My home smells like home. It is a warm house, tones of brown and tan, and photos of the dearest memories we share scatter themselves around the shelves. Wagging tales are stationed at the door, and the scent of whatever crockpot masterpiece my mom has put together fills the air. An overwhelming sense of comfort falls on you as you enter– sprinkles of calmness and support surround you. An angry voice is never looming in the future and fighting is never around the corner. This is my home. A safe space, a space of welcoming and love. My parents fostered this energy throughout their marriage, bringing my sister and I into this world with that as their focus. From a young age, they became both our mentors and our best friends. We learned how to successfully communicate because that is what their marriage was built upon. We learned how to love and respect others because they did nothing but that to one another. Growing up in this environment, my soil was plentiful and healthy. I had strong roots that sprouted the moment I entered this world, and they grew strong and sturdy because of the nutrients my parents provided. My mom always referred to me as a “quick mover”. From the moment I took my first steps, I was off. There was adventure to be had around every corner and from early on, I made it my mission to discover each and every one of them. My childhood was just that, full of adventures. My Sunday’s were favorably spent on the back of my dad’s motorcycle, singing as loud as I could and swinging my arms in the wind. We traveled as a family whenever possible, cooked meals together and celebrated Christmas beginning in October. I was dealt beautifully embroidered cards in life, but finding the ways in which I could best use them came much later. At the age of 12, I was diagnosed with ADD. At the time, I was confused as to what this meant and why I was different. I was frustrated that I didn’t get A’s like my friends did and that I couldn’t sit still during classes. I wished ‘normal’ would have come easier to me. As time went on, I had to turn inward to figure out how I worked, and what worked for me. I had to be mindful of how I was feeling and what I needed to do differently. I had to discover how I learned best and what I needed to do to succeed. This moment was the beginning of my journey of self-discovery. This journey continued on into high school and new hurdles came and went. I lost my way time and time again but always had a strong desire to be better. I knew, deep down, there was something greater for me. I desperately searched for answers, befriended teachers and mentors, and sought out opportunities to discover this potential. I constantly questionined the world around me and my place in it, lucky to have a family that guided me through these grey areas. They believed in me so that I could eventually believe in myself. All in all, I was anxious to find my path. My pot was plentiful, full of flowers of all shapes and sizes, but something fundamental was missing. Soon enough, an opportunity that would completely transform my path presented itself: a service trip to Ndola, Zambia. I am not sure what drew me to this trip, I think some would call it God, but something in me knew I was meant to embark on this journey. It was the beginning of something truly beautiful, it was the next step on my journey. I am not sure if it was the friendships I made or the experiences I had, but something in me changed during my first summer in Zambia. I looked into the eyes of girls my age, 14 or 15, with babies of their own on the way. I witnessed extreme poverty, grief, and hopelessness in people that were no different than myself. I played games and shared roaring laughs with kids who walk ten barefoot miles to and from school everyday. I felt so overwhelmingly helpless, but it was okay because in two weeks I would be back in my queen sized bed with blankets and pillows surrounding me, right? Wrong. A fire was lit within me during this summer, and since then its flame has grown bigger and bigger. I came home from Ndola and right away took the position of to lead the trip the following year. I needed to give as many people as I could the opportunity to experience what I just had, and so I did. I brought together a team and we took off for another summer in Ndola the next year. My outlook on the world crumbled, reshaping itself into a beautiful masterpiece throughout my two summers in Zambia. Everything slowly began to make more and more sense. I began finding greater meaning within my interactions, becoming more mindful and intentional with my actions and relationships. I grew a deeper appreciation for the privilege I had and I was ready to take every opportunity I could find to put my privilege to good use. Yoga has been a practice that has held my hand throughout all of these ups and downs. I have been practicing for eight years now and with that, has come an ability to turn inward and evaluate myself and my thoughts in ways I never could have imagined. My practice has allowed me to process experiences like those I had in Ndola and find meaning and light in them. I have learned the importance of challenging my own thoughts and expanding my perspectives, introducing me to a more honest version of who I am. Without this practice, I would be a stranger to myself. Yoga has given me the opportunity to fall in love with the person I am today– to see the beauty and potential that I possess and thus, to see that in those around me. It has allowed me to turn inward and discover parts of myself that go unnoticed, parts that I can utilize to make real change. So now, I am here. I am overwhelmingly honored and humbled to be one of the 2019 Global Social Benefit Fellows. I feel more ready than ever to embark on this journey and spend my summer in Ghana working for All Across Africa (AAA). The excitement I feel to be able to apply my knowledge and skills, in an effort to make a real and lasting impact on the artisans working with AAA, is overwhelming. This opportunity is a dream come true. Being awarded this Fellowship has validated every feeling and frustration I have had leading up to this very moment. I know now that it has all been worth it and that I am where I am meant to be.
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