Home Sweet Home!

Hello everyone,

Today Mr. Daly and Ms. Post woke us up at 5:45 and what would be a very long day started. We got ready and made sure that we had everything packed and that there was nothing left behind in the dorms. Once we had all of our things packed, we took our suitcases out to the common room, where we waited for Stan and Liz to meet us with the vans. At their arrival, we all took our luggage outside and put it in the vans. We all went to the dining hall, where we had our last breakfast at the Island School. Since it was too early and no one had prepared anything for us, we dined on cereal. We had the usual variety of cereals but we only had a small amount per person since we only had what had been left from the previous time we had cereal for breakfast. Then it came time to leave; we had one last walk around the Island School and got in the vans, nine in each.

When we left the Island School, the sun was starting to peak over the horizon. We made our way through the small town and onto Queen’s Highway, saying goodbye to all the places that many of us may not see again in our lives. We got to the airport and took all of our bags out of the vans and sat, waiting while Ms. Post and Mr. Daly checked us all in. The Rock Sound Airport is basically one big room full of chairs, a counter for check in at one corner and a metal detector at the opposite corner by the door that leads to the runway. The waiting room was pretty much full, with us taking up almost all of the chairs. We waited for about 45 minutes until we were told that our plane was ready. So, we said our heartfelt goodbyes to Liz and Stan – thanking them for the countless hours they spent making our experience as life-changing and influential as possible – and boarded our plane to Nassau. The plane was significantly bigger than the one we had taken to Eleuthera (and there was actually air conditioning.

Leaving Eleuthera!

We sang the Bahamian National Anthem in the airport and won a prize!

Remembering back to the first day in the water... sigh

After a 30 minute ride, we landed in Nassau. We were all excited because we knew that there would be Wi-Fi there and the opportunity for us to buy food that we eat back home (i.e. Snickers, Butterfingers, Donuts, etc.). When we were waiting by the baggage claim, everyone was on his or her phones, and a lot of people were checking their college decisions. Luckily, there were no tears, so the hours of travel and layovers ahead were still filled with laughter and merry times. Everyone was giddy on their way through customs because we all knew that, on the other side of the door, lied the mother load of junk food that we were all craving. As we walked up the stairs, we could see all the restaurants: Dunkin Donuts, Wendy’s, and many others. We knew that we had a long time till the next flight but we had food available, so we weren’t too upset. Once we put all of our stuff down, we were allowed to go get food. Many people went to Dunkin Donuts, others to Wendy’s, others ate pizza and many other things. After getting food, we all sat by our and wait until our departure, many of us napping or enjoying our recently established connection to the outside world via Wi-Fi. When the time came, we boarded the plane and we were on our way to Atlanta.

When we landed in Atlanta, everyone was excited about the same things as in Nassau plus one thing: cellular service. We had already gone through customs in Nassau so we made our way to our gate, where we could set our stuff down and wait for the flight. A lot of us called home and texted friends, but the pressing issue of hunger presented itself. The Atlanta airport has so many options for food; pretty much everything that we eat back home we could find at the airport. We had four hours to wait until our flight left so some people ate a lot. Most of the time was spent sitting at the gate where we could charge our phones and sit down. We all enjoyed our last day together as a group, relishing the little time we had left together. Everyone was cracking jokes and thinking about the things they missed most back home. But, before we knew it, it was time to board our last flight to Cleveland.

For many of us, the final flight was filled with anticipation, excitement, and impatience. Although some found solace in sleep, others were fidgeting, eager and more than ready to go home and see their loved ones. For me, personally, my thoughts were also dominated by the plethora of memories we had made during our time on Cape Eleuthera. I tried to trace all of the activities that we took part in from Day One, but I quickly lost count. From sea kayaking to stingray research, beach camping to snorkeling, spelunking to scuba diving, and many, many more beautiful and life-changing memories. When we landed in Cleveland and greeted our families, although it may be unbeknownst to some, each and every one of us brought back these memories – our souvenirs from our journey – that we will carry with us for the rest of our lives. On one of our last days at the Island School, we all sat in a circle on the beach behind our dorms; Liz and Stan had one more culminating activity for us to take part in. We were each given a quarter-size blue marble that has a symbolic meaning so significant. Liz described how everything we had learned about at the Island School – all of the research we had done and the impact that we made – has the ability to change what the world will look like for our children. “You are the future,” she said to us. She painted a world where the shallow waters of the Bahamas were sterile and void of all life; where the skies were gray and the air thick. She showed what could become of our world if we continue on the path that we, as a species and a community, are walking. The blue marble we were given symbolizes the hope and change that we, as the next generation of citizens of this Earth, can bring to our dying world. But, the marble is not a keepsake; these marbles are meant for anyone whose actions, big or small, help to improve the health and welfare of our planet.

Finally, I believe I can speak for all 18 of us when I say that this trip was amazing. Thank you, Ms. Post, Mr. Daly, Stan, Liz, everyone at the Island School, Cape Eleuthera Institute, and Hawken for giving us this amazing opportunity. Everyone have a wonderful winter break with your families. Happy Holidays.

Link Up,

Eidan and Alfonso