La Vida Idealist

Photo by Fred Benenson on Flickr

We’ve been in master-minding mode lately. More specifically, we’re eager to get a handle on what life might look like, say, 12 months from now. Actually, thinking about anything beyond a couple of weeks would be progress. Pathetic, I know.

I guess our yearning to plot has a lot to do with the fact that since getting back from our mega volunteering / trekking stint in South America, we’ve been trying to figure out how to make things, such as long-term travel and giving back, a regular part of our world. We’ve spent a lot of time on lifestyle redesign, keeping our heads down and working on a lot of foundational stuff (like how to survive!). Now it’s time to put the wheels in motion.

Which leads me to South America. We’re big fans of that part of the world, and we spend a lot of time thinking about the incredible experiences we’ve had there. We want to get back, so a big chunk of our plotting energy has been dedicated to figuring out all of the details. Where do we want to go? How long can we stay? What kind of a decent volunteer opportunity can we roll into the mix? Starting this (at times overwhelming) planning process is reminding us what it was like as we fine-tuned all of the details when we went through a similar process a couple of years ago.

That time around, finding a suitable volunteer opportunity was a top priority. As things started to unfold, it seemed like everything was too expensive, or too superficial or too dangerous. We sent out loads of inquires and, honestly, felt lucky if we got a response. Sounds a lot like job hunting! Anyhow, we knew what we wanted to do but had a tough time finding the right match. Many of the opportunities we came across required only a few hours a week; other opportunities were comprised solely of administrative work. We were certain that we wanted to volunteer full-time doing hands-on work in an impoverished community. No small order. Communication barriers, logistical concerns, etc., made the task even more daunting, but we knew that something was out there.

Oh, and that something had to come without a big price tag – just as it does this time around. We understand the need, when appropriate, to pay for a volunteer experience. After all, providing a meaningful experience takes resources. These resources come at a cost to the organization, even despite the benefit of a volunteer’s contribution. Volunteer organizations have to be mindful of that delicate balance. Having said that, though, we’re not big fans of the huge cost we see attached to many volunteer opportunities. A luxury vacation should not be less expensive than volunteering! The right opportunity came together back then, and we can make it happen again.

Time to get back to figuring stuff out. We’re anxious to map out an adventure in South America and, hopefully, other places as well. No matter what happens, it’s exciting to be building an unconventional life. Living the live we choose makes any of the little headaches and frustrations seem like nothing at all.

Feel free to keep an eye on this blog for details as we pull things together.

Latest posts by wearekandc

• Reality Check Via a Credit Card - January 15th, 2010
• Here's to Courage - December 11th, 2009
• International Volunteer Day - December 4th, 2009
• From South America to Samoa - November 27th, 2009
• Take Action in NYC: Mercy Corps - November 6th, 2009
• 5 Surprises About International Volunteering: #5 - We're All Connected - October 21st, 2009
• Help Keep the World Amazing: Blog Action Day 2009 - October 15th, 2009
• 5 Surprises About International Volunteering: #4 - "Wow" Moments - October 13th, 2009
• 5 Surprises About International Volunteering: #3 - Living With Less - October 1st, 2009
• 5 Surprises About International Volunteering: #2 - Language Non-Barriers - September 25th, 2009