Thursday, December 19, 2013

Caitlin's Pre-Trip Post

I applied to join Alternative Breaks because I enjoy service and wanted to experience something new!  I shot for the stars and picked Guatemala because a) I am a strong advocate of the environment and b) I have never been to Central America.

Last year I volunteered at ECO City Farms, where I learned not only the importance of sustainability but also the lesson of service: Others can help serve those in need best by listening to what they ask for.  I hope to apply what I have learned from service in the College Park community to Guatemala, and I cannot wait to share the knowledge I will learn from Los Andes.

During a pre-trip meeting, where we watched the documentary “Living on One Dollar,” it made me feel very appreciative of everything I have, including education, food, and shelter.  All the Guatemalan residents in the documentary, however, had hope.  Their hopeful attitude and willingness to learn inspires me to help serve their community and learn more about how we can assist their country’s economical growth in a sustainable manner.


Less than a month away from the departure date when our group meets with Sarah, Chris, and Lizeth to travel to Antigua!  Now that finals are over, I can spend all my time on Duolingo.com learning Spanish.  So far, I have the basics covered and “Mi nombre es Caitlin.”

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