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It is hard to pick one passion to discuss, as I feel strongly about many components of my life. I have an undying love for travelling and discovering new cultures, paired with advocacy for human rights. I feel as though I am endowed with the responsibility of understanding the world I live in, and the global community I am a part of. Travelling has taught me to be independent, open-minded, understanding, and appreciative. I enjoy home stays, as they allow and intrinsic view on a culture through their lifestyle. I have been fortunate enough to spend a summer living with a Spanish family in Madrid, and I am currently in India for a month, living with formidable Indian hosts. What better way to learn languages, experience the world and make friends than to immerse yourself in a foreign country? It forces you to step out of your comfort zone, and has provided me with answers to questions I didn’t even know I had. When visiting third world countries, I firmly believe in helping communities visited in organic ways, and staying away from voluntourism. I have found that it makes my experiences much more rounded. It has opened my eyes to the kindness and beauty our world has to offer.

My first exposure to the globe’s least fortunate came in 2010. I had the pleasure of travelling to Vietnam, where I worked in a private orphanage in the central highlands of the country. Privately run orphanages mean they are not subsidised by the Government, and run on donations only. Vin Son was overlooked by sisters of the Grey Nun Order, and over 80 children between the ages of 1 and 18 resided there. The catch with private orphanages, is there can be no adoption out of them. The children have no papers, they are basically ghosts who have no identity in the eyes of the State. How can you take a paperless child out of the country? They are however significantly better than governmental facilities. Caretakers work with the children out of the kindness of their hearts, not for a paycheque. At Vin Son, the nuns provided the young with a valuable education, and skill training applicable once they left the convent. We found countless babies on our doorstep that winter. I thought my arms would fall off from violently hacking down bananas in the fields. We lost most of our rice and livestock due to a landslide. The sisters never stopped working. Nor did they ever complain. They made me realize that self-pity never got the job done, resilience did. At times when I thought there was no way we could feed any more mouths, they welcomed in new family members. The selflessness and love these women demonstrated is hard to put into words.

I travelled to Tanzania in 2013, where I planned to do more orphanage work with HIV positive, and albino children. Upon my arrival in Arusha, the community’s school was in shortage of teachers, and so I found myself teaching. I had never taught a classroom in my life, but one minute into my first lesson at Golgotha, I was hooked. Tanzania was in many ways more impoverished than Vietnam. One thing that struck me was the maturity of the children, their understanding of the fragility of life, and their willingness to learn. They devoured my lesson plan so quickly that I was left improvising by the first week. They asked for more homework, and I could have answered their never ending questions for hours. They had an unquenchable thirst for knowledge, be it about world geography, or the science behind the colour of leaves. Above all, they were happy. Where did this sheer happiness stem from? They were hungry, sickly, destitute and often orphaned. What gave them the strength to go on? It was hard not to put them in contrast with most of the children in North America, who had it all in comparison. And then it hit me. A little boy gave me a drawing he had scribbled in his notebook. I thanked and hugged him in front of the class. He seemed surprised, and so did the other angels! Within minutes I had a queue at my desk, with kids holding on to bits and pieces of paper, waiting for a hug. The power of human connections, and the desire to love and be loved is what kept them going. Money didn’t keep them warm at night, and it didn’t make the sun rise. Love was the most tangible thing they had. The kids at Golgotha taught me more than I could have ever hoped to teach them. I am reminded by my stay in Africa that material possessions cannot bring joy, love and happiness in the way humans can. It’s a mistake to think otherwise. Asante sana, watoto! (I have a scrapbook full of those notes and drawings, it is absolutely priceless to me!)

I am a huge believer in the power of one. I have been changed by my time abroad in ways I did not know were possible. I strive to do good every day, no matter the scale. We must all partake in ousting darkness by welcoming light. Making my city and country a better place is just as paramount as pushing for women’s rights in India is. No step is too small when it comes to world peace. It starts in our backyard.

Having gained some awareness, I now purchase much less and produce little waste, I shop wisely and make it my mission to love as much as I can. I have adorned myself with two tattoos, a Ghandi quote in Sanskrit (saw the place where he lived his last days and was murdered today, incredibly eerie feeling), and the first article of the declaration of human rights. I am deeply invested in adopting my children, albeit that is a ways down the road.

I believe that people should travel to the extent of their ability. We may have been born within certain State lines, but this planet belongs to us all. We must cherish it and its inhabitants, and make the most out of the hundred years we are given on earth. I refuse to live in a world where we are threatening to throw out members of particular faiths out of our borders, build (more) walls between countries, and hate based on origin. We must stop fighting each other, and start fighting the right wars together. The right to education, access to clean water, women’s rights, despotism, or extreme poverty are all matters which we would globally benefit solutions to. They are the righteous fights. There is but one race and that is the human race. We have better understand it, because we sink or swim together. Only when we come to see our differences as gifts as opposed to threats will we overcome bigotry.

As of now, I have been fortunate enough to see the beauty of 25 countries. I cannot wait to see what other adventures are in store for me, at home and abroad. I have many more friends to make, more dishes to taste and much more help to give before my time is done.