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A Riddle for Travelers
...by Joyce Major
The riddle: How can you travel to countries, learn about their culture, and actually give back to the
locals - and not just by spending money there?
The answer: Voluntourism.
Voluntourism, which is sometimes known as "travel with a purpose," is a way of traveling that involves
volunteering on projects that promote the local community. It is a way to give back and work side-by-side
with locals.
The choices are almost infinite: from wildlife sanctuaries to conservation, from building houses to teaching
English, from working in an orphanage to setting up a library. Some programs will gladly use your skills acquired
from years at a profession, but most require no training at all. Almost every country will have some type of
volunteer program that you can work at. But how do you find them?
Perhaps a book like Travel Unlimited: Uncommon Adventures for the Mature Traveler by Alison Gardner or Lonely
Planet's Volunteer: A Traveller's Guide, or Volunteer Vacations, by Bill McMillon, Anne Geissinger, and Doug
Cutchins. Or you might register for my class on volunteer travel at Telos [Bellevue Community College's continuing
education program for retirees] and other venues.
I heartily recommend a program in Spain and Italy called Pueblo Ingles
www.puebloingles.com
as an excellent place to gently experiment with volunteer vacations. Twenty English speakers and twenty Spanish
or Italian business professionals come together for a week of English-only conversation. You must be a native
English speaker and armed with stories of experiences from your life, you must also possess the patience and give
the support required to help the Spaniards feel at ease while they improve their conversational English. Your
personality is the most valuable asset at the village. Intellectually stimulating characters with the ability to
have fun and at times be frivolous are most desirable. They accept applications from men and women from 22 to 80!
Enjoy private comfortable lodging in a restored sheep herder's village and delicious meals, all free. Yes, I said
free. You will make new friends and enjoy yourself immensely.
If you want something closer to home, head to the beautiful city of San Miguel de Allende in central Mexico and
have an experience of a lifetime. San Miguel de Allende's is a charming historic city with picturesque cobblestone
streets and colonial architecture, a gathering place for artists and retired Canadians and Americans. Give a bit of
yourself and encounter the life and culture of Mexico as a volunteer at Casa de los Angeles
www.casadelosangeles.org
which is a safe haven for the children of the streets. Casa de los Angeles provides medical care for the children,
a food bank, summer camp, soccer team, and an economic development program. Would you like to teach English? Are
you an artist? Do you like children or like to rock babies? How are you at construction? Are you a nurse or a
doctor? Can you teach basic hygiene? Do you like to cook? Are you energized by a challenge? Would you like to
learn about another culture? They welcome you to spend a week, a month or even a year!
If you'd like to do your volunteering in British Columbia, Canada, try your hand at conservation with The
Land Conservancy in some of the area's most beautiful locations
www.conservationholidays.ca.
Each holiday is unique and varies from a weekend costing $125 to 4 nights for $200, which includes your
accommodation and all of your meals. From their site: "Some feature accommodations within cozy eco-friendly
cottages while other holidays feature camping under the stars. There is something for every age and skill
level to embrace. Seniors are more than welcome on these holidays. Time is set aside each day to experience
and enjoy the natural environment. With over a dozen holidays to choose from, you're sure to find something
that fits your interests. Truly satisfying vacations for those looking to do a little more than twirl an
umbrella."
Perhaps you will get your feet wet with one of these volunteer vacations, and while you learn and give back, you
may find an entirely new way to travel. Let your imagination and heart be your guides as you set out on the path
of voluntourism. You'll come back with great memories and a feeling of gratitude.
Joyce Major, author of Smiling at the World, teaches classes on how to find inexpensive international volunteer
projects at the UW Experimental College, Antioch College, and local community colleges: NSCC, SCCC, and the Telos
Program at BCC. Joyce can be contacted at 206-999-8824 or
joycemajor1@hotmail.com.
Retirees Live Free In Luxury
...by Marcus Wilder
Rich people do not like to leave their houses empty. The solution is simple, have someone else live in their homes
while they travel. Retirees are ideal.
Would you like to live for a month or so in a luxury home or apartment in South Beach, or France, or Scotland, or
Alaska...free? Would you like to do it again and again? Or, would you prefer something semi-permanent with light
duties and a stipend?
The vehicle that makes all this possible is The Caretaker Gazette, a unique newsletter listing thousands of housesitting
and caretaking job opportunities in all 50 states, Canada, Mexico and dozens of other countries. Owners Thea and Gary
Dunn dropped out of the New York City fast track to do volunteer charity work in India and Namibia for several years.
The need to educate their three children brought them back to the United States. When they moved back, they bought The
Caretaker Gazette and made it into the premier publication of its kind.
Iowans Tom and Jean retired from intensive careers and became subscribers to The Caretaker Gazette. Now Tom and Jean
have decided to make housesitting a "career" and they live in a luxurious hacienda near Alamos, Mexico, in the beautiful
Sonoran mountains. Alamos, the "new" San Miguel de Allende, has a lively expat community. Tom participates in performing
arts, writing, gardening, and workshop presentations. Jean has time for reading, swimming, art, nature, wellness, and
walking in their mountain valley.
Captain Jack, a retired Navy man, saw much of the world the hard way…by participating in WWII, Korea, Vietnam, and
the Cold War. Now Captain Jack is one of the loose fraternity of housesitters who looks for longer-term opportunities
with light duties. Capt. Jack began caretaking at a hiker's lodge on top of Old Smoky Mountain. Capt. Jack said, "I
truly enjoyed that experience. After so many years at sea, I decided to settle down to a land-based caretaking lifestyle."
Now in his seventies, Captain follows housesitting/caretaking opportunities in beautiful places around the world.
Dave and Sumana retired from life in the fast lane to caretake a 40-acre resort property outside Oaxaca, Mexico.
After visiting Mexico and deciding to find a way to live there, Dave and Sumana answered an ad that read, "seeking
responsible, intelligent, thoughtful, multi-talented, semi-bilingual couple to care for a villa that has been in
the family for 30 years." The property is owned by Americans, and Dave and Sumana enjoy the visitors who come to
stay in the guest houses on the property. They also participate in the lively, vibrant Oaxaca American/European
expat community. "Living here is like taking care of your own home. You see what needs to be done, and you do
it," reports Sumana. "As we slow down, there is a nice sense of being connected. We have no great plans or social
schedules. Our door is always open. We always have time for a visit.
"We are lucky to have found this oasis of warmth in a world that doesn't always recognize neighbors," she adds.
"We are living a life that fits us."
For more information about The Caretaker Gazette, visit
www.caretaker.org
or call 830-755-2300.
Marcus Wilder is a convert to the caretaker lifestyle and he expects to write his next book from luxury digs in
exotic places. Information about Marcus Wilder can be found at
www.NaiveAbroad.com
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Northwest Prime Time's editor recently had the chance to talk with Gary Dunn, publisher of The Caretaker Gazette.
"After we returned to the U.S. from India, we landed New Jersey. That is where we purchased The Caretaker Gazette,"
said Gary. From New Jersey, the Dunns took a caretaking assignment in Idaho, just to try it out. "So we practice what
we preach!" he said. They then moved to Pullman while Gary's wife Thea picked up a PhD in math education at Washington
State University. The Dunns later took a caretaking assignment in Arizona, and eventually settled in Texas.
"The caretaking lifestyle is a wonderful way for retirees thinking about relocating to another part of the country
to try out an area before moving there," reports Gary. "Many of our subscribers live in colder climates, and may be
considering retiring to Florida or Arizona. Taking a caretaking assignment first is a great way to see what an area
is really like before committing to a more permanent move," he said. "Caretaking appeals to retirees, but also to
artists and people who telecommute and can work from just about anywhere," he adds.
The Caretaker Gazette started its 26th year on January 1. It is the only publication of its kind in the world.
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