We all know that staying happy and joyous can improve one’s lifestyle immensely. But it doesn’t just end there. It also helps in a lot of ways to keep your health in check and (might even) increase your lifespan as well.
As an individual, we must always look for reasons, occasions, and ways to stay happy and content. There is no fix scientific formula to attain happiness. It’s as simple as you want it to be.
All you have to do is to seek for it in whatever you do; and that includes traveling abroad.
Talking about finding happiness in overseas trips, volunteer vacations have proved to be a great channel to acquire this state. Travelers and backpackers from around the world do volunteer work abroad to see the world differently. College and high school students have started taking volunteer trips during their gap year time.
To understand why volunteering abroad is a factor for happy travel abroad experience, here are some verified reasons for it:
You’re Not Just Traveling
The opportunity to work for the welfare and development of the poor and underprivileged, providing support in conserving our ecosystem, and creating a difference in misfortunate lives – All these, put together, provides unparallel satisfaction and contentment in life.
Seeing all those happy and smiling faces around brings a smile to your own face in no time. Knowing that your efforts have helped make many futures better, gives a feeling of your own worth.
While volunteering abroad, you don’t just travel and click photos like any other tourist, but make a huge difference by giving back to society. For example, this Bootsnall charity project is building a village in India and that will help provide shelter, education, and infrastructure to the local community.
You Get To Learn A Lot
Of course, you get to learn about the Whens, Whys, and Hows of heritage sites and cultural places of a destination you travel to. But, the same can be found anywhere over the internet as well; isn’t it!? (Hail Google!).
However, that, it’s liver (and not the heart) which is considered to be the symbol of love in Morocco, is a fact you would only get to learn when you get to interact with the locals: volunteering abroad helps doing that.
And, then, there are many other things your get to learn, which, at the end of the day, will bring happiness and satisfaction to you.
It’s A Great Mix Of Travel And Volunteering
So, just in case you have started to get a feeling that a volunteer trip will bind you completely to the project, leaving you with no time to have some fun, explore the city and take excursion; wait till you read ahead.
Most of the volunteer projects would require you to work for 5 days a week, leaving the weekends open for adventure trips and fun activities. Do all the touristy things during your free time. Even on weekdays, you can make the most of your evenings by exploring the places that are in close proximity.
If you are volunteering through a placement organization (highly recommended), you can always ask for the weekend trips they provide and leave the entire itinerary planning to them.
Great Travel Expedition Well Within Your Budget
Let’s face it. Everybody in this world looks forward to save money and get the best of the experiences for a minimum budget; every penny counts!
Volunteer trips are not only budget friendly, but are also highly cost effective. The number of experiences you get during your expedition and the quality of them are extraordinary.
As mentioned earlier, if you are volunteering through a placement agency, all you have to do is to pay the ‘one-time’ program fee, which will cover your accommodation, meals, in-country support, pre-departure information booklet, airport pickup, travel insurance support, weekend getaway offers, and much more. Go Eat Give offers such programs!
Of course, money can’t buy you happiness, but it can certainly make ways for you to be happy. Happiness is said to be the key to success, and volunteering abroad is the key to happy travel experiences; eventually, making your trip a success, every single time!
~ By guest blogger Riyanka Roy in India. Riyanka is a self proclaimed die-hard traveler and has explored India through its length and breadth – from Himachal in the North to Kanyakumari in the South, and from Kutch in the West to Gangtok in the East. She currently lives in Gurgaon, Haryana. She loves to binge on local food from the places where she travels to. She has previously written for Tripoto, Youth Ki Awaaz, Your Story and Huffington Post. Follow her on Facebook and Instagram.
