I am learning so much everyday--it's overwhelming, but in a good way. And it's the type of learning that I could never hope to get from a book, or from a lecture by one of my fabulous professors at UCSB. It's a more personal education, I would say. Talking to my brothers and sisters at the shelter has allowed me to get up-close and personal with what it is to be human, to struggle, to love, to sacrifice. I constantly feel like I want to write down everything they are saying, but that would be quite impossible. There are so many great stories, personal journeys, instances of defeat and triumph; I don't know what else to say, but that this is the best learning experience I have ever had, and, it's not over yet. I was telling a friend how being here, working in a shelter for victims of trafficking and labor exploitation and other types of inhumane treatment, affords many opportunities for existential crises. I guess what I'm trying to say is that listening to the life experiences of the people here, I constantly wonder why I am where I am in life. Why am I living in beautiful and sunny Santa Barbara completing my graduate education when my roommate could only dream of completing high school? Suddenly all the things that I worry and stress out about seem so unimportant. Really, why is life so random and unfair?