Only when I experienced life from a different perspective did I realize how much happiness can be found in the little things we take for granted every day.

Through this volunteering experience, I learned that sometimes you think, or believe, that you are going to change someone’s life, but in the end, you return home realizing just how much the experience has changed you.

I left Tanzania with more than just memories; I also took home an important lesson: we cannot change the circumstances in which people live. Sometimes, the very people we come to help and bring joy to, even if it is simply by spending time talking with them, end up teaching us the most important lessons in life.

They remind us that happiness does not require much. More often than not, we find it in a smile, a hug, and the moments we share with others.