Volunteer vacation
I've been needing a vacation for the last few months. The class and exam by itself were stressful and consumed all of my free time. But now that I'm done with both and back to my very boring job, I needed to do something challenging and productive.
So I decided to go on a "volunteer vacation," to New Orleans. I wanted to make a difference and get involved in a worthy cause during my time off. Not that I didn't want to visit friends but I wanted to do something tangible, hands-on and practical where I would gain and learn skills.
I'm going for an entire week - my first week-long vacation in over a year. My last vacation for a whole week was March 2007 to Austin for SXSW. Most of my trips have been short - a few days here and there usually taking Thursday/Friday off. I didn't want to sit another week at my desk despairing about my job search.
Sometimes a short break helps you declutter mentally and physically. I'm also hoping the trip will help me focus and narrow down what I want from my life. My head's all over the place lately. And while I'm good at writing it down and taking tiny steps toward making something happen, it's not enough.
My life must dramatically change including my job situation. And hopefully getting away for an entire week working on a project I'm passionate about will pave some roads.
The flight to New Orleans cost $60 - I'm using the $100 reimbursement check from work to cover the cost. The ticket would've cost $25 but American Airlines has a policy where you have to reserve 21 days in advance to pay less. I didn't realize they had this policy because United allowed me to book 24 hours in advance for Austin without extra fees last year.
The week-long stay/trip will cost $150 including meals. My dad gave me $200 for my birthday and the extra $50 should be enough to cover eating out and small gifts for a few people including my therapist who requested pralines. I set aside an additional $200 from this month's budget to cover any extras. I'm hoping to only use $100. My goal is to keep this trip under $300. I haven't factored in sharing the rental car and gas with the other volunteers. Maybe the additional $200 won't be enough after all ... I guess I'll find out.
I'm going to take the shuttle to the airport this weekend because my flight leaves before public transit is available. On the way home, I'll just take the BART and walk home. The transportation to and from the airport should cost less than $30.
So I decided to go on a "volunteer vacation," to New Orleans. I wanted to make a difference and get involved in a worthy cause during my time off. Not that I didn't want to visit friends but I wanted to do something tangible, hands-on and practical where I would gain and learn skills.
I'm going for an entire week - my first week-long vacation in over a year. My last vacation for a whole week was March 2007 to Austin for SXSW. Most of my trips have been short - a few days here and there usually taking Thursday/Friday off. I didn't want to sit another week at my desk despairing about my job search.
Sometimes a short break helps you declutter mentally and physically. I'm also hoping the trip will help me focus and narrow down what I want from my life. My head's all over the place lately. And while I'm good at writing it down and taking tiny steps toward making something happen, it's not enough.
My life must dramatically change including my job situation. And hopefully getting away for an entire week working on a project I'm passionate about will pave some roads.
The flight to New Orleans cost $60 - I'm using the $100 reimbursement check from work to cover the cost. The ticket would've cost $25 but American Airlines has a policy where you have to reserve 21 days in advance to pay less. I didn't realize they had this policy because United allowed me to book 24 hours in advance for Austin without extra fees last year.
The week-long stay/trip will cost $150 including meals. My dad gave me $200 for my birthday and the extra $50 should be enough to cover eating out and small gifts for a few people including my therapist who requested pralines. I set aside an additional $200 from this month's budget to cover any extras. I'm hoping to only use $100. My goal is to keep this trip under $300. I haven't factored in sharing the rental car and gas with the other volunteers. Maybe the additional $200 won't be enough after all ... I guess I'll find out.
I'm going to take the shuttle to the airport this weekend because my flight leaves before public transit is available. On the way home, I'll just take the BART and walk home. The transportation to and from the airport should cost less than $30.
Labels: charity quarter life crisis, vacation, volunteer
posted by SF Money Musings at
11:45 PM
7 Comments:
I've never heard of a volunteer vacation and think its such a great idea! I will be looking into it. Hope you have an enjoyable time when you go. And have fun!
What a great way to spend a vacation! I volunteer for the selfish reason that it makes me feel good about myself and that is the purpose of a vacation...Combining the two is genius!
Thanks for the link! I'd been pondering this in my list of things I wanted to do this year, but didn't know where to start looking for reputable organizations.
Great vacation! How did you get such a cheap flight?
Sounds like a great vacation! Adventure, learning, travel, and the feeling you are making a difference. Also inexpensive....
Have a wonderful time. Vacations can really make you see the world and yourself differently.
Thanks for this excellent idea. I followed that link and found a number of organic farms in South and Central America where you can stay for a week in exchange for some work! That would be really fun.
Tickets are too expensive for me right now but I'll explore some US opportunities within driving distance as well.
I agreed, this sound pretty cool. Several of my friends have already done it indirectly by going on charity missions in areas of need, but mixed in a bit of sightseeing at the same time.
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