I was neither in Chile nor affected anything like those on the ground but my plans did come crumbling down. The volunteer program I had planned and prepared to join there (assisting with teaching English in public schools) was canceled, and having already stopped work and sold most of my things, I suddenly found myself with no job and no income for 18 months, no car, flat or home of my own, no plans and no real sense of what was to come.

A view of Santiago taken from the top of Cerro San Cristóbal in the north of the city.

Several weeks of midnight madness ensued trying to figure out what and where to next – there was no way I wanted to give up on what I had set out to do and yet a natural disaster is a somewhat formidable opponent! Then out of the blue, I received a message from a friend of a work contact who suggested that I plan to come to Chile again and that they were sure they could find me a volunteer placement.

I’ve neither taught English professionally nor have any real Spanish speaking ability but the opportunity to assist in this way and to test myself and my capabilities was too good to turn down. So many people asked me whether or not I had any idea of what I was getting myself in for and to be honest the answer to that question was ‘no,’ but then if I had, would it be nearly such an adventure that I’m now living, and would I learn so much and grow?

Just six weeks into my time here, Google translate has become my new best friend and my relationship with the public transport system a steamy (or at least sweat-ridden) and tumultuous one! I’m assisting in two public schools in Peñalolén, a commune of Santiago where the mix of socio-economic groups spans full-circle and the area within which I’m assisting is the less-advantaged one.

English is spoken little if at all including amongst many teachers, resources are scarce, and class sizes large, yet I see so much potential. Each day is a complex mix of challenges and the most amazing experiences – moments that touch your heart, moments that test you, but every moment one that you’ll forever remember.

My lack of Spanish has proved comical – I’ve merrily washed my whites blue; got myself onto what I had no idea was an express metro – a Ruta Roja when I should have been on a Ruta Verde – or so it became apparent as soon as I watched my destination whizz past!; developed a new language ‘eng-fre-spanish’ to account for the fact that whenever I try to speak Spanish, out comes my High School French; and met the most wonderful, warm-hearted people. Every other day I seem to end up somewhere completely unexpected usually because I don’t say no to any opportunity and others because they just happen – there’s something so incredibly freeing about just going where life takes you.

Idealistic? Yes, that’s me, in fact according to one of those internet personality quizzes ‘dreamy idealist’ is even more correct! However, I’m also someone who seeks out experiences and memories rather than materials. It’s not always pretty, not always easy and at times can be a little unsettling but it’s exciting, it’s learning and it’s living!

Amanda Patterson is currently teaching English and public speaking as a volunteer with Corporation for the Development of Learning (CDA) in Santiago, Chile. For more on the Chilean earthquake, check out this post by Lauren Foukes and this one by Meridith Price.

-“Right now” does not mean this very second in Belize. In fact, very few actions are completed in a timely fashion. I’ve noticed that one of the hardest cultural differences to which we Americans have to adjust is that this part of the world moves a little bit more slowly.

Clutter is king with limited workspace at Ya'axché

- A lot of my time has been spent rewriting sentences and attacking spelling and grammar. Coming from a country where it is expected to receive at least a high school diploma, it was a bit of a shock to find that many of my colleagues have very limited education. I have found it very rewarding, albeit time-consuming, to revise and discuss documents with my coworkers. A little effort now will help them infinitely in the future.

- Handcuff your laptop to your body and start introducing it to people as an extension of yourself. As most international organizations are strapped for cash, it is unlikely to find a good, reliable computer. Having a laptop is a luxury, but I might say a necessary luxury in order to maintain control over your work and have a haven of personal organization.

-The funder is God and therefore must be treated as such. This means that if they want you to put their logo and a paragraph of recognition on every single document, you go that extra mile and start putting it on your résumé and your Facebook. If they want you to produce monthly progress reports in addition to comprehensive follow-up reports each disbursement period, you thank them for giving you the opportunity to get carpal tunnel from typing so much. We all know the principle: Help grandma reorganize her photo album every couple of weeks and count on a fat birthday check each year. The same goes with tedious requirements from grant providers: Jump through their hoops and you, and your organization, will be rewarded.

My most recent example of having to remain flexible came a couple of weeks ago.  For various, uninteresting, reasons, I was not able to continue volunteering with FINCA after the holidays.  Normally this would have left me flustered and disappointed that something I had “planned” wasn’t panning out anymore.  Yet, I had been here long enough to just take it in stride and trust in the fact that something new would pop up.

And sure enough, something did.

My aunt let a couple of friends know that my Wednesdays were free and I was hoping to help out with small businesses around town.  Within a couple of days our friend Hilda asked if I could help out with inventory management at their bread store in town.  Fast forward to this past Wednesday, and I found myself sitting in the middle of a large garage filled with everything from Cokes to bags of flour to candy to plastic boxes, all begging to be inventoried.  It’s still early, but I think I’m devising a pretty good system for them to start managing their inventory, which I’m excited about and they are grateful to have.

Being flexible and “going with the flow” is definitely an asset here.  Opportunities are at every turn, it’s just a matter of being patient and keeping your eyes open.  Working directly with members of the community is exactly what I came here to do, so helping the bread store put something into place that will really help them is an exciting proposition.  And of course, the free bread is a nice perk!

You can expect from most good organizations someone to meet you at the airport and for a price, a homestay.  Some also offer language benefits. (An offer from PROBIGUA Spanish school was what got me, a 70 year-old single woman who had never traveled before, to Guatemala.)  Be aware, however, many organizations in remote areas that provide your food and lodging will require a sizable donation.  I think this is perfectly reasonable, but compare the donation asked with that of other organizations.

Me talking to parents

On the other hand, finding the best longer-term volunteering opportunity, the type we retired persons might seek, is often best accomplished by going to an area you think you’d like to live in and looking around.

In Guatemala, Proyecto Mosaico provides leads on various nonprofits in this county and others in Central America (note: a contribution is required.) But even with this seemingly easy in, don’t expect a straight line to where you want to be.

My skills in psychology, social work and teaching were needed and I knew where I wanted to work, but several things intervened.  Primarily, my Spanish skills were too basic and I needed more study than I anticipated in order to work in the counseling field.  Secondly, when I had visited here and talked with a supervisor of the place where I wanted to be, I was assured that there was a place for me to volunteer and my contribution would be valued.  When I moved here, four months later, the volunteer supervisor had left, the person in charge had never heard of me, and her philosophy about what was needed was very different – and exclusive.  Attempts to connect with the busy, dedicated project leader hit every roadblock.

This is when one’s personal fortitude comes into play.  You’re in a foreign country, you know next to no one, and you don’t have work.

Flexibility is probably the number one personality characteristic that is needed.  Independence is another (you can’t expect the country—or the few people you might meet—to supply your needs). Willingness to learn from your circumstances is also paramount.

If you have all those and are willing to sit back and await what comes—all the while relying on your own resources—you can wind up in some interesting places. And this is how I see it: it’s usually right where you need to be.

Mabogota’s post this week – Teaching English with a Fake Degree I Bought off the Internet – is a good example. Reading his post got me thinking about how having to sometimes ‘wing it’ is a universal occurrence. I think all too often people (myself included) sometimes feel they need things a certain way in order to proceed in a particular direction.  But as volunteers we do not always have the luxury of taking the proper steps towards doing something, and often, we have to opt for the ‘wing it ’ approach. We do the best we can with what we have on hand.

The kids here in San Pedro are very adaptable and creative, and watching them has been a good learning experience for me. I have seen them construct their own fishing rods using empty pop bottles and fishing lines; use pieces of Styrofoam for floats; and find a way to somehow bring broken boats back to life, providing hours of entertainment in the process. When Holy Cross School first started there were no desks but it did not matter – the kids happily sat for their lessons and took nap time on the floor using their backpacks as pillows. They didn’t worry about what they were missing, but rather, accepted where they were and made the best of the situation.

I think we could all take a lesson from the kids around us and cultivate the creative, adaptable spark that lies within. From what I see around me, I think it is important to feed that fire more often.