For the past three years, I have had the opportunity to be a part of the non-profit organization, Children's Global Alliance. The summer before my freshman year, I embarked on my first service trip to Rivas, Nicaragua, where I volunteered in a school for individuals with disabilities. The summer before my sophomore year, I participated in a trip to Cambodia where I was granted the role as a student mentor, assisting in an orphanage and school in an impoverished village outside of Phom Phen. Last year, I applied for my third service trip to Tanzania and was accepted. Due to my medical state, however, I was unable to travel to Africa. It is with great honor that I can confidently say that I am at a better state and will be volunteering in Tanzania with my younger sister, Eleanor, in the summer of 2015. Eleanor and I will be volunteering with other student volunteers through CGA. We have all been selected after a vigorous and competitive application process. CGA is an incredible organization in which has empowered me to reshape my life, encouraging me to continue growing as a volunteer and leader in my community and on a global scale. My perception of developing countries and impoverished children has been reshaped trip after being exposed to real heart ache and struggle as well as joy and appreciation; my ideals and values have thus fluctuated immensely.
I am very fortunate to be traveling to Tanzania with the knowledge of other developing countries and the challenges I once overcame as a volunteer. Although Tanzania will be impeccably different from Nicaragua and Cambodia, I know that my experiences through travel elsewhere will guide me in Tanzania.
For the past nine months, I have spent my life devoted to recovering from the eating disorder, anorexia nervosa. Although it has been an exhausting, overwhelming journey, my recovery has empowered me to become a humble, authentic individual. I have come to the conclusion that I want to see the world and be empowered by foreign experiences in developing countries. I want to share my life experiences with others and give back to communities. I desire to be a leader, a volunteer, and a teacher. Anorexia doesn't fit into a life of opportunity and experience, and I no longer wish to be defined by a disorder. Although recovery is a exhausting process, I wake up everyday ready to battle.
When faced with struggle, it is a personal choice to either overcome the burden or let it defeat you. I have chosen, with confidence, to overcome my anorexia. Throughout my recovery, I have learned to appreciate the feelings of worthlessness and weakness, as well as triumph and perseverance. Day after day, I consciously make the choice to become a healthy, bright person. Despite the constant battle, I am growing with acceptance and empathy. I no longer am utterly self absorbed in an eating disorder and have again felt compassion and self love.
I hope to use my experiences to help guide myself when volunteering in Arusha, Tanzania. I now can act with character traits such as respect to myself and others as well as genuine gratitude for personal struggles.
I am extremely blessed to be a part of CGA and am grateful for those who are supporting both my recovery from anorexia, as well as my upcoming service trip to Tanzania! Blogging regularly, I will be continuously providing updates about the life changing events that I will experience before, during, and after volunteering in Africa.
