Alllllll the way back in July 2014, I packed my bags, trotted off to Heathrow, and was ready to embark on a 16 hour journey all the way to Cambodia, for two weeks of volunteering work. I went with a specialist volunteering organisation and spent the two weeks with around 18 other volunteers, mostly students and people in their early 20's. We spent the first week at an elephant sanctuary, and then returned to the Cambodian city of Siem Reap to spend the final week in a village just outside of the city.
You will be pushed further outside your comfort zone than you ever thought possible. Both physically and emotionally! Before you criticise me for being way too dramatic, I honestly think it's true. In Cambodia, we were working outside in insane heat doing pretty intense physical work for hours at a time. And while that probably doesn't sound like many people's idea of fun, being able to push through it and actually get the job done for those who need it doing is ultimately really rewarding, and feels like quite an accomplishment (even though it's just another day for the people who really live and work there!). Similarly, if you go on your own like I did (e.g not with someone from home), it really does test your personal limits in a way I couldn't imagine before I went. You have to get used to a completely different setting and way of life, a whole new set of people and, usually a completely different language almost instantly. But, like the physical challenges, you can't help but feel like you've accomplished something when you get used to and become comfortable with all these new things.
You get to experience a new culture/way of life/environment. Speaking of new things, volunteering abroad offers you an amazing opportunity to explore and experience the real essence of a country, rather than just the touristy spots you might only see if you go on holiday somewhere. In Cambodia, I got to experience a village outside of the main city, and meet locals in a way I never would have been able to if I had just gone on holiday there, as I simply wouldn't have even known it existed. Being a volunteer meant that I was privileged enough to visit and really (attempt to) understand another place and way of life I never would have known about before.
You meet some amazing people. Both local people and your fellow volunteers. Without wanting to sound way too cliche and cringe, being thrown into the deep end, with a foreign country and hard work, means that you bond incredibly quickly with your volunteer group. I know that myself and the people I was closest with in my group definitely bonded over the complete and utter fear of the massive, and multiple, spiders we found in our hut on the first night! But seriously, being thrown together like you are when volunteering abroad really helps you to make form friendships, with people you'll stay friends with way after you return home.
You get outside of your own life/town. This is so important. It's so easy to get stuck in the mindset that, when you're working/studying in one place, yours is the only life out there. And for me, volunteering abroad reminded me that actually? There's a whole entire world out there, full of people doing things and jobs you can't even comprehend or attempt to understand without seeing it with your own two eyes. And going abroad to volunteers means you can see it, and attempt to recognise the crazy massive world outside of your own.
Most importantly, you have the opportunity to help others. This one may seem slightly obvious. What else is volunteering for? But as I said before, this really should be the main thing you hope to do when deciding whether or not to volunteer abroad. Although the trip was amazing for me personally, it's so important not to be selfish or feel all superior when going abroad when really, you are there to help, to work, and to contribute in any small way you can. And it will be small. One of the things I was told at the village was that what we were trying to do, the culmination and benefits will not be seen in the small time that I was there. You will not be the one to single-handedly change the world, because sorry, something like that is always bigger than you. But the hope is that every small effort, every extra pair of hands and every genuine desire to offer up your time, will contribute to eventually trying to better the world for people and causes that need it most. And that should, without a doubt, be one of your most important and genuine considerations before opting to volunteer abroad.
