Location: Martin's Bay, Grenada
Almost everyone was asleep when I woke up. We have been working so hard for the past few days, and I can tell people are getting tired. We sail, dive, and study pretty much every day, so I understand being exhausted. However, that shouldn’t be a reason not to have fun, and I think deep down, everybody knows that. That’s why early this morning, we had our fastest cleanup to date. Because even though we were tired, today we had shore time, and the excitement of being able to eat and drink whatever we wanted for a day was way bigger than the lack of a few hours of sleep. Everybody did their best efforts to be on time and get to shore as fast as possible, and it worked. This shows that with the right mindset, our team can accomplish anything. We took the shuttles to the beach and started our adventure in Grenada. Some people stayed at the beach, others went to restaurants and had nice food… Personally, I went to a small mall nearby, bought three slices of pizza, and had a call with my family. I think one of the most interesting things I’ve discovered during this experience is that the lack of something makes you appreciate it even more. I’ve had pizza lots of times before, but today, the pizza tasted so much better than other times.
And most importantly, talking with my family (which is something that back home is easy to take for granted) was something really special. It’s hard to find the time to speak to the people you love when you do so much in a day, so Im happy for the opportunity I had today. After shore time, we came back to the ship to do some diving and prepare for our upcoming passage. The open water divers got their certification, which is an amazing accomplishment. As an open water diver myself, I can say; it was about time !!! After diving, we got the provisions for the next few days. IT WAS A LOT. At some point, walking in the saloon was impossible. There were so many bags you couldn’t even see your feet. I was in charge of placing the cans in the cabinets, which took a very long time (at least two hours). However, going back to what I said at the beginning of this blog, being tired shouldn’t be a reason not to have fun, or at least try to. So I took a couple of deep breaths, relaxed, played my favorite music, and got into storing the cans. In a way, I didnt expect storing the cans to be very peaceful, and I was actually able to enjoy it. There is something so satisfying about cleaning your ship and making sure it’s organized. It is our home, after all, and taking care of it is what makes it feel that way. After doing passage prep, I had a cold but beautiful ocean shower under the stars.
During my time at the Ocean Star, I’ve been reminded of the joy little things can bring, Like having your favorite food, organizing your home, or just enjoying a refreshing breeze. I realize now that the world will always be overwhelming, just like this trip. But as long as we continue choosing to see the joy in what we have, life can be good. This trip cant is fun unless you decide to see it that way, and seeing my friends laughing while cleaning the dirtiest of plates reminds me of that. I think that’s a lesson I will take with me forever. There can be joy in almost everything. It’s just a matter of perception. And I feel so proud that the Ocean Star crew chooses fun, even when it’s hard. Im going to stay up writing an essay for the rest of the night now. It should be fun. It might not be at all. But with the right people joining me, Im sure it could be. And as long as that possibility exists, I will choose to believe in it. The Ocean Star crew believes in the fun !!!