Until the end of my senior year of high school, I had never traveled outside the United States (unless you count briefly crossing the Canadian border as a baby – I don't). My first (real) experience in a foreign country didn't come until I was 17, when I went on a trip to Haiti, near the capital city of Port-au-Prince.

As cliché as it may sound, this trip was an eye-opener, to say the least. It was nothing like I had ever experienced before – and, unless I one day go back (which I hope to), it's something I'll never experience the likes of again as long as I'm in the States.

My time in Haiti was both shocking and saddening for all of the typical reasons – in short, because it is absolutely nothing like the United States. The beautiful people of this country are extremely impoverished – in fact, Haiti is the poorest country in the Western Hemisphere. Even Haitians who are considered wealthy in their country live in poverty by American standards.

Everywhere our group went, we encountered dismal living conditions, underfed and under-clothed people (children and adults alike), animals running free down crowded streets, and trash and sewage festering in the blistering heat. Not only are the roads unpaved and full of potholes, but there are also no traffic rules whatsoever. Drivers race as fast as they can down streets full of pedestrians, weaving in and out of traffic with no regard for lanes or sides of the road. It is pure insanity. And unlike in the United States, where you can usually walk down the street or simply out of your house feeling relatively safe (unless you're in a seedy area), almost no place feels safe in Haiti. We had a guard with us constantly, both on the road and in the compound that we stayed at.

The saddest part about Haiti is that there are so few people to help the oppressed. Indeed, despite the help sent by various first-world countries, these relief workers can only do so much – and so many Haitians are left unreached. Sadly, the people of this country are susceptible to diseases, natural disasters, and corrupt police and government officials. They barely have the means to help themselves, let alone their fellow countrymen. It was both beautiful and heart-breaking to see how excited many Haitians were to see our group of Americans, for they knew that we could help them and bring them hope – something they so desperately need.

Because of these experiences, it was easy for me to see the world of difference between Haiti and the United States (and most Western countries in general). But the thing that amazed me the most was just how similar we also are. Yes, Americans and Haitians find themselves in vastly different circumstances, but we are all the same at heart.

As an example of this, we got a chance to work with several precious children and teenagers in a local village. While we were there, we asked the kids if they wanted their pictures taken – and they loved it. Amazingly, they all posed for pictures as if they were celebrities at a professional photo shoot, or teenagers snapping pictures for Instagram. They flashed peace signs at the camera and tried a variety of poses, always thrilled to see the final product.

At that moment, they didn't seem like poor, malnourished children in a third world country. They acted exactly like so many people in America do, and they showed the same desire to pose for pictures and "be cool." There was nothing pretentious about their actions – it was truly precious to witness. At that moment, I was blown away by how they seemed exactly like the people I knew from home. Of course, I have always firmly believed and known that people are the same regardless of race or circumstance, but this experience was a wonderful example of this in action – and it is truly one of my favorite memories from the entire trip.

So in short, yes, there is a world of difference between Haiti and the United States – if you only consider outward appearances. However, at the core, the Haitians are our brothers and sisters, and they experience all of the same emotions as we do, from joy to heartbreak. In the things that truly matter, we are all the same. This is something I've always known to be true – that we're all the same deep down – but my trip to Haiti helped this truth hit close to home. It has engraved itself on my heart and soul, and I can never forget.