Exhausted But Elated

Starting out today with a pleasantly late wake up, we walked out of the Hotel with bags in hand and ready to go for an afternoon in the French Quarter. The weather was not “beautiful” in the typical sense of the word, but the air was sweet and there was music on the streets.

After quite the adventure in the French Quarter, we made our way to a small Church school for a Christmas party. After setting up the table and laying out the gifts for the kids, we welcomed the children and played games for almost the entirety of two hours.

What made this day meaningful was the abundance of smiles. Not only was I happy, but the kids were having a blast. They played and laughed—two of the children even insisted of playing super hero with me for the good part of half an hour.

I left the school feeling exhausted but elated that a small group of volunteers was able to spread so much joy to a group of children that would spread even more to us.

—Enjoy the Chinese food this Christmas.

~ Ari Levine – 12th Grade, Charleston, NC