Category: volunteer travel

Telling Time

May 31, 2025 by Cassandra Johnson

I plan to go back to Guatemala.

Although, I left the country for Mexico about a month ago and I really enjoy myself here, the Central American country stays on my mind. 15 days was not enough to do all I wanted to do, which also would include a lot of days, just being there not having to do anything, freelance work or otherwise. The capital city specifically lingers with me, and I just want to linger there.

Can a person instantly adopt another comfort zone? Is it possible for a person to feel like she stands out while feeling welcomed at the same time? Yes. Apparently. Both.

People were not too prying, just nicely curious and not so much in circumstances where you are also just a passer-by, a shopper, dining in, strolling. They are just notably kind and receiving.

Being a nomad in a lot of Latin America has generally felt similar, mixed with hanging out with travelers and locals between work and volunteering and my own preferred sight-seeing.

I cannot detach myself from the high relaxed vibe I feel wandering around Guatemala City (Ciudad de Guatemala) for a couple of hours, working from a coffee shop and even exchanging pleasantries and jokes in the grocery store. I can easily get used to working from this capital city, and of course, you know, I am already more than okay with not having a boss. Just mere deadlines.

I love the city of people who are native to the place. I loved how accessible many of the stores and restaurants were to my neighborhood. I was in Zone 1, but in consideration of Zone 4 for next time. I enjoyed hanging out there. I Ubered to Zone 9, to a more touristy area one day and loved that it still wasn’t touristy, just ritzier. Btw, the flirtation is welcome as well.😉

Most likely, I see myself returning to Guatemala City. It was the sleeper hit I was not expecting because I really enjoyed Panama and Colombia among new places I had never been as well as my familiar Peru where I have been planning to stay.

I simply did not know what to expect from a city and country I had not yet considered among the stops. I had heard good things on YouTube mainly. The visitors were not wrong, and I now have more of a sense of how stress-free and productive I could be there.

I still must be vigilant, especially now as a solo traveler. I remind myself to be discerning and I guess at my more mature age and with more experience,  I enjoy myself while deferring to my instincts. Even being somewhere twice now, like Colombia, I have faced a familiar scam of being overcharged.

Yet again, Guatemala? There is so much more to eat (both cooking at home and eating out). There is a lot more ideal weather to sit in. There are more libations and cappuccinos to sip on, and I need a lot more time to hang out with the local people and expats.

I may not go back immediately but, as I mentioned, I am quite enjoying myself in Mexico again. I just got back to my accommodations from VEGAMO restaurant in Mexico City and once again, I am just reminded of all the unique places, hospitality and conversations each country has to offer. This is my first time in the capital, and I want to stay at least a third of the time I stayed in Merida. Time to take my time.

A Little More

May 30, 2025 by Cassandra Johnson

What is this having agency while accepting the natural flow of life? I see there are creative spaces to accept new opportunities into my everyday life as I travel and work. Perhaps I had been fighting them or maybe I am less critical of the ebbs and flows of my new schedule. I guess I don’t have to be laser focused at the moment. I have decided to volunteer, work and enjoy my time abroad and do the same while visiting the United States.

This is counter to me volunteering for a bit here and there, completely working or hanging out too much. Ahem. I can do it all.

I can do more of it all, rather, and I mean this entirely, because I am not so much needing balance as I need the variety.

Leaning into each separately is not for me. I will soon update you on my new volunteer gig, work and next country (perhaps same country). Thanks for being here😊

You are welcome here

April 30, 2025 by Cassandra Johnson

A person needs time to get her bearings, more at certain times than others. Sometimes, this is barely at all, as it was arriving at the Guatemala City Airport a few days ago. Sometimes this is a lot, as it was trying to fly out of Cartagena to Panama City (more on this in a May post).

I was happy to easily be able to navigate through La Aurora Airport and access all the things I needed like free public Wi-Fi and the options to choose between Uber or taxis. At the moment, taxis won in convenience and easy immediate access.  I told myself I would make up the cost using Uber for my departure. Perhaps. When it comes to airport drop offs and when I am not walking within the city, Uber has been a good choice in Colombia, Peru and Mexico. I imagine Guatemala will be too.

Before leaving the airport however, I just needed a place to sit with my computer, I needed a coffee shop (aka hot chocolate and/or cappuchino shop) with snacks where I could gather my thoughts and my tummy. Oh yeah, also notable: I would need an ATM to take out local cash to pay the taxi driver and or nearby vendors as well as prepare for places which may only take cash/efectivo. The independent coffee shop was along the way, right alongside the exit outside of the airport. I would work on my freelance translation work while waiting a bit longer for check-in time.

A few local people stopped by, asking If I needed various items, such as a car rental or a Sim card. A car rental salesman left me with his card. I was straight forward with some others about already having a place to stay and not actually needing a ride at this very moment, but maybe a little later. We smiled and they complimented my Spanish.

I lost the attention of a few other tourists, (European or American, I believe), who had been looking at me from the time I went through customs. As I settled into my drink and chips, I briefly thought, now how boring my calmness and comfort must have become. One smiled, but more to himself.

It was also nice to simply have a little small talk with the Guatemalan people at the airport, perhaps getting to know a little more about the place and chatting some before heading over to my rental.

The baristas had waited on me so quickly and did not know how ready I was not to have a lid on my cup and to chill and eat in. I have become accustomed to things being a little different and being able to expect or welcome these things has brought a smile to many of the people I get to meet. Being chill, patient and accepting is a foundational vibe in Mexico, Peru, Colombia, Panama and Guatemala. The vibe is contagious.

You can stay with me

March 30, 2025 by Cassandra Johnson

Country to country. Now I enter the hostels and hotels expecting to meet travelers from all over the country I am visiting, and from any country.

Everyday life is different now. The funny thing is I am enjoying this but also looking forward to visiting home too. More ironic, I am a resident in name only, for I am officially traveling full time. Though my mission, this objective, has taken many deviations, I am still working to the same point. I want to travel and see a lot of the world as I dreamed about as a young girl while still, (from my latter goals) I want to live abroad for half of the year and back home for the other half. Getting to spend six months hanging out with friends and family is just as exciting as being a digital nomad for another part of the year *touring and hanging out in these places too. In fact, I want them to come with me and visit me often. Chris was part of it too.

My other normal began in 2010/2011 when I participated in Pisco Sin Fronteras and followed up with intermittent travel abroad to several other countries from the US on limited vacations. New normal is not bad in that I can now be away for such an extended period of time, but I am also reminded of the need for options. So I have a lot more work to do and per Doing A Thing, I am getting more done, welcoming a potential additional job while figuring out which climates and features suit me best for work and socializing. While Peru is my first choice, being in Colombia and other trips is informing me more. We will see.  I have a bit more work to do, in order to also spend a lot more time not doing so. 😉

Thank You So Much For Today

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😊

Received

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.

Doing A Thing

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.

Looking Back

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.

Crossing Borders: Colombia to Ecuador

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.

Medellin, Colombia

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.