One Year
One year ago today, I stepped off a plane in South Africa with no idea how much that trip would change me. I thought it would be an adventure, a chance to explore, to see new places, to immerse myself in a different culture, and to finally live out my dream of volunteering abroad. What I didn’t know was that it would be the beginning of one of the most transformative years of my life.
When I first arrived, I expected to be challenged. But I didn’t expect my entire view of the world as I knew it to shift as much as it did. Over the three months I spent in South Africa, I was struck not only by its great beauty but also by its deep inequalities.
For the first time, I came face to face with the concept of birth luck. It hit me hard to realize that so many people much smarter, braver, and stronger than me might never have the same opportunities I’ve been given, simply because of where they were born. It wasn’t fair, and it wasn’t right. That realization didn’t fade when I left. It followed me into every country I traveled to this year. But what surprised me most wasn’t just the unfairness of the world, it was the beauty I witnessed within it. Despite facing hardships that most of us in privileged places can hardly imagine, the people I met lived lives filled with community, resilience, and joy. I saw neighbors showing up for each other without hesitation. I saw people going to work, church, and school with gratitude in their hearts and smiles on their faces, because they understood the value of even the smallest blessings.
That insight humbled me and made me reflect deeply on how, in America, we often overlook the gift of gratitude. We wait for the “good days” to feel thankful, when in truth, gratitude is something that can carry us through the hardest ones. I realized that with the “birth luck” I was given, I have a choice: to complain about the small things, or to use the opportunities I’ve been granted to create something that helps others. This past year taught me that compassion is not passive, it's active. It’s choosing to listen, to show up, to use whatever resources or privileges we’ve been given to lift others higher. That’s where the idea of my future non-profit began to grow. It’s a vision born from the love and strength I witnessed in South Africa, a way to honor those lessons by creating a space of healing and opportunity for mothers and children who deserve so much more than the cards they were dealt.
I don’t have all the answers yet, and I probably never will. But I know this: I want to keep learning. I want to keep showing up. I want to keep using what I’ve been given not just for myself, but for those who weren’t handed the same luck. One year later, I can see clearly that South Africa didn’t just give me amazing memories it gave me direction. It planted a seed in my heart that is still growing, still unfolding, and still teaching me what it means to live with gratitude, compassion, and responsibility. Here’s to another year full of laughter, new adventures, friends, family, and growth.