“This trip opened up a door inside of me and I felt a sense of fulfillment”
First of all, I would like to thank you for this incredible experience! During this trip I learned a lot about Poland and I learned new things about myself. I feel that this trip has opened up a new door inside of me where I have discovered a lot about myself. After seeing the conditions that some of the children live in I feel that I have become more grateful for what I have. I have realized that I should not take anything I have for granted. Seeing what most of the children had compared to what I have, I know now that I should hold on to the people I love and to try to live each day to the fullest. The biggest thing I learned on this trip was the importance of family. I realized this when we met one of the children, Patrycja, who was in the hospital. She was the same age as my sister and seeing how young, beautiful and so full of life she was, yet so sick, it broke my heart. Since she was the same age as my sister, she made me immediately think of my sister and what would I do if she was the one in the hospital. This one girl affected me the most, she opened my eyes showing me how much I love my family and how important it is to me.
The teens that I met that were closer to my age like Michal, Patryk and Natalia also had a huge impact on me. Knowing that their lives are going to most likely be a lot shorter that mine and trying to imagine what they were going through really made my think of my own life. From them I learned that I need fight for the things I love and that since I have a healthy life that I have time to accomplish things that I want to not allow myself to fear the unknown and to achieve my dreams. They showed me that life is very precious and fragile and that I should try to live everyday to the fullest and to take risks and try to experience something new every day.
This trip made me feel very important which was one of my favorite things about it. I felt important and I felt a sense of fulfillment knowing that I was helping someone else and hopefully putting some happiness into their lives. Another thing I loved about the trip was being able to experience a new country in a way that I would not usually be able to. Being in real Polish homes, trying Polish cake (even if I did not always like it!) were all special experiences to me because I was getting a real taste of the country!
I want to thank Kamila from the bottom of my heart. She made the whole trip very special. She was always full of laughter and she made everything ten times more fun that what it would have been. Kamila, you are the best chaperone!!
Thanks again for the support and everything you both did for me. I can’t tell you how much I appreciate it. This trip was a huge eye opener for me in so many different ways and it truly was “a journey for a lifetime”. It is an experience that I’m never going to forget. Thanks again!
