I left my dorm at 7:43 a.m. to meet up with the Habitat group at 7:45. Panicked, I literally sprinted down the block from my dorm to the van that was nearly packed up to leave. I arrived out of breath and I received some confused looks from my peers. Feeling embarrassed at the scene I had made, I hopped into the van and my head was pounding.

Only a few minutes passed when I realized that I was so rushed, I forgot to eat breakfast. Even worse, I forgot to have my morning coffee--which I drink religiously. If you're like me, and coffee flows through your veins, a day of hard physical work with no coffee sounds impossible. But there was nothing I could do. I sat in the van annoyed about my trivial problems. I am ashamed to say it now, but I felt some regret for signing myself up for this early morning. But these problems of mine were quickly forgotten when we pulled up to the site we had been assigned to work on.

Boarded up windows, holes in the floors, no walls, no insulation, no light, mounds of trash and dirt, dust that was so thick we needed masks and safety glasses--the list goes on. I was hesitant to step all the way into some rooms, fearing that I may fall through the floor to the basement, which was easily visible through the first floor. These were just the initial things I noticed when I first stepped foot in the house.

For many of us, it was our first build. When I think about it now, we all were taken back when we saw the condition of the house. I thought to myself, How can we, a group of kids with absolutely no experience in construction, possibly clean this place up so that it will be suited for a family to live in? Despite my slight doubt in our abilities, we got straight to work and we worked hard for the entire day. I powered through my caffeine withdrawal as I realized what a trivial problem this actually was.

I learned a lot that day, including how to use new tools and about the structure of a house. More importantly, I learned that there was a family who needed a home so desperately that they were willing to put 200 hours of “sweat equity” into creating it; I was amazed at their dedication and perseverance. I also met some of the most generous and empathetic people I have ever met. They were retired men who spent everyday volunteering in Habitat houses, doing work considered strenuous to a bunch of college kids. That in itself is impressive, but what makes it even more admirable is that they did all this work in order to build a home for a family who needs it and expected nothing in return.

I felt so fulfilled at the end of our trip. I felt like I was a part of something greater than myself. I was a part of an incredible community of people who truly understand what it means to serve for the betterment of others, asking nothing in return. The pang of regret I felt at 7:45 am that morning quickly dissipated...and turned into gratefulness.