People's Expectations for 2009

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Permalink Reply by Michael on December 14, 2008 at 7:05pm

Hi Scott.

I'll be going to Ayacucho Peru for 1 week in February and this will also be my first trip outside of the USA.

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Permalink Reply by Li on December 14, 2008 at 8:28pm

Hey Scott! What an exciting discussion! I volunteered for the first time in Lima for 2 weeks in 2005, and it was such an amazing experience. I truly love Peru, i'm sure you'll have an incredible experience as well. Try sandboarding in Huacachina (an oasis in the desert), that's what i did on my weekend there. I didn't get to visit, Macchu Pichu, but i know i'll go back again. Since then, I've also volunteered in Bangkok, Thailand and San Carlos, Costa Rica. I really hope to volunteer in 2009 again. I have my hopes set on South Africa!

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Permalink Reply by Scott L. Johnson on December 15, 2008 at 12:09am

Wow, that sounds exhilirating! And you have been to so many different places! I am going to Lima for 12 weeks, and I really look forward to immersing myself in the culture. It sounds like you have a very diverse body of experiences. I'd love to hear more about some of the activities that you have participated in across the world! Have you picked up different languages? How have you interacted with the different indigenous populations?

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Permalink Reply by Scott L. Johnson on December 16, 2008 at 10:41am

Boy, one thing I don't like about traveling overseas is getting those needles stuck in me. I got one in each arm yesterday and they are both sore. I can't wait to go to Peru though! Michael, Ayacucho looks like an amazing place! It seems as if there is a very native population there. I can't wait to hear what you experience staying there for a week! And, Li, what part of South Africa are you considering? South Africa seems like such an interesting nation, especially with some of the racial barriers that once stood -- I wonder what it is like today.

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Permalink Reply by Li on December 16, 2008 at 11:44am

I would really love to volunteer in Cape Town. I definitely agree that the dynamics of the country are really interesting since apartheid has just ended in the recent past. I know that the staff do a great job of educating the volunteers on how it has affected the culture and the people of South Africa. As for the other countries that i've volunteered in, they were great. I definitely picked up some Thai when i went to Thailand. We had really good language lessons, we were able to bargain at markets and order food, and have mini conversations. The people there are also so eager to communicate in English b/c they have a very strong interest in learning it, which is great. I really felt so connected to the people while i was there. We also had this really amazing monk as a guest speaker, and he did such a great job at educating us on Buddhism.

You'll have a great time on your trip! Can't wait to hear all about it!

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Permalink Reply by Andrea Corbo on December 24, 2008 at 8:39am

Great idea Scott!

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Permalink Reply by Pete Bryan on December 30, 2008 at 11:29am

For 2009, I'm really hoping to go to Quetzaltenango, Guatemala for a 1 week program. I've been fascinated with pre-Colombian civilizations for as long as I can remember, so I'm really interested in learning about the history of the Mayans in the area. After my program I'd like to visit the Tikal ruins.

Another thing that has me leaning towards the Guatemala program is that right now airfare is super cheap. I'm finding flights in April for $270.

This will be my 12th trip to Latin America/Carribean overall, and my 5th with CCS (Brazil once and Costa Rica three times).

Scott, my first CCS program was in Costa Rica and I was able to go for 12 weeks also. There's nothing like spending three full months in an entirely new culture. You're going to have an incredible time.

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Permalink Reply by Daniel on December 30, 2008 at 11:55am

Hi Scott,
Great to hear that you have opted for Peru, this is an amazing place where I had the chance to go a few years ago and spend time working with traditional shamans. Lima is great and I've been working -helping an NGO (non governmental organisation there for the last year) even if I am living in Brazil at the moment and working in favela areas of Sao Paulo. This first part of the year I shall be in SP and then returning to Canada (where I'm from) to get things organised for my return to India where I had volunteered in 2007 with CCS working in Delhi for 6 months. This was an amazing opportunity for me to be with the organisation for that long and also get to meet all groups of volunteers coming to Delhi and Dharamshala programs. I reiterated my volunteer stint of six months again this year in Delhi where I worked with the same organisation. I must say that I feel like a real addict of this kind of work. Because it is work for me now has I have re-focused my career towards International Development. I have also spent time with most volunteers in Delhi talking about the importance of volunteering. Telling them that International volunteering is not so much about you , it's about others -the community you will be working with in weeks ahead. Also think that you are part of a chain of people working towards the same goal. You might not be able to see result during the time spent in your community but then again that is not the most important thing. You will learn a lot , you will also be challenge a lot. Be easy on yourself. Open your mind up to the strangest, funny, infuriating, lovely and touching moments with your community. Soak in this new culture and give out generously. In any case, your are giving yourself for this new year the opportunity of being truly a part of our Great World Family! Hasta luego and I look forward to read more about how you experienced Peru.

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Permalink Reply by Kate Ryan on January 5, 2009 at 6:20pm

Hi Daniel - thankyou for sharing your thoughts. I've taken on board your very wise words... I'll be in Lima for 3 months and can't wait. I'm thinking this first volunteer experience will be the first of many & I'll do my very best to share my experiences to hopefully inspire others as you've inspired me :-)

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Permalink Reply by Eleanor Mammen on April 17, 2009 at 9:42pm

Hey Scott! Well, as you know, I went to Lima for one week in Febraury, and that was my first time volunteering with CCS. When I went there I was very interested to meet the other volunteers, and to make a change in people's lives. It was a really rewarding experience.

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