Volunteer Travel Life
Cassandra Johnson
3-29-2026: Pressure and excitement to perform over the hope of a new day.
Waking up inspired. Going to bed tired.
No plans for sleep, but softly falling into it.
Traveling to fulfill my goal of volunteering abroad while fulfilling my efforts to volunteer domestically, it is never long lost on me that motivation comes from lessons and practice.
Cassandra Johnson
3-27-2026: The laughter in the moment is so quiet and contagious, until it erupts and we move our bodies in camaraderie at the humor and movement and away from the anxieties of the day, of being mistreated, being marginalized and in our superior moment of good feeling, we rise above the negativity, the bullying that rages at our ever-appearing joy.
As we move through these tumultuous times when so many people are being attacked because they hold less power in the face of depraved government officials that impose their will upon us, we still hold on to our joyous moments, intermittently and for a vast majority of the time. We earn our money justly and take care of ourselves and each other.
We watch movies, enjoy our favorite foods, and laugh within our complementary senses of humor. It is so important that we have family and friends now, that we have our community and moments of joy – zen moments to enjoy ourselves and each other. Funny movies, funny shows, profound books, deep reflections as well as things not to take too seriously. We support ourselves on our resources and reflections so that we can keep fighting, prevailing and protecting.
Then, we realize we are powerful. Rather, we are reminded in moments that people still have a need to be liked by us, to believe in their messages and propaganda, lest they be questioned and know the real truth they are trying to hide within their power. We do not respect them in their unearned spaces, pushing all of us out who truly earned our accolades and actually deserve the spaces they steal from us.
Credit to The Joy Reid Show and The Daily Show respectively, for Moment of Joy and Moment of Zen and the reminders underscoring how much I like to write reflectively in poetry and prose.
February 27, 2026 by Cassandra Johnson
Thank you all. Thank you family and friends. Thank you, readers. Thank you for what is positive, what far extends the bad actors and serves the resilience, resistance and rewards of a healthy, adventurous life.
February 25, 2026 by Cassandra Johnson
I don’t mind one bit.
What I absolutely do not mind is being reminded of what we deserve. What so many deserve.
Grace.
Grace and rest.
Grace, rest, and care.
Coincidentally close to my birthday and as highlighted during my trip this week, I was reminded of how nice a life of wandering and close friendships can be. I was also reminded of how nice resting on a vacation and good treatment (hospitality) can be uplifting and when nicely delivered with respect and kindness, can be a nice reset.
I was reminded not to mind this break, the care, and conveniences. I recalled how okay it can be to let go of anxiety and momentarily put away a day of always working on efficiency and progress. I did not mind such sweet smiles, greetings, convenient breakfasts, door to door service and that Ubers and taxis made easy tasks of completing errands and meeting up with friends. Getting older or just having been a taskmaster for so long, the guesswork that is taken out of having to be just about everywhere and get everything done with brute force makes the easy parts nicer and the formidable parts more palatable.
Similarly, I don’t mind the cross-section between what is very walkable and quickly drivable with ready options to be near amenities. I don’t mind the layers of ready relaxation.
I do not have to go out of my way to meet my cravings or needs. I do not have to worry about being especially late or paying for anything I do not enjoy. I did not have to worry about running out of time, income nor inconvenience and I do not mind at all.
January 27, 2026 by Cassandra Johnson
Travel in what pictures cannot capture.
Travel in that, from which pictures can just borrow a piece.
When I first landed in Merida, I did not expect to stay so long, though I thought it efficient to run out my tourist Visa. (180 days).
I look at my photos, yes picturesque, yet they do not capture all the beauty and anguish interwoven into the weeks. They don’t match the ease I felt sitting in the sun after a long project and drinking agua fresca. Salsa in the bar. Daily free performances. Restaurant stands. Cute shops. The pictures do not capture the taste of a good Mexican meal, only the appearance and sometimes, they mistakenly highlight a tasteless Yucatecan one.
The pictures are graciously appreciated yet also inconsiderate of the anxiety I felt leaving a nice Merida neighborhood for an inconvenient one.
Pictures borrow a piece from the scenery, they borrow a piece from the nostalgia, they borrow a piece from the senses that engage in the moment. They borrow from the delight and sometimes veil the anxious spirit. They borrow and allow a revisit to the places, to the feelings and sometimes uplift a moment that was not uplifting and alternately dull a moment absolutely beyond exhilarating.
The experiences were unimaginable. I am glad I tested out a desire to see the Mexican city among the many, and look forward to soon seeing if the feelings, both okay and good, are still there. Yet, short, round-trip ticket, this time.😊
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January 26, 2026 by Cassandra Johnson
Feeling within the capacity to be strong enough
Knowing well the reserve of willingness and resilience
Feeling the mirage of perceived limitation
all the time, knowing the goals obtained. As well, projected.
I started talking to my new coach just one week ago and connecting with her again this week, I knew we were a good match. Being yourself without having to prove yourself is one of the nicest places to be.
Safe space lies in authentic encouragement and likewise, in the acknowledgment of skills and accomplishments. Being seen.
Being encouraged to continue to do work that aligns with my passions is satiating. I thank her for the tools to progress even further and to be kind with even the personally coping steps that landed at my past goals, just the same.
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December 31, 2025 by Cassandra Johnson
The stumbling blocks along the path. Duly recognized.
No reason to be ashamed when what is true is that you made it through.
A past survived. No need to let go when the world continues to hold on to you.
[May 2026 publications, additions]
Life lessons. Varying. Aptly recognized, I now have more information to take on my next project plus travel endeavors. Maybe there is an enhanced way to complete my translation, teach a student, and travel to South America? There may be parts I can skip altogether.
Without reinventing myself. I can embrace the highlights and the issues I have had to improve my steps and continue helping local and international communities.
December 30, 2025 by Cassandra Johnson
I took a couple of local trips. Perhaps, I will be able to work something out in January too.
I am working out some combination to include volunteering and working but with some significant changes that work better for my schedule and the assistance I can provide to the organization I choose. I will circle back around as updates come.
The first year of my blog captured a lot of my volunteer thoughts abroad. I highlight Peru and my previous experiences with disaster relief, in particular. I also have some time that touches a little on volunteering in the US. I always wanted to do both, but there are times when I feel it becomes tainted by the leadership structure.
There are other times I joined projects in my home state before doing so in DC, when I first moved to DC, and other projects in places like Ecuador and Bolivia, but what I want to do also becomes limited by my job. Overall I am intrigued to volunteer some more, because I feel it fits well into continuing to learn with others and grow together. This time, perhaps, my efforts will just be a little different. My work experience may lean a lot more to what I can do and also changing who I am.
November 30, 2025 BY CASSANDRA JOHNSON
Cali. I had a feeling I would really like this major Colombian city. Nice and warm, I found myself taking a stroll each day looking for a particular food spot or coffee shop. From a variety of points, I could work/chill with a little dessert and a warm variation of a sweet beverage. Cafe mocha, cappuccino, etc and by now, I had also developed a taste for Colombian coffee. The only factors slowing me down were the hills and the steep drop offs, some occasional rain. I was continuously walking up, reminding myself that it was going to be so much easier coming back, but honestly the steep downslopes were something one should brace for as well.
Well, I made it and I notice that once I know there is a spot within reach, no matter how far, I am compelled to get there, even foolhardily. I laughingly remember a friend getting lost from his hostel in Cochabamba, Bolivia and he said something to the effect that if you are going to wander off, don’t do it downhill, seeing as how he had to return at the opposite angle, righting himself up a steep incline.😊
I leaned into Cali’s ambience. People were friendly, not too particularly focused on what my story might be, but still engaging, treating me as if I could be from there or aptly treating me like a welcome guest. Cartagena would later prove similar, though the weather was much hotter.
Cali had left me curious. It was a place where more people looked like me and previously, I had just spent a day or less there. Fortunately, I was able to stay for about 12 days this latter time, since I could be flexible with my bus tickets from there back to Bogota. I liked purchasing them in person on the day of my trip, leaving my bags in the bus terminal luggage storage, so I could be free to walk about and eat in the city, leaving any weight behind. I also left them behind when arriving before accommodation check-in times.
I knew the bus station well by now. I had taken to the budget travel option over the flight I took into Colombia primarily when I arrived the very first time in Colombia and stayed in Medellin.
Cali is a place I could have stayed for a majority of my 90-day Visa but I was also ready to get back to the chillier Bogota for a work minus distraction strategy that Bogota was more suitable to me for, and what I needed to fit in before stopping in Cartagena and getting out a somewhat underrated country, before I was required to leave altogether.
November 28, 2025 by Cassandra Johnson
Recently, I had the nice experience of helping a South Korean adult student study his English. I use a platform that allows me to help students through general conversations with whatever they would like to discuss or by using structured lessons.
I prefer logging in when I have extra time, I rarely have regularly scheduled students. I prefer not having a set schedule whereas I am able to engage with people who choose to call me when we both happen to be online. We make a good match, because they can look at my profile and/or intro video and decide if they would like to use their lesson time with me. I once volunteered teaching English as a second language for a couple years on a set schedule in DC, 6 months alongside other volunteer work in Peru and again when I explored church for a while. The online space has opened it up to me again.
The students are from a variety of countries with different goals for learning English, which could be professional, academic or as a hobby. I enjoy getting to meet them and even seeing that some of them select me again when we happen to be online at the same time again.
The online English tutoring platform is where I spend some of my spare time, only keeping a set schedule from time to time, when students especially request it. Now that I work as a full-time freelance translator following a long line of other work experience (most recently in non-profits), I like having this additional side space as it still speaks to my literary and language passions and sharing international experiences.