Sometimes you don’t know everything...

This experience has taught me so much...especially that I don’t know everything.  With the language barrier, the lack of comforts, the customs, so on and so on everyday there is something new that reminds me that I need people to lean on.  Every minute of every day isn’t always amazing but that’s why we are given wonderful people to help us through.  I have been blessed with a few of those here.  One in particular wrote a beautiful journal entry that really captured a lot of the same sentiments I’ve been feeling but hadn’t quite gotten into words yet...  Heather is such an interesting soul and she has graciously given me permission to post her journal entry below.  I hope you enjoy :)

“Being here has made me realize so much about my life; about the people I interact with daily, about Grande Prairie, Canada, Africa; about everything. About myself. I’ve learned that I’m stronger than I thought I was; that having walls isn’t a bad thing as long as you don’t hide behind them. I’ve learned that I have what it takes to do everything I want to do; to travel, to continue learning and teaching, to inspire people and be inspired, to become a well-established writer and pursue a career in foreign affair journalism. I can do anything, be anything, as long as I work hard enough. I’ve realized that I don’t need to be the one always putting in all the effort in my relationships with friends, men, family, whoever; that

everything should be 50/50 and that being selfish is okay sometimes. I’ve learned to appreciate the little things; a child’s laugh, seashells, doodling, having the ability to build a canopy bed in Canada and destroy one in Zanzibar :) I’ve learned that kids can be great one day and frustrating the next; that’s why they’re kids. I’ve learned that you can’t change the world just because you want to, but that despite how small it may be on the scale of everything screwed-up, making even the slightest difference is still simply that - a difference. I can’t help but look forward with excitement to see where my decisions will take me; which paths I’ll choose to take; which mistakes I’ll make, and which of those mistakes I’ll learn from. 

Ending on an enthusiastic and fulfilled note,”

Heather Ulrich - Grande Prairie, Canada (heatherulrich@live.ca)