When deciding on an international volunteer program, one of the main things that appealed to me about Cross-Cultural Solutions was the idea of the "full experience." When I saw that CCS placed equal importance on volunteering, educational activities, and opportunities for organic cultural exchange, I knew I had found my adventure. And while I knew that I wanted an educational volunteer experience, and I couldn't wait to learn about Thai culture, what I didn't realize was that these cultural activities are more than just educational. CCS includes them in the volunteer experience because they are a key ingredient in impactful volunteer work. Allow me to explain.