5 Trips That May Inspire A Career Change

Afar Magazine's co-founder Joe Diaz stopped by to tell us about five trips that could inspire a new career. These trips provide hands-on experience in different jobs around the globe so you can decide if it's the right career for you. At the same time, you'll get to know another culture and work side by side with the local people.

1. Afar suggests a trip with the Tethys Research Institute program in Greece.
• The non-profit organization has been studying whales and dolphins for more than 20 years. You'll work in the Grecian Gulf of Corinth identify threats to the area's short-beaked common dolphins and offer scientific support to conservation efforts.
• The skills you'll learn include how to gather data about dolphin behavior and ecology; how to track individual animals by photographing their dorsal fins; how to raise awareness in the community and work with local fishermen to protect the dolphins.
• Plus there is always relaxing in a taverna in the village of Galaxidi, where the program is based and visiting nearby ancient Grecian ruins.
• The cost is $831 for a one-week trip
• Go to tethys.org to learn more.

2. Afar recommends The International Kitchen's "Feast for the Senses in Morocco" program based in the 1200-year-old Moroccan city of Fez, where you'll get work with professional Moroccan chef Lahcen Beqqi to learn the essentials of the country's cuisine.
• You will learn to combine spices such as dried ginger, cumin, cinnamon, and turmeric to create the distinct flavors of Moroccan cuisine; how to make traditional Moroccan dishes such as lamb tagine, couscous, and cornes de gazelles-crescent-shaped pastries filled with almond paste.
• Plus you can visit the tanneries and an auction of Fez's famous soft leather not to mention sleeping in a renovated 14th-century palace in Fez's medina.
• The cost starts at $2,800 for a six-day trip
• Go to theinternationalkitchen.com for more information.

3. Afar suggest the WWOOF (Worldwide Opportunities on Organic Farms) in New Zealand offers a volunteering experience that is free. There is only an annual fee of $30 to view their farm listings.
• WWOOF is a world-wide network of organic farms that offers volunteers opportunities to learn about organic farming in exchange for free food and accommodation. There are openings on farms from Australia to Zambia. For example, on one of more than a thousand possibilities listed in New Zealand, you can learn about organic wine-making on a vineyard and farm in Hawke's Bay.
• Some of what you will learn is how to naturally enrich the soil with compost and protect against pests to produce the best quality grapes; depending on the season, how to properly prune the vines or harvest the grapes; how to make wine; how to care for the family's sheep and chickens.
• Then there is always tasting the wine, hiking to the nearby Tuki Tuki River and staying in a private cottage overlooking the vineyards.
• And the trips last from one-day to a whole season.
• Visit wwoof.org for more details.

4. Cross Cultural Solutions' "Assisting Healthcare Professionals" volunteer opportunity in Guatemala, allows you to work alongside local healthcare professionals to support their work in hospitals, health clinics, and homes for the elderly in the Guatemalan city of Quezaltenango. Your daily activities will depend on your Spanish language skills, background in healthcare, and the immediate needs of the organization, but anyone can take part.
• Some of the skills you'll learn include how to promote important vaccinations for locals by accompanying nurses on vaccination campaigns; how to assist in daily routines for physical therapy; how to support long-term patients; how to speak Spanish through weekly classes.
• Additionally you can tour the nearby Mayan ruins and soak in the natural hot springs just outside the city.
• Cost is from $2,784 for two weeks
• Visit www.crossculturalsolutions.org for more details.

5. Afar discovered a "Surf and Teach English in Bali" volunteer program with i-to-i. i-to-i's tagline is life-changing travel.
• This trip, one of many i-t-i offers, is on the tropical Indonesian island of Bali, where you'll teach English to kids at a public school where funding is not available to hire native English speakers. You'll especially focus on practicing conversational skills using games, songs, and story-telling-not just a grammar book.
• And yes, you'll also learn to surf on this island known for its waves.
• In addition to learning how to teach English as a Second language through an online TEFL (Teaching English as a Foreign Language) course and classroom practice; you will learn how to surf through three lessons included with the program.
• If that is not cool enough, you will also be meeting mellow Balinese surfers while waiting for the next set of waves and explore the island's beautiful beaches and green highlands.
• Costs begin at $1,299 for three weeks
• For more details go to i-to-i.com

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