If you like traveling, you probably also have the great skill of planning. It’s been a wonderful gift that has let me strengthen and build so many relationships, travel to so many places, and make crazy fun memories. The best part about being a natural born planner is that I’ve been able to use it to do some amazing things to be more involved in my community.

A takeaway during my time abroad is that the heart of anywhere you go is always with the community. It’s what makes traveling so fun for me, and inspires me to invest time to make my own home a better place. If I can help you get involved in your community or just brainstorm ways to get out there (!!) please let me know.

In Fall of 2015, a few friends and I started a new charter in Oakland– Oakland Youth Leadership America, a non profit that works teams up with a group of high school students to plan out a program that teaches other high school students essential skills: budgeting, public speaking, networking. My ability to plan, keep organized, stick to a schedule... and event planning, came in so much handy for this! We’ve been able to schedule fundraisers to raise over $10,000, partner with leading tech companies (s/o to Microsoft for a partnership of over $5,000 with in-kind donations), and plan some great company tours all over the Bay Area.

If you’re more low key, and don’t have time to start something yourself, one of the things I’ve learned that works is setting up volunteer events with friends! My New Year’s Resolution was to set up a volunteering event with friends to work in a soup kitchen to feed the homeless. SO EASY TO PLAN, and you’d be so surprised by how many people will support you and want to get involved! Just create a Facebook event, set up a poll to determine interest, and post details a few days before the event!

When you’re living abroad, sometimes it is harder to start things if you don’t have the right network. I encourage joining events + organizations so that you can get involved. In Argentina, I went with Uber to help build houses in neighborhood around Buenos Aires, and in China, I went with Tsinghua to teach students (to read more about my experience click here).

Sometimes it can be scary to put yourself out there (especially in a foreign country) but each time I have been a part of a volunteer event, I have always left with a new found appreciation of all the grateful things in my life as well as a new understanding of the country. I hope this encourages you to get out there!