Tiger Dylan John Amador

Miles inward from the shimmering white beaches of Hawaii, I trekked along beaten island roads to my destination - a small animal refuge playfully named the “Boo Boo Zoo.” As the car pulled up, a heterogeneous mix of cats and chickens inhabited the driveway. I was in the right place. A scruffy old man bearing two baby goats in each arm approached the main gate and ushered me in while fending off a horde of kittens who were trying to escape. “Welcome to the Boo Boo Zoo.”

It was official; I was out of my comfort zone. Part of me was unsure why I was doing volunteer work on my dream vacation, but part of me knew this was where I wanted to be and this was where I should be. Preceding travel excursions were spent soaking up fun in the sun - the typical cliché family vacations. That was what I was used to; restaurants every night, corny family pictures on the beach, mountains of brochures for every tourist attraction possible. However, as soon as I stepped onto the plane traveling halfway across the world, I knew that not only would this vacation be different, but I also would be different. My intuition could not have been more on point. Laying out a towel and sleeping the day away in the sun was no longer on my relaxation agenda (yes,...