Last week, I had the amazing opportunity to interview a new friend. I have been sitting with this post and the things I learned in my conversation with this awesome girl because this post is very special to me. Having had the chance to hear her stories, I wanted to ensure that I was able to accurately share them and make this one of my best :) Robin is her name- adventure is her game. This tough southern chick with a big heart and a funny accent, was visiting from Ole' Miss to see my friend Paige for the week. When I 1st met her, I thought she was a pisser and awesome- hence my desire to interview her. As our interview progressed, I came to realize how much more awesome this girl was than I had previously understood before we began. Here is a pic of me and my new bud post interview:
A few quick facts before we dive in:
- Inspired by: her Dad- he is a single dad raising 3 girls, never babied her, and refers to her as the "broken child" (I will explain later)
- Craziest thing she's ever done: went sky diving 2 Sunday's ago and would definitely do it again
- Greatest Quality: isn't scared of "almost anything"
- Studying: higher education, considering law school for immigration studies (already rocked her 1st LSAT attempt)
OK now down to the nitty gritty. What lit Robin's eyes up the most, and she seemed to speak so naturally about, was her willingness and passion to help orphan and disabled children abroad. Thus far, she has been to Belize three times and Peru once. In Peru, Robin stayed with a host family and worked at the only orphanage in the country for disable children. There, she met a little boy that she told me she hopes to go back and adopt from the shelter later in life. Through her experiences in this country, she came to realize of her gift of helping others- whether that be to care for the children or help them to see new, positive experiences, it was a gift she knew she wanted to share. On her trips to Belize, she worked on a small island with a program that helped to build a road to a school where children were able to learn a variety of subjects; the only one of its kind on the island. Due to the way land was formed around the area, a small ditch began to form yards from the school. On more than 1 occasion children on their way to school had tripped and fallen into the water that had gathered in the ditch. Because of the stagnant nature of the water, a few children passed away after having come into contact with the ditch's contaminated contents. Committed to changing this, the organization that Robin worked with used the mud-like substance around the ditch as cement to create the 1st legitimate road up to the school. After 3 visits and many other helping hands- the ditch was completely covered up and the road finally complete, strong, and enabling more children than ever easy access to education. This was one of the most amazing personal stories I had ever heard, and I could see the level of gratitude and love in Robin's eyes as she explained every minute detail of the project. And don't think Robin didn't also whip these kids into shape on her down time! Offering to stay in what she referred to as a "box" (square cement room with a door and a bed)- the children came over to visit and hangout with her many times throughout her visit. Although it was recommended for each volunteer to spend a certain amount of time alone in their rooms because of the taxing emotional nature of the trip, Robin consistently kept an open door policy with all of the children. On a night out to dinner during her trip, Robin and another volunteer offered to treat 10 special children to a big meal. This being a very special occasion for the kiddies, Robin had hand selected the ones who had earned their special treat. 1 little guy snuck his way into the group and right into the middle of the table. "Let him stay!" you might be thinking to yourself, but this was a privilege for the other children that had been selected for dinner, and Robin immediately said "I see you there man, you were not invited to our dinner, please leave." She explained that situations such as this one were frequent, because unfortunately, many times, children tried to take advantage of American visitors.
Now that you know all of these amazing things about my new friend Robin, I am going to share with you the most unnoticeable part of her personality. Robin is in a wheelchair and has been ever since her family's vehicle was hit by a drunk driver when she was 7. Paralyzed below the waist, she was able to gain movement in her thighs through therapy. Now if you re-read my story above...you will be more than amazed by all of the wonderful, giving, daring, selfless acts Robin has already accomplished in her 20 some years of life. I am so inspired by this girl's soul and hope this story inspires all of you to get up, give back, and put a smile on that face. I am so grateful to have had the chance to sit with this amazing young woman and spend some quality time with her on her trip to the West Coast. I hope to see you again very soon- and wish you the best of luck in all of her amazing endeveors!
A few final notes:
- Cool Fact 1: she gets her tires at the bike store...because they are cheaper- and is currently sporting a pair for mountain biking wheels!
- Cool Fact 2: she loves to go bike riding- either on her own bike or when our friend Paige pulls her from behind (apparently they have some great video footage).
- Cool Fact 3: she loves swimming and being by the water but hates the sand!
xoxo AA
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