The Trip That Changed Her Perspective

On October 25th, 1997 I took a bus (with my sister Casandra and my girlfriends) from New Haven, Connecticut to Philadelphia, Pennsylvania to attend the first ever Million Woman March, inspired by the Million Man March in Washington DC on October 16th, 1995. This trip changed me in so many ways because I felt a deep sense of community, a deep connection to and a profound sense of belonging with these women of color from all over the country. It was truly a blessed event and one that I will never forget.

I think the trip that changed my point of view the most was living in Peru for four months in 2015. It made me truly grateful for everyday things that people take for granted such as easy access to hot water, access to clean drinking water, access to modern day comforts such as heat and air conditioning, and paved roads and driving infrastructure, rules, and structure. These were not present in Peru.

My time living in Costa Rica was transformative. Not only did I learn another language, I also learned you don't need a lot of material things to have a rich life. Happiness cannot be bought.

Immersing myself in a month-long trek across Europe and three and a half years in Maio, Cape Verde, completely stripped away my assumptions about the world. Plunging into the unknown didn't just teach me how to truly listen and communicate across cultures, it taught me who I am.