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Just 2 months ago, I was at University writing exams. Feeling a little bit lost and unmotivated over the past 2 years at school, I decided I needed a break. In my study breaks, I began to think about what I wanted to do with my life, and I decided I needed something meaningful. I took the scariest leap of my life: I dropped out of school and booked a 1-month volunteer trip to South Africa. I knew this trip would be great for me, however I was still terrified to drop out of school and embark on my first solo travel journey as a 20-year-old. I had booked this trip just 3 weeks before I intended to leave, and on my way I began to get nervous. I had no idea what to expect, but deep down I knew that was best. To go from a full-time student to dropping out with the purpose of re-establishing passion in my life in just 3 weeks was already crazy enough, and to go on my trip with set expectations didn’t seem to fit the theme my life had been following recently. 36 hours of traveling including 1 day in Frankfurt and a few new travel friends later, I arrived in South Africa. When I first arrived to my accommodations I was scared due to the fact that it wasn’t anything to brag about, and there was nobody there. Within a few minutes, however, all of my fellow volunteers arrived with smiles on their faces. I immediately began to befriend many of them, and my worries were gone. I went from knowing nobody there to having friends from Iceland, Denmark, England, Belgium, and at least 5 other countries on just my first day. After a couple of days of exploring Cape Town with my new friends and building wonderful connections, Monday morning rolled around and my worries came back. It was time to travel to my volunteer project: a school in Dunoon, Cape Town’s most dangerous township. As we were approaching the school, I started to feel overwhelmed. I knew this would be a challenge, but deep down I was welcoming it. I may have been in over my head, but it was too late to think about that. I had students from the biggest school in the township (600 kids) running towards me excited to meet me. I had no idea what to expect, and I was far from my comfort zone. Within minutes, my mood had changed. Seeing the pure joy on the faces of these children warmed my heart, despite knowing that every day they face tragedy at home. They were happy, friendly, and all they wanted to do was play despite everything they face at home. After 1 month there, I began to respect these children immensely. Understanding their home life of no role models and no expectations for their family members to stay alive made it hard to believe that they could be happy and optimistic kids, but nevertheless, they persist. It has changed my view on life. Not only has it made me thankful, of course, but it has taught me how to better navigate my own life. It has taught me to look at every circumstance I face with optimism and a greater understanding of what is in front of me. Sharing these experiences with the other volunteers also changed my relationships with them. Our connections with each other got much deeper than they had previously been, and to this day I still talk to them daily. Looking back, my goals in life are being shaped by the experiences I am in the middle of. The decision that was the scariest of my life, is currently shaping into the best decision of my life, giving me a new passion to learn and live in a way that allows me to follow my passion: writing and expressing my thoughts, and building meaningful connections with others.