Hello, wanderlusting women of the world! My name is Charyn (pronounced chair-in) Pfeuffer (like Michelle) and I'm the newest member of the Jane Air Crew. Thank you for sharing some cyber time with me; it's a pleasure to meet you.
I'll keep the get-to-know-me pleasantries to a minimum. My favorite color is green. I dig hardware stores, mint chocolate chip ice cream, mid-century furniture, being near water, being near mountains, road-trips, the first night of staying solo in a hotel, things that are salty, handwritten thank you notes, being barefoot, all products relating to the almighty pig, Monday afternoon matinees, collecting stamps on my passport, meeting new people, studying maps, independent bookstores, beets, Marimekko patterns, hard cheese, raw fish, rare meat, Sin City in 72-hour spells, Scrabble, anything with bubbles (especially if it's pink), and volunteering.
I did not grow up in a household/environment where volunteerism was encouraged, so my interest in giving back in a service sense wasn't sparked until I ventured into the real world on my own.
My first extensive volunteering experience was with the Women's Cancer Resource Center (WCRC) in Berkeley, California. After intensive training on listening and empathy, I answered the Information and Referral Helpline for eight hours every Wednesday. Consoling panicked women in the throes of a cancer diagnosis, treatment, or, God forbid, the final stages of life, was oftentimes unnerving. But I often found it cathartic to provide comfort to my callers. And I learned a very basic lesson - sometimes people just want to be heard. I didn't have to have all of the answers, or even an opinion. I just had to sit back, and be kind and compassionate.
Fast forward to a decade plus long career as a full-time freelance food and travel writer and an increasingly crazy travel schedule (more than 100 flights annually) and it's been next to impossible to establish a regular volunteer schedule - something I missed dearly after nearly four years of weekly service at WCRC. When I'm at home in Seattle, I try to volunteer for random one-day projects through the United Way of King County and Seattle Works, like working with Marra Farm Giving Garden and Food Lifeline, but it isn't quite the same.
I've been extremely fortunate in my editorial endeavors - I've authored, co-authored or ghostwritten more than a dozen books and contributed to more than 80 publications, including TravelChannel.com, Destination Weddings & Honeymoons, Sunset, San Francisco Chronicle, National Geographic Traveler, Islands, DailyCandy.com and Seattle Times. But crisscrossing the globe many times in search of (mostly luxury) stories to tell seemed irrelevant in our recent time of recession and left me wanting something deeper.
Over the past few years, I've spent about one third of my time in impoverished Latin American countries and have had trouble reconciling American excesses and priorities upon resuming my post-third world, day-to-day life. It's hard to rationalize that my dog's 15-pound bag of kibble is worth a week's wages in some countries. Or that some women would need to work an 8-hour shift to afford a single girls' night out cocktail (never mind dinner out or a movie). And it's nothing short of inspiring to see people living with so little who are happy and willing to share. It makes you rethink the definition of what it means to lead a "rich" life.
Something had to give, so I made a conscious decision to repurpose my career and intentions, swap my BlackBerry for a backpack (with varying success on giving up the tech), and give back with what I'm calling The Global Citizen Project. I committed to volunteering with 12 community projects in 12 countries over 12 months with the intent of sharing my experiences through my editorial outlets and social media networks.
The timing of The Global Citizen Project coincides with a date of great personal significance - November 8, 2010 was the 20th anniversary of my mother's death from lung cancer. Exactly two weeks before her passing, she disclosed a very short list of end-of-life regrets, including: "I never went to Europe." Her words have inspired me to live a life of travel - fully, spontaneously and with purpose - and The Global Citizen Project helps celebrate her legacy. Also, I am turning 38-years old during The Global Citizen Project - the same age my mother was when she passed away - which makes the project even more personally poignant.
Seven projects in, volunteering on such a committed level has given me a different perspective on life - both personally and professionally - and already, I can tell I'm a kindler, gentler and more tolerant person. For years, people have regarded travel as a way to splurge. But it seems that now, people seek experiences that are more in tune with our personal values and goals. Travel philanthropy and voluntourism are booming, but volunteer travel isn't new; it's been around for decades. One of the best-known volunteer travel organizations is the US Peace Corps, which was started in the early 1960s.
I'd be lying if I said the road to volunteerism is paved only with warm and fuzzy feelings. So far, I've survived two dengue fever epidemics, a bubonic plague outbreak, a mudslide, a tropical storm, gang violence/urban crime, non-existent connectivity, barebones living conditions, bugs as big as my fist, living at altitude, witnessing the death of small children, hot-as-hell weather, and the list goes on. The project has been frustrating at times and has required me to step way out of my comfort zone, but I wouldn't swap the experiences for anything in the world. Not even for hot, consistently running water. I know I've touched the lives of more people than I'll ever know about and that makes it all worth it. The past seven months have tested my strength (both physically and mentally) and endurance and I'm surprised and proud of myself for all of the small and big challenges I've been able to tackle along the way. At this point, I don't think there are too many scenarios I couldn't handle. Besides, when I see people in need and a window of opportunity to help, I find I can pretty much suck up any less-than-stellar scenarios in the name of the bigger picture.
I plan to share my volunteer travel experiences with you during this project and beyond, because after this experience is said and done, sustainability and giving back will inevitably play a big part in my future travel plans. Coupling travel and volunteering has certainly given me a different perspective on the world and local cultures - even places I've previously visited.
No matter what a person's "cause" is, there is a volunteer opportunity to help create positive change. Also, there are a lot of volunteer opportunities that allow the whole family to get involved. Volunteering is not just for grown ups and I wish I'd been encouraged more as a young child to be more aware of the needs of the community around me. Instead, I plan to explore the world a little more mindfully, and hopefully give back and help ease the hardships for some of its neediest people along the way. I hope you'll join me for the journey. See you same place, next month and I'll tell you all about January's volunteer project at AWARE, an animal rescue in Guatemala.
