Reverse culture shock: Why aren’t complete strangers talking to me, and where are all the chickens?
From chickens to clothes to children, strangers to straighteners to Spanglish … after two months in Nicaragua, I’m experiencing a little dose of reverse culture shock back here in the UK. Reverse culture shock 1: From morning person to night owl I’m quite happy not being woken up by chickens, monkeys and the 6am bus […]
Case study: how volunteering can help change your career
Meet Mark. He changed his career in his late 40s through volunteering, and now works his dream job as a successful gardener for a stately home in Yorkshire, UK. This is his story of how he “turned a crap situation into a brilliant one”, and his top tips for how volunteering can help change your career. When […]
Returning home to the UK: reflections
“Here’s to journeys near and far, short and long; to the people we meet on the way, and to those we come home to.” I can’t believe it. My month-long trip from Budapest to Athens is at an end. It’s been awesome. From the hospitality in Albania, to the Greeks who kept trying to overfeed […]
What to expect on a yoga retreat
Ooh, it’s a while since I’ve used those hamstring muscles. That’s my initial thought, just five minutes into the first class of a weekend yoga retreat in Devon, UK. Whether it’s for a holiday or as part of a career break, here are my tips on what to expect on a yoga retreat. The format Typically […]
The advantages of volunteering from home
If you’re considering volunteer work on your career break, there are some definite pluses for keeping it close to home. You may be sacrificing the experience of an exotic destination; but being home-based comes with its own set of advantages. Here I explore some of them, plus my own experiences volunteering from home in the UK. […]