Why am I here?

       My parents introduced me to the wonderful world of exploring God’s creation at a young age and have been so blessed ever since.  I remember growing up and going on family trips whether it was the weekend camping trip or one of our long summer vacations to Alaska or the Grand Canyon.  I believe this is a crucial thing for a child and being able to introduce them to World that we live in and all that it has to offer.  The curiosity soon grew on me on what more is out there beyond my town, state, and country.  Traveling has always been a passion of mine and I got one of my first real experiences of cross-culture when I traveled to Europe at 18 after high school and attended a Bible School in Austria for 3 months.  Ever since that time overseas the World has been opened to exploration and endless possibilities for me.

         It is all about taking that first step and trusting God the rest of the way.  He wants us to step out of our comfort zone and spread his amazing love to all the Earth and it starts by just trusting him.  It can be attending a school outside of your home state, starting a new job, meeting new friends, traveling to a new country or just asking that girl you keep seeing out on a date.  You never know what or who will change your life by taking that step and it is always a journey you will never forget.  I have had a few of those moments and I can say that I would never do anything differently and has always turned out to be more than I could even imagine.  My most recent leap has been joining the Peace Corps and moving to Swaziland in Africa to work in the Youth Development field and the HIV crisis for the next 27 months.

         I know as time goes on here in Swaziland I will learn many new things, meet new people, try new food, experience and see new things and grow as a person through it all.  The most important thing I believe in is to always be open to new ideas, perspectives and anything else that may come your way during this time.  Some of the best advice I have herd from multiple people before arriving and during the first few weeks of Peace Corps Training was to be yourself, don’t compare your experience with anyone else, and that every volunteer is different.  We are all here for various reasons, ambitions and goals and that what is makes this experience of the Peace Corps unique, is the varying outlooks on life and experiences that we all bring to the table to help out.  I cannot wait to see where I have come from and where I will go while here in Swaziland.