Madagascar was truly an amazing experience! I was lucky enough to not only start with a cross country tour doing lots of exceptional hiking but then spend the remaining six weeks volunteering in a region and village (Andavadoaka, Madagascar) for a cause (marine conservation) that I care about while doing a hobby (scuba diving) that I love.
It doesn't stop there:
* Volunteered in the school teaching English (or in my case simply helping out)
* Was part of a local team that competed in and won the pirogue race during Blue Ventures' Open Day.
* Participated in a guest for a homestay in a nearby village of Tampolove where I learned about various land initiatives like sea cucumber farming.
* Helped a PhD candidate with his research regarding reptiles and deforestation...
* And in the last few days we went on a camping trip to dive in another area about 1-2 hours away via pirogue. Speaking of pirogues - most all trips involved them with one particular incident being similar to the movie "The Perfect Storm".
In all honesty, at times I felt guilty because I was receiving so much that I felt like I should be giving even more.
...and found myself in the start of a new relationship with an incredible man....or did it find me? I guess it is true - when one least expects it, it happens while you are doing something you love or in the least likeliest of moments. For me - in a small fishing village thousands of miles away from home.
I wrote more about my trip mostly discussing the principle about doing what I loved while giving back. I hope to circulate it before posting on here for others to read. For those of you interested to learn more about the NGO - Blue Ventures - I went with and possibly join an expedition, the website is www.blueventures.org
