Ever since my first trip abroad to China in 9th grade, I have had the travel bug. I realized that traveling was something I loved and had to do. However, after college, the pressure of loans and bills made it seem like traveling was an unattainable dream. Caught up in the competitive New York environment, I quit my 9-to-5 job to plan a 4-month trip traveling around South America. During this trip, I volunteered in every country I visited. It wasn’t impulsive; I spent 6 months to a year planning and saving money for this trip. Now, reflecting on my time in South America, here is some advice for anyone planning a similar journey.

Don’t be afraid to reach out to companies

Since graduating from the School of Visual Arts with a degree in Honors Photography and Video, one of my main motivations to travel was to start taking pictures again. Since I wasn’t working for a company that was going to pay to fly me everywhere to photograph for them, I thought, “Why not create the opportunity for myself?” This led me to research different companies and not-for-profit organizations in all the countries that I traveled to. I reached out to them to see if I could photograph any projects or things that they needed to be documented. This allowed me to go to unmapped places in Peru, help build homes for the communities in Colombia, all while meeting tons of inspiring people from all around the world.

Work Exchange

Work exchange programs involve volunteering in exchange for food and/or housing. Jobs can range from working on a farm, at a hostel, at a yoga retreat, teaching English, doing receptionist work, maintaining gardens, caring for animals, or helping out in a shop. In Colombia, I engaged in two work exchange programs, one in a language exchange program, and another at Cultivarte, a beautiful place focused on farm work and yoga retreats.