Day 1, while hectic, felt incredibly warm and exciting. I flew out of Philadelphia airport into Miami at 6 am and had a few hour's layover. Tentatively and impatiently sitting at the gate to Antigua, I tried to sneak glances when I could of others that would be on the trip. I saw no one and wondered for a hot second if I was even on the right flight. I checked my boarding pass a good ten more times before boarding began. I hopped onto the plane with a sense of nervous excitement but also a weird sense of clarity, knowing I was about to sail 80 days throughout the Lesser Antilles with strangers. Yet that panic immediately diminished upon meeting a series of welcoming faces at baggage claim. Immediate connections were made, and nervous tensions began to fade into the background. Following the negative (thank god!!) covid tests, we all hopped on board and attempted to learn everyones' names -- which, for me, I am definitely not there yet, haha. Dinner was pasta with pesto and roasted veggies. We sat in the cock pit and did intros, and now I am here writing this letter! With a successful, long, and exciting day completed--I am sure that there will be many more like this to come. Cheers!
Picture 1: Day 1 sunset
Picture 2: Gunnars birthday brownies
