Travel

Im very fortunate to have traveled so much already in my life. From numerous provinces in Canada, a variety of different places in the US, all over Europe during my High School Grad Trip in 2007, and most recently  in both South Africa & Mozambique for volunteer work, I definetly LOVE to travel and am constantly thinking about where I want to go next.

Ever since I was younger I've aspired to volunteer in Africa. I don't know exactly why this specific continent, maybe it was too much Lion King or Jungle Book, but it has always fasinated me. Growing up my parents always taught us how important it was to give back to the community and others since we have been so fortunate in our lives to date, and I think this really struck a cord with me.

In 2008 I set out to Mozambique and South Africa for 2 months with an amazing volunteer group out of the UK, African Impact, to work in daycares, educate about HIV/AIDS, teach English and help out in anyway that I could.

After returning from my travels I experienced something I never expected. Coming back to Canada where we had everything we could ever ask for and more, I was overwhelemed with emotion and confusion. How could we have so much and others have so little?  I really couldn't understand how there could be such differences in the world and how others seemed to be okay with it. At this point I was extremely confused and found myself judging others, especially my friends and myself included, for lifestyles and choices that seemed so insignificant and for lack of a better word "stupid".

I now know I was experience reverse culture shock "a la max", and eventually these thoughts calmed down, yet at the time I retreated from my regular life and it took a good few months to get back into the swing of things.

However it wasn't long until I decided to go back. Already having decided when I was in Mozambique during the summer of 2008 that I would be returning, I asked my parents if they would help me out in funding another trip to Mozambique during my Winter Break from school. Thanks to their kind hearts and inability to say no to such a wonderful opportunity, I spent Christmas and New Years of that same year back in the place I loved.

Back from my adventures and in a bind to choose a University and Major to apply to for the upcoming year, I decided to leave my original idea of Commerce, Event Planning or Recreation behind and apply for International Development Studies at a number of universities in Canada.

After receiving word from Trent (the best uni for IDS in the country) that I was accepted, my mind was made up and I planned to move there in the fall. Pairing IDS with Anthropology, I am

now a recent graduate and plan to travel, volunteer and teach in the near future, with a goal of visiting all 53 countries of Africa in my lifetime!