World traveler set to speak at library
October 2, 2008
By Ryan Piersol
One hike around Rattlesnake Lake led to Joyce Major seeing the world.
Joyce Major rides atop an elephant in Thailand. Contributed
The long-time Seattle resident will be at the Snoqualmie Public Library at 7:30 p.m. Oct. 6 to talk about her recent five-month experience working for the Sumatran Orangutan Society in Bali. She plans to answer questions about orangutans and her passion for volunteering. And, if pressed, she may discuss the wild, year-long experience she had that led to “Smiling at the World,” her first published book that was released in November of last year.
It all started with a hike in the Rattlesnake Lake area. On that hike, Major was inspired to visit more of the world and, having already gone on a volunteer mission to Israel, determined that volunteering was her way to do it.
One year, 10 countries and $24,000 later, Major not only had a new-found confidence and appreciation for the world around her, she had enough adventures to fill a book.
“It was different doing it as a volunteer. Instead of just seeing things like it’s a slide show, I actually got to live with people from the culture and the country,” she said of her trip. “So, it feels like I have more of a sense of what that country is like. I know a bit about how they spend their days.”
Major’s trip began with a restoration project of an old farm house in Italy. From there, she worked at a wildlife hospital in Greece, a monkey sanctuary in England and a baboon sanctuary and then lion park in South Africa. Those stints were followed up with a volunteering job on a conservation project in Rio de Janeiro, a kangaroo sanctuary in Australia, a sustainability farm in New Zealand and an elephant sanctuary in Thailand. She finished her trip working as an English teacher in China and a newspaper reporter in Ireland. She stayed at least one month at all of the destinations.
Along the way, Major managed a love affair with a man in Greece, met a baboon in love with her in South Africa and was tossed in the air by the trunk of an elephant in Thailand.
“From the beginning, I wanted to know three things about other cultures — how people spend their time, I wanted to know about love and how people express themselves and I wanted to know how women were doing culturally,” Major said.
“Given the things that I’ve learned about my life and about the world, it was hugely worth it. I have such a different perspective. The people I’ve met I’ve stayed friends with and learned a lot from them. I don’t think I really knew the world before. Now I feel like I can go anywhere.”
While she was gone, Major stayed in contact with family and friends. Some of her adventures were so out of the ordinary, she was constantly told she should write a book. When she got home, she put away all distractions in her life and delved into, “Smiling at the World.”
Even after she finished the book, Major wasn’t done with her passion for volunteering. She currently teaches classes on volunteer travel at Bellevue Community College, the University of Washington Experimental College and North Seattle Community College.
And, of course, she found a way to squeeze in one more volunteer trip — the five-month excursion to the Sumatran Orangutan Society that most of her upcoming library presentation will focus on.
“Volunteering is a great way to see the world,” Major said. “I’m just grateful for it. I’m grateful that I got the idea and I’m grateful that it worked out.”
Reach editor Ryan Piersol at editor@snovalleystar.com or 392-6434.
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