“I was introduced to arms that felt like home, laughter that cracked open quiet folds in me, and meals that nourished more than hunger. The kids at Remar Orphanage were magnetic, and even though our words didn’t always align, our laughter did. They were always relentless in their joy, always asking for another game, another splash, another piggyback ride. When I sat down to get a sip of water, they kept playing like their energy never ran out. My favorite moment was during construction when the skies opened and poured down on us on the field. My friends and I ran into the rain with no plan, and soon the orphanage children joined us, chasing soccer balls and slipping in mud. Our clothes were soaked but that was negligible compared to the pure happiness it all brought us, an unspoken language we all knew.”