It’s safe to say that I am going to really miss this trip and these people! I feel like I have gained more experience than I expected on this trip and overall, it was an amazing opportunity. I went on this trip only knowing one person and came out with 22 new friends. We all went through ups and downs together in these past two weeks, and we were trauma-bonded over this experience. I was not used to the living conditions at first. There were sand gnats that gave some of us up to 400 bug bites on our bodies and no A/C in the dorms, but we all got through the negatives together and focused on the positives of fun activities during the day and hanging out with everyone at night. During the days, we typically hiked or did land excursions. My favorite land excursions were North Point where we had the most amazing views and saw a few iguanas, the Light House where we could basically see the whole island, and one of the Iguana Islands where we took the boat and saw tons of iguanas and fed them orange peels. My top water excursions were scuba diving with Dr. Weese and Sandy at the coral wall, Dump Reef, and seeing the Hawksbill Sea turtle. I went into the trip eager to learn about the different types of corals and fish of the Bahamas. I brought my “Fish of the Bahamas” identification book and would go snorkeling then try to identify them after we got back. I never knew about parrotfish with how they chew away at the coral, or that the damselfish even existed. At night, my roommates and I always went to the snack bar and visited the staff member, Paulette, and get a drink and snack. She was so sweet, and we always felt so welcomed by her to sit in the Snack Bar in the A/C before bed. Another staff member we met and loved was Abigail, who demonstrated how to properly harvest a coconut while we did volunteer work at the GRC. While she was harvesting the coconut, she told us about her two boys back at home. She also mentioned how much she loves coconuts, how it’s like a desert for her, so when she tried to give us the coconut back, we insisted she take it, and her happiness made our day! We also stopped to see another local on the island, Juanita. She told us about her garden and all the plants she grows. She says she grew papayas on the tree, but she can’t reach them anymore, so she lets the birds get them. She was such a sweet lady and I loved talking to her with everyone, and I hope she enjoyed the company! I think because we live in a 1st world country, we take most things we have for granted and do not stop and appreciate what we have. I really enjoyed hearing Paulette’s, Abigail’s, and Juanita’s stories, it really impacted my views of San Sal and how amazing the community is there. Overall, I really enjoyed this trip, and I would 100% do this again. I am really going to miss everyone, but I’m very grateful to have gotten this opportunity to study abroad with everyone!
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