JeeEun Kim/6296.8 Miles Away from Home/ Narrative Composition/Tuesday 34

           A few years ago, I had the chance to go to Nairobi, Kenya to serve those who desperately needed help. For the whole eighteen years of my life, I have been to numerous countries, but never have I stepped out of the Asia continent. I was excited, thrilled, nervous, and worried at the same time. But just the thought of being able to help, calmed my fast beating heart.

           After a long 18 hour plane ride, our team finally arrived on the land of nature. When I took my very first step onto the land, I looked around and saw nothing. In Seoul or Taiwan, all I could see was building, buildings, and more buildings. But here, it was empty. It seemed like there were no ends to the roads. When we finally got our bags and started hitting the road, I was surprised at what I saw. I've always thought of Africa as a poor country with no food, but when we went into the city, I saw tall buildings, department stores, supermarkets, and a big national park. I was so astonished with what I was seeing. Just by looking at how beautiful the city was, I wouldn't have known it was Kenya.

           I expected hot, sticky, and humid weather that would drive us crazy, but the weather so amazingly good. If I weren't in the shades, I would feel my skin burning. I still remember the time when I had put on 3 layers of sunscreen for one of the outdoor activities we've planned for the local kids. After only 30minutes of standing outside out in the hot blazing sun, my friends started to call me the "lobster". "Oh my goodness, Grace! After three layers of sunscreen, you're still so burnt!" yelled all my teammates. Within that short period of time, my skin lost to the power of the African sun. Luckily, I brought aloe.

           Playing with the kids in the villages were the most memorable times. Each village we went to were so far away everything. When we went to the very first village to help, tears started to fall down from my cheek. The house they lived in were the size of my bathroom or even smaller. They tried to sell bracelet's they've made. There were flies all over the children's faces. Some were in their eyes, some in their nose. But they still greeted us with smiles. Those children were so happy they gave us big warm hugs. "Hello! Hi! Halo!" the kids would scream.          

           Although these kids and the villagers had absolutely nothing, they had the warmest hearts. Through them, I learned to be thankful for the experiences, opportunities, and how privileged I was.