After 15 hours cramped in a crowded plane, I found myself standing on a battered tarmac surrounded by a wild and humid, yet beautiful jungle. We had finally arrived in Bohol, a small island located in the
During our two week stay my family and I visited many of the incredible places
Despite its beauty, the people of
These deaf were the focus of our visit and we traveled to IDEA’s schools in order to meet them. At the high school,
During our visit to an elementary school in Jagna, the students performed a special dance for us. Though they couldn’t hear the music, they could feel the rhythm through the tile floor. I was inspired by these children who, despite disabilities on top of their poverty, seemed to be so incredibly happy. Their lives were a testimony to the fact that happiness doesn’t come from things or abilities, but from your attitude towards life and its sometimes unexpected circumstances.
As we flew home across the massive Pacific which separated my world from theirs, I contemplated what I had experienced. Though I was an American and they were Filipinos, we both had access to things such as Myspace. Though our homelands and cultures were as different as night and day, we both shared the desire to succeed. And, though I could hear and they could not, it didn’t stop us from communicating and becoming friends.
Because of my trip, I can look through travel magazines and the exotic lands no longer seem so unattainable. The world is a big place filled with exciting countries to be visited. Who knows, maybe my trip to the
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