First Blog Post

The night before the trip, I was not excited. I had many anxieties of what could go wrong, how I would miss my parents and how I could get paired with certain people that I do not particularly get along with. The whole night before the trip, I texted my mother and cried to myself due to my anxieties. I felt so uncomfortable. I felt like I would have nobody to talk to and would be extremely lonely. Luckily, my Bonner Big Janice, allowed me to sleep at her house. Due to my mother's encouraging words and Janice's kind hospitality, I woke up with a new attitude. I woke up very excited and ready to travel. I thought about the people I would be serving and how it would impact their lives. Even if I didn't know what I was doing, they would just appreciate someone showing they care. I also thought about the friendships that I would potentially form and later appreciate. Even though the van was packed, the experience of being in the van with everyone gave me a different perspective. I thought about how we are all so different but we all come together to form one great team. Even though everyone might not all get along, we can still put our differences aside and form as a whole. I am so thankful for the opportunities Bonner has allotted. I can't wait to start volunteering and put a smile on someone's face!

Amani Pinnock