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Looking Back with Gratitude
When we take the time to reflect on our lives, we can begin to understand how certain moments helped shape us into the people we are today.
As a teenager, I was focused on absorbing information, passing tests, and excelling academically. At the time, I did not realize that my teachers were not only educating me on topics such as grammar, world history, and calculus: they were teaching me values, awakening my curiosity, triggering interests, and inspiring me.
Taking the time to reflect on my experience at DSHA, I now realize that during Drama class in the Black Box, I learned about the power of acting to help me tap into strong emotions hidden within and how to liberate myself from them. During Mrs. Weiss´ history classes, I learned about the power of knowledge and how being informed about different cultures and perspectives empowers you to be a voice for the voiceless. In Mr. Grandy´s English classes, I learned how to play with perspective, tone of voice, grammar, and syntax to transfix a reader. As we discussed the meaning of different Bible passages, I learned more than how to identify which Apostle wrote the passage; I learned about empathy, compassion, and service. During Spanish class, I discovered a hidden passion for language and Latin culture. Competing at the State volleyball tournament after recovering from 3 ACL surgeries, I learned about the power of perseverance and the unimaginable joy of achieving a dream.
As I transitioned from high school to college, I had an unquenchable thirst for knowledge. I wanted to travel, learn about different cultures, and discover the meaning of life. And so, in my third year, I designed an exchange program that would enable me to apply my scholarship to study in Ireland.
I remember my first day in Ireland as clearly as I remember my name. I arrived in Dublin with a suitcase in hand, lost and alone. The adventure of a lifetime thus began. I met new friends from Russia, Syria, Turkey, Spain, Germany, and many other countries. For the first time in my life, I was surrounded by people with different religions and completely foreign cultures. I was in love!
After a semester, my thirst was not satisfied. I desperately wanted to learn and experience more about this foreign world! And so, I grabbed a plane to Denmark to work for the summer. As luck would have it, my suitcase was sent to France, and I wouldn't see it for another three months. And so, with literally nothing but the clothes on my back, and the remaining $50.00 of my savings, I walked the streets looking for a job.
During those first two weeks in Copenhagen, I experienced an overwhelming amount of hopelessness: I was jobless, depressed, broke as broke could be, sleeping on the floor of a friend´s empty apartment, eating nothing by oatmeal, and feeling as though I had committed the biggest mistake of my life.
If only I knew then what I know now. As I look back, I realize that it was during this experience of hitting rock bottom that I discovered a lesson that DSHA implicitly taught me: I am far more powerful than my circumstances. As I tapped into my inner power and reconnected with my true self, things took a turn for the better! I eventually got a job as a waitress at a Mexican restaurant, found a home with a lovely family, and began living my dream.
Without each one of these experiences, I would never have had the courage to leave my world behind and to volunteer for two years with the International Jesuit Volunteer Corps in Nicaragua.
During my immersion experience, I embraced the Jesuit values of accompaniment, spiritual growth, community, simple living, and social justice. Hanging out the door of the public bus to get to work, taking bucket showers, and washing clothes by hand became normal, everyday life. This experience expanded my perspective of the world, and I enjoyed some of the most beautiful years of my young life. I met people who, despite earning less than 200 dollars a month, greeted me with a beaming smile and a warm hug. I worked with exceptionally creative students who had a passion for learning. I slid down volcanoes, swam under waterfalls, picked coffee, and learned how to make tortillas by hand.
During this experience, I discovered my calling: to share what I had learned about overcoming challenges and enjoying life to the fullest with what you have. I want every person to know that, if they hold on to their inner power, they too can find hope and overcome adverse situations.
Several years after I first moved to Nicaragua, this little Central American country has become my home. I found my husband and the space to live out my calling. Opportunity knocked at my door during a parent-teacher conference, where I met an inspirational female entrepreneur and author, Carolina Lopez. She invited me to join her all-female company, Serene Hearts Creations, and to co-author the “Little Superheroes Program.” Since then, we have poured our hearts into developing this transformative program to provide kids and adults with the tools they need to connect with their inner power. Through this Program, I can share my message with the world and live out my calling.
Looking back, I choose to view every single one of my experiences as an incredible life lesson that lead me to where I am today. My life is brought full circle, and I realize that DSHA has provided me with the space to learn another important life lesson. Had it not been for the opportunity to write this article, I would not have taken the time to reflect on my life and connect all of the dots. Mapping out my life and values, I am more connected to my inner power and know that I am truly living out my dreams.
After writing this article, gratitude and understanding fill my heart. I did not recognize how powerful my high school experience was; however, now that I have reflected on those four years, I want to express my deepest gratitude. I am grateful that I was given this wonderful opportunity to reflect on my life. I am grateful that my teachers took the time to teach me much more than dates, facts, and grammar: they taught me how to be true to who I am. I am grateful that DSHA lit a little flame that ignited my curiosity, guided me towards my dreams, and empowered me to become the strong, independent, global woman I am proud to be today.
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Exploring Copenhagen
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Meghan dines with her Danish family
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Exploring Belfast, Ireland
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Nicaraguan students
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University of Maynooth, Ireland
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Nicaraguan homestay
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Teaching in Nicaragua
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Nicaraguan dance
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