Location: Slipway, English Harbour, Antigua
Although today is a sad day, as we must all say goodbye, it’s also a day to celebrate because Teagan turned 21 today!!!!!
Happy Birthday, Teags!!!!
We started the celebration station off with some croissants, both the normal buttery ones and some pain au chocolats (chocolate croissants)!
We then had to move into some of the sadder components of the day as people finished packing and writing cards to each other. Before we knew it, 11 o’clock rolled around, and it was time for the first group of people to leave for the airport. We managed to get a few stellar group shots in, though, before we split for the last time. It was tough saying goodbye through the tears and hugs, but hopeful that we can have our Seamester reunion at Kris’s surfside beach cafe one day.
We then only had just over an hour with the last of the group, who left at 12:30 for the airport. This second goodbye was no less sad, and as we sit here writing this, I’m thrown off by just how quiet the boat can be.
The end of a trip is always weird. You go back to “normal” life, but it doesn’t really feel normal anymore… Washing dishes in the sink instead of a bucket? Wearing shoes? Flushing toilets? Not being covered in sweat 98% of the time? Plus, no one is asking you to sweat every five minutes? You use condiments instead of pondiments, and they aren’t delivered in a jumbo basket? Whenever counting things, you actually use all the numbers instead of just two (2) and six (6)?
There are so many small things that you adjust to and do without thinking while living this boat life, and you don’t even realize until you’re back on dry land. This group embraced boat life from the beginning, jumping at every learning opportunity and rising to every challenge. The enthusiasm, joy, and plain fun this group brought to every day carried this program to amazing heights. We raised the sails, trimmed the sails, and dropped the sails, sailed onto the anchor, can raise and drop the anchors, do everything with the dinghies, learned to dive, experienced the ocean in entirely new ways – from above and below the water, basically learned a new language (sailing/boat), became friends with fish (and sea worms) and became friends (dare I say…. a family?) with each other. You’ll always have a home in Ocean Star – you’ve earned it. And the past 40 days have definitely earned a home in my heart : D (cheesy, I know).
Bye Seaworms!
Sam and Ash