We have all heard of the adage about vacations being the best time to be selfish. Just lie back on the bed, sip a piña colada and pamper yourself with a massage - the typical tropical vacation, so to speak.
Well, if you want to be unselfish just for once in your long list of planned annual vacations, we recommend going on a volunteer vacation. As its name implies, you will be working for the welfare of other people while on vacation instead of the resort staff working for you on said vacation! Think of it as giving something of yourself while living life to the fullest.
Lest you worry about being made to work until you drop dead, think again. You can actually choose which volunteer vacation you want to engage in. At the very least, you will enjoy the activities while helping others enjoy life, too.
Help Mother Nature
We take so much from Mother Nature when we go on vacations in terms of enjoying its magnificent vistas, clear waters and relaxing atmosphere. This time, you can give back to Mother Nature. Just to name a few of the things that you can do in this regard:
- Earthwatch Institute offers volunteer opportunities on projects focusing on ecology and zoology as well as archeology for the history buffs. You can choose from 45 countries from the United States to Mongolia.
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- Wilderness Volunteers offers people of all ages the opportunity to help maintain the national parks, wilderness areas and other protected lands in the United States. Bring your own camping gear.
Help Build Homes
If your conscience is nagging at you for the safe haven of your home while people in other parts of the world languish as the homeless, then we suggest signing up for the Habitat for Humanity. You will learn how to build homes from scratch, build friendships with the family for whom you are building the house and build your character, too.
You will be able to combine your construction efforts with the opportunity to see countries like Mexico, the Philippines, New Zealand, and Madagascar, to name a few countries. You can even walk shoulder to shoulder with former US President Jimmy Carter. Or maybe reward yourself with a tropical vacation afterwards.
Help Yourself Age Gracefully
Now, just because you are of the retirement age does not necessarily mean that you should fade away and, well, die. There are still many years left in you and you can use those years to do good deeds and still make good contributions to the world.
Tips and comments:
Your choices will range from being teachers in China and building homes in Guatemala to helping in reforestation in the Amazon and assisting with dolphins in Belize. You can even bring you children and grandchildren for a great bonding, learning and exciting time with the family. This way, you will not fall victim to the so-called generational gap that so often happens today.
So, choose your volunteer vacation today and see what good you can do in the world. Plus, you can even save on money as these volunteer vacations either provide for part of the expenses or emphasize frugality for its participants. Now, that will be doing well by your pockets, too.
