Volunteering on your vacation: shepherding sea turtle hatchlings to the crashing waves and helping a vet give a rhino a physical may seem exotic but lots of Americans are doing it.  And that's great.  Really it is.  But I have a question.  Do you help out once you get home? 

Domestic charities are struggling for funds.  Food banks are completely bare.  But for five perfect days, you built a school in Thailand (when you weren't getting a tour of the jungle or riding elephants, that is).  I know a young woman who worked on the border between Laos and Thailand for months trying to prevent Thai kids from falling prey to sexual predators.  No, she didn't find that in a brightly-colored brochure or travel web site.  She felt strongly about an issue and decided to put her life on hold while she made a difference.  I wish I knew more people like her.

It's not that we don't want to do more, which is why voluntourism is such a hot vacation segment right now.  I get that.  Hey, I live that.  I have two kids that need to be shuttled to and fro.  I have financial obligations (read: big mortgage) and work assignments and a dog.  But I'm wondering if I can't find more time in my day-to-day life to help out here, in my community.  Because that will impact not only my perception of those around me, but also show my children that you can make time - every day - to do little things that add up.  Because that's how things really get done.  A bit at a time.