As part of my sabbatical year, I decided I didn’t want to just sit around and eat bocadillos and drink great 2€ bottles of wine (one of the best things about Spain - not sure how I’ll ever pay for wine in the US again), but actually do something useful, like volunteering. So for 2 weeks this past August, I did just that, with a company called International Volunteer HQ (IVHQ). Earlier this summer, I began to do some research and came across IVHQ. The organization is based in New Zealand but partners with local non-profit volunteer organizations around the world to help coordinate and provide volunteer placement. I wanted to stay in Spain for my first volunteering experience, so I was happy to see that they had opportunities through a local non-profit called Serve The City, in Madrid. IVHQ is a great organization for global volunteering opportunities. They are very responsive to e-mails, and provide the support and peace of mind that you need when you are about to get on a plane and travel halfway around the world. There are dozens of different types of projects that local NGOs (non-governmental organizations) need help with. The projects range from teaching English to children or adults, working on an environmental or agriculture conservation project, working with special needs individuals, helping with renovation or construction, and more. I had quickly realized while doing research that I would probably be the oldest one in the program, but I signed up Continue Reading