Morocco vs. Italy Travel

I think you have to be clear about your purpose on this trip - either this is a volunteer trip or it's backpacking. Otherwise it's like comparing apples and oranges, and no one knows your motivation(s) better than you. You originally considered Argentina (due to ability to speak Spanish), now you're looking at Italy. What draws you to Italy and how would you spend your month there? How would that trip be different than backpacking in Spain? Take some time and actually put the pros and cons on paper in a list form, and then ruminate on it. For what it's worth, volunteering overseas would definitely have some professional value that backpacking wouldn't. Honestly you're not going to get magical advice here with so little information (most people here on the forum are likely your parents age and older, retired, and travel for pleasure).

Volunteering is a very personal decision. I would ask yourself why you're thinking of chucking it in favor of backpacking elsewhere (not that there's anything wrong with backpacking but you're talking about both as if they're equivalent). Maybe you can find a better "fit" in terms of a volunteer position so the decision becomes easier? Many people who volunteer are really motivated to do it..they buy into the cause behind the work. Aside from having some extra time, it's hard to tell what your "drive" is when it comes to travel and why one country would be better than another. Think about what what objective this trip is meant to serve and what you're going to get out of Option A vs Option B (and country A vs. country B).

My suggestion is for you to decide what exactly you want to do. Nobody here can make that decision for you just as your parents cannot decide for you (unless they are financially supporting you). The one who pays the piper calls the tune.

Hello,

Thank you for your replies. Honestly, this month is a gap between jobs and I was hoping to fill it, but I can always wait. I have been considering volunteering for quite a while now, and have been searching for a program where I hope I could at least make some sort of impact, and the program in Morocco is a women's education program where I would be assisting with teaching English and French, which I help with in Canada anyways. The problem is that I only have one month, and I feel that maybe it is something that I have to commit more time to? I know that I would like to do this at some point, I guess it's just a matter of timing. If I do not do it this year, then I will definitely plan for next year, either in Morocco or Argentina. I am just not sure if a month is an adequate amount of time for a volunteer trip. If not, I can plan to go for longer next year. Italy was the backup plan I guess. But I have also always wanted to see Italy! I also know that I cannot compare backpacking and volunteering, two very different motivations! It's just a matter of how to spend the month I guess.

JJ,

It would be a really good idea to read all sections of this website carefully - https://travel.gc.ca/destinations/morocco . The warning to Excercise a high degree of caution should be a red flag (especially as a single woman). One important point to note is that if the government warning changes to Avoid All Travel and you travel despite that warning, your medical insurance may be void (always read the fine print).

You might also want to have a look at the health risks on this website - https://www.iamat.org/country/Morocco/risk/routine-immunizations?CFID=27302527&CFTOKEN=43061ba61e5b9ece-B02712B2-CC56-299E-B29F974CDDD113E6 . Some of the diseases listed on the left side of the page can be serious, so it's prudent to know what you may have to deal with. Also, should you suffer some kind of medical problem, the hospital facilities in Morocco may not be up to western standards. Be sure to purchase a very comprehensive medical insurance policy and visit a travel medicine clinic if you do decide to go!

My suggestion would be to choose the backpacking trip in Italy, as that will be a nice treat for yourself before you have to start the drudgery of getting up for work every morning.

YOU alone have to decide what kind of holiday you want.

You are travelling in October, when you can be lucky with the weather in Europe or it could be heavy rain for much of the time. At that time of year, most of the university students will be back studying, so there will be fewer backpackers around.

Personally, I wouldn't head to Morocco as a young female on my own. There are many safer countries that offer volunteer projects.

Enjoy whichever you opt for.

I think a month would be adequate for some kinds of volunteer trips. I've read about some in Ecuador that ask for a three week commitment. It really depends what the project is and what the needs are. For a long-term volunteer commitment, consider the Peace Corps someday. I think it would be a great experience.

I wouldn't wait and do it later, as you mention in one of your replies. Go for it! But my advice is to determine if volunteering is really needed in the area or if volunteers supplant the work of locals. is the volunteer agency highly rated or have a great reputation? Are there non-tourist areas of Morocco where volunteerism is needed? These are just some things to think about.

When I was 22, I went to Nicaragua. The war had just ended a few years before and I visited local projects that a local Episcopal church in my home town was involved in - social projects for street children, etc. I spent two weeks in the country, learning about it, talking with as many Nicaraguans as I could, and purchasing hand-crafted trinkets and things to support local artisans. I went back for three more trips after that, always bringing people with me so they could witness something different from what they were used to in the states. There was nothing to volunteer for; indeed, it was important that we were seeing various places in the country, talking with locals, and asking for monetary support for the on-the-ground projects when we got home (projects that employed Nicaraguans).

This is not to say that volunteer programs are not important, but just determine why you want to do them, and what their goal is too. :)

Traveling around Italy can cost a lot more money than volunteering in or even traveling around Morocco. Do you have enough money budgeted without borrowing?

"The problem is that I only have one month, and I feel that maybe it is something that I have to commit more time to?"

Why is that? Is the volunteer program designed to be longer? I assumed that it was a good fit, since you've been looking at it for a while. I think it makes sense to try a short-term program before making a longer-term commitment.

Hello, thank you all for your insightful answers! I just realized how expensive Italy is, and since I am saving up for a larger trip next year I have decided that it would not be the best option. I will still consider the volunteering, but will keep my mind open to some other projects in other countries as well. Thanks again :)

but I would be going with a well-known volunteer company.

Do they not specify what time requirement is expected?

Depending on the program I suspect some may have a "any help is great" philosophy, while others may want a longer fixed commitment as the time they need to devote to training the volunteer to be useful has to be "paid back" with a suitable length of productive service.

Its wonderful that you have an interest in helping others.