A young woman who lived on a remote island with just 80 people, free of charge, is sharing her experience of how everything was so simple.
In December 2023, 20-year-old Brooke Megan spent two weeks on Darocotan Island, the Philippines, while volunteering with Isla - The Island Experience.
The social media sales coordinator from High Wycombe, Buckinghamshire, UK, whose job on the island involved helping out with social media and greeting guests as they arrived by boat, lived in a small bamboo hut and slept on a mattress on the floor.
Since the island was so small, Ms. Megan said she was able to walk or travel by kayak to get to most places and could take a boat to the mainland when she needed to buy groceries.
Ms. Megan, who didn’t pay for anything except drinks, said: “Everything is simple. You never end up wearing shoes.”
Her days were filled with looking after pigs, relaxing on the beach, and enjoying bonfires in the evening.
“You can see so many stars,” she said. “It’s amazing.”
Through her interactions with the local people, Ms. Megan got to know about the islanders and their lifestyle.
“People appreciate so much,” she said. “The locals show you how to get a coconut down from a tree. They wash clothes in a well and scrub with their bare hands for three hours.”
Ms. Megan had her meals, which were made from fresh local produce, provided as part of the volunteering experience. There was no hot water for showers and limited internet access but she said the experience allowed her to “live in the now.”
“You appreciate just being in nature,” Ms. Megan said. “It’s such a different way of life. It’s a beautiful place.”
Apart from spending two weeks on the island, Ms. Megan has been to 26 countries and has traveled around Australia, Thailand, and Malaysia.
