Have you ever felt lost in this world? Like you think you belong one place but one event leads to a change in perspective? That was me when I was 14 years old. When I was 14, I was happy with my life because I didn't know what else the world had to offer, or even what the United States had to offer. Sure, I understood the difference in cultures, but I never understood why members of my family left our home place of the valley to pursue careers throughout the U.S. and the world. It wasn't until that one week in West Virginia that my life changed forever.

I was 14 the first time I travelled to West Virginia. I piled into a 17-passenger van filled with strangers for my first service trip in the mountains. I looked back frequently at the smiling faces who all seemed to know each other as I felt lost and uncertain of the adventure I was about to embark on. Big and Tasty must have sensed my hesitation as we pulled into Thorn Spring Park. He looked at me and said, “This place will become your home. You will learn to love West Virginia.” In one week, I began to understand what Big and Tasty meant.

Here are 10 ten things I learned from my service trips:

1. Don’t ever judge someone by their cover.
2. Go hiking because you never know what you’ll discover.
3. Always dance.
4. Take breaks.
5. Take time to be grateful.
6. You can and will survive without your phone.
7. Try new things.
8. Be passionate about what you are doing.
9. Habitat partner families/homeowners rock.
10. Opportunities can and will arise.

You will never fully understand what someone has been through, but each of us has our own stories and paths in life. I made some of the best friends I could ever ask for in these five weeks. They are the people that remind me that beauty is more than what is on the outside. They are the people that pick me up when I am broken and have always believed in me.

It was a tradition in our group to climb a mountain every half day. Thirty to 40 of us would embark on the three-mile journey to the view deck where we would take in the beauty of the peaks and valleys of West Virginia. On my third and final hike up Seneca Rocks, I had one of the best heart-to-hearts with my best friend, Katelyn. That is the day I realized she would also be my best friend.

On Thursday nights, we would host a community dinner. For three years straight, I went with a group that hired a DJ. After a long tiring week, the last thing your body wants to do is dance on a packed dance floor, but you will always end up smiling. Whether someone teaches you how to do the stanky leg or the worm, you are guaranteed an incredible memory because let's face, we all couldn’t dance.

There is nothing worse than looking down at your recently healed ankle to discover it has swelled up to the size of a softball. We all have limits in this world, and you are a better team player when you understand your limits, and stick to them.

One of the best parts of my day was the ability to reflect every night on the opportunities I had been blessed with. Every night we would break into small sharing groups and sit under the stars of West Virginia. It was a time to be reminded of the immense beauty surrounding us.

When you travel to rural parts of the U.S., it is rare that you will have cell service. Take that as a sign, a sign that you are overworking yourself by constantly answering emails, phone calls, and texts. The advancement of technology while good also hinders us from properly interacting with others and the nature around us.

I never heard of spear fishing before embarking on these service trips. However, it became tradition every night to spend a half hour down in the creek spear fishing. While, I am not a master spear fisher, I learned a new skill that may one day come in handy. And of course, I learned incredible construction skills that definitely have already come in handy.

Going on service trips isn’t about being an ego booster; it is about being willing to help where help is needed. Helping others, however, comes in many different forms. You are serving others when you help pour foundation into their new home, you listen to their stories, and you become an active participant in this incredible journey. You will receive joy when you become passionate about what you are accomplishing.

I have had the opportunity to work with countless families and each provided me with such joy. Habitat partner families/homeowners are some of the most grateful individuals I have ever met; they take time to learn about you and why you are there working with them. They also have incredible stories of overcoming difficulties while still remaining hopeful. Some of my best memories came from listening to a family share their journey.

Who knows what will happen because of your service trips. In some cases, you will walk away with a newfound sense of belonging and an understanding of your calling in life. Others will be blessed with a job opportunity that will lead them to more incredible memories and friendships. Some will be blessed with both; you just have to open your eyes and see all that is waiting for you.

Flash-forward, five years later, and I am now 19 and a sophomore in college serving as the president of Le Moyne’s Habitat for Humanity Club. In five years, I have gone on five service trips to Almost Heaven Habitat for Humanity and recently completed a summer internship with them. West Virginia truly became a life changing experience and as Big and Tasty once said, “This place will become your home. You will learn to love West Virginia.”

To all my incredible friends who I now consider family who have traveled with me to West Virginia, thank you. Thank you for five incredible trips filled with love, tears, heart-to-hearts, dance sessions, and laughter. To the people of West Virginia especially those at Almost Heaven Habitat for Humanity, thank you for allowing me the opportunity to serve with you for five years. I have learned a lot in those five years, and I will forever be grateful for those opportunities.

So, next time you are asked to go on a service trip, don't hesitate, because if it is anything like the opportunities I was blessed with, you will walk away with more than you ever imaged. I end now, 19 years old, excited about what the U.S. and the world holds, ready to conquer it all. Where I’ll end up next, I don't know but I hope one day to volunteer in Haiti, Africa, the Middle East, Asia, and continue my journey throughout the United States. Until the next adventure, go out and be brave…