Last Day in Paradise!

Hello,

With excitement and the anticipation of competition on our minds, this morning we awoke ready to engage in the activity of volleyball. No one could predict how physical and intense this final morning activity of our experience was going to be. We divided into two teams and the series of games flew by. Team two smashed their opponents, team one, in the first match, but fell short in the second match, leaving the series tied at 1-1. With breakfast looming on the horizon, all bets were off. Concentration and communication became key to victory as team two surprised their opponents by exposing them for their weaknesses on the battlefield of Boys Dorm Beach.

The game was intense!

After breakfast we prepared ourselves for our final snorkel which was at Fourth Hole. We loaded up into two separate vans and began the journey to our last aquatic adventure. Tasked with identifying as many organisms and marine life as we could, we set out into the water with our mask, fins, and snorkels, and dive slates (which allowed us to write underwater). Compared to the last time we were at Fourth Hole (on day 1!), many of us felt proud we could identify so many creatures. The fish seemed more relaxed this time around, and it allowed for us to better gain insight into the lives of this aquatic community. The plentiful amount of fishes, both familiar and unfamiliar, paved the way for a perfect last snorkel.

Isaac and Fiona keep track of their fish identification

Our afternoon involved a deep cleaning of the dorms and our common living space. In order to ensure that when we leave, our space will be cleaner than it was when we arrived, we swept floors, mopped the bathrooms, cleaned the toilets, and a conducted a number of other chores. With the rooms in perfect condition, we left to collect firewood for the ensuing bonfire that would conclude our time here tonight. Shortly after collecting firewood, we gathered around in a circle and were given blue marbles that represent the earth. Our task is to pass these on to people who do something that benefits the ocean and the environment that we as a species live in. It reminded us that we all leave a global footprint, and that we have to do all that we can to make sure that this footprint is beneficial to the earth. Once we collected enough firewood, with the sun quickly setting, we headed to the common room to ready ourselves for a ‘surprise’ adventure. We walked to the vans, drove to a very familiar site and received another batch of passion fruit 'cups', and then we went to High Rock. At High Rock we were able to admire the beautiful setting sun, which was the last sunset that we would see here in Eleuthera.

The sunset from High Rock

After this wonderful surprise, we headed back in order to prepare for our Secret Santa gift exchange. We arranged our gifts underneath our makeshift Christmas tree, an invasive Casseurina pine tree we collected on our camping trip that we decorated with ornaments made of trash. With no money allowed to be spent on these gifts, there was a lot of room for creativity. Everyone enjoyed finding out who their Secret Santa was and we were all impressed with the wide variety of gifts! The event reminded us that Christmas was on the horizon and will definitely provide us with great memories.

A successful gift exchange!

Our final activity for the night, and for our trip, was a bonfire. We all gathered around the bonfire, chatted for a bit, and then began to reflect on what our ultimate ‘happies’ were, while at the same time discussing what we will take away from this experience and can introduce into our own lives back in Cleveland. Afterwards, we roasted some marshmallows and had cookies. It was the final piece of the puzzle to complete our journey here in Eleuthera. At the bonfire it became apparent how close our group had grown; while it was the end of our time here, it was only the beginning of the close relationships we formed here.

Chit chat at the farewell fire

See you tomorrow!
Michael and Donny, xoxo