Today I, along with 21 other FGCU students, headed to Biloxi, Mississippi for alternative fall break. On this trip we will be addressing issues such as disaster recovery, poverty, and educational inequality.
We left at midnight and got to Mississippi at 11:15am local time (12:15pm Florida time). When we arrived we took a tour of Camp Victor, the place we'll be staying for the week.
After getting settled, we went to lunch for our first taste of the local cuisine the food was incredible and the people were so helpful. Then we did ice breakers and introductions, took naps, then headed on a journey to find the beach.
On this trip we got lost a few times and truly learned how nice the people of Mississippi are. Local residents helped us find our way and took time to talk to us. The encounter we had on the way back to Camp Victor is one I will remember for a long time.
He was walking into his house and asked us where we were from and why we were here. We answered and explained that we were building houses for Hurricane Katrina victims. He ran into his house and brought out a small box. He explained that he was here during the hurricane and is constantly amazed by how people keep coming and coming to help. The box of chocolate was his way of saying thank you to us for helping.
It was truly a heartwarming experience and one I will remember throughout this trip and when I head back to Florida. THIS is why we are here. To make a difference. To give back. To inspire change in this world.
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