A year of volunteering is a way to get away from the strains of everyday life, as well as a chance to think about more what you actually want to do. The way I looked at it before heading off for teaching English in Ecuador was, at the very least it would give me more time to work on Spanish, and hopefully give me more insight in a future dealing with international relations. And as the year went on I experienced more and discovered what I’d like to do as a career, which somehow involved writing and international relations. But what you rarely have time to think about while you’re volunteering is what you’ll be doing after the year ends.
In my case, I was teaching English at the University of Cuenca in Cuenca, Ecuador. Not long after beginning my work as a university professor did I realize that teaching was most likely not the career meant for me. But that’s OK I thought, because it was a valuable lesson to have learned sooner rather than later in life. But now what to do? I’d grown up in Massachusetts, about a half hour south of Boston. I went to the University of Massachusetts Amherst, double majoring in Journalism and History. I wasn’t quite ready to head back to the United States just yet, and I wanted to continue learning Spanish, as well as gain international experience in the event that I go to grad school.
My mom is actually from Buenos Aires, and I’d always wanted to travel to, and possibly live in Argentina. One of the other professors at the university told me that I’d be able to get dual citizenship in Argentina, and after looking into it and going through the long process, I’ve been approved for citizenship in Argentina. So long story short, my next move is to Buenos Aires to experience the culture and customs of this new country.
This is life after volunteering, and I’m sure it won’t be exactly peachy. A friend who was in the Peace Corps in Guyana once said that returning to normal life after long term volunteering is extremely difficult. I’m still looking into possibilities of volunteering in Argentina, but basically I’m winging it. Heading down without a job lined up, I’m hoping to find a focus in a new city and use the skills and lessons I learned from my experience as a volunteer in Ecaudor in my new home, Argentina.
So check in and see how life is treating a returned, though not yet home, volunteer. And together we can figure out just what we’re supposed to do after giving our time, and what awaits us.
Latest posts by jgbrandt8
- Not Too Far Gone - March 4th, 2010
- Mate Makes Amigos - January 15th, 2010
- Day in the Life: G to the R to the E in Bs to the As - December 18th, 2009
- Would It All Be Worth It If...? - December 1st, 2009
- New Doors Open, Finally - November 25th, 2009
- Putting Volunteering on Hold - November 3rd, 2009
- Romanticizing Ecuador, But Aware of It - October 27th, 2009
- Use Your Time Wisely - October 20th, 2009
- Going Abroad Alone or With a Group? - October 7th, 2009
- Keep Your Head Up, Champ! - September 29th, 2009
