International Travel
Greece Trip Recap
- Olivia Messina, EDGE Junior -
I am so grateful to have had the incredible opportunity of visiting Greece to do service work and gain a firsthand perspective of my understanding of the country. The trip was a perfect balance of cultural excursions and learning opportunities as well as doing service work. It’s easy to underestimate the value of small tasks, picking up sticks at a park or bagging groceries might not seem like making a major contribution to the community but they really are. When I was helping to build a table at the shelter and collaborating with others, I felt a very human realization; that we are all people, and everyone really does have something to offer. It’s easy to distance ourselves from other people who have had life experiences polar opposite to ours, but our humanity unites us as one. I was able to connect with a variety of other people in a way that I had not before, even if we did not speak each other’s language and grew up with completely different cultures and social norms. Shared humanity is a very powerful connector that is sometimes stronger than language.
When we had to leave, it almost didn’t feel right because I felt that surely there was so much more we could have done to support the displaced children, and there absolutely was. However, the work that could have been done does not discredit the work we were able to do throughout the week we were there. I could leave knowing that now at least they had some more tables that we built together, a beautiful wall that they helped paint, and a garden that was waiting to be planted. All of these things helped make the space feel a little more like home for them. And even though I do not have power to stop international conflict, I do have the power to help the people in the present who wanted to make their space feel more homey. Sometimes the best way to help others is to recognize the small changes we can make today to give them a better future tomorrow. I hope that as I enter the adult world I can continue to look for ways to help others both in my community and around the world, even if sometimes it’s just picking up sticks at a park or helping someone bag their groceries, I will know that I am making a difference.
