With everyone tightening their money belts these days, the idea of a vacation, especially a vacation aboard can seem indulgent. But what if you could vacation with a purpose? Could we begin to see money spent on vacations with a purpose as an investment rather than a luxury?
I volunteered for two weeks in France right before I started business school. I worked with La Sabranenque, a nonprofit dedicated to rebuilding ancient architecture in Provence in an effort preserve history and increase tourism. It was an incredible experience – I can say with confidence that it was the most satisfying vacation I ever took. And I’m looking to repeat it.
I began doing some research on-line to see what was out there in the volunteer vacation world. After some searching I found my way to Cross-Cultural Solutions, an organization with well-established volunteer programs in Latin America, Asia, Eastern Europe, and Africa. I am really impressed by the detail on their website, their on-line community of volunteers vacationers, and their personal one-on-one service.
With some experience in this type of vacation, here are some tips that I have found helpful:
1.) Look for well-established programs that have strong relationships in the communities they serve.
2.) Programs that are flexible are usually best: flexible lengths and dates of stay, a flexible number of locations, and flexible kinds of work. I got very lucky with La Sabranenque though in general I’ve found that the more flexibility you have, the more organized the programs are.
3.) Find programs that have past participant testimonials. These are the equivalent of customer reviews. You want to be able to connect with members, past, present, and future to help prepare you for your experience and to connect with once you return. It’s all about building bridges with others in this collective experience.
4.) Different programs have different costs and a variety of different services included with their fees. I have found that the best ones include meals and housing. You also want to be careful of how much time you’ll spend volunteering and how much time you’ll have to explore the country, get to know people in the community, and partake in cultural activities. In France, we volunteered for 4 hours a day and then had the rest of the time to ourselves. For me, this was the perfect combination of meaningful work and downtime.
At this point it sounds like I’ll be heading to Salvador, Brazil some time in the Fall with Cross-Cultural Solutions working with kids. “Salvador has a reputation for enthusiasm and optimism widely known throughout Brazil and the world.” Sounds like the perfect vacation for my year of hopefulness.
Published by Christa Avampato
The short of it:
Writer. Health, education, and art advocate. Theater and film producer. Visual artist. Product geek. Proud alumnae of the University of Pennsylvania (BA) and the Darden School of Business at the University of Virginia (MBA). Inspired by ancient wisdom & modern tech. Proliferator of goodness. Opener of doors. Friend to animals. Fan of creative work in all its wondrous forms. I use my business skills to create passion projects that build a better world. I’ve been called the happiest New Yorker, and I try hard to live up to that title every day.
The long of it:
My career has stretched across Capitol Hill, Broadway theatre, education, nonprofit fundraising, health and wellness, and Fortune 500 companies in retail, media, entertainment, technology, and financial services. I’ve been a product developer and product manager, theater manager, strategic consultant, marketer, voice over artist, , teacher, and fundraiser. I use my business and storytelling to support and sustain passion projects that build a better world. In every experience, I’ve used my sense of and respect for elegant design to develop meaningful products, services, programs, and events.
While building a business career, I also built a strong portfolio as a journalist, novelist, freelance writer, interviewer, presenter, and public speaker. My writing has appeared in The Washington Post, The Huffington Post, PBS.org, Boston.com, Royal Media Partners publications, and The Motley Fool on a wide range of topics including business, technology, science, health, education, culture, and lifestyle. I have also been an invited speaker at SXSW, Teach for America, Avon headquarters, Games for Change, NYU, Columbia University, Hunter College, and the Alzheimer’s Foundation of America. The first book in my young adult book series, Emerson Page and Where the Light Enters, was acquired by a publisher and launched in November 2017. I’m currently working on the second book in the series.
A recovering multi-tasker, I’m equally at home in front of my Mac, on my yoga mat, walking my rescue dog, Phineas, traveling with a purpose, or practicing the high-art of people watching. I also cut up small bits of paper and put them back together as a collage artist.
My company:
I’m bringing together all of my business and creative career paths as the Founder of Double or Nothing Media:
• I craft products, programs, and projects that make a difference;
• I build the business plans that make what I craft financially sustainable;
• I tell the stories that matter about the people, places, and products that inspire me.
Follow my adventures on Twitter at https://twitter.com/christanyc and Instagram at https://instagram.com/christarosenyc.
View all posts by Christa Avampato
With everyone tightening their money belts these days, the idea of a vacation, especially a vacation aboard can seem indulgent. But what if you could vacation with a purpose? Could we begin to see money spent on vacations with a purpose as an investment rather than a luxury?
Christa Avampato 
Hi Christa! I happened to stumble upon your blog because I recently enrolled in a program with Cross Cultural Solutions! I’m planning to go to Salvador, Brazil this summer myself! Which week are you planning on going?
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Hi Korine! Thanks for the coomment and for reading my blog. I’ll be heading to Costa Rica in November. Can’t wait! I had originally wanted to go to Brazil though the weeks that the program was available didn’t work with my schedule. Have you signed up for their on-line community as of yet? Would love to hear about your experience when you get back!
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Yes! I joined yesterday. Even though I’m going at this alone, I’m really excited! I’ll look for you on the site!
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Great!! I’ll look for you on the site. I am going alone as well so look forward to meeting some cool new people through this project.
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