Gods Love we Deliver

My job has community service projects all year round for employees to participate in all around the city. Over the summer they have the same opportunity for the interns. This summer I signed up for Gods Love we Deliver. In the project Gods Love we Deliver we packed food for people who are sick and homebound.  When I was there with a group of seven other employees from my job we met this lady named Ms. Anne. Ms. Anne is an older lady who volunteers at Gods Love we Deliver every Tuesday and Thursday. She has been volunteering at this organization for almost five years now. Ms. Anne has one daughter who lives in Philadelphia and has lupus. She told me how they don't know how her daughter got lupus because it doesn't run in their family; it was something she just got. Ms. Anne described her daughter with such love and are. She told me how they used to travel around the world together when her daughter was doing consulting. They way Ms. Anne talked about he daughter reminded me of my mother when she talks to people about me. I usually hate when my mom talks to people about me because it makes it sound like she's bragging, and it makes me always feel like I have standards to live up to because she speaks so highly of me. Ms. Anne and I talked about our lives, our travels, and the people we were packing food for. Ms. Anne made an impression on me because she got me to open up and talk to her and it made me realize the amount of similarities I could have with a lady in her 70's. She helped me to appreciate how much my mother talks about and realize it's not that she's bragging she's just very proud of me. Ms. Anne hoped to see me again volunteering and I hope to volunteer again with her by my side. 

Going to Gods Love we Deliver made my day because it reminded me why I would love to work in non-profit as a career. The joy that came to my heart every time I sealed a package of food, put a label on a meal as to when the expiration date would be, every time I wrapped a roll, etc is indescribable. I felt the same joy during a hard job that I did during one of he easier jobs like wrapping the rolls. All the work touched my heart. When I walked into the kitchen, scrubbed my hand like I was going into surgery, all I could smell is fresh garlic, parley, etc. The freshness and wonderful tasting air let me know that all this food was being made with love. This food wasn't any old food that was donated already made or already packaged, all this food was being made on the spot, and handed off to volunteers to deliver to the home-bound sick.

Volunteering at this place and meeting Ms. Anne was one of the highlights of my summer. Although I gave up my time to pack some food for people I don't know, the experience is what leaves a lasting impression on me. I cherish these moments because not only do I feel like I'm impacting people in this world, but they are also impacting me. I feel like most times I volunteer, I take away more from the people then what they take away from me. In other words their faith and appreciation for life and the people around them is something I truly admire and hope to imitate. 

Long Beach

Today will be my first time going to the beach for the summer. I was excited to be going to the beach for the first time this summer. When I think of summer I think of beaches and pools, therefore I was feeling a little left out since I hadn't gone to the beach yet. The idea to go to the beach was a spur of the moment idea. An idea that involved an invitation to my roommate who is living in New York to tag along. I thought inviting my roommate with me would be a great experience for her since this is her first time living in New York and every time I take her somewhere it's always an adventure. When I told her we were going to the beach in Long Island she was super excited. Her response through text sounded like a child jumping for joy in excitement. Her excitement towards traveling to Long Island for the first time and going to the beach for the first time in New York got me super pumped for our Sunday adventure.

I gave my friend the task of coming from Manhattan on the subway to meet me in Brooklyn to catch the Long Island Railroad. Seeing her successfully meet up with me on time at Atlantic Avenue gave me the confidence that she was getting the hang of living in New York alone. After she arrived, we went on to buy our tickets for  the beach and train, and waited for it to arrive. An hour later we were walking towards Long Beach with a pep in our step and excitement in our faces. The sand was hot and the sun was beaming, it was perfect weather for the beach. We got into our bathing suits and went to hit the water. One foot in the water and we ran out. The water was too cold to put both feet in or even one foot. One more step into the water, again its too cold so my roommate and I try to inch into the water little by little until it was op to our knees. Of course the water never touched my roommates knees, but touched mine, but that is only up to my thigh area. The waves were hitting us so hard, making us fall to the ground. Everyone else seemed to be enjoying the waved pulling them into shore, and ripping them left and right. My roommate and I just liked for the water to go a little pass our knees and that be it. TOday the waves were very rough but I was feeling a little adventurous and  decided to walk out further to wear the water reached the middle of my torso. I nervously creeped to a further spot in the water but was bought back by the wave. The roughness of the wave put a little fear in my life, therefore I stayed in a place where I felt most comfortable, which was having the water at knee level.
Although my roommate and I might seem like punks for not going out further into the water, but we were comfortable where we were. Our day at the beach was amazing. We caught some waves like the surfers would say and caught some color. We were able to just relax in the water, talk, watch other people and enjoy life, I think those things are all very important.

Eiffel Tower

The Eiffel Tower seems to be one of the biggest attractions of Paris. Its the one place all the tourists always go to when traveling to Paris. When going to the Eiffel Tower, it was on the day of the Paris's Jordan Classic, therefore my excitement of seeing the Eiffel Tower disappeared and focused on what was right before my eyes. Crowds of people in the stands with a great view of the Eiffel Tower, watching possibly their countries' next NBA stars or European Basketball stars. I was filled with excitement. The speakers roared DJ Khaled's song "All I do is Win" and for a second I thought I was back in the states. To hear this music, watch this game, I was in heaven, I was in total awe. 

To be around people who enjoyed the game of basketball as much as I did was an amazing feeling. Being in a foreign country and being able to find the same enjoyment amongst people from different cultures is always amazing. After cooling down my excitement of seeing basketball being for the first time in the nine days I had been in Paris already was an highlight of my trip. The group and I continued onward to setting up a little picnic area by the Eiffel Tower. Herds of people scurried around the Eiffel Tower looking for their groups, a place to eat or trying to rush to the long line of people waiting to get up to the top of the Eiffel Tower. Luckily prior to our last Saturday in Paris I went to the top of the Eiffel Tower. Unfortunately many people in my group who didn't go prior to our last day in Paris were disappointed because the line was so long that they weren't able to go up. Long lines and tourists are two things that I can not deal with. My patience is too limited to deal with both of them. Although this was my first time in Paris after about three days of being there I no longer felt like a tourist. I learned the subway station and how to read a map. Reading the maps in Paris was something i did everyday and it helped me to become more aware of my surroundings and the stops I was getting off at. I became more familiar with the streets, where to transfer at certain stops, etc. You can always tell when there is a tourist in the street because they always have a camera in their hand and a confused/amazed look on their face. At the Eiffel Tower there were so may people, and it was a little unbearable. The fact that I felt comfortable in Paris helped me to navigate the streets better. Going to a place like the Eiffel Tower is something I only need to do one because I don't like going to to many touristy places. I rather be in the heart of Paris, where the natives live, that is how you get the first hand experience of what it means to be French.

People and Food of France

Paris has to be the home of the most chocolaty, delicious, fresh, hot chocolate in the world. This cup of warm, melted chocolate is so rich in flavor and in texture. When presented with this cup of chocolat chaud I immediately saw the difference. On a little white plate I was given the tiniest spoon I had ever seen, a cube of sugar and a cup of what looked like melted Hershey Kisses.
When I dipped my spoon in the cub to mix the cube of sugar that was given to me in it, the chocolate stuck onto the spoon, that is how I knew this was the real stuff, and not the fake powdered sugar hot chocolate that I usually make at home. The man who gave me the cup of chocolat chaud was very friendly. He spoke pretty good english, which amazed me. I am always so amazed by people that speak better english then me even though it is their second language. They take the time to make sure they are using proper grammar, where as I might use some slang because english is my first language. Everyone in Paris seemed to be always sitting outside smoking a cigarette, drinking a beer or a cup of coffee at a cafe at least once in their day. In order to fully immerse myself into the culture I thought it was only right to sit outside at a cafe, drink a cup of hot chocolate, talk to a friend and watch the people walk by. There is something very calming about jut sitting and watching people walk by, it is something I don't get to do at home very often. Sitting outside the cafe was an amazing experience, I tried to do it as much as I could and each time I tried to have something different off the menu, in terms of drinks and dessert.

Tea and Coconut Pastries

Chocolat Chaud

Creme- Brule