From Heels to Keds

"Let's go talk in the conference room."
Uh oh.
With those words, I knew it was time to come clean. My boss needed to talk to me about my holiday schedule (2 1/2 months early!), and I needed to tell him I was quitting. He gave me his spiel and when it was my turn, my obligation, to tell him none of what he just said mattered because I was leaving anyways, my palms started to sweat and I thought I might start stuttering. So I smiled nervously, said I had to go, and on my way to the door, I said I'd talk to him tomorrow.
I left that day with a big decision: do I stay in a job that is secure and is clearly the safe choice in the midst of all the economy problems, or do I essentially close my eyes and jump? The problem is that I like my work, and I feel like my work likes me. But, the hours I put in make it nearly impossible to have time for anything else, and I hate how this past summer seemed to breeze by. I feel like I’ve been selfish with my time, and I get this nagging sense that maybe I should do something for someone other than me.
So, I would like to say I walked into that conference room the next day and told my boss of my plans with an air of confidence. I did tell him, but it was less than graceful. When I was done with my speech, my boss was more confused than I was. But, after a few follow-up questions, we established that I needed to leave to "find myself", and a volunteer vacation was the best way for me to do it.
Now, there are two different pictures that pop into my head when I think of volunteer vacations, and over the next few months of unemployment, I intend to discredit each one. My friend Kelly went on a volunteer vacation in Madagascar a few years back and ended up digging ditches for two weeks. She left Africa without seeing any lions or tigers. My other friend Adam went to South America for two months on what he said was international aid work, but his blogs reported more on his drinking habits than anything else.
After careful research and months of planning, I decided I'm headed to Thailand first, to a school that teaches underprivileged kids English. I'm trading in my heels for Keds (you know, the white Grandma shoes? You’ve got to admit, they’re cheap and practical), and will pinch pennies so I can make the most of my time there, helping out the locals.
I hope that you will join me over the next few months of this journey of self-discovery. I promise to entertain you with stories, and help you plan your next trip overseas, whether it is on a volunteer vacation or just for pleasure. There's a lot that Americans should know when visiting foreign countries, and I hope you can learn from my mistakes and experiences. Thanks for reading, and wish me luck!