GIVE Laos: Community Empowerment & Wildlife Conservation

There truly aren’t enough words to describe my love for Laos. This trip has been life changing in so many aspects that I can’t even begin to describe. Arriving to the village after a 4 hour car ride and 2 hour boat ride, to see so many smiling faces eager to help you carry your bags is something I will never forget. I will never forget the children and ladies who remembered my name and would say hi to me as I walked through the village. I will never forget the smiles on the kids’ faces every morning as I walked into class. I will never forget the endless piggyback rides that were given to the kids, or the nights that were spent teaching the ladies in the village. I’ll never forget the laughs we shared as a group, the smiles we shared, and even the cries we shared. We shared so many memories that I wish I could go back and experience 1,000 times over again. We ate every meal together, hiked together, rice farmed together, danced with one another, cracked so many jokes together, checked in on eachother… the list goes on. We all endured so much together, and I wouldn’t trade any of it for the world. Without the help of any of my tour guides, none of this would have truly been possible. They gave us pep talk after pep talk and constantly encouraged us. If you were to have told me at the beginning of the trip that I would have been 8,000 miles away from home without service for 9 days and still had the best experience of my life, I probably wouldn’t have believed you, but I’m so glad I can look back at this trip with so much gratitude and love. To the cute kids who helped put a smile on my face when I was down, to the ladies who always uplifted my mood and gave me a laugh when needed, and to the other volunteers and guides who were there for me every step of the way, thank you. Khawp jai lai lai, Laos! You’ll always hold such a special place in my heart.

I went on every Southeast Asia trip, and I do not have a single regret. Each trip is unique and provides different opportunities to interact with the country, culture, and people. I genuinely was able to connect with not only those in the group, which I have made some lifelong friends by, but also the locals in every place that I have visited. In Laos specifically, after spending an incredible 9 days in Sop Chem working, teaching, and living with the locals, I feel as if I truly gained a second family. Even though we weren’t able to communicate all the time, I feel as if I was apart of their village. I was constantly playing games with all of the kids and learning from our locals guides and locals about the life of someone who lives there. We got to participate in local cultural ceremonies such as the Baci ceremony, where the locals get to thank you and give blessings and wishes to you as we get to eat, dance, and enjoy each other’s presence. It is these moments that I will remember forever and carry all of the lessons I’ve learned with me no matter where I go.

I had an amazing experience in Laos! I really enjoyed our time in Sop Chem! The locals were very nice and welcoming and I had a lot of fun playing uno with the children! I am grateful for being able to learn about permaculture. Overall I would highly recommend this trip to anyone who is interested in travel or sustainable agriculture.