Returning to the North American lifestyle, each of us realized how much we take for granted. We began working with Free the Children, a charitable organization devoted to freeing children from poverty and exploitation that was  founded in 1995 by Toronto’s Craig Kielburger.

Although my perspective on life and happiness changed after my Dominican trip, I never expected I would embark on a similar journey less than a year and a half later. Yet, after participating in several Free the Children events and learning about its school building projects, I became more and more intrigued by the opportunity to participate in the mission. 

In November, I accepted Free the Children’s offer to join 24 other youth from across North America on a volunteer and leadership program called Me to We (www.metowe.com). We will spend two-and-a-half weeks in  a community in Ecuador, assisting with the construction of a school, receiving leadership training and hiking through the Andes mountains as well as the Amazon rainforest.

So how does one prepare for the experience of a lifetime?

For me, the trip didn’t seem real at first. Even while I was fundraising and receiving endless vaccinations, I was focused on finishing my last year of high school at Cardinal Newman in Hamilton, applying to universities and preparing for graduation. Summer seemed far away.

In early June, I received a packing list and itinerary that came with a couple of surprises. The first was that I was required to pack sweaters and full winter gear. Reading on, I discovered this was no joke. The warning was clear: “It can get cold! We are NOT KIDDING!” I’ll admit I was a little disappointed that, just as summer is finally arriving, I’ll be headed to South America prepared for winter.

The second surprise was that I wasn’t allowed to bring a suitcase, only a hiking backpack that would hold all my supplies. Given that I’m petite and upper body strength is not my forte, I was faced with the task of finding small, lightweight supplies and an adequate backpack in which to carry them.

During my search for The World’s Lightest Sleeping Bag, my dad insisted that the salesman re-pack each sleeping bag we tested. As I watched two grown men getting beat by a one-pound sleeping bag, all the preparations I’d made during the last several months came into focus. It was at this point, picturing myself sleeping in the Andes, that the trip became real for me.

After that, I began to question if I’d made the right decision, planning to spend part of my summer in a foreign country with little idea of what I was actually getting myself into.

The two weeks prior to departure were a mad rush as I collected last-minute necessities, practised the Spanish vocabulary list that came with the itinerary and desperately attempted to fit all my supplies into a single backpack. While I’m prepared physically, I also hope I’m prepared mentally and emotionally because this journey, however exciting, will surely be life-changing.