EP83: Service Travel - When Your Vacation Makes a Difference - Globe Aware

Twenty years ago, Kimberly Haley Coleman was stuck abroad on business weekends, wanting to volunteer but finding nothing meaningful to do. So she created her own opportunities—and Globe Aware was born.

Today, Globe Aware connects volunteers with communities in 21 countries through week-long service projects. We're talking about real work: installing concrete floors in Guatemala, assembling wheelchairs in Cambodia, building stoves that actually vent smoke out of homes.

In our conversation, Kimberly shared something that didn't surprise me. Volunteers consistently tell her they received more from the experience than they gave. There's something about showing up, working alongside families, and seeing their daily reality that writing a check simply can't replicate.

These aren't luxury trips. You're staying in modest accommodations, eating local food, and getting your hands dirty. But families come home fundamentally changed in how they see the world.

As Kimberly puts it, "There's no check you can write that can do that to a kid's brain."

If you've been thinking about meaningful travel or want to show your family a bigger world, this episode offers a completely different way to think about vacation time. You could even revisit a few places through new eyes and opportunities.  Think Machu Picchu, Transylvania, Thailand, Cuba, Mexico, Vietnam, the Philippines, and the Galapagos Islands.

Links from this episode:

Globe Aware

Binky Patrol