My new husband and I arrived at the Aulla Lunigiana station in Tuscany, after sprinting through Rome with our luggage to make it in time for the train. Outside, we spotted Jim and his tiny European car. “Thanks so much for picking us up,” my husband said, squeezing our bags into the trunk. Jim was a stranger to us then, but he didn’t stay that way for long.

Joe and I were on our honeymoon, but instead of the predictable fly-and-flop vacation at a beachy resort, we wanted to have an enriching cultural experience, as well as save cash for future travels. We found a website called HelpX, where travellers can arrange volunteer exchanges with hosts at farms, homestays, ranches and other accommodations around the world.