my life-changing spring break

Hi, guys!

So as most of you know, I went to Honduras over spring break with an organization called, "Students Helping Honduras," and it changed my life forever.

While I was there, I helped build a library and an orphanage for a village called, "Villa Soleada." Villa has been built from the ground, up, by SHH volunteers and men of the village, and it consists of 44 cement houses, this newly built learning center, and an orphanage, which is still in the process of being built. The other students and I manually mixed cement with shovels and hauled it back and forth with wheel barrows and buckets. It was really hard work, especially with the sun beating down on me, but what motivated me to keep working was the men of the village who worked right next to us, never tiring. It was the kids who ran home from school, kicked their shoes off, and shoveled right next to us in their school uniforms, with beaming smiles on their faces.

At Villa Soleada, I played with the cutest kids in the world. Don't get me wrong; all kids are cute. But these kids just radiate with joy and their pores seep with love. These kids don't have much at all, but they have an abundance of love that they share with everyone they meet. It made me realize that if these kids can be so happy with so little, then I can be happy with the life that I'm so privileged to live.

These kids taught me how to open my heart to others. These kids taught me that, rich or poor, people are people. These kids taught me that the life I've been given is a gift, and I should live it to its full potential. They would constantly thank me for the work I put into their village, but the impact these kids had on me is insurmountable.

We visited a state-run orphanage in San Pedro Sula, Honduras and that really blew shit wide open for me. These kids are so hungry and desperate for love, affection, and attention. They want, more than anything, to be freed from the four walls of this prison. At the orphanage, there were two two-week old babies who had been left on the side of the road by their mother. There was a twelve-year-old that wore a diaper who had lived six years of his life, fighting to survive by eating his own feces and bugs. And there was a toddler who sat alone in a room full of kids, with hatred and defeat in his eyes, who wanted nothing to do with me when I tried playing with him. It was an overwhelming experience, but I now appreciate my parents and my life more than ever.

So how exactly has this changed my life forever?

I'm going back to Honduras from Friday until the end of May. I'm going to be a part of SHH's Road Team, driving around to different college campuses in the U.S. promoting SHH, starting SHH chapters, and recruiting volunteers to come to Honduras to have the life-changing experience that I did. I'm going to Honduras in the winter to lead the service trips. This trip isn't just some experience that I plan on stowing away in my box of memories. I'm going to be the change that I want to see, and work my ass off for these little Honduran kids so that they can receive an education and live their lives free from poverty. I want to be a part of something bigger than myself for the rest of my life.

I've decided to start this blog to mark the beginning of the rest of my life (since I just graduated, woo!!!), dedicated to an amazing cause, the beautiful country of Honduras, and a beautiful village of loving people. I hope you guys have fun following me and my Honduran adventures!

If you want to learn more about this amazing organization, you can visit SHH's website. If you want to contribute to this awesome cause, you can donate at my donation page. And i you want to be the change, you can go to Honduras in May, August, December, or next spring!