Volunteering With Children

During the summer of 2014, I was fortunate enough to be a part of Volunteers for Peace in Villena, Spain. Traveling to Europe for the first time seemed very unreal to me, especially since I was going alone. The main focus of my project was to go to various small schools and assist Spanish children with learning English, along with educating them about countries other than Spain. I was nervous because I knew very little Spanish. After only a few days, a young girl named Neda was very interested in trying to interact with me. She would speak and point things out, and I would communicate back to her in the best way that I could. When I reflect back, I thought that my purpose for going on this journey was to impact others. But I soon learned that this experience had greatly impacted me. I discovered my passion and curiosity for other cultures, and the importance of appreciating them. I realized that where you come from does not define you. I saw the world and took a step towards becoming a mature adult.