As an 18-year-old high school graduate, I had eight months to shape my life the way I wanted it to be before college. I decided to embark on the adventure of a lifetime, combining a beach vacation in Phuket, Thailand with my cousins, a visit to my grandmother in the Philippines, and two internships to gain valuable experience. But the highlight of my trip was my participation in a volunteer service program in Bali.
Value volunteer work
I arrived in Bali thinking it would be a simple two week construction programme, but what I experienced was much more than that. It was a test of courage, strength, and endurance and it ended up being the most important week of my life before college.
The work was more “professional” and physically demanding, as the foreman relied on us to do the heavy lifting assigned each morning. For one assignment, I helped assemble support beams, pouring cement in two bins. I am very proud to have contributed to building a kindergarten school, where young Balinese can one day study.
This important work is part of the overall construction plan for 4 classrooms. This new space will allow more than 100 students to receive an education upon completion. I formed strong bonds with the friendly locals and people from all over the world, and I still keep in touch with them today.
The construction and renovation program is very inclusive and you can choose the duration of your volunteer work, as well as what type of work you want to do. The local team in Bali takes very good care of all the volunteers.
How do I grow as a person
Volunteering pushed me into a whole new environment. I’ve never traveled alone so that’s a first. I knew absolutely no one on this trip, so I had to get out of my comfort zone to connect and make friends. I also had to learn to manage my money. They are all good lessons and preparation for going to university.
You will definitely make a friend for life!
I worked with very friendly locals and people from all over the world and to this day I still keep in touch with them.
When you hang out in an environment like this, you are sure to make lifelong friends – for me it was Hiro and Bode, two Americans who flew in from California. I spend most of my free time with them, which is fun and meaningful.
We are very happy to meet again to do more volunteer work in the future. When we do, we will be looking back at our volunteer days in Bali and our photos that capture our spirit and togetherness.
Bode, who volunteered to teach English for 12 weeks, shared:
“I came to Bali hoping to find a new perspective on life and discover more about myself. I know that when I leave, I will be a happier person because of the positive influence from society. I spend a lot of time alone exploring and journaling.
The people here are very humble, loving and always look out for one another. This is in stark contrast to my life in California where a lot of people focus on money and popularity. This whole experience can be summed up as “Vital emotional life”.
Free time in Bali seems…
Bali is not all about work. Every Thursday there would be the usual big get-together as people would go for the weekend either overseas at the end of their volunteer period, or to the island to spend some quality time with new friends. I was lucky to celebrate my 19th birthday with these sincere and generous people.
We explore Bali’s beauties such as waterfalls, rice fields and other natural wonders in our free time during weekdays. We usually go somewhere more remote over the weekend (like the Gili islands) and spend most of the time with the other volunteers.
The people in the program and those who support us are very friendly, compassionate and fun. The locals are always smiling and the volunteers are eager to meet new people and make new connections. It was truly a life changing experience.
Looking for more Balinese inspiration?
Why not check out this blog too:
You can view the full blog by Daniel here.
