There is a strange phenomenon here at BC where many students choose to forgo the opportunity to go to a tropical island or to lounge on their couch at home for spring break and decide instead to spend the week on a service trip. Having never been on a trip like that, I decided to join Appalachia this year and to spend my spring break in Lincolnville, South Carolina.
During the days leading up to the trip, I was so confused about how I felt about it. I had my roommates gushing about their fun plans in Florida and Mexico, and my parents calling me and telling me how perfect beach weather was rolling into southern California (my home). I tried to mask my nervousness by saying how excited I was about the trip and hoping that they would believe it
Before I pour out Appa love all over this page in the next few paragraphs, I have to admit that the bus ride was truly miserable. 17 hours of being cramped is not fun, and being the genius that I am, I forgot my headphones on the way there, but enough complaining. When I happily exited the bus, it was my 20th birthday. I wasn’t sure how to tell the people in my group, as I only knew one of them before the trip. Once they did find out, they all wished me happy birthday, sang to me at IHOP, and made me feel so welcome.
The work we actually did there was what the mayor called “beautification projects”. Basically, we refinished a flagpole, gardened and planted flowerbeds, and painted the back of the town hall. One stereotype about Appa is that you don’t get to see very much tangible progress or what you do see seems very small for the week that you are there. I think that this can be true, but thankfully, when you see how happy the people in the community are about your presence there, it makes everything seem worthwhile.
While I have built great relationships during my spring break and loved the community members that I met, the best part of my Appa experience was having my eyes opened to the realities in the rural South. One night, our group went into Charleston to walk around and look at the beautiful houses. That was when I realized how huge the gap was between the neighborhoods here and Lincolnville, which was only 30 minutes away. Going on an alternative spring break made me so grateful for everything that I have in my life and made me more aware of life outside of the BC and suburban bubbles that I have been raised in. I highly suggest going on a service trip like this, and it doesn’t have to be Appa. There are so many other programs, like Arrupe, and trips through Lynch and CSOM. It may not be as relaxing as sipping a margarita in Punta Cana, but it is an experience that you will never forget.
Picture Sources:
Mike Yu
Jessica Zhu