On my morning drive to work this summer, I would pass by the demolition of a local hospital. The merging of Springfield’s two major hospitals into a new building left two empty buildings to sit vacant. Every year since, every time I would pass the hospital I thought to myself, ‘how sad, something that once […]

When I was little, I thought I possessed the same power every 6 year old who rides in a van with automatic doors does- the power to open inanimate objects with the words “open sesame”. I’d walk up to automatic doors, say the magic words, and they would open. Obviously the older you get, the […]

Growing up I never ate peanut butter and jelly. Something about the combination made me disgusted, even the smell. When I found out that PB&J was going to be our main food group, I was pretty worried. Come our first outreach, the wonderful blend served as lunch, dinner, and afternoon snacks. Not only did our […]

One of my last nights before the trip, my parents, like any parents would do, began voicing questions and concerns for safety. Obviously, being 8,500 miles away isn’t ideal when you’re a parent, so we began researching. Gaining independence on September 6, 1968, the kingdom of Swaziland is one of the world’s last remaining absolute […]

One of the things I love about traveling is experiencing a new culture. Honduras and the Dominican Republic were similar, as they both had Spanish roots, but India was a completely different story. The way that the people did life was unlike anything I’ve seen before. Part of this was due to their Hindu religion, […]