I think I’ve reached the point now where I can accept the fact that I won’t be volunteering for a while. It’s not that I don’t want to, but I just don’t have the time or availability. I’ve previously written that I am working a full time job in Buenos Aires, studying for the GRE (which I’ll take in December), and applying to grad schools. So those who have read will understand that I have a lot to do at the moment.
For a while I thought I might be able to manage it all and still pull off some kind of volunteering on the weekends. But just as you are settling in to appreciate Saturday, Sunday rolls around and you have to start thinking about the upcoming work week again. My opportunities haven’t totally diminished, but I need to focus on one thing at a time so I can make the best of what I’m already doing.
But I like the idea that I can take a break from volunteering. I don’t know if anyone can really do it on a never-ending basis. If you are one of those people, I applaud you, because volunteering is not a sustainable field. You have to either be born rich or just not care about making money at all. At some point, the majority of young volunteers out there realize that they need to make some money in order to continue doing so. Like me, many of these people don’t feel the need to have an over-the-top amount of money, but just enough to be comfortable and not starving.
I’m putting volunteering on the shelf for the moment, but that doesn’t mean I’ll never do it again. I’m very excited to get back into it whenever my time opens up again. That might mean waiting until I go home and working with an organization like Big Brothers Big Sisters or United Way. But this doesn’t mean I have to be cut off completely from the international aspect of volunteering either. One of the best things you can do is educate. In teaching whoever about my experiences abroad, I’m sure valuable lessons will be appreciated.
So I’m taking a break, and thinking that I’ll be able to come back refreshed and ready to do it all again someday.
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
- 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
- I Sold Out, Dude. Went All Corporate. - September 22nd, 2009
