By Anastasia C.
Group 4

This trip tested me to my emotional, mental, and physical limits. And I wouldn’t take any of it back.

The experiences and people that I have met along this journey will stay with me forever. Throughout the trip, I counted down the days until I could return home to my loved ones by I realized by the end of the journey that I was sad I wouldn’t be around everyone anymore. I’m very happy with the people that were in our group and I believe that I’ve made some life long friends through it. 

The self-awareness and mental growth that I gained from this experience is something that I consider to be priceless. I learned to be more independent and self-reliant as I was only able to lean on myself during those tough days. I grew to love myself more and be more confident in myself and who I am. This pilgrimage has not only benefitted me in an academic aspect but in a very personal way as well.