My Next Adventure

Some of you might know I have been thinking about volunteering abroad for some time now, but I have never really had a good time to go.  I could have gone for a week or two here and there, but I wanted to stay someplace for an extended period of time volunteering.  I have this mentality that I need to stay for several weeks to make a real impact on anything, and I think it makes a bigger impact on me if I can stay and experience the culture for an extended period of time.

I have finally found the opportunity to go.  When I come back from Chile, I will be home for about 2 weeks before leaving for South Africa for 2 months and Tanzania for 11 weeks.  This means a few things.

First of all, everybody needs to mark their calendars for when I will be home (February 17- March 3).  There is clearly going to be a Hello/GoodbyeIowa party, and there will clearly be another "Dollar Dance" involved.  I have yet to decide if party panties will be required, banned, or simply accepted.  Nobody wore them last time, and look what happened.

I also would like to ask for your help in the process of my volunteering.  I am going to be doing fund raising to cover costs, and I think it is going to prove to be challenging to do this fund raising from another hemisphere.  Costs include program fees, flights, visa/entry/exit fees, etc, and right now I am thinking I am going to need to raise about $7000 (this is a rough estimate) by the middle of January.  The organization I am going through, A Broader View, is a 501(c)(3) non-profit, which means my expenses and donations made to my trip are tax deductible.  I would love to hear about any ideas you have for fund raising or opportunities you hear about for possible funding (like grants and whatnot).  You could also just send me money :) 

In both South Africa and Tanzania I will mostly be working with children.  In South Africa I have signed up to work in the education field, and I would help with teaching, upkeep of the school, and mentoring students.  In Tanzania I have chosen to work at an orphanage.  At the orphanage I would be involved in helping with every day routines (brushing teeth, getting dressed, eating, etc), and I will have the opportunity to help with teaching the children.  I also might get the opportunity to help with construction projects, which I am really excited about. 

I am really excited about this new adventure I am going to have because I will be able to encounter first hand the harsh reality that these people live, and I will be able to offer them help.  I will be able to see and experience a completely new way of life.  I also hope that I will be able to share my experiences through my blog and enrich our understanding of how the world works. 

Finally, I changed the name of the blog.  I figured since my dreams are actually become reality, and I am going to get to travel more and experience new and exciting things, I should make the blog more all encompassing.  The title can't be exclusive to Chile if I am going to blog about things beyond Chile. 
 
Besos y abrazos :)

Current Tunes: Hilltop Hoods (I am totally digging them.  They are an Australian rap/hip-hop group.  They also do work to help get aspiring rap/hip-hop artists make CDs.  Solid.)