July:   My name is Stephanie Moreland.

I’m saying good-bye to my high heels, comfortable bed, and American family for work boots, a pick axe, and an Italian phrasebook. I’ll be hopping on a plane and traveling to Altamura, Italy, where I will help a group of dedicated individuals restore a 16^th century farmhouse that is located in the center of an archaeological area from the 2^nd or 3^rd century BC. The benefits of this volunteer vacation: half of the time is spent taking historical and archaeological excursions to local towns, meeting people from around the world, practicing Italian, eating authentic Italian food for two weeks, and staying at the Cappuccini monastery in Altamura.

August:  My name is Stephanie Moreland.

I’ll be packing my things and hopping a train to the Eternal City for a month of volunteer work with the Roman cats of Torre Argentina. Located in the ancient ruins (in the exact spot where Julius Cesar was murdered), this cat sanctuary is a safe-haven for the abandoned cats of Rome. I’ll be staying in an apartment on via Santa Maria Maggiore that will be short walk from the sanctuary. Benefits of this volunteer vacation (besides helping the cats):  Living in Rome for a month…elaboration unnecessary.

September:  My name is Stephanie Moreland.

I’ll be saying “Arrivederci!” to my feline friends and heading towards the northern border of Italy for some independent travel through as much of Italy, Austria, Switzerland, and Slovenia that I can squeeze in. During this time, I’ll be doing research for a series of articles on volunteer vacations (as well as crafting a plan to visit- or stay- in Europe for as close to a year as possible).

October:  My name is Stephanie Moreland.

I’m off to Paris for a few days with a travel buddy, followed by a week or so visiting Barcelona and Madrid. Then we head down south a few hours to the small town of Corzola, where we will be helping native Spanish-speakers learn English. Benefits of this volunteer vacation: Eight days (free meals and accommodation are provided) of fun with an international group in a beautiful, historic, Spanish town.

November:  Stop by my website again soon to see where the road takes me next!

Make sure to stop by my Blog to read about my latest travel experiences.

  My name is Stephanie Moreland.