Thank you, GLA Tanzania!

What sets GLA apart is not only the amazing cultural immersion and the knowledge that you're actually contributing to the local community, but the incredibly open minded and thought provoking environment. Every night by kerosine lamp light, amazing mentors (shoutout to Swiff Amy Paulina and Sara!) would inspire profound conversation about our personal lives, Tanzania, and world/societal issues that would leave everyone reluctant to go to bed. I found myself spending a morning discussing philosophy in a safari car with people I'd just met, then spending that afternoon whooping with the roof down and wind blowing as we drove alongside wildebeest herds. Every single day we would learn more about Tanzanian culture (I bought WAY too much art at the markets) and fall more in love with how beautiful the country is, and our local staff were family to us. We would even call them kaka (brother), dada (sister), and mama! On top of that, the friends you make on a GLA trip will not only be some of the most amazing genuine and thoughtful people you'll ever meet, but they'll also inspire you to be open minded everyday henceforth. Out of all 40 people who went to Tanzania with me, not one of them felt as though their life was not changed afterwards. There is just something about walking home hand in hand with little Zainabu singing Waka Waka as the sun sets that makes you love life more. There was never a single moment not filled with discovery of both self and surroundings, and because of GLA I have become a wiser, more passionate, and more compassionate person. I am thankful for my experience everyday.