Day 1

Today was the very first day of the trip we've been preparing for all year. It felt pretty surreal, to say the least. I've been so incredibly nervous about leaving - I've never gone out of the country independently until now...and all the sudden it's here. We're doing it.

After packing up all of the clinic donations at Regis, the group headed out to DIA to start our journey. I'm not going to lie, I don't think my anxiety let me out of its grasp until we got to Atlanta. I was so nervous about all of the unknowns, that I found myself praying for a sign that l'd be okay. A sign that I was on the right track. By some strange force, I think I received just that. When I walked into one of the airport shops, still groggy and heavy with sleep, a single book stood out on the shelf before me that just simply said, "Trust God." There it was. Exactly what I needed to hear in that moment. And after being so dead tired, sleeping for many hours on the airport floor with nothing but my backpack as a pillow, I began to see the sun rise and I knew everything was going to be okay.

I ended up sleeping the whole flight from Atlanta to Guatemala, and felt so much more energized once we arrived. Reuniting with the rest of the medical team was a highlight - I was so glad to see everyone in person again. I felt immediately at home. We all made it through customs pretty smoothly, and were finally off on a very long bus ride to Coban. By the time we sat down for a meal together at the hotel - the first real meal I'd had in nearly 24 hours - it felt like the world was finally falling into place.

Recently I've been in a place where I’ve felt like l've been so stuck in my ways. I've felt trapped, like I'm nothing but a passenger in my own life. I applied for this trip because I wanted to change...and I know this place is going to change me. It's only been a few hours now, but honestly? I think it already has.

Mason L