Passionate, Proactive and an Unforgettable Experience

Being the younger sister of two, I occasionally feel the need to assert my independence. So when it came to my gap year, I was pretty keen to do something different. The year before me, my sister had travelled to South Africa for a couple of months with Projects Abroad and ended up loving it so much that she extended her stay for a month longer than planned (much to my mother’s dismay!). She’d come back buzzing with stories of friends and experiences, not to mention considerable heartache at having left them all behind… But I wasn’t going to let myself be convinced that easily: I was going to do my research properly! I quickly realised, however, that the service provided by Projects Abroad is pretty unique.

What first struck me was the wealth of opportunity available, both in terms of the choice of countries and the range of projects. The second deciding factor was their flexibility; due to their extensive networks between and within counties, Projects Abroad could really take to my plans into account and help me customise a trip that involved two countries and three projects (I really couldn’t choose between them!) which, compared to the other companies I researched, was impressive. So a month later, partially prepared, very excited, and a little nervous, I was off! My first stop was Costa Rica, where I’d be learning Spanish for a month. I’d then planned to fly over to Peru to teach for a month, followed by a week of conservation in the Amazon.

The arrival procedure in both countries was very supportive; I was met by a Projects Abroad member of staff at the airport and taken straight to meet my host family (with the added bonus of receiving a whistle-stop tour of the area on the way). After a night of settling in, I then joined a few other volunteers for an orientation of the surrounding area in which I was living and how to get to my place of work/study, which was invaluable. As for my host families, I couldn’t have wished for more. The warmth I felt on arrival put me at ease almost instantly, and they were so caring throughout my stay – staying up for me if I got back late, or leaving meals in the microwave with a note. Recalling the chats we had over the kitchen table, my early attempts at Spanish, or running around with my host mum chasing cockroaches still makes me laugh. The accommodation was also a lot more luxurious than I expected (I had an en suite in Costa Rica!), and I always felt safe in the area.

The teaching and conservation projects that I took part in were outstanding. The proactivity and passion of the staff out there is infectious, and I really did feel like I was making a difference during my time. The English teacher in the Peruvian school that I was assisting had a very low level of English herself, so I took up to the role of teacher from the beginning. It was daunting at the start, but the weekly workshops and regular contact with the project staff, plus lots of ideas and material from the office really supported me, and by the time I was leaving, both my pupils and my teacher were chatting to me in English! My week on the Taricaya conservation project was equally rewarding. Feeding animals, chasing baby turtles, picking fruit... I kept having to remind myself that it was real. I also joined at a really exciting time during the re-release of Spider Monkeys into the wild, which involved lots of cuddling of baby monkeys and treks into the depths of the Amazon to set up the pre-release cages. A few of the tasks I got involved in weren’t particularly glamorous, but the depth of involvement that volunteers are allowed to experience makes this project truly unique.

Lastly, the countries themselves were breathtaking. From triple tier waterfalls, volcanoes and beaches in Costa Rica to deserts, lakes and Machu Picchu in Peru, every day of my three short months combined to make it truly an experience of a lifetime.