Love this place!

Love at first sight is one of those theories that I have always wanted to be true, but I have never had any experience to prove it. Almost everything I have experienced in my first week in the Philippines has proved it to be true, especially with the kids. Upon arriving to Igpanolong (the school I was assigned to teach at), my nerves were off the wall, the new and exciting unknown at my fingertips. But after laying my eyes on the kids at their first opening ceremony, I knew that I had nothing to worry about because they were the happiest group of kids I had ever seen, and I had instantly fallen in love with them. At first, teaching seemed so unbelievably daunting, something that I had been dreading since starting the ROW program. Once my day to teach arrived, I was all nerves again. But everything ran smoothly, and my class proved to be one of the smartest groups of fifth and sixth graders I had ever met. Even though I have a unique connection with the students in the class I have been teaching, some of the strongest connections have been with the kids in younger classes. The things I have learned from all of the kids is far beyond what I have been able to teach them. After a full school week of teaching and learning the names of the kids attending Igpanolong, the connections i have built with both my class and the other students are unbreakable, and the memories i have made with them are something i will never forget. Parting ways with these kids is going to be one of the hardest things I will ever have to do, and their smiling faces and positive attitudes will forever influence my actions and life as a whole. The Philippines and the people of the Philippines are truly amazing, and I will always have a place in my heart reserved for the experiences and things I have learned while I have been here.

-Sadie Olson