"The smallest act of kindness is worth more than the grandest intention." ~Oscar Wilde

     I had been staring at this blank post for about an hour, writing, erasing, and rewriting my introduction to this blog.  Tanzania is going to have such a tremendous impact on my life and I feel that this blog post is the beginning of that adventure.  I feel pressure to make it right.  Yet, the beginning of any new chapter in one's life is often the hardest.  As such is reality, one must just jump in.

     My reasons for choosing to volunteer in Tanzania are my own.  Some are altruistic while the others are more selfish.  I want to help others, help those without the resources to help themselves.  I want to use my newly acquired medical knowledge to make a difference in people's lives.  I want to change the life of a child for the better.  I want to make friends internationally.  I want to soak up a different culture and grow as a person. I want to learn and I want to teach.  I want adventure.  I want to test my limits, and more-so, to expand my limits. I want to feel appreciated by others and for others to feel loved by me.  Most of all, I want to learn the true feeling of gratitude, for I feel as if I have been blessed with such a wonderful life that I do not fully understand the art of gratitude.

     I have decided to record my thoughts and stories of Tanzania in blog form for three reasons. One, my mom is worried about my safety and a play-by-play in blog form will comfort her (love you mom!).  Two, I want to have something to look back on years from now.  I want to remember the details of my trip, from the smell of the air, to the look in one's eyes.  My third and most important reason is that I hope to inspire my readers.  I do not expect everyone to find an impoverished country to travel to like I did.  Rather, I want to inspire my readers to sprinkle acts of kindness within their activities of daily living.  An hour at a soup kitchen, a listening ear to a friend in need of comfort, a sandwich bought to give to a homeless person...all of these seemingly small things can have such a positive impact on the lives of others.  No matter the location, no matter the language, we all share the need for love.  It is what brings us together.