Pod Volunteer | Animal Rescue and Children's projects in India

I wish we had known that, for the overnight trips, you have to book them way in advance! We missed out on that, but got to see amazing things locally, so all was still great! I would also suggest that any volunteers go with an open mind and open heart. The experiences are beyond life changing and provide such new experiences and knowledge. I would not trade this experience for anything!

An average day during the childcare program in India started with breakfast and then we would visit a local school. For two hours each day, we would teach children and then we would return for lunch, Hindi lessons and lesson planning time.

Lesson planning is where you plan what you will do for activities and teach to the students. After that, we volunteered at an orphanage, had dinner and then was able to hang at the accommodation. Weekends we went to local forts and temples, as well as traveled around the city.

My biggest fear was honestly the plane ride. Flying from America to India is a very long flight. It was my first time flying that far, let alone out of the country. I was extremely nervous but the plane ride went fine!

Aside from that, I feared the unknown. You don’t know what to expect, what it’s like, or who you will be living with. My views changed as soon as we got off the plane. Both the local hosts are so kind and welcoming. I never felt out of place or uncomfortable at all during my stay. They truly work with you to make you feel at home and to help you transition into this new environment.

This trip changed my life, undoubtedly. No words can fathom how amazing this experience was. In so many ways, this trip changed who I am as a person, how I see the world, my values and what I wish to peruse in life.

I changed as a person in many ways, but significantly in that I found who I was. I was able to truly let myself divulge into a new culture and get to know the locals. In a short two weeks, I feel in love with the food, children, locals and India. This trip changed how I view myself and the world. Coming from America, a first world country, this experience made me realize how much I take for granted. I know practice conserving my resources since returning home. As for myself, I found a piece of who I am in India. At home I often followed what people expected of me and wanted me to be. In India it was the raw me. The person who I want to be.

Since returning home I have matured and realized who I am in a sense. I also feel my values and views on the world and life have changed. You don’t stay at five star hotels while volunteering, you live like the locals. This cultural immersion allowed me to grow and change my perspectives. The only thing I would ever change about this trip would be that I would go for way longer! I hope to return to India!