Location: St. John's, Antigua
Hello families, friends, and other blog readers,
The day began with normal wake-ups at 7:00, as the chef crew was already hard at work prepping for lunch (you will find out more about this in a bit). We made our way on deck for a nice yogurt and granola breakfast, along with some mango! That was definitely a favorite for some of the crew. Following our satisfying breakfast, we mustered in the saloon to learn our last skill for navigation; Course to Steer. Now this skill may be the last one, but let’s get one thing straight; it is also the most complex one. Lauren seamlessly taught us how to find our ground, current, and water track on the chart in order to reveal our course to steer. It was great to see the Chesapeake Bay once again, as we all unfolded our charts. Some new coordinates were plotted, and new lines were drawn, but it was still the same bay that we all have grown so fond of. While we admired our useful tools, as we all noticed the tantalizing smell of fresh bread baking in the galley. At about this time, some of us were also visited by a bee! No worries though, it only landed on Faith, who calmly did not shake it off. It flew away without leaving any trace, except for inspiration as the title for this blog post.
We also said goodbye to Matt B and Gus as they left for home, and then basically said hi and bye again when Steve’s hat flew off of his head while he was controlling Irv. (Don’t worry, he got it back. I don’t know when we are going to let him live it down, however).
Following seamanship, we had Marine Biology with Sasha. We learned about coral reefs, their importance to marine ecosystems, and how they are in danger. (It was a very informative lecture in case you couldn’t tell). We also took our Fish ID quiz, which was a lot more fun than it seems. Sash would project a picture of a marine creature on the screen for EXACTLY 15 seconds, and everyone needed to write down what the organism’s name was. The set up pleased some students so much that they even asked if we could do all of our tests in that format. (Unsurprisingly, the answer was no).
After Marine Bio, the moment everyone was waiting for had finally arrived. The large loaf of fresh bread was cut in a professional manner by our head chef, Olivia. Hailey and Isabel were the Sous chefs and were clearly also excited to be having sandwiches for lunch. A large array of options from peanut butter, jelly, goat cheese, ham, chicken, and turkey sandwich meats were presented to the crew. It was a great meal that left everyone feeling great and ready for some study time. Students in the saloon worked on their literature reviews for oceanography. Some went for a stress-relieving swim, as others prepared presentations. It was a very productive afternoon for all. Some quick deck showers were also a refreshing activity during this 84-degree day.
We had a dinner of spaghetti and meatballs, which were quite yummy. We also got to enjoy some leftover bread, that had been modified into some delectable garlic bread. We have Leadership class after dinner, with Hailey running the class this time. It should be a good time, filled with discussions that tell us more about ourselves and the people around us.
Any-who, today was a great day that may have had some goodbyes but was also full of laughs and learning.
I love you, Mom and Dad. Hi Ma, Phil, Paul, and Fran. Just thought I should also let you all know that I am thriving here, and am enjoying every second.
Thank you avid readers, and never forget that today is an opportunity.
Until next time,
Kasey Z.
Pictures:
– Dory, Kenz, and Cara diligently working. Meanwhile, Tye could be reacting to the news that Tom Brady is leaving the Patriots. (I know that I am upset about this).
– The morning view from the starboard side of S/Y Ocean Star
– Matt, Gus, and Steve heading to land (notice the location of Steve’s hat)
– Matt, Gus, and Steve heading elsewhere- to retrieve a fallen soldier
– Faith is very excited that Sasha wanted to play, hide, and seek. (Not really, he is taking stock of our supplies)
– Olivia, Matthew, Rob, Kyle, and Isabel working hard on school work. Amanda made a cameo and decided to see what it was like as a student for the day.
– Dory and I, still working hard (or hardly working?)
– The sunset with some photo inception occurring