5 Traits of Great Volunteer Team Members: Flexibility

Careful planning and good intentions can unravel in a second while you’re on a volunteer trip. That’s just the nature of international travel. Great volunteers have the ability to adapt and be flexible no matter what comes their way. You may feel disappointment when you have to let go of plans, especially if you’ve traveled a long way or spent a lot of money or dreamed of doing this for a very long time. Great volunteers will take a deep breath and open themselves up to new opportunities. Here are 3 lessons that can be learned by practicing flexibility on a volunteer trip:

1. Getting lost can lead to fascinating discoveries.

If you find yourself lost in a new city, take a break, regroup, eat a snack, and make a new plan.

2. Creating a memory can be just as much fun as fulfilling a dream.

You don’t have to let your resources (time, money, energy) go to waste. Channel those things into a new activity.

3. If you can’t go through it, try going around it.

If your travel plans are foiled, check alternate routes. You may be able to fly or bus into a different city than originally planned. It may not get you exactly where you want to go, but it could get you one step closer.

Want to learn more? Check out our other blogs on being a great volunteer team member: Selflessness, Integrity, Energy and Creativity.

Photo: Ryan Lightfoot, Volunteer Card Member

Source: SOLO Traveler