Volunteering!

Well I've been volunteering since sophomore year of high school. I don't know what's the deal, but I really enjoy helping others. It never feels like a burden or a chore to me. In high school, I joined various clubs just so I can go volunteer at different places. I guess it's just a passion of mines. So the summer after I graduated high school, I thought to myself where can I volunteer and spend my time at. Then, I thought about my local animal shelter. I remembered I wanted to volunteer at the shelter in high school already, but they didn't accept people under 18 so I couldn't do much about that. So the one thing that was on top of my summer to do list was to volunteer at an animal shelter. I finally did that in the middle of my summer. And believe me, that was the best decision that I've made in my whole entire life. I'm not even kidding you. It may seem pretty cliche if I said I love animals, but I really do. No joke! I always wanted a dog for as long as I can remember. So volunteering at the animal shelter was a plus for me since I can't have a dog of my own. Why? There are just various reasons. One being my parents are allergic to animal hair. Two, I have younger siblings so it's a big responsibility to add on. Three, there's just not enough room in the house for an extra animal that needs caring for. Fourth, it's going to be like raising a kid which uses a lot of money and we don't have that budget to do so. So all these problems are the reasons why I can't have a dog of my own. That's why I made a promise to myself that when I'm able to support myself, I'm going to get my own apartment and my own dog.


However, I've realized that helping out at the animal shelter has expanded my love for dogs. It seems harder each time when I meet a new dog and bond with that dog in just a few minutes, I just grow so attached to them. Maybe I'm just attached to dogs in general. I really wish I can take them home with me, but I can't at all. I'm happy that when I come back the next time they're not there anymore because they went to a loving home, but at the same time I feel sad because I won't be seeing them anymore. It's such a bittersweet moment! I think the longer I'm there, the harder it'll get for me. I can't believe I've been helping out at the shelter for half a year already. Time sure flies by fairly quickly!