An Influential Event

We all have had our fair share of events influencing and impacting our lives. The most recent influential event for me, was my Overseas Community Involvement Program (OCIP) trip to Laos last December.

24 of us set off from Singapore, to a small village in the middle of nowhere, to help out the villagers, in terms of construction, farming, teaching the children and interacting with the locals. In total we spent 3 weeks over there, away from the hustle and bustle of city life.

Over there, it was an eye-opening experience. For 3 weeks, we lived as the locals did. Farming, construction, cooking, doing laundry by hand, and much more. Life was back to basics, getting down and dirty in the mud. It was dusty, run-down, and had poor cellular reception. Despite that, it was a beautiful place, with scenic views of the mountains in the day, and the stars at night.

Personally, I learnt a lot from the trip. First, the trip has taught me to be thankful and appreciate what we have here in Singapore. It is heartwarming seeing the local children having fun while having little to nothing at all. It has also taught me to step out of my comfort zone, and as much as I can, to put others before myself. Lastly, I learnt to be more open, to people and issues

In the end, I am thankful for this influential event. If given the chance to repeat it all over again, I would.