Get Out There And Help Someone

Most of us adore travel and adventure, but it’s an expensive habit. Even if you stay at hostels instead of hotels, and eat and drink economically, the costs still adds up. I got bitten by the travel bug at an early age and I have to go on some kind of adventure once a year - otherwise I’ll go absolutely mental.

Until recently, I would save up for a year at a time in order to go on two-month trips - and those were trips to Africa and Southeast Asia, the cheapest of the cheap. Then last year, after having acquired both malaria and typhoid in the span of two months in Ghana, I decided I was going to indulge in a trip to Europe - far, far away from tropical disease. Of course, I had to figure out how I was going to find the money for said vacation.

The way I see it, if you’re going to spend upwards of $1,000 in airfare, you may as well stay as long as possible and get the most out of that money. And so, trying to figure out the cost of an extended stay, I tallied up the prices of airfare, food, wine, hostels, and maybe a pair of Italian shoes - and found that the sum total was way out of my price range.

Further, I craved an authentic European experience. I wanted to learn about the land, food, wines, and history from the people who know it best - the inhabitants of whatever country I’d be in at the time. Sure, you can get a tour guide - but that’s pricey, generic, and horribly embarrassing to boot.

In the midst of this quandry, I heard about a volunteer exchange program called WOOF (World Wide Opportunities on Organic Farms). When you sign up with WOOF, you choose the country you wish to go to and pay a fee of about 30 euros (the exact cost varies with each country) – and then you’re made privy to a list of organic farms which need volunteers.

Under the conditions of WOOF, you work on a farm and in return are given room and board, a fantastic learning experience, and the chance to have the most authentic experience within the country you’ll be visiting. The idea first struck me as - for lack of a better word - sketchy. I didn’t really want to sleep in a complete stranger’s house in "Middle of Nowhere", Europe. However, after doing a little research, I learned that all the farms listed are inspected and approved by the staff at WOOF headquarters.

I wanted to go to Italy.  So I paid my fee, had my volunteer card sent to me, and started to scour the descriptions of each farm. I came across one located just outside of the beautiful town of Orvieto, in Umbria. The couple living on this farm had three young boys (I had decided that I trusted parents more than non-parents), and they made olive oil. I exchanged a few emails with Rita, one of the farm’s two owners, and we decided I’d begin my work there the first week in May.

Once I arrived at their beautifully restored villa, with its incredible view of an Umbrian hillside, I knew I had discovered the absolute best way to travel.

Rita is from Sicily, and her husband Rob is from the U.K., so they were both pros in the kitchen. I ate incredibly well, and was allowed to have as much as I wanted of the best olive oil I’ve ever had. Further up the street from their farm was a vineyard, which gave us barrels (and I mean barrels) of delicious wine for 5 euros a piece. My responsibilities mostly involved pruning the olive trees and looking after the couple’s wonderful three-year-old son Freddie while they were at work. I developed a beautiful relationship with the family. They were hilarious, kind, and loving. Needless to say, I had a difficult time saying goodbye when it was time for me to continue on my travels. We still keep in touch regularly, and I’m planning to go back as soon as I’ve saved enough in airfare.   

The moral of the story? If you’re looking to have one of the best travel experiences of your life, and on the most modest budget imaginable, you should sign up as a WOOF volunteer.

Nicole Simon
		About the author:
		Nicole is a Toronto native, who somehow weaseled her way into the Fashion Institute for Design and Merchandising in Los Angeles. There, she majored in Fashion Marketing and Merchandising. Her greatest accomplishments include working as a fish monger for one memorable summer when she was eighteen, and getting scowled at by Judge Judy in line at a restaurant in Manhattan.
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