Tourist to Traveller

Traveling to a country in South America and intentionally going to the poorer areas is something I never expected to do. Normally when traveling to other places whether it's with family, friends, or on a program I stay in more wealthy communities where safety is never an issue. This community service trip in Buenos Aires made me realize that when traveling its important to look beyond the tourists site and start exploring the true essence of the community. This chance really gave me the opportunity to interact with the locals and feel apart of Buenos Aires. Volunteering at local food and medicine banks was very rewarding because we were able to see the progress we had made. Another aspect of the trip that was very memorable was our daily teachings. Each morning we started the day by discussing a Jewish value that was relevant to our purpose for being there. Throughout the day I became more conscious of how important these values really are and the effect they have on our lives. This trip was very different than anything else I had ever done and I enjoyed every minute of it. I highly recommend participating in an alternative spring break trip.