My Great time in VA

I want to first thank Pat, Sejour, G, and Rich, and the rest of the staff for making this trip possible. I truly enjoyed this trip and probably will never forget it. This trip has made me realize that many, many, people who are my ancestors paved the way for me in order for me to be here right now. This trip has made me appreciate life, my loved ones, my service, and everything else. I am truly grateful that I am a part of a community of people who want to be the change the world needs. And also with the progam, it has gotten us to travel to places to see how different things in life impact us.
When I was going on this trip, I thought that it would be about history and just facts thrown at us so that I can hear the same things that my professors have said and read in the textbooks. This was not the case.
We first arrived to the Slave Trail tour which was an eye opener and also a HUGE humbling experience. We saw the different things that slaves had to endure which is beyond comprehension. First we saw the lake/river that the slaves sailed on and brought on land boat. It was amazing to know that I was right there where slaves saw their homes for the first time after leaving their native land. We then traveled through the actual trails that the slaves had to walk through. We did an exercise where we had to walk hand in hand then hand on the person in front shoulders and walk as if we were the slaves. This made me tear a little. I realized that these people were treated like products and nothing more and this is what they had to endure for 200 years. I thought that "this could have been me". Then we went to another site where the prison was located. On our way to the prison stop, our tour guide Ralph, showed us an old house that was used for auctioning slaves. He pointed out that it was to be made into an apartment building later on this year, which will be interesting to see because I don't know who would want to live in a place like that.
The next day we went to see the Bonners from University of Richmond, which is such a BEAUTIFUL campus. They showed us each of their sites. I was especially intrigued with one of the sites that helps kids from thrid world countries with surgery that they may need. This really touched me since I was born and raised for five years in a third world country. And I also enjoyed the other site where they went to the hospital that helps children during their time of sickness. Many people forget that medicine is more than science and also about the care and easing the patient throughout the process. This was also another favorite of mine. I am very interested in urban/global health so I thought that the sites were incredible!
We then went to the Civil War tour which helped me understand what people went through when the nation was fighting one another. I really think this helped me understand that people had to go through hell in order to have the kind of world that we live in. Although it is not perfect, it is FAR from that era that they lived in.
This experience also left with a bond with some of my classmates. Since this is my first year in the program, I had a chance to really talk to some of the people I don't usually talk to. They are great people! I had a chance to talk to some people and understand more about them and their sites. We had MANY, MANY laughs and I thought this made it even better because I love to laugh. This experience has also made me break out of my shell. I admit that I used to stick to my race/ethnicity but after this trip and really understanding my peers, I realize that there are awesome people everywhere! It has made me become closer to some people, get to know some, and really understand some too. I would do this all over again and cannot wait for the next class trip! This is one of the reasons why I love being part of this org. It has gotten me to see places outside my city and change my perspective on different subjects and people. It has shown me that change is bigger than what I envision it to be but what people as a whole can envision and then act together on.