Location: Antigua
Today, we arrived in Antigua and boarded Vela, our home for the next 10 days. It took a lot to get us here, and this is my story:
Lots of tape, failed print jobs, precise editing, dimension warping, evaluating technical difficulties, and solving them to create a topographical map of Dominica, the destination of Vela, Williams-Mystic S’25, and me; ship, shipmate, self. I rush to Carltonthe research buildingwith immense curiosity being the only driver of the future that I imagine in my head. Sleep is not given any priority at this moment, and the only precaution I had in mind was to use less colored ink. I rush back, make sure my things are prepared, and I travel to Johnston’s house. I lug all of my things to the bus and speak to each person while chewing on an apple until the core is almost non-existent.
In a blink of an eye, Williams-Mystic is in an airport in Rhode Island. In keeping with the collective group analogy of geese, we each split up to support each other in our early AM breaking-the-fast activities. The moment I finished my Dunkin’ order, each moment from here on out was in unison, whether it be TikTok dances or when we transported our bags; it all allowed us to end up at the same gates to be graced by the beauty of Antigua and met by the Sea|mester staff. As soon as I glanced at the nature of Antigua, it was as if my body was revitalized from magical ley lines beneath the Earth’s crust. I scanned the grounds in search of any ants to identify possibly, but I had to steer clear of separating from the flock. We brought all our belongings from the airport to vans and traveled in groups down to Falmouth Bay, Antigua. As a team, we began to load the supplies, goods, and extra things that we might need for the trip, such as Gautham’s croakies, Nora’s giant skincare supply bag, my spray bottle for hot days, and we cannot forget our leader, and Nick’s stuffed animal, Grover. As I stepped forward, I carried my jacket that I brought, transitioning from a cold climate to a tropical one.
We’re all tired but excited for the journey that lies ahead, the life we haven’t seen before, and the experience of sailing we have yet to earntested by the ocean herself. Additionally, our brains are somewhat fried from the dimenhydrate that we took in preparation.
“The giggles are just beginning,” Brooke says
We’ve just eaten our first meal aboard, and everyone is getting settled for the adventure ahead.