Out of many excuses not to travel abroad the biggest one is probably the expense. Plane ticket in the thousands. Hotel cost in the hundreds and let’s not forget food and entertainment. Forget about it! But unlike some, I was determined to find a cheaper way around that.
After searching through tons of websites, I finally found wwoof.net. World Wide Opportunities on Organic Farms is a network that connects volunteers with farms and growers all over the world. The wonderful thing about this program is that it is great for students who want to travel to other countries for next to nothing. 
Even if you don’t enjoy farming, many places have different projects. You could end up building farm houses in Venice. Working in a hostel near Mt. Olympus. Providing daycare in Sierra Leone or making wine in Bordeaux. My experience was in a hamlet in the mountains of Zemen, Bulgaria, building an outdoor kitchen. In exchange for minimal work, I trekked through mountains overlooking beautiful landscapes, ate organic food every meal and tasted locally made wine and spirits. I also met wonderful people who guided me through the capital city of Sofia. 
For those who enjoy planting and harvesting foods it is an amazing adventure and learning experience. I spent two months in Greece pruning olive trees and preparing them to be eaten and pressed into oil. I also harvested wine grapes, which would be stomped and made into wine or fermented with figs into tsipouro, which is Greek brandy. 
With wwoof-ing you don’t have to pay expensive hotels because the farms give you free room and board. Forget spending money on fancy restaurants because you join the family you stay with to make authentic foods with organic ingredients. Even plane tickets can be cheaper if you fly into a less expensive country. I originally wanted to just go to Greece but it was over $1300. So for $650 I flew into Bulgaria and ended up staying for a month before riding a bus into Greece. 
Travel is much cheaper than you think. You just have to be a little adventurous and be willing to do the research, but believe me it’s worth it.
Angela Scott is a Tower staff writer. Email her at AngrenScott(at)gmail.com.