Written by Maureen Ewing, Global Action Volunteer Team member

A Wide Opportunity

In 1986, I was a nervous 7th grade Girl Scout Cadette applying to attend my first Wider Opportunity (now called Destinations). I completed my application and found three references. On interview day, I put on my Girl Scout uniform, was driven to the Girl Scout office, and nervously answered questions about why I wanted to attend National Center West in Wyoming to ride horses for two weeks.

Seven months later, I was boarding a plane for the first time, and by myself, hugging (and probably while crying) my family as I walked through the gate.

Needless to say, I loved this trip. For the next five years, I attended five Girl Scout Wider Opportunities. In 1987 and 1988, I traveled to Wyoming to ride horses. In 1989, I went to Topeka, KS for a volleyball camp at the University of Kansas. In 1990, I hiked part of the Appalachian Trail in the White Mountains of New Hampshire. In 1991, I studied marine biology in San Francisco.

Foundations for Curiosity

Girl Scouts gave me the foundation for a curiosity about the world and a love of travel. As an adult, I studied abroad in England at the University of Nottingham, and earned my Master’s degree from Rhodes University in South Africa. I have visited 29 countries and have lifelong friends around the world.

I have volunteered with the Girl Scouts since I left high school. I was in Campus Scouts in college, assisted with a Girl Guide troop for a year while I studied in South Africa, volunteered at events, and in 2007, I took a group of girls to the WAGGGS World Centre in Switzerland.

Since 2012, I have been volunteering with GSGCNWI on the Global Action Volunteer Team. Our team works to make sure that girls learn about global issues, and we share our love of travel to help inspire girls to see the world. Girl Scouts can still apply to Destinations (formerly called Wider Opportunities when I was a girl) for travel all over the world. It is an especially important time for girls to stay connected and educated about issues that affect girls around the world.

New Adventures

One of my bucket list items has always been to visit the WAGGGS World Centre, Sangam, in Pune, India. This summer, I finally had that chance as a chaperone on the Destination to India trip. Over a few weeks, we visited Pune, Delhi, and Agra, where the Taj Mahal is.

The trip was for the girls, but I was beyond excited to experience a new country (the 30th country I’ve visited!) as they did.

To Infinity, and Beyond

We would like to thank Maureen Ewing for sharing her story with us! We hope this inspires other girls not only to venture out into this great wide world, but to continue their relationship with the Girl Scouts throughout their lives!

Check out our other contributions from the Global Action Volunteer Team!
Who We Are Part 1 | Who We Are Part 2 | Why You Should Try Backpacking | Study Abroad |Adventure in Mexico|Safety While Traveling|Traveling as a Gen Z-er

Check out our Adventure in India blog series, written by the girls on the trip!
Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4

Learn more how you can travel with the Girl Scouts by visiting our travel web-page or emailing Ashley Christensen.