Hi everyone! I hope you all survived the snow and enjoyed a restful spring break (if you had one!). As I mentioned last time, I spent my spring break in Glasgow, VA immersing myself in their culture and values–and had a great time!
The trip was interesting to say the least. Most days were spent doing service work for the community, like cleaning and doing yard work for elderly citizens and painting the community center. We were also invited to a variety of church services and meals, which gave us an opportunity to interact with members of the community and hear their stories. Like all groups on SBIP, we all participated in reflection at the end of every day to help process what we had seen and heard and help find meaning in what we were doing.
While in Glasgow, we were housed in a local community center (which we eventually helped paint) and slept on cots. We cooked some of our own meals and were generously fed by members of the community for others. A big part of Appa specifically is “roughing it,” or not totally knowing what we are going to do next, but it makes the trip exciting and fun!
In addition to meeting a great community, my group from Holy Cross was able to bond and now we are all great friends! I loved getting to know upperclassmen whom I may not have met otherwise. Our bond is definitely unique, as we spent a whole week living, working and learning about this great community together.
For now, I will just have my souvenirs to remind me of my great week as I adjust back to reality and prepare for midterms and papers. Check back in soon to hear about more happenings on the Hill!