Worldly Women of Travel Series: Interview with Vicki Steinwurtzel

The first interview in our Worldly Women series features Vicki Steinwurtzel.  I had the opportunity to get to know Vicki during a 2023 volunteer trip with The Fuller Center for Housing in Braga, Portugal.  Vicki is an amazing person with a rich array of travel, and life experiences.  I’m delighted to share Vicki’s interview with you.

Per July 2024 Interview  

What first inspired you to travel?

I’m an Air Force “brat” and I’ve lived in five different countries, so travel has always been in my blood. My goal is to visit as many countries as my age, so I try to add one new country each year. I lived in Germany for six years in my twenties and that broadened my eyes to a much larger world. Years later, after my son left for college, I felt this same desire to move out of the US. For me, living in a new country is like solving a puzzle as each day brings a new challenge (and many gifts). So now I live in San Miguel de Allende, Mexico!

Tell us about your most meaningful, or pivotal, trip. Where was it and why was it meaningful?

I’ve been to 59 countries so far, and some of my favorite countries to visit were Peru, Vietnam, and Rwanda. The best experiences, though, have been the volunteer trips I’ve done. I’ve had many wonderful experiences, but the volunteer trips to Zambia and Rwanda were particularly fulfilling. My first volunteer home build was in Zambia in a village with no water and no electricity. Our meals were cooked over fire by the locals, they washed our clothes by hand, and we used headlamps to find our way at night. It made me appreciate the conveniences I had in my home country. In Rwanda, I volunteered with a group of teachers who were sent to assess and train in a Rwandan school. I was a technology teacher, and my school had donated used iPads, so I was able to work with both the teachers and students. The experience was humbling as the Rwandans were so gracious and welcoming, and I met so many wonderful educators in Rwanda. It is a particular memory that I treasure.

How have your experiences traveling impacted your perspectives and/or actions once you return home?

Traveling, especially in relation to the volunteer travel, makes me wants to share the experiences with others so they can experience the feelings of giving and gratitude. I hope these experiences have made me a kinder and more compassionate person. It has definitely made me more open-minded as I try to see the world as more than just my own little bubble.

What is next on your travel adventure list and why?

For my next adventure, I’m headed to Peru to lead a volunteer build with the Fuller Center for Housing. The team consists of new builders and experienced builders (that is the best mix for a team). The experienced ones know how to roll with the ups and downs, and the new builders are in awe of the feeling of community and giving. We’ll be building houses for migrant workers, in a town that has been building houses there for 10 years.  My son will accompany me in Peru this September, and it will be his fourth build.  I love that we share this experience.  It is a way to see the world through a different lens.

What advice would you give to others considering an international trip?

The point is to get out of your environment, slow down, and just enjoy the experience. Don’t wait!

Make a list of the 5 places you want to visit and make it possible. If it’s a money issue, there are travel agencies that are a la carte, so you can pick and choose your itinerary. Or visit a family member/friend that lives in a different area than you. You can travel to new countries, new states, or just the next town over by leaving your home for the day. Don’t discount the day trip for a mood reset! The point is to get out of your environment, slow down, and just enjoy the experience. Don’t wait!

Bonus!  Please tell us about one special travel experience that you remember fondly.

I have one child, and when he was 18, I brought him on a volunteer home build with me. I wanted him to see a different way of life than the sheltered one he had led in DC. That particular build, to Paraguay, was the hardest one for me physically because we did foundational work, which means the team worked on digging the dry ground for days before seeing much progress. By the end of the week, we had about one foot of brick wall up. Every build is different, and the following year my son and I worked on a build in Mexico where we worked alongside the family who would own the home, finishing the house in a week. It was an incredible experience because the entire town’s community worked on the house. There were also two teenage boys who would inherit the house, and my son and the boys couldn’t speak each other’s languages but they did have a conversation about video games!

Many thanks to Vicki for sharing her incredible story.  She is an inspiration to me and so many others!  Let’s take her sage advice to “get out of your environment, slow down, and just enjoy the experience. Don’t wait!”

Check out these links to learn more / get involved:

ConnectRwanda

Fuller Center for Housing

Habitat for Humanity Global Village

InOutUp Collective

JJoy Foundation

Volunteer Building Cambodia

Vicki’s background and experiences:

I grew up an Air Force brat but I’ve lived my adult life in Germany and Washington, DC. My former career was in computer consulting and educational technology, but I now co-run a women’s newsletter and website, the InOutUpCollective, focused on women who want to change their lives and create the next chapter. For fun, I like traveling, movies, reading, hanging out with family and friends, Latin dancing, and my boxing class. I love volunteer traveling, and I’ve worked with Habitat for Humanity, Fuller Center for Housing, ConnectRwanda, Volunteer Building Cambodia, and the JJoy Foundation. I live in the colonial city of San Miguel de Allende, Mexico, but you can often find me in Seattle visiting my son.