Thirty years ago, when I was twenty-two years of age, I saw a large, glossy poster advertising for volunteers for an expedition to Peru. The image that fired my imagination was of Machu Picchu, the historic Inca citadel situated on top of a mountain 2,430 meters above sea level, between the Amazonian rainforest and the Andes mountains.
I knew instantly that one day I would travel there. However, life gets in the way of such dreams and my trip to Peru was relegated to the bucket list of things to do before I die.
Fast forward thirty years to 2021, I am now fifty- two years old and back at University, just about to start the second year of my English Language Degree. I had a chance conversation with my nephew, Luke (also a degree student), during the long summer break about how I needed something to do in the holidays and he suggested a volunteering holiday with International Volunteer HQ (IVHQ).
I took note of the email address and thought I should look into it later.
A few weeks passed and the note with the website of IVHQ re-appeared on my desk. I thought I would be too old but when I opened up the website and read the volunteers’ comments, I was surprised to learn that I would not be considered as ‘ancient’ or ‘past it,’ as there were reviews from volunteers much older than me.
I found that you could travel all over the world with this organization and volunteer in a variety of roles, but first I had to pick a country. I scrolled through all the available countries and placements on offer and started to do my research.
I looked at Madagascar, Belize, and a number of other countries, and then I stopped scrolling. My cursor had landed on Cusco, Peru. The image staring back at me was the same one I saw from thirty years ago, Machu Picchu.
Could I do this? Yes, I definitely could. A wave of excitement swept over me and I eagerly opened up the page of volunteer roles available, and then I saw it…. Teach English in Cusco. Yes, I absolutely could do this.
I applied immediately, listing all the teaching experience and qualifications I had, clicked send, and I had a reply within 48 hours.
I’d been accepted… I was ecstatic. I was finally going to have the experience of a lifetime, a trip to Cusco, Peru and …Machu Picchu in June 2022. It wasn’t just a holiday either, I was going to teach English and I’d be living with a local family…
And the best bit, I’d be there for Inti Raymi, the festival of the Inca Sun God.
How excited am I.