Location: Antigua
Hi all, its Hailey! Happy Real, Fake Thanksgiving! I thought I was going to get a nice, peaceful morning as skipper, but that was not the case. Five seconds after waking everyone up, Aiden came through the watertight door to the cabin area. I told him, This isnt your highway, because we students constantly get told the chart house isnt a highway. It didnt take long for me to find out what he was up to because he started yelling for Meg and Rachel. It was an EFR/Rescue scenario. I was lucky enough to be among the people trying to keep Aiden calm, with the help of Teagan, Bryson, Oscar, and, eventually, Charlie. He managed to fight his way up on deck, where I had to sit on him. Bryson became his backpack, and Charlie was borderline choking him to keep him down. What a great way to get me alert and get my blood pumping so early in the day.
After breakfast, the rest of the morning and most of the afternoon consisted of cleaning, diving, and lots of cooking to prepare for our feast. I got to help with scrubbing the outside of the boat with Charlie and Amelia, which was really fun. I rewarded myself with a swim in the ocean after all the hard work. I did my best to soak in one of the last few ocean swims I will have before going back to the cold and snow of Canada. I had some much-needed rest time, watching Beauty and the Beast before our Real, Fake Thanksgiving feast. I dont think anyone can comprehend just how much food there was. I have never eaten this much in my life, and its going to take at least a few days to recover. Thank you to everyone here who put in hours of work in the galley over the past few days to give us this meal that could feed an entire village. With the amount of leftovers we have, anyone would ask if we actually ate anything at all. I am so thankful for the food and for getting to spend Thanksgiving with my boat family since I was not at home to celebrate. Its going to be nice to go home close to another big holiday, so I can be surrounded by my family soon after getting back.
Its hard to believe that this adventure is coming to an end. I have had much contemplative thinking time on this trip. All that time was spent reflecting on the things we have done and what we have seen. After hours and hours of trying to take things in and accept that they have happened, I was unable to. I dont think any of it will hit until I have left Argo. It doesnt, however, take much reflection time to know that I will be leaving this voyage with many new skills, important lessons learned, and lifelong friends. After spending absolutely every second of my day surrounded by the same people for three months, I have grown rather attached. Its going to be hard not having my friends right down the hall and, of course, sharing the starboard six cabin with me. Shoutout to Chloe, Sabrina, Alexa, Emily, and Maria, you guys were the most amazing roommates I could have asked for. My time on Argo was brief in comparison to the rest of my life, but it made a bigger impact on me than almost any other experience I have had. I will carry the things I have learned and the memories I have made with me for the rest of my life. Much love to everyone I have met on this journey. I will miss you all dearly.
To my family, friends, and of course, Dawson, I love and miss you guys very much! I cant wait to see you all soon.