So today is the last day..

I am going to be completely honest for a second. The first day of the trip had me freaking out. I was in a hotel with a group of people I didn't know that were all older than me, and on top of that it was my first time away from my family for this long in another country. So to put it simply I was terrified.

Long story short, I was homesick for a while. I wanted to go home, I missed my mom and my dogs, and I was not adjusting very well. But slowly, I learned how to be more independent and take care of myself, and shortly after arriving on the island I began to have the most amazing time.

Not only did I learn an incredible amount from the lectures and group activities, I truly learned so much about things that interested me- parrotfish and octopuses and corals- by being able to observe them and think critically. This is something that I am extremely grateful for- this new skill set will translate directly into my schoolwork.

How much I learned wasn't the only thing I gained from this experience. The hikes were beautiful and I absolutely loved meeting the kids at East End and doing the beach cleanup. The snorkeling was so amazing and beautiful and I enjoyed every minute of it, working on projects with Meaghan all afternoon and relaxing on the beach after. Watching Fresh Prince on the dock under the stars with my new friends was absolutely hilarious and wonderful. Playing ukulele on the dock while watching the sunset was so much fun. Joking around about our bug room and naming various intruding critters with Natali before bed was always a great time. Tanning club meetings were awesome as well. Seeing how many books I could read in three weeks was very interesting (it's 12 books by the way). And not to mention the pancakes... 

Even today was an amazing day. We traveled over to a smaller island for lunch and to be touristy. Lunch was delicious, the people were so friendly, and I loved taking photos of the crazy waves breaking.

Also Kona the dog.. my new best friend and the love of my life.. I will miss her dearly.

So overall, this has been such a growing experience for me. I have made such amazing memories and met such amazing people. I'm ready to go home, but I will always cherish my time here and how much I learned.

Thanks for reading and goodbye,
Margot