COUNTRY: Borneo & Cambodia
PROGRAM: GapBreak
PROJECT: Building & Teaching
WRITTEN BY: Clare O'Brien
I literally feel like I've left my family behind. It's been two days since I left Borneo and all I want is for those people to be back in my life. We were the motliest crew ever but we worked.
The last few weeks went by so fast. Our three months of non-stop cementing has also caught up to us and we caught ourselves several times almost falling asleep at work. But all we had to do was remind ourselves of the massive difference this makes to the lives of these children, and we were motivated to keep going. We dug and lifted, carrying massive buckets of heavy soil through the school to build the floor of a shelter for the kids.
Just when we thought we couldn't lift anything more, couldn't smash another rock or mix another pile of cement it was suddenly our second last day of project work, and I'll be damned if we didn't finish on a high, despite the sweltering heat.
We had some of the best fun chilling in the long house making the spare room our home, turning the spare mattresses into a jumping puke and making the camp our playground. The last night though was honestly one of the best. We decided to have a night time game of hide and seak sprinting around camp. When we got too tired to play we all pretty much fell asleep next to each other before we eventually headed to bed.
As we trundled off back to Siem Reap, I couldn't help but reminisce. I know it's corny as hell- but I did it. Sitting in the back of the bus looking at how different our surroundings were to when they first started. I honestly can't even begin to sum up my personal highlights of this incredible journey, but I do know that they all involved the fantastically sassy Zoe, the energetic and gorgeous Brea and the ever-chilled and majestic Stevie.
I am now sitting in a backpackers lodge in Vietnam and I honestly feel like my life has been changed. I would recommend this experience to anyone. If you need a break from normal life, if you want to make a difference somewhere else in the world, whatever the reason- this is definitely something everyone should experience.
As a teenager leaving high school with no real drive or destination, I did feel a bit lost. Now, after finishing three months in an impoverished country I feel like I've gained more than I thought I could. This trip helped to solidify my values and opened my eyes to the world. My trip to volunteer in Borneo and Cambodia with Antipodeans Abroad has been the best decision of my life.
To those that do decide to embark on an expedition such as this, I have this advice: enjoy every moment, don't worry about missing people at home because they'll always be there. This may be your only chance to meet these people, to build a kindergarten for a village, be taught a different language by kids, and travel with people that will soon become like family. I now have so many friends around the world that I can't wait to get back out and see them all.
If there's one thing I know for sure, it's that my lifetime of travelling has only just begun.
Clare O'Brien
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