I feel fortunate to have recently attended a service learning trip to Peru! I had the opportunity to work with carpenters to help build lockers and cubbies for children in a school. These students formerly lacked this valuable resource to store their belongings. This experience was humbling to say the least! I learned that in spite of my own frustration and struggle with activities that do not naturally come easy to me, I am resilient and work hard until I achieve a goal. I am not a handy person, and I am accepting of this because everyone has strengths and weaknesses. However, instead of becoming annoyed at myself for not being able to operate power tools to construct the lockers with, I instead became determined. I knew that I had to prove to myself that I was capable of drilling nails in wood in order to gain the most of this experience. While this may be a simple task for some, it is a challenge for me. Nonetheless, I rose to the occasion and am proud of myself for doing so. I also learned that the carpenters we worked with, whose native language was Spanish, did not allow their lack of knowledge of English to prevent them to communicate with the volunteers. We were still able to work together in spite of the language barrier. We used hand gestures and facial expressions to do the talking for us! I admire that the group was able to collaborate and assist one another with duties in spite of different linguistic abilities.

I have learned much more than a few more words in Spanish from this trip! Being back home and having the chance to reflect on this incredible opportunity has made me appreciate what I have. While Peru is a beautiful place, this wonderful country does not have some of the entities that Americans take for granted. Cubbies are usually something that most schools in the United States possess. We automatically assume that all individuals are as lucky as us, but in reality they are not. We worked out of one of the carpenters’ homes, and while we were not overly exposed to his personal environment, his lifestyle was evident. A communal sink was placed in his backyard, and he, his wife, and his children utilized the sink to wash dishes and to brush their teeth. A dishwasher was not present, and a simple appliance that many Americans use on a daily basis was absent from this household. I enjoyed comparing and contrasting the similarities and differences between my house and his. I will bring forth this experience to my academic life as well because I will understand different cultures in a new light by having actually witnessed how other civilizations operate. As a future professional, I will be more openminded and accepting of clients with different backgrounds and upbringings in part with what I have experienced on my Peruvian journey!