In high school, my repertoire of volunteering was limited to blood drives and picking up trash around my hometown. Although these small acts of volunteering were, and still are, helpful within my community, when I got to college, I took it upon myself to expand my understanding of social justice issues on a global scale.

Over the past year, I've have the opportunity to travel to Lima, Peru and Coachella Valley, California through my college's service-immersion program. While both trips have had their moments of heartbreak, exhaustion and adversity, they have also been the birthplaces of joy, laughter, authenticity and love.

Whether you're thinking of doing a service trip or it has never even crossed your mind, here are four reasons to do one:

You step outside of your comfort zone.

While the idea of throwing yourself into a community completely foreign from your own sounds absolutely terrifying, a service trip is a perfect physical manifestation of stepping outside of your comfort zone. Not only are you entering a new physical space, but you are opening yourself up to having your mind changed and your heart challenged, enabling you to grow in ways you could have never imagined.

You start paying attention.

It's easy to breeze past news articles depicting the world's greatest tragedies, but when you see these injustices happen right before your eyes, it changes everything. You now have a responsibility to use your voice for those who cannot use their own, and understand that there are real people behind those news headlines.

An exercise in empathy and vulnerability.

The community you serve will tell you stories of their pain and heart break, however, they will also share their moments of joy and love. As they open their hearts to you, you may subconsciously find yourself opening up your own heart back to them. While the direct service you do on these trips may seem like the most important aspect of your journey, you will soon realize that the powerful human connections you make throughout the trip will be some of the most powerful and loving relationships you've ever had.

Practice kindness and compassion.

Although continuing your service upon return from your trip may feel impossible, the best service you can do within your own community is the active practice of kindness and compassion with the people you know, the people you don't know and the people you have yet to meet.