Hi all, Today I want to share a little teaser of something that I am working on. When you volunteer abroad, you always go through some or all phases of culture shock, depending a little bit on how similar or less similar the new culture is to your own. I am working on a more transformational module to upload to the Classroom soon. But here is a little guide to start with. Have a look and see if you recognise things, maybe from a current volunteer position or a previous adventure abroad. Would love to read comments below; it can help me shape the content of the new module about Culture Shock. Happy Friday and enjoy your weekend!

Just a quick note: you can easily toggle Notifications On and Off in your settings. But lots of things will happen in this community as it grows, so when you toggle Notifications/Weekly Digest Emails off, please make a note for yourself to check out the community regularly to stay involved and updated! I am looking forward to hosting an active and supportive community, but I am also conscious not to overwhelm people with messages and automatic updates. If you have questions about settings, drop me a note in the personal chat. Always love to help!

I am so glad new members are starting to roll into this community, literally from all over the world. You can see where we all live (approximately) under the Map tab at the top. You can easily start by just writing a short introduction in the comments on the 📌 introduction post, which is located in the main feed. So, please welcome @Belinda Duncan , @Naganandhini Somalinga Mohanlal , @Archiee Sharma , @Mohammad Saad , @Pooja Gujarathi , @Paramjit Aluna , @James Crump , @Susi Sessi , @Pee Kay , @Gurmit Eelman , @Dione Wilson , @Luana Austwick to this space. You are very welcome to share your thoughts as we are growing this group of like-minded people. Please have patience as i am creating materials and finetuning this group so we can all find value in it and enjoy the ride! Cheers from The Netherlands 🇳🇱 Rosalien

Volunteering abroad can be one of the most rewarding experiences of your life. It can also bring unique challenges. Maybe you're excited about making a difference but worried about: ✈️ Leaving your routines behind 🌍 Adapting to a new culture 🧠 Managing overwhelm, anxiety, or sensory overload 💬 Making new connections 🏡 Being far from your support system The good news? You don't have to figure it all out alone. This is a space where neurodivergent volunteers can: ✅ Share experiences and practical tips ✅ Ask questions without judgment ✅ Celebrate wins, big and small ✅ Learn from others who understand ✅ Build confidence for volunteering, traveling, and living abroad To get started, introduce yourself below: 🌟 Your name 🌟 Where you're from 🌟 Where you're volunteering (or hope to volunteer) 🌟 How your neurodivergent brain shows up for you We're excited to get to know you and support you on your journey. 💚

Last week i enjoyed a computer detox (not voluntary, my Mac wouldn't start up). The first few days i felt anxious. Then i just thought, 'hey.. it is not the end of the world, relax' It actually felt nice. It brought me back to the days abroad where we didn't have electricity, or the old laptop had errors (often!) which meant we could't watch DVD's with the other volunteers. We enjoyed many campfires those evenings. So i did the same here at home in The Netherlands. Staring at the fire, thinking what i would create for you this weekend. Something light, something fun. Coming up this weekend! Mac working again! Stay tuned 💚