Expand Your Horizons

THIS BOOK CONTAINS 50 COLOR PHOTOS.

Do you want a unique travelogue that advocates for volunteer adventures around the world as inspiration for serving others? Here is a resource that can provide encouragement for doing different things and motivation to consider the amazing experiences waiting for you.

The book is organized thematically and not chronologically with full details of twenty-seven adventures with fifty color photographs. Chapter One is general information; Two uses trips to illustrate the Magic of First Events and Challenging Changes; Three introduces Friends and Family to the joy of volunteering with two guest contributors each reporting on their individual experience; Chapters Four through Nine cover specific topics- Archaeology, Education, Housing, Senior and Women’s Programs, Miscellaneous Projects, and Support for the Cuban People. Chapter Ten describes the process I used for preparation to Start the Journey- (follow the template or use it for ideas to create your personal volunteering goals for serving others) and Appreciation for all who supported my passion for participating in domestic and international opportunities by sharing many of their experiences with me. Finally, the Supplements are a synopsis of highlights for an additional eight projects with interesting contributions. Since each trip is identified by number, location, solo or with a companion, and project type as a mini essay, it is not necessary to read it from page one to the end. Peruse the Table of Contents and select an order that appeals to you. Travel is not required, but it expedites the transformation of expanding your horizons.

Turn Dreams of Volunteering into Reality. I noticed that after I have been to a country and there is a news article, I usually check it out. Reported news is frequently only unfortunate events (weather disasters, political upheavals, etc.), but I recall my time there and wonder how everyone is coping. Extensive time spent together reinforces similarities and minimizes differences.

Now I want to share why I decided it was time to capture these experiences in a book. There are multiple reasons with creating a legacy by presenting a mini memoir for this aspect of my life which shares honors with inspiration and motivation for considering volunteer service including an education component. I have accumulated a repertoire of a variety of projects with destinations all over the world to use as samples of opportunity choices. I’ll start at the beginning. My first international expedition is also the description of the first Memorable Event which I think is deposited in a vault in my mind that can be retrieved by a thought. I had never considered writing a book and throughout the journey I never kept a journal or any type of diary. However, as soon as I decided to feature this trip, it was if all these details were as vivid as if it happened yesterday instead of mid-1986. That pattern persisted while preparing all the chapters. The only document that I had was a spreadsheet tracking the forty-six trips in almost forty years. I was fortunate to have a valued colleague agree to be my Content Clarification editor whose job was to identify any situations, topics or words that needed to be defined in the text so the reader wasn’t interrupted and required to search the internet for the answer. The goal was to find 100% of these situations and at least discover and fix most of them. Hope we were successful!

I was an active participant during the evolution years of the volunteer choices and opportunities available for ordinary citizens. I continue to use 501(c)(3) designated non-profit organizations which utilize local resources, support the economy, and allow community projects to be maintained after the volunteers have departed; plus schedule tourist events that don’t interfere with the volunteer activity.

Doris Sweet shares most of her travel experiences from the past almost 40 years highlighting LESSONS learned, SURPRISE encounters and BONUS opportunities while serving others. She challenges you to consider volunteering to expand your horizons and provides helpful hints for accomplishing your vision or just enjoy reading a unique travelogue.