This trip changed my life.

My husband and I traveled with Roadmonkey Adventure Philanthropy on an amazing expedition to Tanzania. Roadmonkey is cool because it combines rugged outdoor adventure with volunteer work. So the first part of our trip, we climbed Mt. Kilimanjaro. Then, we performed a hands-on volunteer project at a school for AIDS orphans.

The trip was well organized and the participants were all wonderful. It was amazing to meet the kids at the school and to work side by side local people on the construction. We built desks, painted classrooms and installed a clean water system.

When we got home, we started our own site celebrating volunteer travel. We also produced a documentary on our trip and it has completely transformed our life direction.

I say to everyone -- volunteer travel. It excites your senses and opens up your world more than any other kind of travel.