Day Eight: Everybody!

Amy: I can’t believe our spring break is over. On our last day, I woke up and couldn’t wait to see the NYC lights again. But now that I am home, I miss the fresh air and greenery at Gesundheit! I also miss waking up with everyone in that Asian lady bug infested room. After spending a week at Gesundheit! Institute, I, along with our AB group, have grown and bonded tremendously. Beyond the service that we did, I think what made this experience memorable and special were the reflections and how we shared a part of ourselves with everyone. After a week, I definitely appreciate being deprived of technology during our break because…I needed it. Growing up in the city I realized that I have been living in such a fast paced environment and it is difficult to find your peace of mind, but at Gesundheit! I literally felt like I had all the time I needed. I can’t believe that it’s a bit difficult adjusting to the NYC lifestyle. The morning hike, life-threatening canoeing, hectic cooking, tear-jerking reflections, competitive card games, and fun road trip only sum up a part of our AB trip. This was a remarkable experience for me and I am thankful I got to spend it with our AB fam. :) ♥

Lakpa: The AB trip has been an amazing experience! Throughout the week in Hillsboro, West Virginia, I learned so much about myself, every group members, and definitely more about Patch Adam's vision of holistic healthcare. There is so much more to comprehend and realize about our healthcare issue than those stated in the Patch Adam's movie. In addition, working as a team made me understand the true essence of unity and how powerful and effective it could be when everyone comes together to support a cause! Doing any task seemed achievable. In times of adversity it made a lot of difference in individual's attitude and approach- in a positive way- knowing that we are all in this together and everybody's got each other's back. I feel so fortunate and grateful to be a part of this beautiful trip to Gesundhe!t Institute. Thus  far AB has meant really meaningful to me in aspect of building strong friendship, stepping out of comfort zone, and learning more about myself. Being part of the Gesundheit trip has made me appreciate life in general and people who are part of it. This trip was truly one of a kind experience! ♥

Jhaviry: I’m happy to be back home in New York City and to be able to see my mom and dad after a week of not being home with them, but the time I spent at Gesundheit with the rest of the group was definitely unforgettable. From late night conversations to singing songs in the car to listening to Jessica’s pop-tart tragedy, this experience was one that I will never forget. Even though at first I was starting to regret my decision of coming on the trip, because I was feeling so home sick and living conditions were tough to get used to at first, but being in the company of such wonderful people quickly changed my outlook on what would be one of the best weeks ever!

Manjiri: I cannot even begin to fairly express what all this past week meant to me. This trip was a personal journey as well as a great social outing, I enjoyed both aspects of it. I will be honest, on the first night we made it there, I was a bit (ok a lot more than a bit) nervous. I am afraid of dogs, dark, and a lot more things that were a big part of our stay at Gesundheit. I was afraid I had challenged myself beyond my capability this time. However, I was quickly immersed in the beauty of the place. The starry nights, Wildman and Elisa"s hospitality, and the comfortable, wonderful bond that formed between our group made this transition very easy. By the third day, I had grown fond of boomala and black dog, and I miss them now. I learned about what Gesundheit Institute stands for and came to appreciate the dedication to service and efforts to realize the vision of the people involved in this project. Painting the mural, cleaning the basement, tipping over the canoe, making tie-die shirts, meeting Joel or dining at Pretty Penny- I have made unforgettable memories that will always make me nostalgic. It was only after coming back home to NYC, I truly realized I had found a new home- in the people and in the wilderness of West Virginia. I am walking away with so much from this trip that has helped me grow as a person, and sure that the connections I have made and relationships that have formed will carry through in my life!

Kim: For me, this week meant a much needed break from the regular stress of being a college student, and allowed my 11 friends and I to reflect and gain a new point of view into life.  More importantly, this trip brought the 12 of us together to make a great friendship, which according to Patch Adams, is the best medicine.  I will always reminisce of this week when I think of West Virginia, Asian Lady Beetles, or whenever I sneeze.  I love all of you guys ♥

Alyssa: Before going on this trip I knew that it would an experience like never before; but, after experiencing this week at the Gesundheit! Institute I can't find words to express what this week has meant to me. Not only have I formed intense bonds with every single person in my group, but I have also grown immensely as a person. This Alternative Break turned out to be so much more than I have ever imagined and I can't believe that this week is already over. I have become so accustomed to living with my group and surviving the asian lady beetle infestation that it actually feels a bit weird to be home. I have been blessed to find a group of people that make me feel like I am home, and I am going to miss not being with you all 24/7 (even though we all lost our marbles). I will never forget the memories that were made this week and I will forever carry with me the values I learned at the Gesundheit! Institute. NYAB2013 ♥

Alma: After a week of service in West Virginia I can safely say that my concept of service has been broadened. We did everything from maintenance to the facilities of our service site to interacting with locals. Having advised other AB groups before, I am familiar with how close team members can get. I truly feel this group has become a family and am fortunate to be a part of it!

Jessica: I woke up this morning thinking that I was still sleeping on the floor of the Art House. Worst disappointment ever. When I signed up for this trip, I expected to get some service work done and get a unique insight into the world of health care. I did, but these expectations fall short of what I’ve experienced. This institute, and this trip for that matter, emphasizes the importance of human interaction and its remarkable beauty. I was able to see this interaction at its best while clowning at the hospital. I was able to see the not-so-good effects from the lack of interaction when visiting Jole, a man who seeks to create his own “universe.” And thankfully, I was able to experience the power of interaction with my AB group, of which I now call family. I am extremely grateful to say that I gained a family here, I gained children here (the goats and the dogs I fed!!), and best of all, I gained my sanity here. I will forever cherish this experience, as it has profoundly changed my life.

Priyanka: I really dont know what to say. This week has been fantastic. Every year that I have returned to G! changed my life in a different way. In previous years I've learned how to serve, I've learned how to lead, and then this year I learned how to love. I learned to love the land, love my friends, love myself, love my family even from afar, and love life. I've made relationships that I will value forever and learned so much from every single one. I want to take a second to thank all 11 other people that were on this trip for everything they have taught me and I want to tell them that I'm proud of them and love them oh so very much. Thank you for making my last Alternative Breaks trip beyond amazing. 

Hannah: This week was incredible. Even having been on this trip previously, the past week has been an entirely new experience. Part of that can be attributed to it being a different time and Gesundheit! being a more evolved place and our having different living arrangements than we did while at the site last year, but the greatest attribution owed - and by far the most important - is that owed to these people sharing this blog post with me. In the months leading up to the trip, I knew our group would inevitably grow much closer while on it, both from my previous AB experience as well as the simple fact that we'd be living and working together in such close quarters, but the resultant phenomenon was unlike any I could have ever imagined. In the months leading up to the trip, I would never have imagined that these individuals - individuals I would have never otherwise even noticed if I saw them on the street, let alone met - would become very much a family to me. For that, I am indebted to them, to this trip, and to even the Asian Lady Beetles that brought us so close together. I'd also like to add that I am so incredibly proud to have been able to see - and perhaps even foster - how these individuals have grown throughout the trip; by its end there were eight incredibly strong leaders in those who had started out as participants. To the eight of you, there are no words for how proud I am of all of you, and to the whole group of eleven, I love you, and thank you.