Personal Narrative: The Transformative Trip

The Transformative Trip Thomas Jefferson once stated: “If you want something you’ve never had, you must be willing to do something you’ve never done.” People to People is an organization, which has a special component referred to as a student ambassador program. This program is responsible for teaching student ambassadors the importance of bridging cultural and political borders, through education and exchange, with the aspiration of creating global citizens, and making the world a better place for future generations. Traveling with People to People was an unforgettable experience, which changed me personally. It inspired me to want to continue and make a difference, on a much larger scale, than a young sixteen year old adolescent could possibly

As I walked up the stairs to unlock the front door I sorted through the pile of bills and junk mail. To my amazement I discovered I had a piece of mail that was addressed from an organization called People to People. At this point, this group was never heard of in my area. Once I got into the house I opened my letter. In big bold leaders it congratulated me for all my hard work, and offered me an opportunity to attend a meeting. This meeting would give details pertaining to a trip to Europe the following summer. Thinking it was a scam, I threw it in the garbage. Later that night, my mother found the letter in the garbage and before I knew it we were sitting at that meeting. It was then when I realized that this could be the start of something new, and

I traveled from city to city each day, exploring new countries every few days. The longest time that we spent in any country was about a week. First I went to Ireland, and participated in plenty of community service projects. These projects ranged from helping the youth, all the way to aiding the elderly. We even managed to clean out a few local graveyards, to help those families who could not visit their loved ones regularly. The homestay is probably my most memorable moment in Ireland. For the homestay, I stayed with a family by the name of Donnelly, and learned an abundance about their culture and traditions. The family was so welcoming that they invited my companions and me to their family party. In Ireland, I gained knowledge about various cultures and also contributed to the well-being of foreign