I had no idea what to expect when I signed up for our firm’s service trip to Appalachia, Kentucky. I heard stories, and I knew the reputation the area had from the news. I understood how my colleagues felt about the trip and whether they were interested or not. I had never been there, so this would be a new experience for me. I personally felt obligated to go. I felt obligated to my firm to show my support and to show them that I want to do these things and I am that kind of person. I didn’t know what to expect. All I had to go on were videos and other life experiences to guide me. After my service to that community, I left Kentucky with a new grasp of reality and even more gratitude for what I have.
First of all, I love the outdoors. I am an outdoorsman kind of guy. This is coming from a sportsaholic and a kid who went to day camp almost every summer of his life and had a job there as well. My family looks to me for help with the maintenance of their house. If something needs fixing or attending to, I am the son they call. I was not worried about the labor aspect of this trip. I already knew I loved working outdoors. It was what I would be working on and the reason why I was working on it that bothered me. The realization of why we were building is what struck me so hard. We were building a whole new home for a couple who were living in a place which should have collapsed years ago. This family needed to get out just for safety reasons alone. I do not know how it was really still standing. When I saw their home for the first time, I did not know how to describe it. Still, only one word comes to mind when I think back on it and that’s dangerous. This house was just dangerous. So, when I first saw what needed to be done, I had already begun to understand why we were there.
This also became apparent when I took my first drive from where we were staying to our worksite. I was too busy to notice much the night before when we were trying to find the house where we were staying for the first time. We were lost, and I wasn’t really paying attention to my surroundings except for street signs. However, the first trip the next morning to our worksite was an eye opener. Some homes were very large and beautiful, and others are rundown and looked deserted. There were two extremes. To be honest, there were many more low class homes. It also seemed that the upper class homes were tucked away into the woods, so they would be more distant from the lower class dwellings. This was an interesting observation. I was just imagining what I would be doing on our project during the drive. Was our project going to be similar to the homes I was seeing? Would it be worse? Would it be an average home we were fixing? Our project was definitely the worst I had seen.
I loved what I did. I loved what I was working on. I knew why we were working, because I was staring at the reason all day. All I needed to do was look up from the hammer and nail and see the reason why I was helping build this new home. Yes, I was hot and sweating profusely all day, but I really did love what I was doing. It was a break from the desk and numbers. My hands felt alive again with blisters that turned into calluses. Yes, even with gloves, I still had blisters. I was able to spend time outside of the office with my coworkers with whom I always have a great time. The main reason for this trip was to help a community in need and this community really needed the help. It was also a trip for me. It was a trip to explore and learn about other communities that I would never see at home. I learned how far I can reach to actually help another in need. I learned more things about work and everyone involved. I already felt grateful for every opportunity so far in my life, especially when it comes to work. My firm provided me with a great opportunity. This trip made me consider how grateful I am for the life I have.
