If you have a month or more to spare, destination immersion could be a good fit for you. Immersing yourself in the culture, language and life of a corner of the world you don’t typically inhabit can be an incredible way to travel. While not every traveler has the time (or energy or desire) for destination immersion, if you think you might like it read on to learn more.
First off, destination immersion is a serious commitment to make. It can require taking off significant time from work (or finding a way to work away from the office), leaving behind family, friends and the comfort of home, and finding a way to make a new, if impermanent, life in a new place. It’s totally normal to go into immersion with some anxiety, but if you have serious reservations it may be that destination immersion simply isn’t right for you at that point in your life. You should be sure you have enough time, energy and money for destination immersion before heading off into the great wild yonder.
Image source: Flickr
And now to the fun part: a look at the different types of destination immersions that exist, and some of the locations you might consider immersing yourself in:
1. Work
Think about the skills you use in your daily life or job, and think about how those might be applicable to work in another part of the world. Love working with kids? Consider checking out one of the many teaching opportunities that offer people the chance to live abroad in exchange for sharing their knowledge. Fan of the great outdoors? Environmental and conservation organizations are often looking for long-term employees to help keep the world green. ImmersionTraveling.com has a great list of websites to check out for other job opportunities abroad.
Some suggested locations to work abroad: South Korea, Spain, China
Image source: Wikipedia
2. Volunteer
If you can afford to work in exchange for room or board, volunteering may be your best bet. Many volunteer positions are given to people who can commit for at least a few months. One of the best parts of volunteering is that all kinds of places need volunteers – so you can find something to do in just about any field you can imagine. Fair warning: many (but not all) volunteer locations ask you to cover your room and board, along with travel costs – make sure you do your research before signing on to any opportunities!
Some suggested locations to volunteer abroad (for free or the costs of travel only): VE Global programs in Santiago, Chile, ecovolunteering in Costa Rica, Hope Development in Uganda or Kenya
Image source: Wikipedia
3. Figure it out as you go
If you’d rather go with the flow, there’s nothing wrong with just picking up and immersing! Do make sure you know a little bit about the culture of the place you’re heading to, and unless you’re super confident about your ability to find work, go with enough money to cover costs if you can’t find work right away. While this kind of travel is definitely the most flexible option, it’s not for the faint of heart!
Image source: Wikipedia
If you find yourself with a big chunk of time and a hankering to really get to know a different part of the world, destination immersion might be a dream come true. Happy adventuring!
Have you experienced destination immersion? Share your story with us in the comment section below. If you’re looking to book a trip, our travel agents would be happy to help you.
Sources: Immersion Traveling, International TEFL Academy, Volunteer Forever
