Two Life-Changing Experiences August 5, 2014

Cesar, a PC TECH Level 5 student, has written about his experiences as a volunteer in a Brazilian hospital:

One of the most remarkable moments in my life was when I offered [my time] to do volunteer work in a hospital specializing in children with cancer in Brazil.

I’m not going to lie, it was one of the toughest moments of my life.  At [first], I got depressed to see all those children sick and facing their illness in the first stages of their lives.

However, after a few minutes, I realized that I couldn’t demonstrate my weakness; I should bring good energy for them.  My goal became to make them happy as long as I was able to show them that their recovery had an objective.  It was a very [confusing] moment in my mind.

For the next four hours, I played games with them, read and talked with them, and before I left we ate some snacks together.  I’m positive that, at least for those hours, I could entertain them and bring them out of that hospital environment.

While I was [traveling] home, I was at the same time, wondering how lucky I was.  Just the [fact] of being healthy changed my way of thinking, of facing my own “problems.”

Federico writes about a different kind of experience:

Probably one of the most important events in my life happened in 2009.  I took my first trip to New York City as a vacation with two friends.  If I hadn’t made that trip, I might not be here now.

I was born and [raised] in Europe, a totally different world from the USA.  I wasn’t too sure that I would like New York: no history, no good food, no social life [!], only “fake” buildings.  That trip opened my eyes!  I was completely shocked by the lights of Times Square and the elegance of the Empire State Building.  I [became] completely involved in the noisy life of this city.  [Because of] that trip, my only dream was to come back to the USA and try to establish myself there.

I’m in “work in progress” situation, but at least part of my dream is achieved.

PC TECH: English Language School in New York City