I am off to a good start. I have already sold my couch, kitchen table, shelves, T.V., and today I sold my desk and office chair. Things are clearing out quite nicely. Everything that leaves my apartment is weight off my shoulders and one less thing I have to move back to Minnesota to mom and dad’s.

It is so hard to believe that I will be using Spanish as my main means of communication. I can’t wait to learn the language and soak up the culture. I’m sure my world will be rocked and jolted by the drastic change of scenery I am about to experience, going from corporate America to volunteer work with orphans. But my hope, and my, let’s call it my “educated guess” is that it will be a very positive shake for me. And after the recent natural disaster I’m crossing my fingers it’s more of an emotional shaking than a physical one.

Lindsey Chapman is currently a volunteer with VE Global, at Colegio Anakena. For more about her experiences, check out her blog.

I mean, in most people’s preparation for going abroad, how many of us actually think about exercise? You rarely see “exercise clothes,” “running shoes,” or “yoga mat” on a list of what-to-bring when traveling to another country. Maybe some of us, like I did before, assume that all the wandering around with a heavy backpack on is all the exercise we need? Is exercise just another one of those ideas that we quiet in our consciences when we go abroad, along the lines of restricting our ice cream intake or not taking pictures of strangers?

I got into yoga while traveling in Mexico simply because the classes were so much cheaper than in the States (with some exceptions) and here are five reasons I think yoga is useful to folks planning on traveling, working, or volunteering in Latin America:

1. Trying to navigate new places, learn new languages, and make friends in a sea of unfamiliar faces can be overwhelming. Deep breathing and physical exercise provide you with a healthy and relaxing distraction for your mind and body.

2. Not only do the meditative aspects of yoga relieve stress and anxiety, they also encourage us to be more focused, open-minded, and positive: all qualities a traveler should possess!

3. There are many yoga poses that aid and improve digestion. This can be really useful when in an unfamiliar place filled with new, exciting, and strange foods.

4. Kinks in your neck from long bus rides or carrying around all of your belongings on your back? Try these simple poses.

5. It’s fun! You’ll meet new people and taking yoga classes in Latin America is a great way to learn the body parts in Spanish (or Portuguese)!

For more tips and resources on living abroad, check out these other posts from fellow La Vida Idealist bloggers.

The event had to be simple because of our limited resources and short amount of time to prepare. Some of the older children from the orphanage and some of the volunteers provided the music;  we offered cheap food options such as chilaquiles and enfrijoladas; and we spread the word via hand to hand flyering and word-of-mouth. Everyone decided that come what may come of the event – at least we were going to have a good time!

Not worrying about every expense and the amount of people who showed up was a huge help. As the sun shone down, we laughed and played the day away while eating good food and listening to music. The next day we learned, to our surprise, we had helped raise 5,000 Mexican Pesos for the Ixaya School!

It was incredibly encouraging to see how much can be done with pure energy and dedication, and how successful fundraisers can be, even if they’re thrown together at the last minute. And don’t be put off by the idea that you won’t be able to raise as much money in a Latin American country – every little bit helps and it’s great to get the local community involved. Think of a coffee shop that might be down with letting local musicians play a benefit night for the organization you’re volunteering with. Or find a public park where you can do some street theatre, and with a big sign advertising that says the money is going to a good cause, watch your hat fill up.

Anyone have creative, low-preparation fundraising ideas while one’s on the road?

For more tips on putting together a low-cost fundraiser, check out “Need Some Cash? 10 Ways to Fundraise.” For more traditional money-making ideas, check out Idealist.org’s Community Action Center.

Sometimes life isn't what you expect, sometimes it's better!

Yesterday, I woke up at 7 a.m. in a small town a couple hours from Tashirat, eager to return to my work. Unfortunately, my bank had blocked my debit card for suspected fraud (sigh) and I couldn’t get cash advances on either of my credit cards because all of the banks were closed for a national holiday. Of course I realized that I had to be at Tashirat to work at a certain time, but I also realized how little I could do and that stressing over it really couldn’t change anything. After a friend of a friend was able to loan me enough money to get the bus back, I thought back on how years before I would have been so frustrated about missing a whole day of work just because of bad luck. Not anymore!

One of things I’ve loved most about living, traveling, and working in Mexico has been the gradual acceptance of the mystery in life. It may sound simple but coming from a culture where modern science aims to explain and solve all, it was quite the shock (and then relief) to accept that some things in life aren’t simply unknown: they are unknowable. Yep, you may never know why your friend was an hour late to meet you and she’ll probably never know why the bus was an hour late to pick her up. And the bus driver may never know why the street was blocked or where all the traffic came from. Is there really any reason to ask now that you’ve got to your intended destination? And even if you didn’t, look around: maybe you ended up there for a reason?

They'll keep you on your toes

As a short-term volunteer I find myself doing anything from cleaning up the soon-to-be garden, working with children who have special needs, washing bag after bag of mosquito nets and donated clothing and toys – in addition to the endless amounts of random small tasks. Currently there are about 14 volunteers and because it’s the most volunteers Tashirat has ever seen, they are happily keeping us all busy to catch up on many projects. The work is challenging, but also incredibly rewarding because we all know that we are helping a cash-strapped organization with a great mission to run a bit more smoothly.

I hadn’t had much experience working with children before I came to Tashirat. I want anyone considering volunteering with kids for the first time to know one very important thing: kids can smell a new volunteer from a kilometer away!

Yep, kids are smart. Really smart. And they won’t hesitate to test you. Seeing the perplexed look on your face, they’ll tell you they’re allowed to do just about anything, seeing where you’ll give in and where you won’t. Try to get a clear idea from the organization staff about rules, discipline, diet, schedules, and special needs each child may have. Ask lots of questions and when in doubt, simply say: “Ok, that sounds interesting but let me ask first.” They’ll usually respond with, “Mmm, nevermind.”

It’s also incredibly important to maintain one’s sense of humor. Don’t get frustrated when the kids use up all the limones in the kitchen, claiming they have a cough and need the vitamin C. You’ll feel much better if you instead learn from the situation, mark one up for the kids, and laugh about it later.