Welcome

Hi Everyone,

In a little over a month, I am going to Costa Rica for 4 weeks to volunteer at Hogar de Vida, an orphanage for children who've been taken from their home due to abuse or neglect. I'm keeping this blog for a couple of reasons. The first is to keep friends and family posted on what I'm up to without having to write a ridiculous number of emails each week. The second is to raise a bit of money for supplies at the orphanage and possibly to help with the cost of the trip. And the third is just to put the information out there for people who might be interested in volunteering in the future.

I've been looking forward to taking this trip for a while now. I've spent so much time at UBC that I really wanted to make the most of my year off. There are a lot of reasons why I wanted to take this trip, not the least of which is that I love a good challenge. Some people might not find it too appealing to travel to a foreign country by themselves, stay with a family they've never met before and chase after snot-nosed kids all day but I really can't think of anything better. I want to spend some time helping kids that didn't get all the opportunities I did. I want to get to know a different country and culture from the inside. And hey, maybe the experience will help steer me towards a research area I am really passionate about for grad school. Also, I think everyone can benefit from stepping outside of the familiar and away from all the things we let define ourselves, to find out what we're really made of. Often, we are pleasantly surprised.

Okay, now a little bit about fundraising... As you can see, there are "make a donation" buttons to the right if you'd like to donate a little money to help purchase supplies for the kids at the orphanage or to help me pay for the program fee. I'll post again soon with more information about the orphanage, but basically they're underfunded and I'm trying to raise some money for them before I go. The donation will go towards things like school supplies, diapers, basic medications like Tylenol & cold medicine, craft supplies, etc. The buttons are set up securely through Paypal and any amount is greatly appreciated!