As simple as that question may seem, its answer is pretty complicated and I'm not exactly sure where to begin. I guess a good start might be when I learned there was such a variety of full-time volunteering available. That happened during an alternative spring break trip my sophomore year to Philadelphia. The Sisters of Saint Joseph, who were hosting us at the time, sponsored a night of meet and greet with several full-time volunteers in the city. That exposure made me want to do full-time volunteering myself for a little while once I graduated. Ever since then, I just expected to spend at least a year volunteering, preferably abroad, before pursuing any kind of more stable and adult type life. Senior year rolled around and I did my research and applied. I was accepted shortly after graduation to the program I thought I was meant to do. Unfortunately due to a poorly timed plane ticket, two weeks before I was to leave for that program they "let me go." Great. Suddenly I was scrambling to find a replacement program to help fill in the yawning unknown that was my future. It was a pretty upsetting time. I was dealing with rejection, a bit of an identity crisis, the enormity of the rest of my life before me, etc. And in the midst of all that I found NPH. I fell in love with the organization right away, but tried very hard not to get my hopes up. After suffering such a huge disappointment, I tried not to put too much faith into anything to keep from being disappointed again, but honestly I couldn't help myself. I went through their application and interview process and was ultimately offered a position at their Mexico home as a caregiver. After eagerly accepting, I've spent the last couple of months getting ready and now I leave in less than two weeks! I'm so excited and terrified at the same time, but I truly believe I've found the right place for me and look forward to becoming a small part of a truly amazing organization. But more about that in my next post!
P.S. Merry Christmas! A little late, but heartfelt nonetheless.
