December 2014: matagalpa, nicaragua
REFLECTION:
During the first week of winter break I traveled to Matagalpa, Nicaragua with an organization called Homes from the Heart in conjunction with another organization, Serve Beyond Cincinnati. I, along with several other University of Cincinnati students, helped in the construction of a house for a family in need. Aside from simply digging and laying the foundation of the building, my group got to interact personally with the family that we were building for. We played with the neighborhood kids and talked with the adults about economic barriers that they face on a daily basis as they shared their chronic hardships with us. This is not to convey a pitiful people, they are a family full of love and hard work, but ultimately could stand to benefit greatly from the help of others to better their living conditions.
This experience spoke to me because it incorporated two of my passions: traveling and helping others. I saw this as an opportunity to see a new part of the world while still making my time there meaningful. Having been on service trips before, I wasn’t sure if I would be able to meet the family moving into the home, but I was incredibly glad that we were able to do so in this situation. This greatly added to my trip because they enabled me to have an authentic experience of the lives of people forming the general culture of the country. Rather than tourist attractions I was able to see and personally live (to a certain degree) the way of life in Nicaragua. Additionally being able to meet the family gave me a greater sense of fulfillment and purpose. While my previous trips were still meaningful, the family aspect of this one made for an unforgettable collection of moments. The looks of gratitude and gratefulness adorned on the faces of the both the children and parents filled me with an emotion unlike any other. This was a time when I felt like I was finally doing something right. Not because I had been taught that it was the right thing to do, but because I could really feel it. It was transcendent in a way. I realized that the exchange of human interaction is what we are here to do. Giving time and effort, just showing up and demonstrating that one cares, that is how life should be spent. I foresee this new insight into life being very applicable to my hopeful career in nursing. I plan to incorporate these values into the daily life of my profession in a way that people can feel truly cared for and respected.
During the first week of winter break I traveled to Matagalpa, Nicaragua with an organization called Homes from the Heart in conjunction with another organization, Serve Beyond Cincinnati. I, along with several other University of Cincinnati students, helped in the construction of a house for a family in need. Aside from simply digging and laying the foundation of the building, my group got to interact personally with the family that we were building for. We played with the neighborhood kids and talked with the adults about economic barriers that they face on a daily basis as they shared their chronic hardships with us. This is not to convey a pitiful people, they are a family full of love and hard work, but ultimately could stand to benefit greatly from the help of others to better their living conditions.
This experience spoke to me because it incorporated two of my passions: traveling and helping others. I saw this as an opportunity to see a new part of the world while still making my time there meaningful. Having been on service trips before, I wasn’t sure if I would be able to meet the family moving into the home, but I was incredibly glad that we were able to do so in this situation. This greatly added to my trip because they enabled me to have an authentic experience of the lives of people forming the general culture of the country. Rather than tourist attractions I was able to see and personally live (to a certain degree) the way of life in Nicaragua. Additionally being able to meet the family gave me a greater sense of fulfillment and purpose. While my previous trips were still meaningful, the family aspect of this one made for an unforgettable collection of moments. The looks of gratitude and gratefulness adorned on the faces of the both the children and parents filled me with an emotion unlike any other. This was a time when I felt like I was finally doing something right. Not because I had been taught that it was the right thing to do, but because I could really feel it. It was transcendent in a way. I realized that the exchange of human interaction is what we are here to do. Giving time and effort, just showing up and demonstrating that one cares, that is how life should be spent. I foresee this new insight into life being very applicable to my hopeful career in nursing. I plan to incorporate these values into the daily life of my profession in a way that people can feel truly cared for and respected.