One rainy afternoon I was sitting at home feeling so bored. Instead of feeling sorry for myself, I wanted to meet people and have new experiences so I decided to start volunteering. I logged onto my computer and found a website where I could volunteer on a farm in France.
Volunteering provides so many opportunities to have fun and share great stories. My time working on a farm was a new experience for me. It was basically a free holiday as food and accommodation were provided. However, it was not your typical holiday as I had to look after fifteen horses and sleep at the top of a tower in a fourteenth century castle! I soon discovered that I was an awful farmer but it did not matter because I made some great friends and also improved my French.
However, you do not need to go abroad to volunteer. I have had plenty of adventures at home as volunteering can become a hobby. For example, I love singing so I had a good laugh waving my arms in an attempt to conduct my local choir. I did slowly improve and it felt great to conduct the choir in a concert. At university, I organised a concert for charity with my friends. It was really fun finding bands and raising money for a cause we believe in.
It is true that you feel good volunteering but there are also other advantages. I once volunteered as a steward at a charity sports event where the organisers gave me cupcakes from an expensive London bakery to thank me for my services. I also volunteered in a charity shop so I found loads of nice cheap clothes to update my wardrobe.
While this is all fun, my favourite aspect of volunteering is creating and sharing stories. My terrible attempts at farming have given me hilarious stories to tell! Talking to volunteers from different countries and backgrounds has also helped me learn more about the world. I feel thankful to have had so much fun with many nice people thanks to volunteering.
Have you ever volunteered or would you like to be a volunteer one day?
