I have lived in the little bubble of Cape Cod all my life.

For anyone who lives here, you can relate to the sheltered atmosphere, and the lack of diversity there is. That being said, the only view on the world I had was really just Cape Cod, and the select states I have visited. It wasn't until the fall of my senior year that I traveled outside of the country for the first time. I traveled to Ecuador for a mission trip, and not only did I experience a new culture outside of my bubble, but I gained an entirely different view on the world.

I had no clue what to expect when I left my house and everything I knew behind. I was going to be without technology, and any form of communication with my family and friends for nine days. From the minute I stepped foot out of the airport, I knew it was going to be a special experience, but I never could have guessed how life-changing the next nine days would truly be.

Ecuador is a very special place, but it wouldn't be so without the people who welcomed us into their homes, workplaces, and schools. Someone said at reflection one night, "The people have so little, but they are so happy." That was countered with the question, "But why?" This made me think about true happiness, and the fact that maybe they were so happy because they had so little. I carried this thought with me throughout the rest of the trip, and that was the beginning of my new view on the world. Without this moment, I don't think I would have been as observant of the simplicity of the life there that made the people so welcoming. I was able to see how incredible living a simple life full of love and desire to share that love can be.

One night, an inexplicable feeling came over me. After just one short week in Ecuador, I felt more at home there than I did at my real home. To this day I still feel that way, and not a day goes by where I don't think about Ecuador and how wonderful life is there. While the people there hardly have anything, and many live in single room cane houses, they were the happiest people I ever met, and that was more than enough for them. I learned that life is not about material goods, and how much "stuff" you have. It is about the attitude you carry with you every day. If you can view the world in a positive light, that is something you can take with you every day, and pass it on to other people that you meet. I was the recipient of this positivity and love every minute of every day I spent in Ecuador.

Since I have been home, not a day has gone by where I do not try and encompass the love and view of the world the people of Ecuador passed on to me. This is no easy task, living in a place where money, power, and technology rule over all.

It has been difficult to translate that love to a place where it is not so common to be open and welcoming. But if it wasn't for this trip, I would not have found the desire to change people's lives just one person at a time, as the people of Ecuador changed my life by opening up their homes, and showing me that happiness comes from the simplicity of life.