Times are tough out there right now. Recent college grads are still looking for jobs and those graduating this year are scrambling to secure an open internship if they can find one.

With the economy in the dumps and travel prices at an all time low, it’s a pretty good time to consider a volunteer or work abroad program to get some experience – work and life experience – and sidestep the economy.

So if you can’t find a job, here are our top 10 places to go to get a little work, volunteer or life experience:

1. Bartend in Brisbane – Yes, you could be a bartender at your local, but why not get a little life experience bartending in a foreign country? It’s gotta be easy to make new friends when you’re the one handing out the alcohol.

2. Help Sea Turtles in Costa Rica – Not to totally bring down the mood, but sea turtles are at risk of extinction thanks to illegal hunting and habitat destruction. You can spend a few weeks volunteering to help rescue sea turtle eggs and nurturing them to be returned to the ocean.

Baby Monkeys are Barrels of Fun

3. Be an Au Pair in Paris – The meaning of the term “Au Pair” in French is, “equal to.” This indicates a special status for the Au Pair as an equal in the house, rather than a servant.  Start brushing up on your French.

4. Be a Ski Instructor in New Zealand – You could use some fresh powder, right? Try tackling the mountains of New Zealand and then get trained to be licensed to teach others. STA’s program even helps you find a job after training.

5. Work with Primates in Thailand – If you love the monkey cage at the zoo, this is the perfect gig for you. You can work at a baby primate sanctuary while learning the Thai language and helping conduct outreach and education programs about the sanctuary.

6.  Research Humpback Whales in Brazil – How about spending a few weeks to a few months on a boat studying the behavior and characteristics of humpback whales? If you see marine biology in your future, it would be an awesome learning experience.

7. Help Impoverished Kids in Peru – STA Travel recently partnered with Planeterra to support the Peru Streetkids project, which offers schoolwork and life-skills coaching, including sewing, cooking, music, and English, as well as warm meals to impoverished children. Opportunities are available for all people to support the project by volunteering.

8.  Be a Ranch Hand in Australia – Have you seen the movie Australia? Why not give it a go yourself and work on a ranch in the Outback. You can tend to cattle, ride horses and all of that jazz. Hey, it worked for Hugh Jackman….

9. Work in a kitchen in France – All  of my foodies out there know that France is one of the origins of fine cuisine. From French chefs like Guy Savoy to those inspired by the style of cooking like Anthony Bourdain, where would you rather learn how to bake a soufflé?

10. Travel Round-the-World – If you can’t decide on one destination, how about taking some time to see them all? Learn a little Italian in Italy, see some joeys in Australia and finish it off with some bungee jumping in Cape Town, South Africa.

Make sure to respond with your suggestion for a place to go if you can’t find a job or if you’ve had a great experience with one of the above options.

Make sure to check back the week of April 27 when we will publish all of the Top 30 lists with your contributions.

Photo Credit: alex.ch on Flickr

Waking to the sound of roosters and “Tea or coffee, Rachel?” as offered by a fellow traveler, I gathered my things and enjoyed breakfast on the porch. Then, we all made our way down to the river for a wonderful bamboo-rafting adventure!

Somehow, our three-hour ride flew past with unimaginable speed, the time filled with attempts at fishing, attempts at steering, and awesome rides through small rapids. The scenery was astounding, and the calls of wild animals escaped the forests to reach our raft just before disappearing into the churning water. We passed families of elephants guided by bands of children, our guides sang Thai folk songs as we took the chance to swim alongside the raft, and the splashing wars with other tour groups were very clearly won by us. Next up, it was lunchtime in a small riverside restaurant before boarding our truck to head back to the city of Chiang Mai. Just as we climbed into the truck, the blue sky darkened and the first raindrops fell. By the time we had begun driving, torrential rains came down in sheets outside the car, and the jungle that had been our home was a beautiful blur of deep green and gray. We said goodbye to the villages along the way, to the elephants and their guides, and to an experience that shall always hold an extremely special place in our memories.

Amazing Bangkok

We arrived back in Chiang Mai with a couple of hours to explore or rest, and then we headed out for one last evening on the town. We had a fabulous dinner on Rasta Row, complemented by the live music and enhanced by the unexpected performance of our guide Dong and fellow trekker Rob…I never knew “La Bamba” could be so beautifully sung! Then Megan, Nikki, and I headed to the night market to explore and indulge in half-hour massages that cost us less than $2. Yeah, Thailand!

The following day, the group attended a cooking class and learned to make some fabulous Thai dishes before we boarded our overnight train. We spent one last night sharing jokes and stories on the train, and in the blink of an eye it was morning in Bangkok. Warm embraces and goodbyes were made easier by the notion that we’ll hopefully see each other again on the road sometime (you can trust that I WILL be calling these fabulous people if I end up in the UK, Holland, or Australia again in the near future).

And after separating, I spent the day exploring the astounding Grand Palace, Temple of the Reclining Buddha, and riverside activity of Bangkok. I indulged in another extremely cheap and unparalleled massage for all of $3. For dinner, I wandered Khao San road until I found a place with cheap pad thai. I sat enjoying my food and people-watching, and out of the blue a friend from high school wandered into the same nondescript restaurant! My beautiful pal Fiona, with whom I played field hockey and did various other activities, happened to also have just one night in Bangkok (in transit just like me, no less), and somehow she ended up in the same tiny, boring-looking restaurant as I did. Talk about a small world! She and her friend Kim joined me for dinner and drinks, and we took one last spin around the night market before calling it a night and each heading off in different directions to our next travel destinations.

All in all, Thailand has been one of the most incredible travel experiences of my life. At this point, I’ve been to just under 30 countries, and somehow in a span of only eight days Thailand catapulted itself to the top of the list of favorites. And I’m not the only one to fall in love with the magical land of Siam; everyone I know who has visited says the same thing: “Thailand may very well be the coolest place I’ve ever been.” So, get yourself here A.S.A.P. I guarantee you – you’ll be charmed, challenged, and inspired.

Visit, and let Thailand become a part of you. You won’t regret it.

And now I’m off to the Land Down Under. Stay tuned for my final weeks of adventure as STA Travel’s World Traveler Intern – I’ll make sure you see some skydiving, snorkeling, 4-wheeling, and beach adventures! Australia, here I come…

Dear Family,

I’m terribly sorry to break the news this way, but I don’t know how else to tell you: I’m never coming home. I know you’ve provided everything I’ve ever needed in life, but Thailand beckons me with a call that I cannot (and do not wish to) break. Thus, I shall remain here until the end of time.

All my love,
Rachel

***

That’s about how the letter will go. It’ll be short and sweet – easier on all parties involved, don’t you think? No, but seriously, Thailand is absolutely incredible. I haven’t felt this impressed by and connected to a country in a long, long time, and I have no doubts you’d feel the same way. In fact, do you remember Hayley, the British girl I worked with at the conservation center in China? Before China, she traveled Thailand for 5 weeks and judging by the way she reminisced about the trip I’d bet she’ll have trouble getting over her love for Thailand when committing herself in her next relationship. It happens…welcome the passion and beauty! I know I did.

The Streets of Thailand

Before I met up with my tour in Chiang Mai, my Thai adventures began with some rejuvenation in Bangkok, made easier by copious tropical fruit shakes, rain washing away all stress as I ate in bungalow-esque restaurants, and shopping at the night market on Khao San Road. No matter what you hear about Bangkok being a big or busy city, you must know that it’s very relaxed compared to other cities of its size. Relaxed enough that I felt at home, and for me that’s really saying something!

After some R&R in Bangkok, I headed to Chiang Mai in northwest Thailand, settled into my hotel, and met up with a friend from my hometown of Dayton, Ohio! Whoa. Now, this guy’s been in Thailand for 3-and-a-half years teaching English at the university, so he really knows Chiang Mai.

I met some of his friends over coffee at the Chiang Mai institution of Wawee Coffee on Nimmanhaemin Road (known to many as Coffee Lane) and it was a blast. When in Chiang Mai, you must visit Nimmanhaemin since it borders the university and is an awesome spot to wander for cafes, boutiques, or the innumerable coffee shops (it’s literally one after another).

Don’t go to Starbucks – that’s where only tourists and rich Thais go. Instead, head to Wawee or a place that supports the local hill tribes by buying their crops. That, my friends, is what we call “responsible travel,” or travel that respects and gives back to the local people. Anyway, later the crew and I had some awesome vegetarian grub and then paid a visit the bars along Rasta Row, the spot where travelers and locals convene and people-watching is a must. After that, I grabbed a ride in what happens to be my favorite form of transportation so far: the tuk-tuk, or a little motorized cart that whizzes around the city with flashing lights and wind in one’s hair. Fu-un.

The next morning, I met with my tour guide Deng and the five other travelers in my group, and we grabbed a ride in one of the city’s many deep red taxis converted from an old pickup truck with the addition of a roof and some benches in the bed of the truck. I love Thai transport. We wound up through the mountains, observed the scenery and many signs of loyalty to the Buddha and the Thai royal family (man, they’re beloved), and got to know each other (the others were a delightful mix: an Aussie couple, a Dutch guy, and two young English gals).

Then it was out of the car to visit Doi Suthep, a beautiful and renowned Buddhist temple situated on the mountaintop. We removed our shoes, made sure our shoulders, arms, and legs were covered out of respect for Thai culture, and wound through the complex in utter amazement. The place was chock-full of intricate tile work, dragons, spires, Buddha images, circumambulation (the walks of the pious which circle around statues or shrines), incredible artistry, golden towers, candles, prayer and devotion. We all made sure to point our toes away from the Buddha and keep our heads lower than Buddha and the monks, as in Thailand the foot is the lowliest part of the body and the head the highest, so one shows disrespect by undermining another with his/her feet or head in the wrong place.

Before leaving, I made sure to get my fortune by kneeling to offer a prayer in one of the temple’s many small annexes, then shaking a group of numbered sticks until one separated from the group. My fortune read simply: “The 26th number tells you that you are going to be lucky. Everything will be getting better and better.” Uhh, AWESOME. I didn’t even know it was possible for things to get better than this summer…but, I’ll gladly take that fortune :)

At the end of the day, we all met up again for a trip to the trek gear shop, then dinner in an open-air market to eat awesome pad thai and witness traditional dance and music on stage. The dancers swirled about with candles and elegant hand movements as intensely-colored clothing laced with gold moved about them like water, and children watched on with bobbing heads and mimicked motions. Then the group took a spin through the night market to buy comfy cotton shirts, cool wall-hangings, and tribal jewelry before getting some pre-trek sleep.