It is said "To travel is to take a journey into yourself". With this idea in mind, I signed up to take the trip of a lifetime. I decided to make an impact on this world, while also wanting to impact my life. ISV trips provided the opportunity to do both! We arrived in Sydney as complete strangers, but after 2 weeks of planting trees, working in community gardens, and building community relations, we became the best of friends. Playing games every night with our tour leader, trying a famous Australian "Tim Tam Slam" as our "right of passage" into Australia, waking up every morning to wild kangaroos right outside our door, and the magic of experiencing a new culture. After a somber departure from our tour leader we set out to join another group of strangers to travel the Australian coast with about 20 other like-minded individuals, a fully loaded coach, and a tour leader with a passion for travel and fun. We sang songs on the bus, we played games, we laughed, talked, watched movies, got to scuba dive the great barrier reef, jump out of helicopters in Cairns, attempted to surf in Byron Bay, and got to see the beauty of the Whitsunday Islands, and a chance to refresh ourselves after an over night bus trip by waking up and taking a bath in the crystal clear waters of Lake McKenzie, where the "sand" is made completely of silica while exploring one of the World Heritage Sites that is Fraser Island!
I not only made the best friends of my life, that to this day I am in contact with, but these experiences have left their mark on me. I experienced a new culture by stepping outside of my comfort zone, and thanks to this trip, my "travel bug" has only increased, and my passion for travel has pushed me to further my horizon and see more.
So DO IT! Just book the trip and GO! You'll thank me later.
Response from ISV (International Student Volunteers)
Dear Mckenzie,
Thank you for your review and comments as we thoughtfully review all feedback. We were glad to read that the trip was memorable for you – that the people you met were friendly, there was a good support system, your group leader, Pablo Riba, was caring, you had a nice amount of freedom, and that your host family was very sweet.
We were sorry to read that you were not fully satisfied with your personal experience with ISV on Proyecto Carey. We were also very surprised to see anyone at Carey say that they were not fed enough We have reviewed the evaluations from your group again, as well as those from more than 50 ISV participants on this project throughout the summer 2015 season, and almost everyone rated the meals 5/5 with comments about how amazing the food was, as well as praise for the cook(s). In fact, two people in your group commented that there was lots or even “too much” food, and the Project Leader commented that your group had a real appreciation for the food provided by the cooks. There were no notes in our records about any personal limitations such as food allergies or dietary restrictions, though I know others have commented about the host family cooks at Carey being very accommodating for certain preferences and restrictions. I encourage you to contact us directly to let us know what the issues were in this regard, so that we can be aware of what went wrong and address any problem areas.
As anyone who has done an ISV Program in Costa Rica can attest, rice and beans are a major component of the local diet, and are usually accompanied by a variety of meat, vegetables, eggs, cheese, fruit, bread, etc. And while some (like me) cannot get enough of Costa Rican rice and beans, some find it a little repetitive. However, I have personally not experienced nor heard a complaint of a shortage of food on an ISV Program here. As for the fridge being a limiting factor, we will speak to our project hosts at Carey to ensure all is in order.
Your ISV Project Leader did also remark that the weather had been very warm while your group was there, which made some of the hiking more tiring, and that there had been some complaints about the demanding nature of the tasks as a result. Like all ISV projects, the tasks at Carey can be moderately strenuous, and that can be exacerbated by conditions like high heat and humidity, heavy rain and so on. We do try to mentally prepare all participants for these conditions in the project information we provide between 90 and 30 days prior to your departure, as well as during the on-site orientation. We also clearly state that no one will be asked or expected to carry out a task that is too strenuous or beyond their ability. If this was not made clear to you then we apologize.
All ISV projects around the world involve hands-on tasks that truly contribute positive outcomes to the host community and local environment. The efforts of ISV volunteers at Carey over the years have assisted researchers in learning more about the amazing wildlife/tree interactions in that rainforest and how best to protect and manage this threatened ecosystem. One of the most common comments we read from our participants on any project is that the volunteer work can be hard, challenging and unlike anything they have done, but also incredibly rewarding, inspiring and totally worth it. Thank you Mckensie for sharing your experience and making a positive contribution to sustainable development in Costa Rica.
Deanna Mathewson, ISV International Education Director