The first half of 2014 has brought so many ups and downs. I am thankful for every experience, every opportunity and every blessing. After my grandmother passed away, I decided there's more to life than just work, and stress. Every year she would dedicate her time and money to volunteer with a local church in the Dominican Republic. To keep her memory, my family and I decided to keep the tradition. Earlier this month, we headed to DR to volunteer our time. A month before I left, I asked all my friends to donate any unwanted clothes. We ended up heading to DR with 6 large suitcases of clothes. With every donation, there was a great sense of emotion that people were willing to help in the cause. Once in DR, we headed to a small town called Sabana de la Mar, where we fed the poor and handed out the clothes. Clothes that these people would never have been able to buy. It's such an emotional, life changing experience to see how these people live, while we complain about the smallest things. We were bombarded by people who wanted lanyards. Lanyards. Something so small, and so cheap. But to them, it meant the world. Even though they have nothing, they still love life.One boy told me "The meaning of life is to be happy" and I couldn't agree more.
I'll never forget those moments, and the looks on their faces. I'm already looking forward to next year's trip!
