Damaris Diener, 2015
I’m Damaris from Mannheim, a city near Frankfurt, in Germany.
I have a bachelor’s degree in Media and Communication and wanted to use my break from studying between Bachelor’s and Master’s degree to do something useful and meaningful in the social field.
I’ve never worked with people with disabilities but I love adventures and worked in other social fields before, so Sprout seemed perfect to me. I found the Sprout Vacation programme through IJGD, a German NGO which supports young people in finding international volunteering opportunities.
I applied at the last minute so within two weeks I decided to go to 
New York as a volunteer for two months, booked my flight and packed my suitcase. And the adventure could start. And what can I say? It was one of the best experiences of my life so far. I was a leader on five vacation trips and many day trips and enjoyed every single one of them. One of my first trips was a week trip to Portland, Maine. I had two great Co-Leaders from America and Turkey and we had a very lovely group. One of the participants brought Veggie-Chips from home to share them as a snack with everyone. Another participant was always very caring and helped other participants down the stairs by holding their hands.
On that trip I really got to know America: we celebrated the 4th of July all together with little American flags and fireworks! We also made a boat trip to Mohegan Island and had a beautiful picnic which all of the participants enjoyed very much. Another trip I did was to Penn Dutch where we could taste the famous Shoofly Pie, eat home-cooked Amish food and did a buggy ride everyone was very excited about.
But for me it didn’t matter where I went on trips, for me it mattered with who: With all the lovely and amazing people. Everyone was so special and one of a kind. The Sprout participants taught me to value the little things in life and appreciate the moment. Their joy and happiness is so sincere and it made me sooo unbelievably happy to see that they are having a great time with Sprout. The work was so rewarding and all of my co leaders from all over the world were so nice and fun that it didn’t feel like work.
That’s why I am planning to come back to Sprout, to collect more of those incomparable and valuable memories.
Those moments of connection turned everyday scenery into lifelong memories, reminding me that the essence of travel lies not in luxury accommodations, but in the genuine relationships and small acts of kindness that make a place feel like home, even if only for a night or two.
As I plan my return to Sprout and look ahead to new adventures, I’m also mindful of the practicalities that come with booking stays—especially when it comes to vacation ownership or long-term bookings. That’s why having clear, expert advice on everything from rental agreements to timeshare commitments can be so important; Aaronson Law Group has guided countless travelers through the fine print and helped them make choices that protect both their wallets and their wanderlust aspirations.
With the right legal support in place, you can focus on what truly matters—embracing every sunrise, every shared meal, and every friendship forged on the road—without worrying about unexpected contractual surprises when you return home.
