I didn’t realize it until I was already leaving Ecuador, but I made a big mistake. My original intention was to spend the year progressively studying for the GRE in my free time. Even if I wasn’t sure what I wanted to do for grad school or if I would apply, I would at least [...][...]
Archive for October, 2009
Is Bogotá Safe?
I have been asked by quite a few people regarding safety in Bogotá. Some of the common questions are: “Is it a safe city?” “Will you be kidnapped and made a drug mule?” “Are you crazy?” That answer to the second question is a definitive “no.” The answ[...]
Travel Discounts for Volunteers and Educators
This post, written by Idealist in NYC blog coordinator Joanna Eng, was originally published on the Idealist.org homepage. Have you volunteered for eight hours with a registered 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization? You can get a free or half-off night’s stay at one of 53 hotels, which are scatte[...]
Five Things to Think About When Choosing Your Volunteer Location
A few weeks ago I posted my top 10 suggestions on how to be a successful long-term volunteer. Number 8 was to make sure you are honest with yourself about what kind of environment you can work in. This is important if you plan to come for an extended amount of time. If you are [...][...]
October 15th, 2009 - 6:55 pm § in Around Town, Bolivia
Amazon Burning: Blog Action Day 2009
The fire raged ahead. It was so high I could make out the flames reaching above the treetops on the eastern bank of the river on one of the Amazon’s many tributaries, Rio Mamore. It was an image of destruction, not unlike watching a tragedy unfold on the news with eyes glued to the image, [...][...]
Help Keep the World Amazing: Blog Action Day 2009
Rather than saving all of our dreams for “later in life” or for “the right time,” we’ve reorganized our world so that we can be living a life that aligns with what’s most important to us. As we talk about a lot, we’re most interested in seeing the world, exp[...]
Persistence, Death Threats, and the Environment
We arrived just in time to watch the news on TV. I was secretly thrilled to have been able to watch it there, because there is no TV in my apartment. Rio de Janeiro will host the 2016 Olympic Games! Shortly after watching Copacabana explode in celebration, Luiz turned off the TV, and said, “Ok, [...]
