In exactly 2 months I board a plane for Haiti. I prepare for my trip with vaccinations, medications, supplies, goodbyes. Time creeps on some days and on others slips through my fingers without notice. For the first time in my life, I am taking a step on my own. The decision feels completely natural and yet terrifies me.

My home will be a small room on a farm in southern Haiti. My family will be an eclectic group of Haitian children, families, American and Canadian expats, priests and a smattering of volunteers. I cannot even fathom the extent to which my life will change...