For my Spring Break, I had the amazing opportunity to attend a service learning trip with several of my friends from MAC. We had a very early flight into Kingston, Jamaica where we then traveled to the mountains of Mandeville. No, we weren't heading to the coast for a week at the beach, soaking up the sun. We were staying at the St. John Bosco School for Boys. The school is run by the Sisters of Mercy and is for delinquent and orphaned boys. We had no idea what to expect when we got there, so you can imagine our surprise when we discovered that we would be staying in very accomodating guest houses and that our next door neighbors were a bunch of sheep!!

We spent the week helping with various projects: painting new beds for the dormitory, moving sandstone, and writing letters with the boys. Several students had the opportunity to work at the Caribbean School for the Deaf while others spent a few days at a medical clinic. It was incredibly rewarding to know that we were making a difference and helping the school.

The whole week, however, was not just work. We also got to spend a great deal of time playing in the play yard with the boys, taking in the Jamaican scenery, and even spent a day in Negril at the beach. I took so many pictures!!! I learned how to play cricket and made some new friends. My favorite part had to be the birthday party we attended for all of the boys born in January, February and March. This was the first chance we really had to interact with the boys. We celebrated with cake and ice cream and even played musical chairs.

It was truly a life changing experience and I hope to go back someday. It was definitely the best way to spend Spring Break.