Getting back on the road

So a lot of you will have noticed that I haven’t updated my blog in almost a year. That’s mainly because I stopped travelling for a little while and let other aspects of my life take up more of my time.

But… I am happy to announce that I have booked a couple upcoming trips and I am very eager to get back on the road.

NEXT WEEK I’ll be visiting Washington D.C. for five days. I am really looking forward to visiting all the museums, especially the Newseum, but if I’m honest, I actually haven’t really planned out too much of my trip. (I’ve booked my hostel and plane tickets, but I’m going to let myself go with the flow.)

The real existing news, however, is the trip I’ll be taking in November… I have thought about going on a volunteer trip for many years, but whatever reason it never happened.

This all changed a couple of days ago.

After hearing good things from a friend of a friend who did a volunteer trip in Tanzania, I decided to check out International Volunteer HQ (IVHQ), which sells itself as a socially responsible, safe and affordable volunteer organization.

I’ve emphasized the last word because the prices are extremely reasonable. Most of the program fees are less than $300 US per week, plus a $250 registration fee. This money covers the costs of accommodations and all meals for the week as well as transportation to and from the airport, orientation and a 24-hour in country program organizer who places you in a position and monitors the situation. (Plus all the help leading up to the start date like telling you what to pack and what injections to get.)

So, after reviewing their different policies and checking out many countries, I decided to go to Guatemala. I’ll be teaching English for two weeks at the beginning of November and then travelling for a week through the country. So far, I’ve only had to pay the $250 registration fee (fully refundable until 30 days before, might I add.)

As my placement date gets closer, I’ll keep you all posted on my progress with the organization and all the money that I spend. If all goes well then I’ll definitely be giving them a Thrifty Abroad approval seal!