All Aboard!
Location: Tortola, BVI
Today is a big day for Ocean Star, as she's been waiting patiently on the dock in West End over the last few days for student arrivals. The staff have been running around, making sure all is in order and ready for the program; bunks have been made, the boat is clean, and food can be found in every storage area we have; all we're missing is students!
Throughout the day, shipmates showed up one by one or occasionally in groups and brought their bags aboard to begin the process of moving in. The ultimate game of Tetris (trying to make all their belongings fit neatly in assigned cubbies and bunks) is one that is played by every program. The end of the afternoon brought with it the opportunity to hop in the water for a swim and shower. Mealtimes onboard is a moment for everyone to sit together and chat about the day while enjoying food, and our first dinner together was filled with conversation and laughter. After cleaning up, we continued to hang out at the bow and wait for the last couple of students to arrive, and once they had, we did formal introductions and did a quick lesson on how to use the heads (toilets) on board. Exhausted from the day's travel, the deck slowly emptied as both staff and students climbed into bunks for the night, excited to see what tomorrow has in store!