I learned that the past is our lesson, the present is our gift and the future is our motivation. We each carry an untold story that our silence keeps us from telling. My future is based on who I am today out of attachment to my past.

I never really thought about the importance of writing down thoughts. I always thought that my opinion didn’t matter or that I wasn’t getting heard but the amount of views I get per blog amazes me and inspires me to put my heart out in every single blog I write. My point is that I never imagined myself doing the things I am dedicated to do now. It’s important to follow your heart and to do things out of your comfort zone because you never know how amazing the results would be. For example, myself. I never really had expectations for myself and never really knew what I was doing till I started to analyze my future and realizing how important it is to create a designated plan. It’s perfectly fine if things don’t go the way you planned. What matter is that you set expectations for yourself and you’re happy with them.

Happiness is the joyful feeling that CGA gives me because it has allowed me to gain knowledge and has given me so many life lessons that I will forever cherish. My life has been changed ever since my first service trip to Nicaragua because of every single person I crossed paths with. They’re the most humbled, kind-hearted souls that I will forever remember.

My upcoming trip is to Tanzania and going on my second trip outside of the country with the purpose of helping others is a dream come true. Tanzania is located on the eastern coast of Africa and has an Indian Ocean coastline approximately 1,424 kilometers long. Tanzania is home to some of the oldest fossils and oldest human technology. Tanzania’s beauty is inexpressible the beauty is surrounded by Mpingo trees, also known as Africa Black wood Trees, which happens to be the most expensive hardwood tree in the world. Animals play a big role in Tanzania’s beauty. The country has the largest concentration of wildlife animals per square kilometer, with more than four million wild animals and representatives of 430 species and subspecies. The beautiful mountains, most importantly the largest mountain in Africa, Mount Kilimanjaro that sits 19,342 feet above sea level.

On April 26^th, 1964 the United Republic of Tanzania united. Tanzania became free from the British rule. From then, the capital of Dar Es Salaam has been moved to Dodoma, which was founded in 1907 by German colonists. Ever since, the capital has thrived from trade and relationships with other countries. The unity that Tanzania represents has been shown through the 120 languages, 125 ethnic groups, the three major religions, and the diverse culture.

Tanzania has many untold geographical riches but remains immerse in poverty. Despite being surrounded by three of the largest lakes of the world, water scarcity has turned into a nightmare for rural areas. As of 2009, nearly one-third of the country had no access to clean drinking water. Nearly 40% of the whole population lives in extreme poverty, and nearly 60% lives below the World Bank designated poverty line of $1.25 a day. One of the key reasons for poverty is the low pace of urbanization. More than 80% of the population lives in rural areas, which lack basic civic amenities like electricity, sanitation facilities, and education.

On the whole, the future is unknown, but we have the power to convert the world to a better place with unity. Together we can be the difference that needs to be seen.