Traveling as a volunteer: the not so glamorous way

Traveling the world is a dream that most people seem to share. There isn't anyone I can think of that would turn down a world trip if I offered them a free one. The age that most people get that opportunity to go out and travel varies greatly, though. Some people never get the resources to make it out of their hometown. Finding a way to travel without all of the common luxuries associated with travel would be a game-changer for many. Programs that you volunteer for in exchange for housing and food allow people to travel all around the world; without the cost everyone would imagine.

Programs like WWOOF and Worldpackers are becoming more and more popular amongst young travelers. There are many of the sort, and they all have slight differences, but the gist of them all is that a traveler would find a "host" through the program. All of the hosts vary, but these hosts offer some sort of accommodation in exchange for the work agreed upon online. For example, my boyfriend and I are personally partaking in one of these programs in a week, and we found the host online, met with them through a video call, and ironed out the details of our arrival. Upon our arrival we will have a bedroom in a house, basic foods supplied to cook, and some rides to and from the bus stop. In exchange for these things we will work 20 hours a week on the farm we are living on, having 3 days off a week. All of the programs have a variation of this, offering more or less accomodation for more or less work. The program we are participating in is on the big island in Hawaii, but they take place all over the world!

While traveling as a volunteer doesn't quite feel like the all expense paid vacation that everyone is dreaming of. Ya know, standing on your hotel room balcony staring out at the ocean as the sun comes up, while sipping your mimosa, it does have it's own set of benefits. Traveling for vacation is a great time, but when you only do the tourist-y things in an area all you know is the tourist-y things. While a vacation with fancy dinners and beautiful hotel views is a great time, it isn't a realistic way for the average person to see the world.

Traveling as a volunteer forces you to create relationships, have meaningful interactions, and learn a lot about the area that you are visiting. Learning about the culture of an area can definitely enhance an experience. My family hosted two foreign exchange students when I was in high school, and this seems to be the best comparison I've found to traveling as an adult volunteer. It gives travelers the opportunity to learn valuable skills, and find families and friends all over the world.

Everyone dreams of traveling the world when they're young and able-bodied, but people tend to lack the funds for travel when they're young and able-bodied. Traveling through programs like this cut back a lot of the costs for young travelers. Many of these programs make it so the cost of flights is pretty much the only expense that travelers have when meeting with a host at their destination. Having travel be so cheap is appealing to young people, and is certainly starting to get people's attention. Many of my friends have traveled this way, leading it to grab my attention!

Personally, traveling on a budget is one of my strong suits. I've had a strong desire to see the world, but not enough money to do it in luxury. Whether it be road tripping, or a program like the one's I've described, I've gotten used to giving up the common luxuries. So, when a friend recommended that I go to Hawaii this way after returning from his own trip it didn't take much convincing! Traveling as a volunteer is gaining a lot of traction as a budget way to travel and it seems to be rightfully so!