Veteran Volunteer Travels Abroad
Volunteer: Madeline Chudy
Age: 21
From: Lincolnshire, IL
Occupation: Student
CCS Program Site: Guatemala City, Guatemela
Why did you choose Cross-Cultural Solutions?
I just loved everything about the website. My friend’s sister, and another one of my friends went on the same program and everything that they said about it was so amazing. The website just explained everything about the program, and then I talked to a few people at CCS before I signed up. I also loved that you could go to so many different places and have a say in what you were actually going to do. The special needs volunteer opportunities really grabbed me.
Describe your overall experience.
Well, I would explain it as absolutely amazing. I always tell people it couldn’t have been better. All of the volunteers, the kids that I worked with, the staff, the in-country staff—everyone was just amazing, and everyone was so appreciative of everyone else being there. It was so important to Virginia, the Country Director, that we actually learned about her culture and I know that’s a big thing for CCS.
What was your favorite part about your experience?
I absolutely loved every single day of being at the orphanage with the kids, everything I do is work with people with special needs—whether other volunteer projects at home or my summer job. My favorite day there was Christmas. We had that day off, but I chose to go to the orphanage with the kids, and now I can’t even imagine a regular Christmas at home. Just being able to be there with them as their family, since so many of them didn’t have anyone to come visit. I just want to be there every Christmas.
What surprised you?
I didn’t really know what to expect going into the trip, but I guess what surprised me was just how much the organization wanted us to know about the Guatemalan culture. Within the first few days, we went on this fabulous field trip to Antigua—we saw the ruins of a monastery after one of their biggest earthquakes, they took us to a Mayan market, we saw a traditional Mayan wedding ceremony, and we made tortillas—all in the same day.
How important were the other volunteers to your experience overall?
My family and I are incredibly close—I’ve never been away from them for more than a week. So going away by myself was a huge thing for me. It was really important for me to be close to the other volunteers, so I made it a point to get to know them. They were my family for the two weeks I was there.
Why do you think other people should volunteer abroad?
I think volunteering abroad is just so different from volunteering at home. Volunteering abroad gives you a different culture to experience. With the volunteering that I do at home, everyone is from the same neighborhood, so volunteering abroad just opens your eyes to the world and how people are in other places.
What advice would give to future volunteers?
I think for volunteers that are about to go, just see as much as you can, do as much as you can, go with your eyes open. I’m a pretty shy person, but if I wouldn’t have opened up, I probably wouldn’t have made new friends or had the incredible experience I was able to have. You just have to give it your all, don’t hold back because this is a once in a lifetime opportunity.
