont think so.