We were able to interact first hand with all the people that our projects were influencing, so there was no doubt that everything we did was meaningful. Dine (volunteer coordinator) obviously lives for this work and I could not imagine a more wonderful experience, honestly. We had plenty of time to see all the major tourist attractions in and around Siem Reap. We did not have as much down/free time as I expected and that actually made me happy, I was extremely happy to be busy, I felt like I was helping as much as possible. What can I say about the food!? It was AMAZING, we ate so much :) The accomodations were perfect, the location was good, it was clean and comfortbale, and the staff were beyond friendly. I've traveled enough to have changed how I view my own culture, but this definitely gave me even more perspective. It created feelings of appreciation and guilt, appreciation for everything we have here in the States and guilt over how much we wase and how many people do not realize how fortunate we are. I was extremely moved by the people of Cambodia, especially the ones we got to know through volunteering. They are so friendly and happy, even though so many of them have so little. The children we met through the program were smart and gracious, they spoke better English than most of the locals, and that is obviously a direct result of the Globe Aware program.
I liked Dine the best, he really is amazing and has an energy I've never experienced. He is the reason we all felt we were honestly making a difference in people's lives, because he does this all day everyday (so we knew the work would continue long after we were there). I honestly loved every part of this trip.
I honestly cannot express how meaningful and life-changing this experience was. I cannot imagine a better coordinator than Dine, who is so passionate in helping others. I woud highly recommend this to anyone and will definitely participate in another Globe Aware program, hopefully in the not too distant future!. - Brandy Linnenkohl, March 2012
