Nathan Fierston
My Travels
Italy
Being my only trip to Europe, Italy exposed me to the culture and a major language barrier. While being there I got to experience the tourist side of the country and the backcountry through my aunt's community. One night, showed in the picture above, I got to make pasta at an Italian grandmother's house. This is something I will never forget. Not only because of how cool it was to roll the dough and turn the machine that made the angel hair, but also how amazing it tasted. Through the Italian culture, I learned more about how to navigate a place where I do not speak the language and that one should never have espresso after dinner!
Ottawa
While I was only there for one night, Ottawa was one of the most stunning cities I have been to. From the beautiful parliament building shown above or the Canadian skyline, I was in awe. To make this city even more impressive, the historic and vintage look it had cause me to appreciate Ottawa in a new way. One way it did this was by the grand boat lock they had in the middle of the city. This lock was built back in the early 1800s and it was mesmerizing to see the innovation in the system. Overall, just spending one night in Ottawa captured my attention to see how amazing this city is.
My Service Trip
The Dominican Republic service trip is led by Watkinson, and it runs every year with the goal to set up medical clinics in different baits and also build houses. Because of how poor these people are the services we give them changes their lives. The two years that I was fortunate enough to go were extremely meaningful. While this trip is taxing physically as dirt needs to be moves and blocks need to be stacked, the mental side is what always strikes me. It is incredible how appreciative and happy these people are with so little. We often take time out of our construction to play with the kids and bond with them, so they know we care. When we see the kids having fun and screaming with laughter makes the whole trip worthwhile. I do not think one week out of my year has meant so much than the week I got to spend there.