I'd always struggled to maintain a routine. The sheer thought of work, eat, sleep, repeat frightened my restless brain, which constantly craved dopamine. It was an unfathomable way of life for me; I'd gotten so used to sifting through the dust of chaos and building my own structured realm that I couldn't live within the restrictions imposed on me. However, in Greece, my past self melted away, and I grew into the person I always wanted to be; sticking to a routine heavily contributed to that.

I woke up around 7:45 every morning, worked, went to the beach, made dinner and prepared lunch, finished off a few applications, and went to bed. I thrived in this structure and felt at peace. My brain no longer craved quick dopamine; the bright sunshine and cool water were enough to calm me down each day. While some things took time to adjust to—like working in the heat with no A.C.—it didn't matter because the work was fulfilling and the routine provided balance.

Although each day had a similar structure, they were vastly different. On one day I found myself holding three babies in my arms, and the next I was having a conversation with a woman from Somalia about her journey—there was always something new to learn. The experience also made me think about the accident of birth, and how I was so privileged to be born into my circumstances, while others may not have been.

Afterwards, I questioned several times whether my achievements were truly my own, or if they simply met expectations given my conditioning environment. The truth is, even though a substantial amount of effort brought me to my present circumstances, privilege and luck also carry significant weight—something that most people don't care to admit because everyone likes to feel proud by exaggerating their own capabilities. I used to make that mistake as well, but I didn't want to anymore. I wanted to be humble, grounded, and empathetic, and volunteering gave me exactly what I needed.

Halfway through, I knew I was changing into a different person. I started to embrace my new life in my new country, and I'd never felt more alive. For the longest time, I'd simply been surviving and living within set expectations, but now I truly understood life's purpose: service, empathy, and staying true to yourself. 

I didn't want to come back. I just wanted to live there forever.