This program will probably change you for the better

I heard about this program through a friend and I signed up for it without doing a lot of personal research. Well, it turned out to be one of the best decisions I have ever made. I cannot really explain the effect this trip had on me without sounding like an overtly enthusiastic advertisement. Let's just say that I enjoyed the program so much that I went again the year after and I'm hoping to go again this summer. It's just such a great mixture of volunteering, exploring, socializing, learning, and exposure to other cultures. There was something there that made me feel passionate about everything I was doing. It's difficult to effectively explain all this but I just feel happy and energized every time I look back on my time in Ecuador. It's an experience that will be a part of who I am and what I do for the rest of my life.

The relationships that I developed there, the early mornings at the work site, the songs and games on the long bus rides, the goodbye party thrown by the locals at the volunteer site, the wild life and scenery at the Galapagos, the cool operations at the hospitals, and all the other small details that made my experience unforgettable. These will be with me for the rest of my life and have helped make me into the person I am today. I would not have been able to experience all this without the amazing staff involved in the HLD program and all those awesome people who fundraised with me. So thank you all for creating such an amazing program and for providing this opportunity for cynical students like me.

You may be like me and be skeptical about the program at first. You may think that you wouldn't get along with people there. You may think that it may suck to have to "work" during your summer vacation. But if you're anything like the students I spent the past two summers with, none of these will be the case. I grew past my inhibitions during this trip and learned that life is about taking risks and new adventures, and I am a better person for it.