I just returned from a volunteer immersion excursion in the hill tribes of Thailand. Aside from the fact that I trekked for elephants, taught the most adorable children English and rafted down a river in the jungle for three days, what I really took out of the experience were the people we met. The Thai natives who resided in the villages we visited astounded me. Whether it was the infamous squatty potty that they used to go to the bathroom or the water and roads that they lived without, these people were the essence of a prominent discussion: Are these people living simply or in poverty?

One of the people in the group decided that it is very much the connotation we put on poverty that makes it a negative thing. Poverty must mean they are having hard lives, right? That these families suffer each and every day in order to merely survive. That wasn't the case, though. Yes, they needed to work and they felt an immense need to provide for their families, but I don't believe that is poverty, for they had so much more than what Westerners are blessed with every day.

These natives taught us what is important in life. With Thailand being named 'The Land of Smiles,' I was skeptical as to how this entire country could represent such pure happiness...yet it did. Waves, smiles, and cheers resonated with us wherever we went, because these people were genuine. They knew what we were there to do, and that was to help and seeing their joy radiating from everywhere we visited made everything worth it.

Yes, walking through the mud every day, eating rice for every meal and pushing ourselves to be the best volunteers we could be within every activity was hard. I had never experienced such conditions and to be thrown into this environment was both challenging and draining. But through the reactions encountered by the people we met, we actually saw the difference we were making.

Whether it was a water tank being constructed or a road being made, they were eternally grateful. So although these people lived simply, we knew that they needed things in order to keep doing so in a sustainable and successful way. We weren't there to westernize their lifestyle but to strengthen it and do whatever they needed in order to make their lives a little bit easier.

Two of the guides that were with us throughout the trip were from Thailand. These incredible people were strong examples of just how much we can help as individuals, but also, how they can help us. Many of the members of the group who visited the tribes stated that they originally went to help people, to make a difference and be the change. However, after spending time with the communities we visited and seeing how they live their lives, they helped us. They helped us see what is important in life, and material goods and technology are helpful, but not necessary in being what everyone strives to be, and that is happy.

If you are interested in immersing yourself in either Nicaragua, Tanzania, Thailand or Laos, go to http://www.givevolunteers.org/ and see how you can change your life.