Voluntourism

Impact travel.  Voluntourism.  Travel with purpose.  

I am so inspired by this concept.  I hope that it catches on so that we can all increase the fulfillment of our adventures.  The problem is that these opportunities are not often made easily available to the public.  You have to go looking for them (or have me do it).

Choosing a voluntourism trip can be intimidating.  If you're like me, you want to get out into the world and do some good but you don't want to poop in a hole in the ground.  So you have to think about what you really want.  Ask yourself questions like:

• Why do I want to do this trip?  What do I hope to get out of it?
• What are my minimum requirements for accommodations?
• What are my physical and mental capabilities?  For example, Can I handle hard labor but not seeing kids in extreme poverty?  
• What climate(s) can I tolerate?
• What dietary limitations do I have?
• Am I comfortable in places where I don't speak the language?

Make sure you are dealing with a reputable organization.  It's sad to say, but there are opportunists in the world who will do things like set up a fake orphanage to make money off of people like us, who are just trying to be helpful.  We also need to make sure we are traveling with an organization that works with the local community and is welcomed by them (not just barging in to show off and make a buck).  

Voluntourism can be a way to travel inexpensively, but you need to be very flexible about the questions I mentioned above.  Most people I know would be prefer a trip organized in by a travel company who knows how to balance comfort with service (and fun!).

One of the cushiest ways to travel with a purpose is on a cruise.  Your accommodations and meals are reliable and comfortable.  Crystal Cruises has a program called "You Care, We Care".  Instead of focusing the whole trip around service, there are opportunities through their shore excursion program so get out and help.  

Another option is a Fathom Cruise.  Fathom offers 2 options:  Impact travel in the Dominican Republic or cultural exchange travel in Cuba.  Both programs are focused on building community with like-minded travelers and the cultures you visit.

I went on the DR cruise last year and have been dying to start a group to go again, which I have finally done.  You can read about my experience here.  The prices are phenomenal through Spring 2017 so my group will be going on 4/23/17.  I can definitely help you plan another date if this one doesn't work for you, but we will be offering some special activities on this one.  You can read about it here.

If you are looking for opportunities to make your next trip more meaningful, look into voluntourism.  It's great for singles, couples, groups of friends, and families (there is usually a minimum age for children).  These experiences make us feel good inside, while making us grateful for what we have and giving us a new perspective on the world.  Who doesn't want that?

Easy Quinoa Salad

Did you ever watch the show Semi-Homemade with Sandra Lee?  I never got into her recipes but I just loved HER.  She was a joy to watch and has done a lot to tackle the hunger problem in America.  

Every once in a while you just don't have the energy to cook something healthy from scratch, which can lead to some pretty bad food choices.  The good news is that there are some great products out there that can help make it easy to throw something together that you will feel good about eating.  

Costco carries organic frozen quinoa & kale that you can pop into the microwave in its own bag for three and half minutes and you are good to go.  The flavor I am using today is the citrus and pepper but sometimes they have one with herbs, olive oil, and sea salt.  My sister introduced me to the latter and she mixed in black beans, edamame, and a spoonful of pesto.  I fell in love immediately, and when I saw the citrus flavor I knew just what to do.

Of course I realized, after I was done, that I forgot to put the black beans in the picture.  Technically they are optional so... Anyhoo I just chop up some onion and mango, throw some black beans in, squeeze a lime on top and add salt & pepper to taste (a little olive oil never hurts either).  Today I was hungry so I had a big bowl and topped it with some avocado to make it a meal.

There are a million variations on this, but the point is that you can have something great in less than 10 minutes if you keep a couple of shortcuts on hand.  Do you have any tricks to share?

The Swing At The End Of The World

 Photo by Rinaldo Wurglitsch from Flickr

Have you ever had a hankering to swing over a steep slope that's 2600 meters above sea level with no safety measures whatsoever?  Well I have got the trip for you.  First, we'll need to get you to Ecuador.  Since you're here for thrills, we may as well get you over to the Galapagos Islands while we're at it.

What we are looking at here is in Baños, Ecuador at a seismic monitoring station called La Casa Del Árbol (The Treehouse).  As the name suggests it’s a small house built in a tree, at the edge of a canyon.  The view from up here alone is worth the trip, but for thrill seekers, La Casa del Árbol offers a swing hanging over the precipice with a beautiful and terrifying view of the Tungurahua Volcano.  Any takers?

Homemade Granola Bars - Bananas are the only sweetener!

My latest and most passionate adventure is removing processed foods from my home and body, and it's not easy.  Thank goodness for pinterest!  In my house it's important to have some easy, grab and go snacks around.  They keep us from getting too hungry and making a bad decision.  I love granola bars, but they are loaded with sugar and salt and they don't align with my desire to eliminate processed foods.  Even a lot of the homemade ones are complicated, with too much refined sugar.

Luckily, I ran across this recipe on Oh She Glows.  I love it and have also modified it to make a second flavor.  I think it's such a great base recipe and the sky is the limit in terms of changing it up.  My FAVORITE thing about it is that the sugar and binder is just bananas.  Here is the recipe:

3 ripe bananas, mashed

1 tsp pure vanilla extract

4 Tbsp powdered peanut butter (I use this one)

2 cups rolled oats

1/2 cup chococate chips

1/2 cup walnuts, chopped

1/2 cup sunflower seeds

1/2 cup pepitas

1/2 cup sliced almonds (I've used slivered if that's what I have.  I just chop them a little)

1/4 cup hulled hemp seeds

1/4 tsp salt 

1. Preheat the oven to 350F
2. Line a 13x9x2 baking pan with parchment paper (so you can pull them right out of the pan)
3. Mash those bananas!  I tried a manual potato masher but a fork works better.
4. Mix in the vanilla and peanut powder.
5. Pulse the oats a few times in the food processor or blender, but leave some texture.
6. Mix the oats in with the bananas.
7. Now throw everything else in and mix until combined.
8. Dump it in the baking dish and press it down until it's all even and (sort of) smooth.
9. Bake for 23-27 minutes, until firm and slightly golden brown.
10. Let cool for 5 minutes and then lift out and place on a cooling rack to finish.  I don't have a cooling rack so I use the rack from my roasting pan.
11. Slice the bars once they have cooled completely.  I get 16 bars by cutting down the middle both ways, making 4 sections.  Then I cut each section in half and then half again (the longest sides are on the top & bottom), making 4 bars from each section.

I keep these in the fridge because they go fast, but they freeze well too.  Let me know what you think!