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Shame on you, Curmudgeon! LLLLLLLLLLLLLOOOOOOOOOOOLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLL I can't get him to talk to me as it is! I'll NEVER get him to talk to me NOW. LLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOLLLLLLLLLLLLL LLLLL
Signed,
The Vampire
LOL! Just watchin' out for my friend. Now you bein' the youngster you are, if I was single...
But I ain't never leavin' the Ozarks and my lake. This is home!
One of the main ways we get to know each other is if we talk about ourselves. I never get tired of hearing people talk about themselves (on the Internet -- in person, that's another story). Almost always people's lives are so interesting.
And, yes, I would think that when both spouses are volunteers that it would enrich the relationship greatly. Volunteering says a lot about people -- all of it good.
When we went to Uganda with VSO UK an accompanying spouse was covered for all medical expenses and for internal transport as well as the allowance to set up the household (household goods, furniture, etc). We had to pay my airfare and the monthly living allowance was for one person, not two. Now they've changed it so the spouse gets nothing at all - no medical coverage. So they miss out on a lot of qualified volunteers who now won't do so because they'd have to leave their spouse behind for 1 or 2 years or pay for any medical care.
The group of volunteers we arrived with was about 15 or 16. All left early except one single man and the two married couples stayed the entire two years. Another woman and myself were accompanying partners, not volunteers and were also over age 50.
This was an ideal situation for us as friends rented our house and sorted out our mail. Being retired we also had a pension to fall back on instead of just the measly volunteer's allowance. So we could afford to be tourists as well and have occasional splurges at nice lodges and nice meals out at restaurants.
What an incredible story. I would NEVER have done this -- for love, God nor money. I truly admire you and your husband!
Quote:
Originally Posted by Ameriscot
When we went to Uganda with VSO UK an accompanying spouse was covered for all medical expenses and for internal transport as well as the allowance to set up the household (household goods, furniture, etc). We had to pay my airfare and the monthly living allowance was for one person, not two. Now they've changed it so the spouse gets nothing at all - no medical coverage. So they miss out on a lot of qualified volunteers who now won't do so because they'd have to leave their spouse behind for 1 or 2 years or pay for any medical care.
The group of volunteers we arrived with was about 15 or 16. All left early except one single man and the two married couples stayed the entire two years. Another woman and myself were accompanying partners, not volunteers and were also over age 50.
This was an ideal situation for us as friends rented our house and sorted out our mail. Being retired we also had a pension to fall back on instead of just the measly volunteer's allowance. So we could afford to be tourists as well and have occasional splurges at nice lodges and nice meals out at restaurants.
Africa is not a favorite place of mine. For so many reasons.
You know, I did a lot of traveling alone. Drove back and forth across The US alone. Went to Boston alone. Rome alone -- more than once. Even Israel basically alone (during the time of the Bader Meinhoff gang). But looking back, I think I was just young -- and foolish. Now, I'm single again -- and older -- and I wouldn't travel any place alone. It's just so easy for something to happen to us, when we're alone. I think having a male companion/husband just makes us feel a 'safer' -- whether it's rational or not.
I did all almost all the traveling I dreamed of -- and more. Now traveling is not even a remote dream of mine. And I think that also mostly colors the way I see things now. If I really wanted to travel again -- I'm sure I would just do it!
In any case - I think it's wise to take whatever precautions we can and then -- just go for it! Like you and your husband did!
Africa is not a favorite place of mine. For so many reasons.
You know, I did a lot of traveling alone. Drove back and forth across The US alone. Went to Boston alone. Rome alone -- more than once. Even Israel basically alone (during the time of the Bader Meinhoff gang). But looking back, I think I was just young -- and foolish. Now, I'm single again -- and older -- and I wouldn't travel any place alone. It's just so easy for something to happen to us, when we're alone. I think having a male companion/husband just makes us feel a 'safer' -- whether it's rational or not.
I did all almost all the traveling I dreamed of -- and more. Now traveling is not even a remote dream of mine. And I think that also mostly colors the way I see things now. If I really wanted to travel again -- I'm sure I would just do it!
In any case - I think it's wise to take whatever precautions we can and then -- just go for it! Like you and your husband did!
I would have been too afraid to have gone alone as a volunteer (even if I qualified as one). Too scary. But after being there and seeing lots of single women who enjoyed it and were perfectly safe, I might have.
Many parts of Africa are very dangerous, but the type of volunteer agencies like VSO and Peace Corps would not send anyone to those kinds of places. We lived on a college campus. The safety of the volunteers is primary to the agencies.
One of the volunteers was a divorced, retired woman and she did her 2 years and loved it there so much that she extended her stay by another year.
I didn't get adventurous until my 40's - first travelling alone within the US, then travelling to Ireland alone and renting a car, then moved to Scotland to get remarried. I decided that always playing it safe can be really boring.
When I was younger and had more energy and a lot of emotional support in a one special friendship ('sigh'), I was in despair because I was so sick of my job and couldn't see any way to make a living in a different way. (Turned out I was right- I'm still in it for the pension). My job can/should feel meaningful- I do help people, sometimes, and at worst, I'm in the right ballpark) but it doesn't "do it" for me. I worked with a guy who always said, when he left the job, "My career begins now." He was into all sorts of volunteerism, all things that mattered to him and that didn't work as jobs. Veterans for Peace, Peace and Freedom Softball League, usher at the symphony, etc. Well, he gave me the idea of "The third way"- not job, not relationship, but volunteering. You can pick anything that interests you and skim off the top the part that works for you to do.
I took a weekend workshop on tutoring survival English to new immigrants, usually refugees. The organization that ran the tutoring also hired me once to write a 16-hour class on English in Health Care for job training. While I was teaching that class, I walked past a staff meeting and overheard all the usual complaints and concerns of any job, and thought of how I was able to just do the satisfying part without worrying about making a living from it or dealing with the inevitable issues of an organization.
I'm too tired now while working full-time to do anything else but take care of my mutts and myself (and write checks to groups I like) but in retirement or part-time work, I think I'd like to get involved in English tutoring again. Maybe something with animal rescue, too, although maybe my adoptions will take care of that desire, as they have so far.
It's so simple, it seems. Anything that interests you likely has a component for volunteering. I have one co-worker, a coupled gay woman who has a real feel for disabled adults (lost her state job working with them). She really wants to volunteer in some kind of day program or be involved with them in some way in retirement. Like I said, any interest likely has an area of volunteerism. Gardening. Big Sister/Brother. Helping with illness. Coaching in sports. Anything, really. After a period of time of doing NOT A THING, I expect I'll rev up to some kind of retirement volunteering. I am eager for that time to come.
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LOLOLOLOLOL
