This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at Rutgers chapter.
Ahhh… Spring Break. The long-awaited college dream.
I spent my spring break surrounded by animal poop. Kinda the last thing you’d expect right?
Actually I signed up for this. Yes, I did indeed sign up for Rutgers Alternative Break (RUAB)!
So what really happened?
We left on Sunday to the retreat center we were staying at, bought supplies, and started preparations for the next day. Monday, we all went to Chenoa Manor, the place we were volunteering at. All that we knew about our trip was that we would be at an animal sanctuary working with Mother Nature and our theme was community. When we arrived and met the steward of the place, he mentioned that we would not be toiling and cleaning poop, but instead projects and observations. Already, it was shaping up to be an interesting experience. A Native American shaman came to speak about the culture and beliefs. Then she led us, and we created a medicine wheel together for the land. The other days, we worked on plant and animal projects and had other speakers share their findings/passions. In between these days, on Thursday (our off-day), we explored the history around the town we were staying at and went to Longwood Gardens together.
What really shaped this experience for me though, was that it was a personal growth period, which I didn’t expect to happen from volunteering. I thought there would just be some teamwork, maybe some assembly lines, but I honestly did learn valuable lessons to take back home, which were different and similar for everyone on the trip. Going outside of my comfort zone was tricky, especially after visiting the comforts of home for a bit before leaving again, but after so much time just spent in college and in the same old routine, this was a much-needed change.
I am not even doing justice to my experience on alternative break. It’s honestly something you have to experience for yourself. You can go during winter break or spring break! It really opens your eyes, and you meet amazing people that will impact your life.
This should definitely be on your college bucketlist!