The scariest and most rewarding experience of my life.

Travelling all the way to Tanzania from Canada was one of the scariest experiences of my life. My first time on a plane, my first time, leaving my country and doing it all by myself.

When I first arrived in Tanzania, I was shocked with how beautiful the country was. I was picked up from the airport by the local team and took back to my volunteer house where I was able to meet the house mamas and the rest of the volunteers. Everyone was so kind and so nice and if you ever needed anything each and every person there was more than willing to help you. For the first month that I was there, I volunteered in a daycare. I remember the first day that I walked in in all of the little faces and smiles when they got to see you in the hugs that met you instantly without them even knowing you for more than 10 seconds it was from that moment on I knew that this was the best decision of my life that I could’ve ever made. Each day I spent there. I’d wake up excited in the morning to be able to go to my placement and experience the days that I got to with the kids getting to learn more about them their interest getting to hear them yell my name as they heard my footsteps coming up the stairs to the door.

After my first month wanted to branch out more and experience what it would be like to volunteer at one of the schools. I thought that I had already made the best decision of my life, but it got even better and I didn’t know how it was possible spending my second month at the school definitely was the right decision as I never knew how much I needed the kids in my life that I met there. I was lucky enough to get to teach grade 5, and I will never forget their names their eyes their smiles in their hearts. every day that I get to school they’d all come. Running to the door and fight about who got to carry my water bottle in my bag to the desk to sit down. They would get so excited about me being there and asked what I was going to teach them that day and I don’t think they realized how much they were teaching me. The hardest part of my whole experience was having to leave after creating a home there that I would forget keep in my heart.