Why I Joined United Planet: Erika

Here at United Planet, when we say that spending time abroad is transformative and potentially life-changing, I can confidently say from firsthand experience that we’re not exaggerating.

First, let me introduce myself. My name is Erika, and I’m a Marketing Coordinator at United Planet. I’m a student at Tufts University, and it was at our Career Fair last fall that I first learned about United Planet. Being a freshman, I didn’t go with a set agenda in mind, but the booth caught my eye. I walked over to ask a couple questions, and just minutes into the conversation I knew it would be a perfect fit.

My friends and me with the famous bridge of Mostar in the background.

While I was born and raised in the Midwest, I spent the last two years of high school in Mostar, Bosnia and Herzegovina. I attended a two-year international school called United World College, which has a mission of using education as a force to bring together students from a multitude of cultural backgrounds to learn and grow with each other. Because I was only 17 years old when I left the U.S., it was intimidating to move to a foreign country and immerse myself in their culture. But I wanted an adventure and I wanted to meet people from around the world, so I packed my bags.

Traveling abroad completely changed my perspective of the world. I experienced a way of life so different from the one I had known, yet I continually found myself struck by similarities. Over time, one of my favorite things about living in Bosnia and Herzegovina became my commute to school – a fifteen minute walk through the city. I passed mothers tightly holding their children’s’ hands so they wouldn’t run into the road, young boys laughing and shouting as they passed a soccer ball back and forth, old women chatting at a cafe.

These glimpses of everyday life stood out to me. In spite of a brutal conflict just twenty years earlier that devastated this community, people pressed on. And I couldn’t help but acknowledge that for all of the contrast with suburban Minnesota, there were so many experiences that we shared. In a country with one of the highest unemployment rates in the world, Bosnians were just trying to live their life as best as they could, a goal not all that different than my family and friends back home.

So as I learned more about United Planet and their mission that afternoon at the Career Fair, all these memories were swirling in my head. I could hardly believe that I had stumbled upon this organization that understood the incredible importance of going abroad for not only the receiving community but also, and perhaps even more so, the importance for the volunteer. United Planet strives to provide volunteers with the most immersive, well-rounded adventure, because just as evidenced in my own experience, connecting with local people is crucial to getting both out of your comfort zone and the most from your time abroad.

And here I am today, a member of the United Planet team, enthusiastic to work each day because I get to share with others the astounding power of living and learning alongside people from a different culture than your own.

Your journey doesn’t have to be as long as mine – even a week or a few can be enough. The key is to go with the mentality that though you will be giving your time and efforts to the community, there is so much to gain if you have a thirst for adventure and an open mind.