Honestly, a huge part of me wanting to take part in Globe Aware is the travel aspect. I have always loved to travel and I love experiencing new cultures.

But, after traveling to Costa Rica with Globe Aware, my views on travel changed a bit. I can’t begin to say how much I annoyed my mom by telling her that I was done traveling to luxury hotels (she likes that) and sitting on the beach! Yes, that’s nice, but, it’s fantastic to do something real with a vacation. It’s the most amazing experience in the world to go to a different country, see what it’s like beyond the tourist aspect, and help people there.

Kimmy Trauner, past Costa Rica volunteer, going to Cambodia in July 2010