How to Travel the World and Make a Difference

I often ask people what they've always wanted to do with their lives. The two most common responses are, "I've always wanted to travel the world," and, "I just want to help people." It tears me apart to hear these kinds of dreams being uttered from the mouths of people who don't believe they can make it happen. So, I'm writing this article for everyone who wants to see the world and make a difference.

Let me just start by saying this: you are not alone, and your dreams can come true! There are many organizations that exist solely to make dreams like this come true. The Peace Corps is perhaps the most well known of these organizations. Many people know of the Peace Corps, but feel discouraged because they cannot make the two and a half year commitment required, or else they don't have the required bachelor's degree. But don't give up hope, because there are dozens of other organizations that don't require higher education or long term commitments.

With just a little online research you can find overseas volunteering opportunities ranging from just one week to a full two years. Often, the programs cost significantly less than a vacation of equal length at the destination would. For example, IFRE Volunteers (www.ifrevolunteers.org) offers a one week stay in rural - where you can help teach English to students in

Buddhist
Temple
School

- for a cost of only $399. You can care for infants and homeless children in during a two week long vacation for only about $1,600 through United Planet (www.unitedplanet.org). There are so many others, it would be inappropriate to list them all here. You can do a Google search under "volunteering abroad" to get many more organizations.

Most of these organizations are non-profit. This means that there is often the opportunity for you to write your program fees off your taxes. That's right, the programs fees - which cover your food, housing, etc. - is often tax deductible. Furthermore, most of the organizations offer suggestions on how to raise the money for your journey to begin with, in case you aren't able to foot the bill yourself. So, whatever you do, don't ever let money be what holds you back.

Not only can you volunteer abroad, but there are also countless opportunities to work abroad as well. Most notably is the chance to teach English to students all around the world. Most organizations will pay for your living arrangements, as well as regular allowance, on top of your salary. The best part is, you don't even need to speak a foreign language. Opportunities are available everywhere: Asia, Europe, South America,
Africa
. You can go anywhere you want to go.

Your best chances of getting a paid job teaching English overseas come with earning a Teaching English as a Foreign Language (TEFL) certificate. These certificates aren't very difficult to get. In fact, they only take about as long to earn as a SCUBA certification. You can even earn the certification online through such organizations as The International TEFL Corporation (www.teflcorp.com), and International TEFL Teacher Training (www.teflonline.net). You can make this happen!

In conclusion, if you dream of traveling the world and of helping people less fortunate than yourself, you are in luck. People all over the world are pulling for you and are willing to help you achieve your dreams in any way they can. So make your next vacation a meaningful one. Volunteer your time overseas, and experience how good you feel when you manifest your altruist dreams.