PLAY it Forward Adventures

Holidazzle Parade & Emergency Foodshelf Network

noreply@blogger.com (Jodi Nelson) — Sat, 20 Dec 2008 07:06:00 +0000

The 2008 Holidazzle Parade was in full swing tonight as hundreds of onlookers lined the streets of Minneapolis. The holiday spirit brings out the best in people as they bundle their families in snow pants, hats and mittens to enjoy this annual tradition.

Ameriprise Financial provides volunteers each night to support the Emergency Foodshelf Network by encouraging monetary and food donations. Tonight four Sojourners volunteered to be in the parade and experience holiday gift giving from inside pinstriped overhauls.

Nathan Worrell, an Ameriprise employee and PLAY it Forward "favorite", was the mastermind behind this experience. His wife, Kacie, looking ever so glamorous in her stylish winter boots and polka-dotted scarf shook her bells and collected cash donations in a bucket along the way. Justin sported his Janet Jackson microphone as he lead our team (and the parade) down Nicollet Mall informing onlookers of foodshelf statistics and encouraging them to give, give, give! And I, in my small overhaul knickers, was designated as one of the two three-wheel-bike-riders who got to drive a donation "train". Seeing my cousins face on the sideline as I unexpectedly passed her on my train-bike was pretty amusing. "Jodi?!!" she shouted as she scrambled for the camera she wasn't even carrying. I didn't have time to explain what she was seeing as I rolled on by wearing an engineers attire, driving a train, waiving and shouting Happy Holidays to the crowd. How exactly did I get here? The spontenaity and surprise associated with volunteering is fantastic!

Foodshelf Facts:
* 56% of foodshelf visits are made by families with children
* the number of families visiting local foodshelves in the metro area has increased 20-30% in the last year

For every dollar and pound of food donated, Ameriprise Financial matched the donation up to $20,000!

Make a cash or food donation by contacting the Emergency Foodshelf Network.
www.emergencyfoodshelf.org

Be the Change You Want to See In the World

noreply@blogger.com (Jodi Nelson) — Fri, 19 Dec 2008 21:49:00 +0000

I think a pretty smart and inspired person once said something like this.... "be the change you want to see in the world."

In Guatemala, Jodi challenged us with daily insights....

BE PRESENT will forever be etched in my memory, and may it also be a constant reminder to listen, not only to others, but to nature and ourselves.

To REFLECT was for me a difficult challenge at a time when all I wanted was to give of myself, to be active, and to seize the day.

Where do you look when you're walking? It seems like some days I'm trudging through the day, navigating cracks in the sidewalk. Other days, my head is in the clouds. To BE PRESENT and REFLECT are two challenges that have stuck with me.

Question: How do you STAY PRESENT and REFLECT daily?

Life is a game. PLAY it Forward . You're it! :-p

Justin Fleming
Sojourner
Guatemala Fall 2008

Leave Your Mascara At Home

noreply@blogger.com (Jodi Nelson) — Sat, 13 Dec 2008 23:23:00 +0000

Leave your mascara at home boys and girls, PLAY it Forward is not for pretty boys although we had several on our sweet trip.

I looked most enticing with my fingernails caked with grit and my hair coiffed in the sweat shaped squashed down style of my purple bandana. I would have had to search for a mirror to see this but I didn't because there were too many other really cool things to see and do. Possibilities for that include riding your trusty mountain bike with the necessary shock absorbers down a rain slick mountain path or man-handling your kayak over the beautiful Lake..... as the waves slap you across the face and soak your brand new water resistant gear. Give up your worries, it is time for fun.

And fun it was, whether we were carrying heavy panels up the mountain to build a house for a hard working family or my first shot of tequila, salt and lime. (Loved the tequila but go easy on the lime.)

You will find yourself reflecting on the great issues of poverty, fairness, equality and the like unless you are made of stone and if you are made of stone you must take this trip. Tough veneer crumbles pretty easily when you need to sprint to the hole in the ground toilet with an audience of fellow sufferers. Connection with the big wide world happens naturally when after two days of hefting, hammering, measuring and mitering you present a new house to a family of five. They thank you in Spanish seventeen different ways and you "Ah shucks it was nothing" right back at 'em, but it was something, it is something to have a home that keeps you out of rain, home that lifts you from the muddy floor at night, a place to be safe, place to be proud of.

So contemplate all of that while hiking a steamy path through the forest and watch young girls in native dress chop firewood with a machete and boys fly kites made of black plastic bags and women wash clothes in the town square and men carry fifty pound bags of cement on their backs two miles up a rocky path.

Look inward, act outward, play hard, laugh mightily. You deserve it. You owe it to yourself to find your strength after a physically exhausting day, to use your wisdom while bartering in the market and while trying your wobbly Spanish.

You must experience this. Afterward you will feel deep gratitude for your life. You will cherish the gods who created health insurance and inhalers for asthma and a stove that doesn't blow smoke into your lungs. You will feel joy listening to your tour guide Juan play his drums and croon a sexy Led Zepplin tune at Cafe NoSe late in the evening. You will be ravenous after a day of play and devour plantains and beans and rice, tasty spicy sandwiches on pillowy bread from the market and delicious coffee and if you play your cards right a shot of mezcal.

Try PLAY it Forward - Guatemala. Because don't you want more at the end of the day to reflect on than your own pretty face in the mirror. Don't you want it all?

Linda Kantner
Sojourner Fall 2008
Guatemala

Reunion at the Kantners

noreply@blogger.com (Jodi Nelson) — Sat, 13 Dec 2008 22:55:00 +0000

Sojourners from the Guatemala tour this past October reunited for an evening of pasta, wine and reminiscing.

Making connections during your travels is inevitable, but staying connected after you return is truly special. Something tells me this group will be connected for a long time to come.

Holiday Giving at Feed My Starving Children

noreply@blogger.com (Jodi Nelson) — Sat, 13 Dec 2008 22:49:00 +0000

Twenty kind-hearted Sojourners turned out for the PIF holiday "giving back" event at Feed My Starving Children this month. Volunteers hand-packed meals designed specially for starving children; Feed My Starving Children ships the meals to more than 50 countries around the world. PIF holiday meals will be distributed to children in Haiti sometime in the next two months.

www.fmsc.org

Girlfriend Getaways

noreply@blogger.com (Jodi Nelson) — Fri, 21 Nov 2008 19:08:00 +0000

PIF adventures are appealing to active women who embrace new, exciting adventures! All tours are designed to empower women and enrich lives. Every experience provides a physical challenge that encourages women to push themselves and support each other throughout the process. Every adventure taps into a woman's maternal instincts, pulling at her heart strings in a variety of ways.

This fall a group of six female Sojourners shared an adventure in Guatemala hiking, biking, kayaking and building energy efficient stoves for Mayan families outside of Antigua. Not only did volunteering provide an opportunity to bond with one another, we also connected with indigenous women who welcomed us into their homes. We learned to make tortillas, live simplistically, and embraced their children as if we were an extension of the family. The experience proved that though we may live worlds apart geographically, girls will be girls no matter where you travel.

Whether it's hiking at Lake Atitlan or building stoves for families, the bonding that occurs between women while traveling creates friendships that last a lifetime!

Contact PLAY it Forward Adventures at www.pifadventures.com to schedule your next girlfriend getaway!

Lake Atitlan - "The place where the rainbow gets its color"

noreply@blogger.com (Jodi Nelson) — Fri, 21 Nov 2008 18:42:00 +0000

Lake Atitlan in Guatemala is one of the most spectacular bodies of water on the planet with equally spectacular origins. Born of volcanic activity about 85,000 years ago, the lake that became Atitlan was initially a giant, circular "bowl", or caldera, that formed when the region's surface collapsed from an expulsion of magma from beneath the earth's crust. Over time, the caldera filled with water and became the lake the Mayans call "Atitlan", meaning "place where the rainbow gets its color".

It is Central America's deepest lake, plummeting nearly 10,000 feet below the surface in spots, and its shining waters are ringed with smaller volcanoes. Several Mayan archeological sites have been found around the lake, and many villages still proudly carry on Mayan traditions in their artwork and wares.

We'll enjoy the beautiful scenery of the lake and its surroundings as we kayak, hike to San Marcos, swing in hammocks and do yoga on the patio at La Casa del Mundo or Vulcano lodge.

Things To Get Used To

noreply@blogger.com (Jodi Nelson) — Fri, 21 Nov 2008 01:18:00 +0000

Sojourner, Matt Russell, shares some of the things he had to get used to after returning from 11 days in Guatemala.

http://athousandmillions.blogspot.com/2008/11/things-to-get-used-to.html

Give the Gift of NEED

noreply@blogger.com (Jodi Nelson) — Thu, 20 Nov 2008 21:00:00 +0000

For anyone who needs a holiday gift idea this holiday season, I recently came across a great one. NEED magazine has put together a holiday gift pack that contains nine issues of the magazine for only $54 - that's one third less than the cover price! The recipient would receive five back issues for the holiday as well as a subscription for one year starting in February. I think NEED magazine, with its beautiful photography and inspiring stories, would make the perfect gift for anyone on your list.

If you want to know more about the magazines or purchase a gift pack, visit www.needmagazine.com.

Energy Efficient Stove Building in Guatemala

noreply@blogger.com (Jodi Nelson) — Mon, 17 Nov 2008 18:25:00 +0000

Collaborating with Global Visions International provided a great opportunity for cultural exchange last month. The second PLAY it Forward team built 3 stoves for indigenous Mayan families over the course of 2.5 days. This was the shortest service project GVI had ever done and we pulled it off without a hitch. The purpose of the stoves was not to replace existing methods, but to provide more efficient, healthier ways of cooking. They are built high enough that children cannot reach the burner, wood consumption is reduced by 70%, and each has a chimney directing smoke outside of the home.

Our group was comprised of five women and one young man, two tour guides and a tour leader. The first home we were assigned housed 30+ people. We built two stoves for this extended family and enjoyed the community of women that would congregate each morning to make hundreds of tortillas. They treated us like an extension of their family and their children were not shy to show their affections.

The second home we were assigned housed one family with three daughters. The littlest one, five year old Maria, made for a wonderful assistant. Cesar was our local foreman and everyone raved about their experience working along side him.

The experience proved to be a success not only in providing efficiency in cooking, but also in the cultural exchange experience we ALL got. The families were hospitable and grateful and just as happy to share 2.5 days with us as we were with them. Many tears were shed on the day of our parting.

Guatemalan Artist Extraordinaire, Andrea Marmol Juarez

noreply@blogger.com (Jodi Nelson) — Thu, 13 Nov 2008 02:50:00 +0000

There is a great cafe in Antigua called Cafe NoSe which supports local painter by displaying artwork on their walls. I recently stopped in one morning to check things out and was immediately drawn to a black and white painting on a blood red canvas. I've always had an affinity for feet since I feel bare feet and shoes can tell a lot about a person's journey. This particular painting caught my eye because the subject was a child's feet in lace-less shoes with both toes cut out of the front. I had to have that painting! And I had to meet that artist!

I took down the artists name, Andrea Marmol Juarez, and contacted her immediately. I returned to Cafe NoSe later that afternoon to meet an exquisite young artists eager to share her story and her art with me. We perched ourselves at the bar where she talked and I listened.

Andrea is a 20 year old native of Antigua who uses her paintings to support herself and provide financial assistance to her mother and father. Attending art school in Nicaragua, Andrea's family had doubts about her creative endeavor and hoped she'd rather become an attorney or business professional. Once her art began selling, they became very supportive and proud of her artistic talents and now encourage her to continue. With the recent loss of her fathers job, Andrea's mother was forced to go back to work. To help support her family, Andrea began contributing finacially with the proceeds from her art.

The inspiration behind each piece is her fascination with people and their individual personalities. Her paintings are inspired by a photograph, but altered to capture the essense of each person. The shading and techniques she uses make it difficult to tell the painting from the photograph. Andrea told me more than once that all photographs do not make good paintings and she needs to "feel inspired" by the subject in order to paint them.

Thomas, the child whose feet I adored, was a small child from Panajachel whose feet had outgrown his shoes. His mother cut the toes out in the hopes of getting a few more miles out of them.

I didn't buy the painting that day we met. I went back to my hotel room contimplating what I would regret more, buying or NOT buying that painting. When I mentioned it to my parents over the phone, they insisted I buy the painting and they'd give it to me as a Christmas gift. It was the perfect gift since it would give and give and give again... to me, to Andrea and to her parents.

For more information about Andrea Marmol Juarez, to purchase her art, or to have a custom portait painted, contact PLAY it Forward Adventures at 651.493.8817 or jodi@pifadventures.com.

Just a Guide?

noreply@blogger.com (Jodi Nelson) — Thu, 13 Nov 2008 02:43:00 +0000

The role and responsibility of a Tour Guide is often misunderstood if someone doesn't understand the value behind a good leader.

At PLAY it Forward Adventures, a guide is not just a person who shows you the sites. Local guides and PIF Tour Leaders inevitably serve as teachers, doctors, travel agents, psychologists and friends while traveling with Sojourners in the field. When you break down all qualities necessary to prvoide good service during adventure vacations, you realize that few people in the world are capable of filling such a role. Not only do they need to know the history and culture of their country, lead an active lifestyle, be certified in Wilderness First Response, but they also need to be committed to a lifestyle of absence; absence from their own life in exchange for educating and guiding others through a memorable and safe vacation experience.

The guides PIF employs are passionate about their jobs and are lifelong students themselves. They give up days, and even weeks, of their own lives to lead our Sojourners through their country, educating them on everything from history to vegetation.

The level of experience and qualifications of tour guides differs greatly from tour operator to tour operator. PLAY it Forward Adventures prides itself on safety. We encourage all adventure travelers to research the experience level of tour guides and leaders before putting your life in their hands on your next vacation getaway.

Safe travels!

NEED Magazine blogs about PLAY it Forward Adventures

noreply@blogger.com (Jodi Nelson) — Thu, 13 Nov 2008 02:22:00 +0000

NEED Magazine blogs about PLAY it Forward's adventure in Guatemala:

http://www.needmagazine.com/blog/2008/11/04/biking-hiking-and-building-homes/#more-131

Intro to Guatemala from the seat of a bike

noreply@blogger.com (Jodi Nelson) — Wed, 12 Nov 2008 04:58:00 +0000

Matt Russell, a PLAY it Forward Sojourner on the Guatemala adventure last week, shares his experience on Day 1.

An introduction to Guatemala from the seat of a bike.

http://athousandmillions.blogspot.com/2008/11/pedals-up.html

“Sojourners” – What’s in a name?

noreply@blogger.com (Jodi Nelson) — Wed, 05 Nov 2008 00:04:00 +0000

The third day into the first PLAY it Forward trip to Guatemala, I asked my group to think of a name I could call the travelers so could stop calling them “travelers”, “participants” and “adventurers.” Just when I thought no one was listening, Nathan Worrell told me after dinner he’d come up with a name as soon as I put out the request... SOJOURNERS.

The definition of Sojourn is “a temporary stay” or “to live in a place temporarily.”

Whether traveling or living in a place temporarily or living your every day life, every moment of life is temporary and passes in an instant. Life is a sojourn.

I asked Nathan to write a blog about how the name for PIF travelers popped so quickly into his mind after breakfast that early morning. To read his explanation, click http://web.me.com/kcn8/N8Blog/Philos/Entries/2008/10/28_Sojourn.html.

And to every Sojourner out there, PIF hopes to share a temporary experience with you soon.

A Sojourner Shares His Guatemalan Journey

noreply@blogger.com (Jodi Nelson) — Wed, 05 Nov 2008 00:03:00 +0000

Sojourner Nathan Worrell shares his journey in Guatemala October 17-26, 2008.

http://web.me.com/kcn8/Guatemala/Intro.html

“Giving with Gratitude” – Volunteering in Guatemala Part III

noreply@blogger.com (Jodi Nelson) — Wed, 05 Nov 2008 00:00:00 +0000

The intention of our last day of volunteering was to “give with gratitude”. A 24 year old male Sojourner later reported that the gratitude he’d felt all day came back to him threefold as the family expressed their immense gratitude for us being there to build their home.

The 88 year old grandfather supervised the job site and lent a helping hand by climbing trees to retrieve fruit, hacking branches with his machete and clapping his hands excitedly cheering us on.

The female head of household expressed her gratitude, with tears in her eyes, explaining that her children would now have a private bedroom opening up more space for the family as a whole. We were offered water, coke and crackers to help us refuel as the first sunny day wore on. The children peered in the window holes to sneak peaks, watch progress and dream of furnishing their first private bedroom.

On day two the team put on the finishing touches and then uprooted trees and bushes from the family garden. Watching people take turns to hack at roots with a giant machete was fantastic! We all gathered inside the home for a prayer and to present the family with donation items, a token of our gratitude for allowing us to be there.

For those of us living in first world countries, it’s often mistaken that tangible items improve our quality of life. On this day, being grateful for the abundance we are blessed with reminded us that the intangible is oftentimes much more satisfying. For this Guatemalan family who has never known abundance, a new home was a luxury and a necessity. The value for the PLAY it Forward team was much less intangible. We took away an enriching experience, a lifetime of memories and new set of values that money can’t buy.

“Team Work” – Volunteering in Guatemala Part II

noreply@blogger.com (Jodi Nelson) — Tue, 04 Nov 2008 23:59:00 +0000

Drills, saws, hammers , laughs and the Red Hot Chili Peppers. These were the sounds of team work last week on the San Juan del Obispo construction site in Guatemala.

The first ever PLAY it Forward construction team, comprised of eleven Sojourners, three volunteer foreman, two tour guides and one tour leader, banded together to give one family a three bedroom home and give themselves a new perspective on life.

The intention of this day was to “work as a team”. It was apparent the Sojourners took this to heart as they helped each other, taught each other, assisted each other, teased each other and ultimately shared responsibility.

One hour at a time the walls went up, the roof went on, doors and windows were installed and finishing touches were made. The end result was a beautiful home that the family could not resist moving into immediately following our departure on day one. When we returned on day two, we found the wood pile moved and the unfinished home furnished with beds, stuffed animals and other personal possessions turning this empty house into a home. The family’s actions indicated to the team that the family excitedly worked into the evening celebrating the new addition to their lives.

It’s amazing what a small group of well intentioned individuals can accomplish in just 1.5 days. The lesson learned during this project was that it wasn’t about any one individual or our individual contributions to the project. No matter how much or how little any one person contributed to the actual construction of the home, we built it as a team. In the end it was about working together to improve quality of life for someone else, someone we didn’t even know.

Looking around the construction site those two days invoked a lot of emotion. I was very proud of everyone involved… words couldn’t describe the feeling of connectedness we felt to one another. We went into the project as a team of Sojourners, and came out of it as a family.

“Community” – Volunteering in Guatemala Part I

noreply@blogger.com (Jodi Nelson) — Tue, 04 Nov 2008 23:52:00 +0000

Only in Guatemala will you find a Fireline of motivated volunteers the ideal way to transport 20+ wall panels up a rural mountainside. In preparation for home construction last week, the PLAY it Forward Sojourners got a unique opportunity to be part of a community Fireline comprised of 40+ global volunteers.

The day started with a trek up the mountainside with small panels where we were able to catch a glimpse of what we had in store. The foreman divided the volunteers into teams of two, each assigned a post approximately 100 from one another. To my surprise, several teams were requesting the steepest, most difficult sections of the hill!

The Fireline volunteers ranged in age from 16-60 and were from all parts of the world: the United States, Guatemala, Australia, Germany, Holland, Sweden and France. For this brief moment in time, this unique group of individuals banded together with one common goal, to get construction materials up a mountain for a family they’d never met.

When the Fireline began, large wall panels and aluminum roofing sheets were passed up the mountainside, one team to the next. Little by little, everyone working together, all the materials arrived at their final destination on the family’s land. In the midst of the activity we were passed by local men and women carrying 100 lb bags of concrete up the same mountainside supported only by a strap around the forehead. It gave us a new appreciation for the manual labor locals are forced to endure just to survive the everyday demands of their life. In only three hours time, our team of volunteers had accomplished what would have taken a smaller group days, or maybe weeks, to accomplish.

The definition of community is “a unified body of individuals”. The Fireline was a perfect example of just how effective a community can be.

Bukoba, Tanzania

noreply@blogger.com (Jodi Nelson) — Tue, 16 Sep 2008 01:24:00 +0000

Bukoba, Tanzania

Bukoba is the jumping-off point for our Tanzanian voluntour, and where we will work on the “service” project of the adventure, helping local women by providing them with goats, goat sheds and bicycles. Bukoba is located in Tanzania’s Kagera Region, situated in the country’s northwest. This culturally diverse region shares borders with Uganda to the north, Burundi and Rwanda to the west, Lake Victoria to the east and Mwanza regions to the south. Sitting on the western shore of Lake Victoria, Bukoba is the largest town in the Kagera with a population of approximately 100,000 people.

Situated just a degree south of the equator, Bukoba enjoys a warm, sunny climate but doesn’t get unbearably hot thanks to its altitude of 3,759 feet. Its main attraction is the wondrous Lake Victoria - the source of the Nile River. At some 210 miles in length and 150 miles wide, it is Africa’s largest lake and the world’s largest tropical lake, with more than 2,000 miles of shoreline and more than 3,000 islands.

Antigua, Guatemala

noreply@blogger.com (Jodi Nelson) — Wed, 20 Aug 2008 19:15:00 +0000

Antigua, Guatemala

The magnificent capital city of the Captaincy-General of Guatemala, Antigua has been besieged by earthquakes, fires and floods but still retains its colonial grandeur. Perched nearly 5,000 feet above sea level and surrounded by a trio of volcanoes, Antigua enjoys a spectacular vantage, providing stunning views of the region with incredible architecture and monuments. Quite simply, it is a must-see site for anyone traveling to Guatemala.

Founded in 1543, Antigua would soon become Guatemala’s Spanish colonial capital after its former capital was destroyed by flooding. With its newfound status, a period of building ensued for the next two centuries marked by elaborate architecture befitting of a great city.

An earthquake in 1773 destroyed most of Antigua’s buildings, but several monuments survived as ruins. As happened two centuries before, Guatemala’s capital was relocated, with Guatemala City assuming the throne. Antigua became little more than a deserted wasteland for decades, but slowly people began to return.

In the 1930s, renovation efforts finally began and in less than ten years, Guatemalan President Jorge Ubico proclaimed Antigua as a national monument. In 1979, it was named a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Join us on one of our Guatemala adventures and see this remarkable city firsthand as we work with local peoples to improve their lives in this stunning but poverty-stricken city.

PIF Podcast on Girlfriendology.com

noreply@blogger.com (Jodi Nelson) — Mon, 14 Jul 2008 19:16:00 +0000

"GIRLFRIENDOLOGY" - Inspiration, Appreciation and Celebration of Girlfriends

Girlfriendology.com founder Debba Haupert has been promoting strong, supportive female friendships since January 2006. By creating a forum for females across the nation, Girlfriendology.com provides a place to share stories of inspiration, appreciation and celebration in honor of female friendships.

Debba is also a big supporter of female entrepreneurs. A series of podcasts accessible through Girlfriendology.com introduces you to female owned business's and how these women are making a difference in the world.

Speaking on the subject of women’s travel, Jodi Nelson, founder of PLAY it Forward Adventures, was interviewed for a Girlfriendology.com podast just last month. The content of the interview is not all female-based..... so MEN, please, stop to take a listen.

http://www.girlfriendology.libsyn.com/index.php?post_id=354122

Voluntourism, What is it?

noreply@blogger.com (Jodi Nelson) — Thu, 10 Jul 2008 14:46:00 +0000

Voluntourism is one of the most exciting and powerful trends emerging in the travel industry, bringing volunteering and tourism together into the experience of a lifetime. Imagine being able to combine a destination-oriented vacation while engaging in meaningful projects that better the lives of local peoples and improve communities and environments.

Play It Forward Adventure tours are about many things, and are as much about the experience as the destination. They allow participants to:

Give something back to local people and communities

Learn about different cultures and themselves

Share experiences with like-minded travelers

Bring meaning to their travels

Engage in sustainable tourism

Make a difference

In a survey conducted by MSNBC.com and Condé Nast Traveler, some 55 percent of respondents had interest in a volunteer vacation. Of those who had already participated in in such a trip, 95 percent said they would likely do it again. Join us soon on one of our Play It Forward Adventures to Guatemala, Tanzania or Patagonia, and discover what other voluntourists know and what you’ve really known all along - the best way to truly “see” and “know” a place, is to get involved at the local level.