Tomorrow and Beyond

This trip has been filled with surprises: the relationships that I see forming within our Bonner family, the extent of our efficiency on the house (especially sunny side of the house), the fact that I actually am enjoying sanding the walls of a house because I have friends right beside me. I never would have pictured me decked out in man jeans, old t-shirts and flannels with Spackle sprinkling down all over my hair, face and paint splattered clothes, but today, there I was, on a ladder, with gray hair, a face covered in dust. I love this. I love that I don't really know what I'm getting myself into but that at the end of the day, the fruits of my labor will be a house for a family that deserves it.

This trip has been filled with love: despite the fluctuations in relationships with Bonners, whether or not the morning has consisted of teasing, no matter who it was on the sunny side of the house, I knew that I could ask for help when I needed it and that person would drop what they were doing and come help me. Its baffling to me to have such a strong support system. For the longest time I was so focused on pushing through challenges and issues on my own, which is part of the reason I am here in the first place, but to have this support is new and wonderful to me. I feel so blessed to be surrounded by people that may or may not love me, but who I know care about me enough to help me out- physically, mentally and emotionally.

This trip has been filled with little blessings: from the never ending soundtrack of laughter, to the beautiful weather the first few days, this trip has been abundant with blessings. I remember before coming on this trip that I was so nervous. I was nervous about who I would hang out with, talk to, eat with, work with, if they would like me, if I could make a difference, if I would be able to do the job assigned to me, etc. I am happy to say now that everything has worked itself out. I have been able to bond with some talented, multifaceted, just wonderful people and for that I will be forever grateful. Not only that, but I can see the difference that I made in the house. My usual work in Bonner occurs in the jails and prisons and we normally don't get to see results, and if we do, they aren't tangible things. Its so great to be able to see the work that I've put in and the end result.

This trip has been filled with memories that will last a lifetime. And so, as our journey comes to an end, I realize that I have changed as a person. I cannot fathom what the residents of New Orleans truly went through, but after completing the work on the Perry's house, I can see the magnitude of the effects of  Katrina- and these effects are long- lasting and mentally, emotionally and physically taxing. What I found most interesting about today was the conversations that I participated in with my fellow Bonners. At lunch, we discussed our community service and reasons behind it: a lot of us come from broken families, and those feelings of helplessness have become our motivation. The mindset being that if you can't help yourself, you should at the very least help people where you can, and maybe one day someone will waltz into your life and be able to help you. Its amazing to be around so many people who are likeminded or who have similar passions.  I look forward to seeing what the rest of my college career as a Bonner holds for me.