Testing. Is this thing on? I know it’s been a while, so allow me to re-introduce myself. My name is Ajayi Pickering-Haynes and this is my blog. I’m from the U.S. Virgin Islands and my ultimate life-long goal is to become the chief medical examiner of my home and to do freelance songwriting and writing. Where do I begin? 

Life is complex. It is intricate. We are intricate. There are many layers to what we experience, contain, and live through. Reflecting on what I have learned from my Alternative Break experience in Honduras, I have created some notes and anecdotes that I want to share with you. There are a lot of misconceptions about Alternative Breaks at AU. Many people hold the assumption that they are trips designed for students to go to a third world country and “save” it and for those students to end up feeling good about themselves and return to AU saying that the experience was life-changing. I can only speak for the Alt Break program at AU and from my first-hand experience, it is a program that was created for students to learn and experience the customs, culture, and history of another place, by creating ties with local communities. My experience WAS life-changing and eye-opening and very personal. But, that’s not because I "saved" anyone or inflicted what little knowledge I had about Honduras on anyone. I’ll tell you why it was so amazing, but then that would mean you have to continue reading #itsworthit… 

I never imagined that I would be afforded an opportunity to travel outside of the U.S. and go to someplace like Honduras. I am beyond blessed and grateful for the experience. It’s so important to trust God’s plan or trust whatever higher power or chi you thrive off of. You cannot anticipate every opportunity that may lie down the road, but you have to be prepared for them and be ready to accept those blessings. We may pray and wish for certain things that our heart so greatly desires, but are we really ready to accept those blessings? From the moment it was official that I would be an Alternative Break participant, I vowed to myself that I would go into the experience with an open mind and that I would be prepared for whatever the experience promised to bring. 

Note to self: “Yes, what we accomplish is partly due to the hard work we put in. It’s also due to how much we think we can accomplish #ourvision. Do not limit yourself. Make room for something new and exciting and soak in every single moment of that experience. Your crazy timelines and road maps will be disrupted by roadblocks and experiences that you never thought would happen anyway. So go ahead and open yourself up to the possibility that something amazing might happen, that you didn't see coming.”

The trip to Honduras was filled with tons of unique experiences from our tour of the Organization of Youth Empowerment headquarters and of El Progreso, to our Hiking and visiting the mountain villages experience, to visiting OYE scholar Brian’s home. All of the experiences were fun, engaging, and exciting. But what I took away from each of them proved to be something much more valuable. Although I do not speak Spanish fluently, I learned how to connect with others through music, social media, art, and over discussing our life-long desires when I could not connect through language. I also learned that values are universal and transcend all cultures, backgrounds, and beliefs. 

Note to self: In this way, we are not alone. You are not alone. We all want to be happy. We all want a good life for ourselves, our families, and our country. We all want to be great and do some good in the world. 

There were instances where just the very presence and existence of another person within the same space was comforting and more than enough for me. I found myself very comfortable no matter where we went in Honduras. Sometimes I wouldn’t speak or say much. I would just observe, breathe, and soak in the moment. I think that’s a very valuable lesson to learn. 

Note to self: Sometimes our words may be too much. We are so uneasy and worried about what to say, when we don’t need to say anything at all. A hug, smile, nod, or warm embrace can make such a profound difference for someone. 

“A todas las personas asombrosas que conocí en Honduras todos ustedes merecen nada más que amor, felicidad y éxito durante su tiempo aquí en esta Tierra y por favor nunca olviden eso.”

Translation: To all the amazing people I met in Honduras, you all deserve nothing but love, happiness, and success during your time here on this Earth and please never forget that.  

We all should travel to someplace that we’ve never considered. I encourage you to travel to a country that you don’t know much about and to make ties with local communities. Ask questions. Learn. Be friendly. Be engaging. And record the entire experience. You’ll see that the way you observe that experience will be rare, special, and probably different from my experience and that is the whole point. Make the experience personal. 

P.S. Feel free to message me or comment below if something deeply resonated with you in this piece. Much love!