Last Night Heart to Heart - Tessa

Over all the trip was really amazing, impactful, and changing. However for me the most impactful thing was the heart to heart conversation we had at the end of the trip. Everyone gathered in the room we gather in every day, and we were all asked to say one thing (or multiple things) that impacted us most on the trip. Everybody shared very deep and meaningful things such as being able to give the children clothes, making a difference for these kids, getting attached to them and seeing how they lived, comparing it to our lives. Many of us agreed that when we have no technology around and no distractions, we are ourselves. We all saw different sides of people that you usually would never see around school or in our daily lives because on these week without walls trips you are put in situations where you need each other and the support of your team. You cannot process things on your own and stand alone while you deal with issues and having culture shock that not everyone has as good lives as us. At the beginning of the year when we get put in these teams most people don't talk and we all feel awkward, once you're through security that all changes and everyone seems to get along pretty well. At the end, Bandy called out a few people that she really wanted to say something to. If you didn't know yet, Bandy has a lot of great things to say, and tonight at the last meeting before sleeping and taking off back to Singapore, she called me out and said everything I needed and wanted to hear. I have to say, I was doing a great job keeping my emotion in until Bandy started talking to me and I lost it. Sometimes the thing that everyone says, does not have a big impact on you until one person says it and it means a lot to you. This has been a breathtaking trip, realizing how much I have to be thankful for, and how amazing every single person on my team is :D

PS to Mum and dad: ik hou van jullie! mis jullie and zo blij om jullie weer te zien. Ja ik ben we weer gevallen hehe en super verbrand op mn rug :D tot snel! Hoop dat jullie Penang leuk hebben gevonden.