My experience in Cape Town was amazing and life changing. I always had a passion for helping others but after working in the corporate world for the past 7 years I lost sight of my purpose and meaning in my life. After returning back to the United States after my 30 day volunteer experience at a creche, I have a new outlook on life and have learned to appreciate even the small things that I have. I worked in a creche in a very diverse neighborhood outside of Cape Town and was assigned to work with 3 and 4 year old children from all different races and backgrounds. I was surprised at the differences between the classroom environment in the United States and South Africa, such as the discipline, the teaching methods and the overall demeanor of the children. I learned new things about the children every day and they learned new things about me. Since there were approximately 30 children in the classroom at one time, I believe my ability to spend one on one time with each child made a huge impact on them. The most memorable experience of my volunteer position was the children's hugs and smiles when I left every day. In addition to the children, the teachers and administrator at the creche are the most inspirational and kindest people I have ever met. I only had a limited amount of exposure to the cchildren and this experience taught me very valuable techniques on how to interact with children as well as how to keep their attention. In addition to learning about teaching, I learned a significan amount of information about South Africa's struggle with Apartheid and the current social and economic structure of the country in general. The experience changed my life so much that I am making plans to return to Cape Town to volunteer for a longer period of time. I thank Connect-123 for giving me the opportunity to connect with such fantastic children and staff and finding that sense of purpose that I had lost.