It's my birthday tomorrow and i have three presents for you! 1️⃣ I will open up the paid interactive modules for $ 3 each 👉 starting today until sunday evening! They're easy to follow, don't take up much of your time. Promise!! So grab your chance now in the Classroom and look for: ✅ Culture Shock and Reverse Culture Shock ✅ Creative Fundraising Let me know about your favorite AHA-moment afterwards! 🤩 2️⃣ My other community ✍️Culture Shock Talk is open for FREE SIGN UP starting now untill sunday evening! If you are interested in reading other people's stories and writing about your Culture Shock experiences then that's the place to be! 3️⃣ I have made two very helpful guides for you, it covers talking about what you feel when you are in the frustration phase of Culture Shock, how to communicate it with your support network, and how your network can communicate with you! So it's helpful both ways ❣️ I will upload the full guides tomorrow in the Classroom, but here are the (teaser) one pagers already! Culture Shock Support Guide & What to tell the people supporting you.

Yesterday i got inspired by Linda Roser in het super powerful community Neurospicy Freelancers to create a list of good books to read. I started by adding a few books i personally like, added by Linda's recommendation of The Art of Travel, by Alain De Botton. Do you have any books you love about any of the topics in this community? You can add them here : Book Recommendations If you want to check out Linda's community, have a look here: https://www.skool.com/neurospicy-freelancers/about?ref=3132d935158a4df6a5b3c77eee36ba6b 👉 For neurodiverse volunteers; you might find some interesting resources that can also help with your volunteer journey and work environment abroad.

I am seeing a lot of Facebook Pages about volunteering abroad on my Facebook timeline. Most have a lot of followers, and a pretty active community, but a lot of posts are the same. 'Hey, i am ... and i am looking for volunteer work in ..., I am currently in ... and will be travelling to ... in 4 weeks. Let me know if you need help with something. And then 10-20 replies of people sharing they could use some help with building something, or animal care, or farmwork. It is usually short term volunteering that is sought and asked for. No real preparation needed. Just a way of life. I do wonder about impact though. Can these short term 'hi and byes' mean something to the communities? Is it just low paid or free work that is done? Is it just something nice for the Instagram Page? Don't get me wrong. I did a short term volunteer week myself in Equador back when I was 20 or so. In the Jungle. I don't remember much of it, only that i slept in a hammock in the jungle with 5 other people and some sort of a guide. And that i got stung by a giant ant which resulted in a swollen hand. But i don't remember any talks with community, sense of usefulness, or anything else i hoped to find. This experience taught me that i wanted only long term volunteering placements in the future. Minimum 6 months. I was thinking to make a list of Facebook groups together, as i think a lot of you are looking for volunteer opportunities. But this community is not the same as those facebookpages. No quick match site. So i wonder if we can compile a list of facebookgroup names for people who ARE looking for short term volunteering places. But than only trustable FB pages. I don't know many, so i need your help with it. The first one that comes to mind that i hear many young volunteers talk about is Workaway. Give me a thumbs up under this post if this is what can be helpfull for you. If more that 5 people give a thumbs up i will create a list that we can all write in. 👍

If you're raising money for a project you truly believe in, this is your reminder to keep going. Fundraising is about giving people the opportunity to be part of something meaningful. Not everyone will donate. Some people won't reply. Others may say no. That can feel personal, but it really isn't. Every "no" brings you closer to a "yes." Remember why you started. Think about the children, families, animals, communities, or projects you're trying to support. They are the reason you're showing up, even when asking feels uncomfortable. Start small. Share your story. Be genuine. Let people see why this cause matters to you. You don't need thousands of followers or a viral post. Sometimes one person who believes in your mission can make an incredible difference. Keep asking. Keep sharing. Keep believing in your cause. 🫶 Every donation, no matter how small, is proof that someone believes in the impact you're trying to make. What's your fundraising goal, and what project are you raising money for? Share it in the comments, we'd love to cheer you on! 💚

One thing I've learned over the years is that culture shock doesn't only happen to volunteers. It affects expats, international students, immigrants, digital nomads, long-term travelers, exchange students, and even people returning home after living abroad. And no matter who you are, one thing makes it easier: Talking about it. That's why I've started a second Skool community called Culture Shock Talk. While The Volunteer Lounge will always be dedicated to volunteers and volunteering abroad, Culture Shock Talk has a broader focus. It's a community blog where people living between cultures can read, write, and share their experiences with culture shock and reverse culture shock. The idea is simple: 📝 Read stories from others. ✍️ Blog Along by sharing your own experiences. 💬 Join conversations with people who truly understand what it's like to adapt to a new culture - or to come home and realize home feels different too. I genuinely believe that recognizing and talking about culture shock makes it less overwhelming. Sometimes all it takes is reading someone else's story and thinking, "That's exactly how I feel." If you've experienced culture shock yourself, I'd love to see you there! And if you know someone who might enjoy it - a friend who's an expat, an international student, a digital nomad, an immigrant, a frequent traveler, or someone who's recently returned home after living abroad-please invite them too. I've opened it up for a small montly $7 price, with 7 day free trial, and you can use your affiliate link for this! So start thinking who you know and you can earn some money referring the right people who like to Blog Along! 👉🏻 Find the community here: https://www.skool.com/culture-shock-talk/about The more voices we have, the more stories we collect. And every story has the potential to help someone else recognize their own experience and feel a little less alone. ❤️ I hope to see some familiar faces in Culture Shock Talk... and don't worry, The Volunteer Lounge isn't going anywhere! This will always be home for everything related to volunteering abroad.