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Carol White, a Bloor West Village resident has figured out a way to combine her love of travel, her sense of adventure and her desire to help others by working abroad with support from Microsoft, where she has been the Volume Licensing Program Manager for the past three years.

Her first volunteer experience was working in an orphanage in Guatemala City in 2006 with an international, non-profit humanitarian agency.

"I love to travel," White said in an interview at a local coffee shop Wednesday morning. "I like meeting new people. It grounds you. It makes you realize how fortunate you are. You don't take things for granted."

A close friend of hers, who wanted to take a trip, propelled her into action. Not one to sit on a beach, she said she likes to get off the beaten path. Microsoft Canada's 'I Volunteer' program offers every employee access to 40 hours of paid time per year to dedicate to philanthropic causes, which she learned during an employee orientation session when she was first hired.

"I was very inspired by Microsoft," White said. "They very much encourage us. I get a little braver every time I go somewhere."

Although she's not a fan of flying, she does "like to get places," she said.

She first went to Guatemala around Christmas time because she wanted to work with children- she used to think she'd become a teacher one day. The one-week excursion working in an orphanage left her with a desire to do more. In 2007, she left for Kuching, Malaysia to help build houses. Her work included mixing cement by hand in the jungle.

White's third project involved a three-week trip to Ethiopia as part of Habitat International to which she applied online. She worked for Habitat for Humanity here in Toronto before embarking on the oversees trip, she said.

"The leader hand-picked the team from all over the world," White said. "Eighteen of us went."

When she arrived, affiliates from the local Habitat chapter met them at the airport and brought them to their accommodations. Then, there was an orientation session when they learned about the people they were building houses for.

"I've never seen poverty like that," White recalled. "I made mud bricks for days."

Next year, White is planning on travelling to Indonesia in July or August. She advises anyone interested in embarking on such volunteer trips to do the research and to sign up with a reputable organization.