One World

Hey! The last couple of days have been super busy so I haven't been able to blog... but that means I have plenty to share with you now :)

Wednesday evening we had our goodbye party at the children's home. This day made my entire trip. When we arrived we just hung out with the kids by the basketball court and at their new playground! Afterwards we all ate dinner on the ground together and watched a slideshow of pictures of the past few days we spent together. After dinner was when the real fun began: we played the baby powder game. Everybody sits in a huge circle and you pass two bottles of baby powder around (similar to hot potato) and then when the music stops the person holding the baby powder has to go read a paper from a hat. The papers read different things like "someone wearing pants, a Canadian, or whoever you want" and so you had to go up to the appropriate person and throw baby powder in their face. This was AMAZING. It was so much fun! We played a couple of round until it got out of hand and we just ended up throwing baby powder everywhere. It was so awesome and the kids just loved it. Once you wipe the baby powder off, someone new comes up and just covers you in so much more! It was hilarious. 

After the baby powder game we handed out the donation bags. The kids were so anxious-excited! They each got their bags and opened them in seconds. The best part was when they all opened their notebooks and went around to each of us asking us to write something and our names. They are still learning basic English but they just wanted a little memory message. Some of the older kids asked for our names and e-mails for Facebook so we can all stay in touch! 


After this we did something so magical. It's funny because I added this specific thing to my bucket list just that morning: we released floating lanterns into the sky! It was so amazing and so beautiful. I was with my new friends that I just started to create a special bond with and we held the lantern together. On the count of three we released it and made a wish as we released it in to the sky. There is something to magical about the sky and the stars. Even when I was in the Dominican I found it incredible. I would always stop, wait, and look at the sky and try to find the moon. No matter what it amazes me that we share the same moon, the same stars, the same world. And that is the purpose of the name of my blog: One World- to always remember and never forget that we are one world. It is so important to remember that the only difference between us and them is where we are born and that no matter how different we are, we are still one world. Releasing the lanterns and making a wish was so magical, as we all watched them float away I literally felt like for that very moment we were one world, we all shared the moment together and all felt a strong bond. It was amazing- something I will never forget.

Unfortunately, after this was done it was time to say goodbye. This was terrible. It was one of those times where we were all getting super close with the kids and then it was time to go. I met Aitu just one day before the goodbye party and we became very close. She is 17 years old and taught me how to Thai dance all night. We released the lantern together and she walked me to the car at the end of the night. It was so hard to let her go. She kept telling me to stop crying and that I was beautiful as she wiped my tears away. Another girl who was only 15 was sobbing on my shoulder telling me how special I was to her. It broke my heart to leave and I haven't stopped thinking about them since. I cannot wait to e-mail and Facebook them when I get home. It is so incredible how easily you can make such a strong connection with total strangers. I hung out with these girls for maybe two days and it feels like we have been friends forever. Not a day goes by that I won't think about them and that incredible night. 

Thailand is such a beautiful country with so many beautiful people. I am so thankful to have had this opportunity and am so happy I got to share it with all about you reading my blog, I appreciate it! Every time I go on a trip like this I am reminded of why I do what I do, why I keep coming back: if you have the chance to change somebody's life and make somebody else's life a little easier- why wouldn't you take it? Every time I go on one of these trips I learn so much about the world, about the culture, and even about myself- it's incredible. I couldn't be more thankful! 


I love and miss you all,
Bianca


We are One World