France à l'arrivée

Luckily it was only
for half an hour!

I arrive in Calais via the euro-tunnel, a surprisingly fast, convenient and only slightly nerve-wracking experience (for someone who has never used the service before and by themself!). I got onto a train 2 hours earlier than I had booked, with no extra charge, which was wonderful, as I was expecting to pay around £10.  

Upon arriving in Calais, I found my network provider had *poof* vanished, into thin air. Considering my phone (like many millions of other phone users), rely on their network providers not only for communication but as a satnav, I was quite at loss at what to do. I didn't have directions to the hotel as I assumed (as with my previous network), the service would continue through another provider. Alas, the lovely lady in the first petrol station out of the tunnel gave me directions to the general area of the hotel (as she wasn't too sure which one it was exactly). After only getting a little lost for a short while, I stumbled across the hotel. I requested a quiet room... I'm pretty sure I'm the youngest in this side of the hotel by a considerable number of years. But that's fine, youths (or yuv's) do my head in anyway!* 

Room with kind of a view.
You also have a lovely home, sir!

I immediately open the windows to my room, to let the stifling and still hot air out, just a stones throw from the beach and overlooking a mosaic of gardens. I hear the twittering of birds instantly and the sounds of lorries, trucks and revving engines slowly disappear.

I've come for nature, and nature pays me back tenfold.

*Retracting my statement about quiet old people, right load of noisy *****

France

...before I go

I mentioned in my last post, that I'm about to go volunteering in France. 

The placement came about through looking for volunteer placements that didn't cost too much, that had the combination of a holiday and working and was a new type of adventure. 

I found workaway; an organisation where you can search for a unpaid, voluntary work and contact a variety of hosts; this can be anything from conservation work to child minding to working in a hotel. 

This is by no means an endorsement of the company, and anyone interested must do their own research before commencing. 

I want adventure in the
great wide somewhere

I was quite keen to go to France; I've been once before, in my long-forgotten days of studying Art and Design, when we went to Paris to peruse the stunning Louvre and Rhodin galleries. I've always wanted to ramble through the French countryside and absorb the natural curiosities that it envelopes. It might have had something to do with Beauty and the Beast and their petites villes de province (small provincial towns). I've always wanted to road trip too. I love driving, it relaxes me and on a wide open country road, there's nothing more freeing! 

After plenty of scouring and some false starts, I emailed a family that sounded lovely with lots of land and work to be done. They asked if I could come to do some species identification and survey work, just so they knew what animals they had and how to find mega and mini beasties. In exchange for work, I am being fed and housed, which is brilliant; as most people know, money is mostly spent on accommodation and food when traveling. 

So I go, tomorrow. I start my epic (mini-epic - epic for me) road trip to France. I've very excited. I haven't quite packed just yet, and still have a million and one, normal everyday things to finish. I have gone much further than France but this is my first time driving abroad. As I mentioned earlier, I'm always looking for a new type of adventure; some trips are big and daunting, others can be something small but equally as rewarding. 

There are so many things that are baffling my brain about driving abroad, that go beyond just the wrong side of the road; making sure I have enough of and the right type of fuel... going the wrong way round on a roundabout... what do I do if I get a flat tyre... they're actually all basic worries, that when you're travelling in the UK (if this is where you normally drive!) you don't even think about. But the prospect that you have to navigate your way around this in another language, makes the whole thing ten times scarier! 

One thing I haven't addressed is that I'll be travelling by myself. 

This is not the first time I've traveled abroad as a single traveler. I've been called all sorts of names because I'll to go places by myself: brave, idiot, nutter, bonkers, fool, insane... mainly by family and friends. 

I got fed up of waiting for friends to go travel; travel somewhere further afield that the all-inclusive pool and bar. I enjoy being busy, investigating and going on an adventure. 

A sunbathing holiday is nothing less than the most incredibly boring thing you can possibly do (or at least, it is for me). 

I used to work with a couple who went to Cuba for their anniversary. I've seen so many National Geographic images of Cuba; their vintage cars and painted buildings, parties in the streets... it looks incredible, and is high on my list of places to visit. 

I asked if it looked as amazing as the photos I'd seen, if the cars are really 1950's American vintage, to which they replied "we didn't leave the resort". 

Such a wasted opportunity. 

So I have my survey equipment, including bat detector, pooter and quadrat and I'm eager for this little adventure...

I'm hoping, when possible, to keep you updated on our finds and sightings, and how you can conduct your own surveys in your gardens or by getting involved with local charities. 

Any questions about volunteering abroad, please contact me through the comments section! 

Volunteering: An Introduction

I've recently finished my degree in Wildlife Conservation, it was stressful and occasionally infuriating, but I loved it. Every minute. Apart from the minutes where I wanted to go Hulk on certain individuals for making the experience - and my life - an unnecessary nightmare. But this isn't the place for that!

It was volunteering that made me go back to school as a 'mature student'. By school, I mean college and university. Which I never thought I'd ever do.

Regardless of if you're after a career change or just want to try something different, volunteering is an amazing thing to do. 

What's more valuable than time? 

What's more rewarding than knowing you're helping a cause that means so much to you? 

There are so many places that need volunteers, whatever cause is closest to your heart, I guarantee, volunteering will add something to your life and something crucial to your chosen organisation. 

The latest Dementia Friends ad is so lovely. Something as simple as speaking to someone has a profound effect - it helps them socially, allows them to air their worries, stresses and helps develop friendships.

I volunteer with my local RSPB group; I started in 2011, when they opened their new reserve (which is stunning, by the way!) and even though I could never help as much or as often as I wanted (due to uni and working) every time I could volunteer, it was always a warm welcome, carrying on as though I had never left. 

The staff and volunteers have always been amazing; you meet new people, share stories, work as a team - you are valued beyond belief. 

More than any paid employment can be - where you're just a number and are easily replaceable. 

In exchange, I've had some fantastic experiences; helping RSPB and Wirral Country Park rangers with a 'Tea at Hilbre' event (Hilbre is a stunning little island off the coast of the Wirral, with birds, seals and dolphins - dolphins aren't always guaranteed), venturing out with Mersey Ferries for some seabirding (that might be a word) and high tide at Parkgate (which is quite an event!). Sometimes I think I've got more back than what I've given! 

I first volunteered for a local AmDram society, helping on productions of Terry Pratchett's Wryd Sisters and Calamity Jane. It was awesome, at the time I was still interior designing and wanted to move into stage and set design (some long-forgotten pastlife, though occasionally getting the urge to redecorate). 

You don't have to volunteer for a charity, if that doesn't float your boat. You can volunteer for you local council run woodland rangers, at a school or hospital, amateur dramatics or football team. 

My bad?

The volunteering event that got me on the track to exploring nature and wildlife? 

A volunteer trip to Thailand - working with elephants. I did it as an 'experience' trip. I love elephants. Anyone who knows me, knows that. Always have. I blame Babar. 

It was incredible. Actually getting up close to an elephant was a life changer...I probably should have seen that coming.

But I'll waffle on about this and my other volunteer experiences another time; I will  also discuss voluntourism (volunteer-tourism) projects and the good and bad ones too - what you should look out for, really. 

This was just an introduction to volunteering; whether you volunteer abroad once, to help out a family or an organisation or you'd rather volunteer on a more regular basis locally, I promise you, you won't regret it! 

Volunteering has taken me to Thailand, Indonesia and Sri Lanka. 

My next volunteer project is with a family in France. I hope to be blogging about my experiences whilst I'm out there.

And, in the end, the love you take, is equal to the love you make 

(The End, The Beatles)