1. You'll realize that "poverty" is a paradoxical wealth

First contact with people who have so little material goods, but so much generosity to offer. Being confronted to a different standard of social comfort for the first time is difficult. Today, I'm so thankful for this eye opening experience that made me realize how spoiled and ungrateful I was and exposed me to a different truth. I have long since cultivated a great need to understand and see the different realities of the people who live on our planet. In that sense, it was this discovery that sowed the seed of generosity in me.

   2. You'll grow out of your comfort zone and what you're used to

I had never seen so many people gathered in small streets. It was a chaotic spectacle at first. But I fell in love with that sense of community and ended up exploring almost the entire continent. I have met people who have incredible wisdom. I thanked life for having met such altruistic people, then I wondered if, in Paris, a family of strangers would have offered me a bed in their house like so many did in Africa, with so little hesitation. This trip made me realize that the structure imposed by our Western society is just an imaginary one, that social conventions are borders created by humans, that there are many ways of looking at life, love, respect, different ways of reading a book, left to right or right to left. In short, different ways of navigating the world.

   3. You'll become more aware of moments of life

I discovered the little and simple pleasures in life, like blowing bubbles when washing hands and playing soccer with old milk cans. I emptied my pockets, but I filled my heart. Full of compassion, I oscillated between empathy and sympathy. Being aware of these things suddenly made me responsible. I went from a spoiled young woman who thought she deserved everything from the world to a more humble person who recognizes her place in the universe. Once we know certain things, our whole life is turned upside down, it is even the whole meaning of life that changes.

   4. You'll crave more of similar experiences

The return to France was difficult, but I didn't stay for long and I quickly left for a three month trip to Madagascar. I wanted (or needed) more of the colorful houses, fishing villages, and unique cultures. I signed up for a volunteer internship with a local non-profit and I taught french to the locals. Every morning I walked to the main road to the school and those are some of my best memories.

   5. You'll become a better person!

Regardless of your destination in Africa, one thing I can assure you is that a trip there, will definitely change you for the better. It was after discovering Africa that I began to make sense of this quest, a meaning to my life. I needed to see more of that world and know its suffering in order to find my place in our society which is so upright and sometimes a little too individualistic for my taste. I needed to hear people's stories, to see realities different from mines, to choose what kind of job I wanted to do in France.

When I think back to my journey through Africa, I am instantly happy with all that my eyes have seen, with all that I have learned in those 2+ years, and I am even more eager to travel. I want to go to bed every day having learned something new and being a better person. I am even more convinced that knowledge enables action and learning more about other people is what we'll save humanity.