Volunteer Travel Life
February 27, 2025 by Cassandra Johnson
Thank you so much for a lovely day, seems like with each passing year, my birthday gets better, whether I am learning more about myself or just basking in all the generosity I receive.
Thank you.
I am overwhelmed by the wishes, gifts and love. If the day evolves into tears of joy, it’s only right, because I am beyond moved. Thank you friends and family for being my community always. I will always be yours
February 25, 2025 by Cassandra Johnson
I knew this would be a…
And I told myself I was getting close…
Although progress was not on a straight line______________________
Sometimes your path is from side to side and then, although a little scary, a few steps back.
I did not tell anyone what I was up to most recently, no one knew back home, and it was no reflection on them but rather the biggest reflection on myself. I needed to believe in myself again. When I talked to my aunt in the last few months, I realized that, in convincing her I was okay and not scared of failing, I really was not so sure of it myself and in that, I realized I first needed to believe in myself again and my dream. (I had gone back to Peru (my 5th visit) in the middle of 2024, aka the middle of my recent long-term traveling. I was enjoying myself, looking for an apartment there but later realized I needed to focus a little more on my professional sustainability.
I soon realized, by the time I left Peru for Colombia and Ecuador and Colombia again, I wanted to do a reset of my goals, habits and agenda.
I knew, I just knew that if I could get back to some semblance of my mission of being a part time digital nomad and international snowbird, I was going to be okay. Life can throw you off in both its casual routine and its surprises. This is where I found myself and doing something seemingly outlandish was making me feel even more outlandish. Most people I have been connecting with, who enjoy the same destinations as me, do not stay and my local everyday life does not truly match the expats who permanently live abroad.
Though I enjoy connecting with them all and I am intrigued by their various choices and lifestyles, I have to steady myself not to get lost in their unique interests and differences . I have my own. Perhaps, I may mistakenly align with some of their similarities and need to periodically remind myself to check back in with my needs and desires. I have not seen everything I want play out yet and I am thankful to them and this lifestyle for giving me pieces so far. I am grateful I get to try and happy that my friends and family give me the encouragement to continue.
I knew this would be a… journey
And I told myself I was getting close…to my goal
Although progress was not on a straight line______________________progress was on the line
January 31, 2025 by Cassandra Johnson
Being inundated with positive messages, circumstances and people can challenge negative trauma and highlight the good life.
As a child I was carefree. I was also insulted and bullied. I grew up in a time without mass social media, so my heart goes out to the children who have to deal with being targeted today. It seems like such an oxymoron that I had so much foundationally loving people and experiences as well as harmful ones. I was then led to believe my positive influences will always overcome my bad ones even if they do not show up all the time or for an extended time.
As people, none of us perfect, we commonly exit childhood with some reactions to negative experiences and some defense mechanisms to combat those challenges. We seek and require acceptance on some varying levels. We can be healthy, we can get healthy but overall, there are so many moving parts to circumstances and all the people we encounter along the way which challenge this notion. We may still be quite successful. This has been my awareness. We all seem to have some level of internal obstacles.
Now, I realize my current travels cause my mind and nervous system to relax and take the moments a healthy spirit needs more often. Traveling through Latin America over the last year and some months has defaulted me to a situation of friendly, kind locals and a world of international travelers.
Any amount of negativity or moments of nonacceptance are constantly discounted by looking up and walking out and being in Paradise, being surrounded by it.
I don’t know what all the future will bring, and I know there are difficulties getting through all the processes of my life. There always have been. Yet, in a home country (the United States) where I had to negotiate and feel awkward for taking free time from work and strategically working it in, there are now so many more moments in these international streets where I just simply get “to be”, without as much pressure, with a lot less judgment.
January 28, 2025
I am doing a thing, so until I finish or at least I get into the thick of It, I am writing about my recent experiences, but not what I am doing at the very moment. It is a temporary secret.
Cuenca (Ecuador) is absolutely lovely. It is really “tranquilo”, as their Colombian neighbors would say. I have had the benefit of rounding off my trip with a volunteer experience, which speaks directly to my passion. This time it has been a little different, with me volunteering in a hostel, which came right on time and has become an adventure within the adventure: This is different. Previously, I only did grass roots community volunteering abroad and in the US. I have more stories of these times throughout my website.
Normally, I neighborhood and accommodation bop between hostels and hotels (AirBnBs, not so much recently) and I was doing that as well in Cuenca, but as I was trying to figure it all out with my budget, one of the other volunteers suggested I could volunteer at this hostel, so I was happy to use all the skills I have acquired both volunteering and working and employ them in Cuenca, being one of the people who helps others check in, check out and facilitate the services they get while staying in their shared or private rooms.
I also feel a little like I was in a reboot of the sitcoms I enjoyed back in the day because being with the small tightknit group of volunteers that consist of solo and coupled travelers from South America and Europe gave me a chance to feel more at home. Life was now showing me a more panoramic view, from guest (as I started there) to worker and helper, while this also help give me a break. That’s right. The people-pleaser in me even sometimes get caught up in pleasing the establishments I frequent, but now that I was on both sides, this became less a part of me.
Sometimes, I feel into luxury and pampering and consider myself appropriately and other times, I want to make sure I am giving them an easy time (not being a difficult patron). Becoming a volunteer led to me being more relaxed, cooking, using the spaces and taking care of myself while working. The reciprocity may be what delivered me there and perhaps will get me to more normalcy of feeling we are all worth this, including me. My comfort level spiked. My assistance and my comfort came right on time.
December 31, 2024 by Cassandra Johnson
This is also a work in progress like the previous post. (I am still dealing with some questions for myself).
If I am honest, I have not lived in the United States for a while. I have been away since November 2023, except for visits in both April and August 2024. I was still in the US (in San Juan, Puerto Rico) when I started, but a few months later I landed in Merida, Mexico where I stayed throughout Christmas 2023 and New Year’s, into my February birthday. Not until April was I ready to leave Merida, for a short stop in Houston, TX, before getting back to Mexico to see two more recommended cities. Guadalajara (was not the best experience among so many other great ones). Still, my curiosity and aim to have and share nice experiences with others around the world was my focus.
Following Oaxaca, Mexico (which I loved), I revisited Peru (this was about the third time in some cities). I thoroughly enjoyed myself with a lot more income at the time, and mostly living my dream of everyday life as an expat there. I was there for 3 months. I have wanted this since I volunteered there in part of 2010 and 2011. I enjoyed volunteering in Bolivia in 2011 as well, but Peru stole the show.
After Peru, I went to Colombia (Medellin was the first city and where I stayed most of my allotted 90 days – until next time). Bogota was just six days (really nice, still) and Cali and Ipiales were the one-day stopovers I mentioned last time. An added note: When traveling through Colombia, I particularly enjoyed the travel hack of overnight buses as they saved money with one night of lodging not needed, and most hours spent sleeping. I had been aiming for this since I flew between the US, Mexico, Peru and into Colombia.
Okay, well, sleeping on a bus is not the most comfortable feel (facts) but as another precaution, I kept the trips to about 11 hours or less (allowing for added stops). *I remember longer trips from my past and they can get old. I also like the safety of arriving in a place in the daylight, at home or abroad. I was advised to do that my first time in Lima. The only unfortunate circumstance back then was how every decent DC flight landed around 10 pm. Fortunately all went well, and the remote city I later reached was in the accompaniment of another future volunteer/fast friend. We planned to meet in Lima and go from there.
I am now back in Ecuador. I only visited Guayaquil for a few days in 2019, but now I have been able to check out Quito and Cuenca.
Next: I was recently thinking about Paraguay or Uruguay (this would be my first time in each). I am really excited about Brazil but a little worried about suddenly discontinuing to use Spanish and checking out parts of Paraguay and Uruguay would give me the continued opportunity to use Spanish. However, I do think this could mean survival Portuguese and some important phrases will be a fun activity to add to my more fun to-do lists.
December 30, 2024 by Cassandra Johnson
This is a work in progress: I have been going through a rough patch – so this is a rough draft.
Overall, I found people in Colombia to be very nice and discovered this even more, the longer I stayed. *There were instances where I did not feel like I fit in (something I can revisit in general at another time, for various reasons).
Throughout my stay, I soon discovered that I was being treated in a very familial manner and very often, people either did not know where I was from or assumed I was from Colombia or that I now live there. I was in Medellin (for approximately 2 months) and Bogota for just 6 days. The same was true of both and I was not even prepared for my stay in the small border city of Ipiales with a small town feel.
It was during the rain and not the sunshine, as well, when I realized how nice the people were in Ipiales. I was preparing to be someone who absolutely stood out in the small Colombian city quite different from Bogota and Medellin, but there was never really a time when that happened in an off-putting way. I felt like what I suppose anyone who did not look local felt like but, just like them (I imagine), I also probably was just treated and seen like any foreigner who passed through their Colombian border city to get to the Ecuadorian border city of Tulcan.
(I also learned later that Ipiales is popularly known for a church, which I did not visit). Overall, I felt welcome and accepted, two vibes I cannot help but notice. Camaraderie in the rain was one of those reiterated moments. A strange look was just curiosity and I felt the hospitality and greetings that stick with me so much more.
November 30,2024
I spent the past two Quito days running errands and soaking up the city. I feel curious, left out and invited in, because most every park and square I wandered into had music striking up or playing and as I was interacting with the people here while catching up with others on the phone, I wondered what was the meaning of this special holiday. Re: I decided to ask David if there were celebrations and what they were all about, including the fireworks that came the night before and the next.
David responded “No” to my question. There were no special celebrations. The only recent holiday was the upcoming one he had mentioned during our drive (now a weekend past).
Therefore, the band striking up in the first square I often pass through; the gentleman singing and playing a violin behind me in the small plaza, the percussion band testing mics ahead of me in the historic center square and the numerous vendors of food and otherwise are just part of normal days I have been enjoying here. This does not overshadow the struggle that is also experienced in the country. There was also this mix in Colombia, and though not the same, I also think of the dire situations that persist in the U.S.
I am fortunate to be a traveler now, and I am going to attempt to make the most of it. Bouncing between different countries and their cities has been both more challenging and enjoyable than I imagined it would be. This brings to mind moments like balancing work-life and budgeting, but I also think of interpersonal connections that are sometimes bittersweet because either I or other people are traveling elsewhere. Romance is also up and down.
I am fortunate now and also as a former limited traveler to have all the family and friends who have shaped my life and even fortunate for how I have dealt with all my struggling experiences that have shaped my life just the same.
November 28, 2024 By Cassandra Johnson
I am going to write more once I get a new charger for my laptop (right now, I am composing some loose thoughts on my phone notepad). I must say, it is easy to take some circumstances for granted like having a full keyboard..
Today, I walked from my new Quito hostel to the Internet Cafe to do some Internet surfing and possibly the side hustle I sometimes do when I’m not translating. Teaching English.
I had spotted this Internet cafe the first day I checked in here and thought it would be a good alternative to work from instead of my phone. At that time, the owner/storekeeper responded to me: Just 0.70 USD an hour. Well, I added the “just” and translated the conversation to English here.
The first hostel I had here in Quito was not far from this one, so a lot already looked familiar from the 2nd day I arrived in Ecuador on the 23rd, and it was easy to find myself back in some part of the historic center, once I finished “working” at the Internet cafe. I was tapped out, missing my own computer, and prepared to go to one of the many panaderías to get some economical baked goods for this particular breakfast or lunch.
The stop there was a nice paragraph to the day however, along with the surprise deal at the cafe the night before, meeting and catching up with other travelers, in a way, all after the not-too-long trip to get here, arriving around dusk from the bus terminal after about a 45 mini taxi ride with the driver, David, that I befriended on the way.
Ar the cafe, a professor (he told me his occupation) first came in to sit next to me, bringing up his file with the help of the owner and they went through some effort to properly print his document. They were so casual, familiar-like and kind.
The professor wished me a good day, almost forgetting to close out his files. The owner reminded him teasingly that it would not be his fault… Not too much earlier, he also advised me to watch my backpack, which though it was in the seat with me, being behind me, he had a very good point.
I set it down in front, beneath me, under the chair.
My second day back in Ecuador, I realized I could really get used to this place.
I visited Guayaquil, Ecuador for a few days in 2019, so I feel like I have a lot more to see. This time I am starting in Quito after getting off the bus from Tulcan, the Ecuadorian city that borders the Colombian city of Ipiales (I decided to spend one day and night) in Ipiales. I will write more about my experience in Ipiales later). By this point, I had taken two other buses from Medellin to Bogota and Bogota to Cali.
My time in the latter cities was quite abbreviated considering the approximate 2 and 1/2 months I had stayed in Medellin. Primarily, I just really enjoy Medellin, Colombia. Additionally, I was not really feeling the idea of spending my income on a flight plus baggage at the moment. I recalled my bus trips in Peru and Bolivia in 2010 and 2011 and thought this could be something I could reprise again. I was right.
When I flew to different cities in Mexico most recently and back to the US, the costs just felt like so much, too much, compared to what I was accustomed. It is nice to catch a break that I can use towards mixing up my stays between hostels, hotels and AirBnBs…
more to come, more on my stays, more to share
more on appreciating your time with me.
Thank you
October 31. 2024 by Cassandra Johnson
Medellin has been my safe space. My stay in this city has turned out to be longer than I thought before I move on to the cities of Bogota and Cartagena.
Medellin, Colombia came after I once again left my bae, Peru, so I am pleased that visiting here has reiterated my more uplifting travel experiences. Peru was etched nicely in my past and remains in my future dreams while Colombia was on the horizon to be brand new. New surroundings, very friendly people, and my variety of experiences fortify my decision to continue working as a digital nomad, for now.
Medellin particularly facilitates a calmness that is better for my nervous system. It is coincidentally telling that several of the people here have encouraged me to remain calm. Just in passing and not out of extreme gravity, they say “Tranquila” and encourage me to keep embracing the natural parts of me that remain as my optimistic and free-spirited desires. Simultaneously, I am at ease and then in other instances, it is nice to have the reminders and not be too overly preoccupied with being mistaken or perceived incorrectly. I was probably taken to task in too many instances before I left the country, which is enough to concern me despite my best efforts.
I was not expecting both my differences and similarities to be so welcomed and to fit so well into a place I have never been. I enjoy being complimented for who I am. I like being appreciated for knowing Spanish and I like that it is okay not to know, as well.
Sadly, with my roots, I have to admit, I am not accustomed to going for an extended period of time without being othered. I am not used to getting to leave that feeling behind as I can at this moment, and I readily feel the potential discomfort when I reenter the United States. As much as I care as well as enjoy my birthplace and home and hold it in affinity, there is some need for self-protection there.
Another gift: Medellin allows me the opportunity to further shape my work-life balance, looking back on how I thoroughly enjoyed Merida, Mexico and San Juan, Puerto Rico, but got it sorely wrong in both places.
So Medellin has left me feeling some type of continued good way, a way that is more kindred and comfortable the majority of the time. The travel difference now, (former volunteer versus current worker) has proved a gentler reinitiation thanks to the people that reside here, their culture and the setting.
I admittedly did not know how I would adjust to life on the road/in the sky as a full-time instead of part-time wanderer, so thank you, Medellin for being a bridge along the way back to San Juan to Merida to Guadalajara to Oaxaca to Lima to Cusco to you and beyond.
October 29, 2024 by Cassandra Johnson
I have learned not to give too much to my introversion as I do also love community. I have also learned to recognize my solo needs, to be better to myself.
I do enjoy bonding when I am not feeling inexplicably self-conscious. Alternately, I also acknowledge my resilience to regroup and revitalize myself.
What has been most interesting to me lately, however, is how I have come to notice similar solo needs in a number of other people. The number is larger than I would have expected, and realizing this has made me more empathetic, so apart from hanging out with them, dancing with them, chatting with them, drinking with them (some flirting)… I have felt another type of connection.
By collecting my thoughts and tranquility when I am alone, I remind myself of what I really want and need, and I remind myself of the fact that I need to try much more of this out before I can be certain if what I need or want still stands. Minds may change. Therefore, I need that alone time, good for such thinking and also for clearing my mind (not overthinking and just being still).
Sometimes I need more of the quietness than others, but I have recently taken note that I am not so alone in this. Ironically, in the simile of needing those inward moments, I suspect other people may need this too. After almost a year of countless accommodations and interactions as a digital nomad, I do not think I have just coincidentally been vicinity booking along with a large number of other introverts. I do not think so, because in other instances, I notice what seems real extroversion on the part of a number of outgoing people who naturally seem to receive energy from interacting with others. Yet, I have caught them “escaping” too. I have caught them escaping the noise, whether it be very literal or figurative. I have caught them in a variety of ways in their own quests for solitude.
Adalia Aborisade’s video on how to travel as an Introvert really spoke to me and what we may do or feel from going inward. Me being someone who also likes hanging out, seeing the world and meeting people, she and the other viewers reiterated for me that sometimes we get away from who we truly are because our true selves are not accepted or expected, especially when we are out there exploring our overall dreams. It is not uncommon to be told you need to participate in the group at all times. They also reminded me it is not uncommon to be misinterpreted and cajoled. I think I just judged myself too strictly thinking I could no longer carry the introverted label, when a part of this actually seems to be welcomed by most people to varying levels. I am also reclaiming some of my shyness, though it may appear differently now. My nature has not changed at the core.
I see people looking for their solo spaces and moments as I especially spend my traveling time between hotels and hostels. People were looking for moments and spaces on the terrace, in the kitchen, in an extra room, in their own room or a shared room in their bunk bed while others were out touring or in other parts of the hostel or hotel. People were even randomly hoping for a moment at breakfast or in front of a large screen community television.
Someone reading. Someone gazing and thinking (seemingly daydreaming) while reclining. Someone listening, laughing to videos on their phone. Someone delving into work on their computer, but as they would in their own private office with no boss.
I see the people. I see us. Moments apart and common bonds in solitude. These are the moments we recollect ourselves, maybe even forget the pending issues or worries of our days, maybe even finally come up with a solution after we have had some time to relax away from what has to be done or decided.
Perhaps, this is just a much needed mental break or another moment to help us be honest with ourselves and to be ourselves.