Now that I have been back home in the states for a while, I am taking some time to look back at my experience volunteering with Cross Cultural Solutions in Salvador, Brazil. Over the past month and a half, I cannot stop thinking about how happy I am to have had such an experience and to have met the amazing people that I met- CCS staff, Brazilians, and other volunteers. Every day, I think of the kids at Lar da Crianca orphanage and wish that visiting them was less than a 12 hour flight away. Either way, having the opportunity to get to know them and show them love makes me feel blessed and happy in a way that I never knew before.
I also have to say that I am confident that I made the right choice by traveling with Cross Cultural Solutions. I could not imagine the staff to be more caring, organized, and helpful than they were. Living in the CCS home for 8 weeks was comfortable and clean. The staff was very warm and willing to answer any questions that we had. When I started teaching English classes by myself, my program manager was willing to go above and beyond to ensure my comfort and confidence by sitting in on the class with me as well as helping me come up with ideas for lesson plans. It was clear that the full experience of the volunteers was important to CCS as an organization. I am happy that I chose to spend time in Brazil with CCS. Not only did I get to visit and explore a new country, but I also got to learn about the language and culture, meet local people, and make a difference in the community through the volunteer aspect. I highly recommend this kind of trip to anyone- I cannot imagine finding it less than enjoyable- for me, it was life changing and I hope to be able to do it again someday.
:-)
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