Today's Investment Promises Large Returns in the Future! *Investment Tip*

*Reading further may change your life, do so only in EXTREME CAUTION!

Many of us have heard our personal finance talk about investments and about long term yields, riding out the market in the long run, and the fabled rule of '72.

Often times I look at travel in the same way...having been on a few international volunteer trips myself I strongly feel that they are strong investments.

How many times have you heard a person return from a trip and say, "That was not worth my time!"

Take a moment and reflect on some of the positive things you hear when a friend or family member returns from a trip and even more specifically a voluntourism trip:

• "It was awesome! The people were so friendly and the sites were beautiful."
• "I just fell in love with the children, it seemed they could be so happy with so little"
• "I really feel called to help more here in the future, it is so important to me to have a direct personal relationship with the people and the area I am helping with"
• "I want to take my friends so that we can do more together"

Fortunately there is a tide that is turning from travel being mostly "after you retire" to being more and more about "traveling young and traveling often". My point here being:

If the benefits of travel and more specifically Voloutourism are so great and without a doubt will impact everyday that we have left in our lives...WHY WAIT?

I am all for people of every age traveling, but lets use a person who is 70 and a person who is 17. Now lets take the life expectancy of a US citizen at birth (link) 78.11 years. Now we all can agree that a 70 year old and a 17 year old will pull different things from a trip of this nature but for this example let's assume that the experiences they both pull have the same "worth". The trip will impact the 70 year old approximately 8.11 years...pretty good for a couple of weeks of a trip impacting the rest of your life right? Well worth it I would say. But now lets look at the 17 year old 61.11 years of life expectancy left for the trip to make an impact!

As an investment in life, a Voluntourism trip promises to be a great investment. WHY WAIT?!

"The most important investment you can make is in yourself." -Warren Buffet

Tomorrow's blog...What do I need to be happy?

18 days and counting!

18 days until the adventure starts...or has it already started? You see about 13 months ago a decision was made to return to Kenya in the summer of 09. Much has happened in the last 13 months as we have planned and changed plans, invited people to the group and watched people quietly leave the group, dreamed of our time together and now with only 18 days to go it is about to begin.

As for me it will be a wonderfully sweet opportunity to return to a place that has meant so much to me over the past 3+ years. Adventure, friendships, hope...meaning, understanding...and the list goes on. (Have you read Man's Search for Meaning?)

This trip I will take with me 21 people who have never stepped foot on the mysterious continent of Africa, soon after another 15 or so will come and we will welcome them.

What is in the future of this trip? Is it about safari's and animals? schools and orphanages? Is it about being with friends and loved ones? You see I don't think so...Its about so much more.

Tomorrow, I will talk about what I believe is the future of the trip...tune in!
Phill