Greece update: I’m making my way back to Baltimore today. Today’s post is about possible future trips, though!
Traveling is something that I would like to do a lot more of. This list of places that I’ve been is far too short! I’d like to add space travel to my list, but for now I’m focusing on this world we call Earth. Even narrowing down my travel bug to one planet is difficult. It’s expensive to get places! And now I have a job with only a handful of vacation days along with other responsibilities.
As I wind down my journies in Greece, I’m beginning to set my sights on future destinations. One obstacle I keep encountering when researching travel destinations is not the airfare, but is instead how to stay somewhere for an extended period of time without breaking the bank. My logic is that if I’m going to spend a day getting somewhere, I should try and spend more than a week there and hotels get expensive much too quickly! I’m not a fan of couch surfing, so here is what I’ve found.
The first option I came across is referred to as WWOOF’ing, otherwise known as World Wide Opportunities on Organic Farms. The premise is that you work on an organic farm (duh) in exchange for room and board as well as meals. Kind of an I’ll-scratch-your-back-if-you-scratch-mine situation. The time committments for a lot of the WWOOF locations is a little off-putting for me, but you really can’t beat the number of locations within the WWOOF network. Plus, you’d get to get in some exercise and work on your tan at the same time! However, the manual labor that farming entails may not be quite what you envision. Lets look at my favorite option.
Voluntourism. The word is kind of kitschy but the meaning behind it is very substantial. There are so many opportunities to volunteer in your travels, just make sure your arrangements are through a reputable charity. The basic premise is the same though — you pay your own airfare along with a fee that goes towards the organization. The fee varies depending on your length of stay, but is an order of magnitude less expensive than a similarly lengthed stay at a hotel. The fee generally covers lodging, meals and local transportation, though programs do differ. Once at your destination, you are partnered with the charity to volunteer your time doing any number of things that you’re suited to do. Day care, elderly care and teaching English seem to be common. Perhaps the biggest benefit to volunteering is the length of time committment. Programs range from two weeks to one year and on.
There are even more options out there to stay abroad without breaking the bank. Maybe I’ll give them a write-up in the future, but I wanted to focus on these two that allow you to give back to the community you visit. You’ll not only save money compared to traditional vacation lodging, you’ll get to experience the local culture in a way no tourist ever achieves.