Having now experienced volunteering at home on the local level and abroad on the international level, I feel I can better describe and comment on my experience with both.

Volunteering at home - great for ¨beginner¨ volunteers new to the volunteering scene and its always great to start making changes in your own backyard. People think that volunteering abroad is more important and effective for ¨changing the world¨ but they fail to realize the help needed in their own hometown. Oftentimes, volunteering back home is much more organized, productive and friendly - they appreciate the help and let you know it, which in turn makes you feel great. I´m so glad I had the opportunity to volunteer at the Working Centre in Kitchener/Waterloo; if I could, I would gladly continue working there next year. The people were so friendly; it was a laid-back yet organized atmosphere and I loved what I was doing. It´s important to enjoy what you´re doing (which is something I struggled with at times this summer) and to feel needed, which staff at the WC always did for me. It´s amazing to me to discover all these opportunities in your hometown; it increases your community awareness and committment, allows you to meet new people outside of your ´bubble´and you know that you´re dedicating your time for a good reason and to a good cause. It also opens your eyes to the world of volunteering and what exactly it entails...which can spark the desire to try volunteering abroad.

Volunteering abroad is an entirely different ball game. It´s more intense, more challenging, more....everything. It´s important to me in the sense that it opens your eyes to the problems that exist internationally; you hear about them but to actually be there and experience it are two separate things. Volunteering at this level can be extremely frustrating - not always (or ever) organized; you don´t often feel needed, useful or like you´re doing any good (another issue I struggled with this summer). It´s even harder if you don´t speak the language. But it teaches you so much about the world, the culture, and yourself. I feel so proud of myself for this summer because I challenged myself in everyway possible, leaving my comfort zone all together, and I managed through it all. Not only does volunteering abroad reveal to you (or it did to me atleast) your naivety of the world and its true workings, but it shows you new aspects of yourself. It tests and increases your adaptability, communication abilities and your strength physically, emotionally and mentally. Also, though it may not feel or seem like it, you can be proud of the mark you leave behind no matter how small. I certainly can´t imagine doing a placement abroad for my first volunteering experience. I think if I had I would have been discouraged from doing it again because it is so different from volunteering back home. But by preparing yourself at home first you can have some expectations and idea of whats to come abroad (even if most of them get crushed!!)

In the end, both types of volunteering are great and I enjoy doing both. It certainly depends on what you´re looking forward and the amount you´re willing to challenge yourself. I love volunteering back home but I would certainly go abroad again to experience volunteering in a new place. Its so fulfilling no matter where you go and its a great new learning experience everytime.

Returning to my comments about some of my struggles this summer. In the beginning I certainly struggled with the lack of feeling useful and needed. It was so unorganized to me and I often was saddedned by my lack of satisfaction with my time in FUNARTE. Once I began to establish more of a routine and get to know people better I started to feel more appreciated. I know that I made no significant changes or am leaving behind any great mark (though I do have those mantas to be proud of!!) but I do finally feel that FUNARTE is appreciative of what I´ve helped with this summer and I too am thankful for what I learned from working here. I learned the power of communicating through art and what strength can stand behind a mural. I learned what poverty looks like and what importance organizations like FUNARTE hold for the children and parents of these communities, teaching their children life lessons that the parents themselves may not be able to teach. At times I did feel like a failure, like I hadn´t learned anything from this summer and that I wasn´t committed enough to the organization. But in reality, its because we´re confused and too hard on ourselves; a human error. After reading Ruby Ku´s blog, I realized that others have felt this way too, and I feel that Ruby articulated nicely my sentiments and the knowledge that we should take away from this experience.To quote the blog of Ruby Ku, who has shown me the true meaning behind what we have done this summer:

¨I was reminded that social transformations are not about heroic actions by one person. Instead, it's a system intertwined with complex relationships. During my time here, I saw what needed to be done, and I did what I could do at the moment. I made the interactions I needed to make. The lessons learned, the friendship built, the understanding created...were all part of what I was meant to do here. Whether or not the system has shifted because of my actions, I don't think that can be easily measured by a simple formula. What matters was, I was part of that system.

"Prepared to learn means, to be disappointed, to be energized, to be up and down, and most of all, to allow for imperfections. The universe gives us extra chances. Every person, contributing what he can, can make a difference, but no one can claim resposibility." - Getting to Maybe¨

Thank you Ruby.