Service Experiences

I will be the first to admit that, while I like volunteering, I do not look to do it in my free time. However, during my time in high school, I was required to do sixty hours of community service as well as a further ten hours per year for NHS. My favorite service experiences have always been those where I was working with children. For a year I assisted with a Daisy Girl Scout Troop once a week, monitoring and helping the kids with crafts. The girls were all between the ages of five and six, and I really enjoyed my time working with them.

Omar from the Bible Study, 2008

Similarly, during the summer of 2008, I worked at a Bible Study Camp at a Methodist Church (I'm not Methodist, nor am I religious, but that is beside the point). My friend and I were assistants in the group that had children ages three to four. Of all of my experiences, this was my favorite. The children were hilarious, and by the end they really became attached to you. To this day my friend and I talk reminisce about this experience and all of the memorable moments we shared with the kids and advisors. We had planned to do this again in the years following, but, sadly, for the next two summers I would be in Germany, and, therefore, could not participate.

As for service connected to course, I would have to say that I honestly cannot remember a time that that has been the case, but my mind keeps telling me I am wrong. Should I remember, I will edit this post! :-)

It is a hope of mine to, one day, work with underprivileged children. One of the reasons I am starting with Arabic this year is in the hope to become fluent enough to go to one of the many nations where it is spoken-either in the Middle East or Africa-and to work there diplomatically (sadly, for diplomacy, German is not as necessary since many of them speak English!). However, while I am still a student and have seemingly endless opportunities to go places, I hope to travel to those aforementioned locations and either teach English or work on service projects... or both! Every year I find myself looking online at programs that I could travel with, and one of these days I am determined to do so! (I know recently-as in in the last 6 months-I found one that went to Morocco, and this really interested me.) There are also programs to places like Latin America, Asia, and Eastern Europe that lack a language requirement that I would love to do... One day!!

The time has come for me to end this blog and to go back to reading 'The Great Railway Bazaar'. For me this book is like torture, but I am persevering!

Tschüß!!

Holland