Assignment 3- Hampton Jefferson

This past summer, I went on a mission trip to Haiti with other members of my church. In Haiti I experienced a much different scene that I'm used to seeing in Kentucky, mainly because of the hurricane that devastated Haiti in 2004, but also the food and culture in Haiti is much different than the United States.
On the first day, we landed at the airport and later drove to our hotel. It was impossible not to notice the trash lying on the beach which seemed bizarre to us but none of the Haitians looked at it because they had been living with it for years. Even though I would resent living with trash, the Haitians seemed happy which was a cultural difference I noticed later on the trip. The Haitians do not focus on materialistic things like most Americans, they are happy that they are with their family, unlike some of their friends.
Another cultural difference I noticed was the food. Where we stayed in Haiti, there was no McDonald's or Taco Bell, so we ate what a Haitian would normally eat. Instead of cow or pig, our group was served goat and sometimes some fish or chicken. We also ate a lot of rice and beans and some people had fried plantains. In Haiti, it is considered disrespectful to not eat all of the food on your plate because many people in Haiti don't have much food and some don't have any food.
On this trip, I experienced a culture that I likely won't forget, but I also learned some valuable life lessons like happiness can come from a variety of ways and to not take anything for granted.