As the bus rolled up the hill past the high concrete walls, I heard crying in the car. Concerned, I turned around in my uncomfortable chair, to see my art teacher and mom with red noses and puffy eyes. I laughed. How could I not? What they were crying to was the sweetest sight of my life, and unlike them, all I wanted to do was smile. Past the intimidating walls was a humble clinic and school, but the huge line of children waving at us set off everyone’s tears. They wore the brightest smiles, too wide to be faked, and traditional Mayan clothing to greet us. I was laughing as they grabbed us for a dance and ran up for hugs, almost crying when they began handing us handpicked fruits. That’s when the same feeling that enveloped everyone else hit me, and I laughed at myself for the tears welling up in my eyes. It was touching to physically see the kids we would be trying to help for the next few days.

As we moved into our housing, that scene wouldn’t leave me. Embarrassingly, I almost cried again when the trip leaders told us the kids stood there for hours waiting for us to arrive, and some even came early in their excitement. The kindness of these kids I never met followed me into the next day, where I fought to peel my eyes open in the early morning. We were headed to meet the kids again, but in the classroom this time. Together, we took construction paper and made questionable-looking paper airplanes, but my true highlight was in the special needs classroom. As soon as I walked in, I was swarmed by kids hugging me from all sides, and tugged in different directions. I couldn’t understand a single word, but the language of pointing to a toy was universal, and I spent my afternoon playing with all the different kids. I knew I would miss those kids as I spent the rest of the volunteer trip in the local clinic. If being with the children was my personal highlight, shadowing the pediatrician in the clinic was the most educational. It was interesting to watch the doctor apply knowledge almost like a detective game, each patient’s symptom a clue into what their problem may be. Sitting in an office might not be most people’s definition of fun, but I appreciated being able to ask questions and see how he interacted with patients. I told him afterwards, that if I chose to become a doctor, it would be this incident that pushed me to consider it.