Follow Up

You do recall, Gentle Readers, that Ms Budget Travel predicted some changes in tourism for 02, do you not? Well, bless her cantankerous heart, Ms Budget Travel has lazed around on the chaise lounge this past week getting downright soppy. You do recall, don't you? She predicted that in 2002 more Gentle Readers would be interested in volunteer opportunities that involve travel.

Ms, Budget Travel has a confession to make, she has a glimmering shred of not-yet-dead idealism locked deep inside the mechanism she uses to pump blood and alcohol through her system, she really is hopeful that the hideous tragedy of September 11th will leave some of us more desirous of learning about the rest of the world and helping out while we do. So, before she finishes an entire bottle of wine, she's going to pass along a few links to programs that will help you help the world.

Traveling toward a better world . . .

For over two decades Council Travel has been a leader in student travel. From their worldwide offices they assist back-packers, students, and wandering just-out-of-university-for-a-gap-year types get from Sydney to Paris to Hong Kong to Boston. They also broker a wide range of volunteer opportunities for eco-activists, socially-concerned, or curious folks. Most of their programs are for the under 30 and fit, however, if you are over fifty and wheezing it's still worth a look at http://www.counciltravel.com

http://www.studyabroad.com/exp.html will you to a study and volunteer abroad search engine. Before you go further Ms Budget Travel needs to warn you most international volunteer opportunities require you to pay your own freight, you'll need air fare and money for incidental expense, so keep your day job until you leave your home country.

"Abroad" isn't always Africa and travel doesn't always route you through Kuala Lumpur. http://www.crossculturalsolutions.org/ will tell you about Cross Cultural Solutions, a service organization founded on the belief that people of each culture know what is best for their own community but that people of other cultures can assist them in achieving it. In addition to programs in India, Cuba, and China, Cross Cultural Solutions partnered with the Red Cross and has provided over 5000 volunteers to assist with efforts at the World Trade Center site. If you are in the New York area you are only a subway ride away from their relief effort, that's about as budget travel as it gets.

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