This is my favorite topic. I have moved often, first alone and later with my family, adjusting to life in different places, re-adjusting back home again. Growing up in the Netherlands and living in Indonesia for 17 years, I can say those are the 2 countries that feel like home to me. Follow this channel if you are feeling lost while adapting to a new place, if you want to inspire others by sharing your win-moments, or if you want to learn more about navigating the stages of culture shock. Resources to help you will be available in the Classroom soon!

I've been building this one for a while, and I'm really happy with how it turned out. It's not a checklist. It's not "Did you book your flights yet?" It goes deeper than that. The quiz looks at six things that actually determine whether your volunteer experience will be meaningful: your motivation, your cultural awareness, your practical prep, what you genuinely have to offer, your emotional readiness, and whether you've chosen your programme wisely. 24 honest questions. 😊 You get a personal score, a breakdown by area, and specific guidance based on where you are right now. I built it because I've seen too many volunteers arrive unprepared. Not logistically, but in the ways that matter most. This quiz helps you figure out what to work on before you go. Head to the Classroom to take it. And if you want to share your score or talk through your results, drop it in the comments here. I would love to hear where people land. 👇

I just uploaded a Beta-version of the interactive E Book Creative Fundraising. Please let me know if this is helpful information for you in the comments below. Any feedback is greatly appreciated! Because there are so many apps and possibilities worldwide, just add options in the comments below if you have experience with good donor CRM / Tools and so on! This file is a starter tool from which you can begin to outline your ideas and the steps you need to take to raise funds for your project.

You step off the plane with a backpack full of ideals and a heart full of good intentions. ❤️ In your head, the story is already written. You arrive at your volunteer project, the local community welcomes you with open arms, and within a few days, you’ve made friends for life. But the reality on that first Monday? Everyone is busy. People are speaking a language you don’t understand. They smile kindly, but then continue with their own families, their own struggles, and their own lives. I recently spoke to a volunteer who experienced exactly this. He was working on a healthcare project in Ghana, and during his first week, he felt incredibly lonely. He felt like the project didn't really need him there. One of the biggest misconceptions about volunteering abroad is the idea that connection happens automatically. That because you came to help, people will instantly welcome you into their world. What we often forget is this: local communities were already complete before we arrived. They have their own rhythms, inside jokes, traditions, and social circles. Deep friendships there are earned too, not by working harder or trying to “fix” things, but simply by showing up consistently and authentically. Real connection rarely happens through grand gestures. It happens in the small, ordinary moments: - helping with the dishes without being asked, - awkwardly dancing to music you’ve never heard before, - admitting that you also don’t have all the answers. I hear this frustration a lot, the disappointment when the “real” connection doesn’t happen immediately. But the most meaningful conversations usually begin the moment you stop trying to be the hero (and I mean this in a good way - I've been there myself 😉). When you let go of expectations. When you become a learner instead of a savior. Real friendship takes time, patience, and humility. It requires letting go of the picture you created in your head, so you can truly see the person standing in front of you.

Let’s get to know each other! Drop a comment below and share where you are in the world, plus a photo of your workspace — whether it’s a beach, jungle, camp, or wherever you call home right now 😊.