• Asia,  Indonesia

    The time I ACTUALLY stopped talking: My First Silent Retreat

      Duck Tape.  That’s what we thought may be the only thing to keep this mouth of mine shut for our silent retreat, but luckily I didn’t need to walk around for days with it on and I ended up learning to be quiet on my own. I had thought about going to a silent retreat when a friend went in Thailand and when she said it was an “interesting and challenging experience” I knew I wanted to see if I could test myself and really try to go outside of my comfort zone by being in complete silence for several days.  Thinking more about it I realized that even…

  • Asia,  Thailand

    Best of both worlds: Vacationing and Volunteering

    Love the satisfaction and helpfulness you feel when you have completed a volunteer project? Craving some vacation time away from the office?  Voluntourism, or volunteer travel, combines your need for a break away from the mundane to an exciting place while simultaneously filling that humanitarian instinct. Champion a Cause Do you have something that’s important to you?  Show you care and find a group, a travel company or non profit that offers a program for you to be able to help build a house, help a sick or endangered animal or rebuild a community after a natural disaster.  If nothing comes to mind right away, no problem!  This may be…