Going to the Dominican Republic with the Global Health in Social Work program was amazing. Being towards the end of my degree I was starting to feel a bit down. I was getting sluggish and starting to let the big picture of what I was doing fall behind all of the bad I was seeing in the world. Going on this program really showed me that there are as many negatives as there are positives in every place of the world and that what I do is making a difference. The first thing you notice when driving around the city was the colors. The buildings were such bright, beautiful colors the signs were all hand painted and the predominant form of advertising, the plants were beautifully lush green and way larger versions of the small plants I keep in pots at home. Everything there seemed vibrant yet natural. Throughout the program, I learned that it wasn’t just the scenery that was vibrant, but that was just a reflection of the culture and people that inhabited this beautiful island. From the dancing, to the rituals, to the history everything about the Dominican culture that we got to experience was rich and left me feeling the most content I have been in months. Being immersed in this culture and being able to interact with people who live such a different life from my own made me appreciate my life and also envy the simplicity of the island. Nothing compares to the service that we did while over there. We assisted with basic medical treatment, got to visit a nursing home and donate necessities and fun things to the children over there. The medical treatment was something they were used to. They got pills, we cleaned their water and vaccinated their animals in an effort to promote global health to these communities. I have never wanted to do anything near the medical field so I am sure that with this program I would never have gotten an experience like this. It was fascinating. Seeing the kids’ faces as they realized I was handing out stickers that they could keep is something I will never forget. They lit up and lined up to be able to receive stickers. They were so sad when we had to leave and made sure that their siblings were able to get some too. Visiting the nursing home was a really interesting experience as well. With my limited Spanish, I spoke with those there and they seemed so happy to not only have company, but that they got to see young people and dote over us like they would grandchildren. Without this program, I am unsure of how I would have made it through the rest of my degree. It showed me that the help that I give to these communities means something. Thank you so much to the college of social science for their help in bringing me there!