Opening New Doors

Packing for The Alternative Spring Break Dominican Republic Experience

Besides the amazing friends I have made, traveling to an exotic country and helping children there learn English for a better future...this whole experience has opened many doors for me…

Every day you wake up to the same routine; see the same people, take the same bus route, eat the same food. The most exciting part of you week are probably the Friday nights, where you get a chance to unwind and relax with your friends. 


But then again…


Have you ever wondered that there is more to life than that? Sometimes we get trapped in our own world that we forget that there is a whole world to explore. In it awaits the experiences you have never experienced, that could change you forever, and ultimately help you grow into the mature grown up individual you dreamed of becoming. 

Where are these so called "opportunities"? You ask...
 
The opportunities to go on adventures are right under your nose, they are on the walls of the college, online on the websites, and through word of mouth.


My eye caught one of these “adventures” and I couldn’t seem to get the idea out of my head. I decided to make it my goal to take part in it. By the way, I am talking about the Alternative Spring Break trip which Algonquin College is introducing for the very first time. I and 23 other students will have a wonderful chance of teaching English to disadvantaged children in the Dominican Republic. 


When I first received the email that I had been accepted, I wrote down how I felt at that moment so I wouldn’t forget…

“I woke up around 7:40 a.m. had to start getting ready for another day at school. My morning routine involves checking my email, as I open my mail with eyes barely opened, there and behold, I saw it! An email from the alternative spring experience, I quickly focused my attention on reading it, I read the line “it is with great pleasure that we have accepted you…”

At first I was thought I read a “not accepted” but then I thought why would they reject me with “great pleasure” lol anyway I re-read it a couple of times and realized this is it. It’s a go, my journey has officially begun! Then I read the rest of the e-mail like 4 times, I also was curious to see who is going to share this amazing experience with me, I read some of the names in the email, none of them sounded familiar. There will be a meeting held on October 24^th, 2012, I cannot wait to see my team.”

After that day, me and a group of amazing individuals whom I have become closer with and trust them with my life have met almost every week. Every meeting would be so enthusiastic, even though we were tired as most of us had been up since the morning. I believe our energy came from the excitement and anticipation of the journey we would be embarking on. 


I have to admit, when I first started out, the financial aspect of it was a bit scary, and I don’t blame students for thinking that it would be a difficult task to come up with the money, however, the community we live in commends us on the type of work we do, and fundraising was not as hard as I expected it to be. The college community, my friends, family, neighbours, and businesses were all cooperative and helped in any way they could. In addition, with the resources that the college provided us with aka Sophia and DJ who constantly motivated us and helped us ever step of the way, whether it was fundraising, event planning, finding us extra jobs to do on campus to pay for the trip…. we would be quite lost without their hard work and motivation. I could not have asked for more better mentors. 


This chance to go abroad and teach has inspired me to explore the world even more. It is kind of like a domino effect, this opportunity lead to me another, and now with this experience under my belt, I have decided to continue on these “adventures” of mine. I recently got accepted to be a part of a Teach and Travel in Turkey program, all inclusive. I know the only thing that stood me out from the others applying was the leadership skills I will have gained through Dominican trip. 

I strongly encourage each and every one of you not to miss out on these opportunities, as they do not come often.
There is nothing but to gain from these experiences, they leave you with a broader understanding of our world and unforgettable memories which you will be proud of and share with everyone. 


There are still 8 days to go; I cannot wait to come back and share the experience I will be having there.


Have a good break everyone! 


Now…back to packing.