How hard could it be for Ajay to volunteer in Chile? If he can do it, you can do it, right?
Well, volunteering abroad isn’t hard at all but turning your volunteer trip into the most
unforgettable, meaningful and life-changing experience is on you.
Constantly updating us on his journey, Ajay is definitely one of the best volunteering blogs to
start reading if you’re considering volunteering abroad.
While working with the children and education projects in Chile, Ajay had set three goals that he
aimed to accomplish every day. If you want to know what goals he had set, take a look at his
first blog post of setting goals while volunteering.
So are you ready to explore and learn with “Ajay in Chile” series part 2? Here you go!
Ajay just got back from Chile and he feels excited to share with us his journey beginning on the
very first day. He recalls: “ When I first arrived I had no real experience of true independence, I
had to not only manage my time so that I arrived at school on time, but also manage my
interactions.”
For Ajay, one of the biggest lessons of the whole trip was how to manage his interactions and
learn from other people, while observing young kids being driven by technology:
In this day and age, it’s easy for a young person to completely surround themselves with their electronic devices. I found this true even in Chile. As I met new people, including my host family and teachers, I was sure to be respectful and give them my full attention. However, I saw many young kids not even glance up from their phones to acknowledge their teachers or even their parents. This was perhaps one of the biggest lessons you can learn when traveling alone for the first time: you control how much you interact and learn from other people. If I were to bury myself in my technology and not interact with people, my experience would’ve been very different.
In the end, not only does being independent entail being responsible and managing your time and money but most importantly managing your own actions. You have to be on yourself to push yourself even when it isn’t the most comfortable.” There is much more to volunteering abroad than just hard work. Say goodbye to your comfort zone and hello to personal development!
Stay tuned for more from Ajay on his journey in Chile!
If Ajay’s journey inspires you to volunteer in Chile, then take a look at our amazing Chile volunteer program.
ABOUT UNITED PLANET
United Planet is a non-profit organization with a mission to create a global community, one relationship at a time. Established in 2001, United Planet offers volunteer abroad, virtual internships, internships abroad, gap year volunteering, and global virtual exchange in more than 40 countries.
