Location: Mauritius
Our final day of Land|mester began at 08h00 with fresh croissants and pain au chocolat from the local patisserie, which I am sure you have heard about by now. The plan was as follows: we would condense our belongings into two of the four leased apartments (making space for new guests), then have Marine Biology and Leadership class before lunch. In the former, we discussed lunar bulges, i.e., tides, at great length. Our Leadership class was particularly academically rigorous, in which we were put into two teams and made to silently create a synchronized swimming routine in ~45 minutes. The first group, including myself, Alienor, Drazka, Kiley, Charlie, and Travis, stole the hearts of two poolside Wanna Studios residents with our rendition of Murder on the Dance Floor. Unfortunately, the gold medal went to the other team, who pulled off a coveted Ainsley lift to the song of choice: Spongebob Remix. “Is this for TikTok?” one of the residents asked. No, we replied, it’s for college credit. Chef Amanda prepared quick showers prior to lunch. Shortly after, we packed our things and said goodbye to Wanna Studios for good. While most of the group made their way to Port Louis for one last blip of shore time (ice cream at Frutty Swirl, shopping, of course, the Natural History Museum), the Provisions Task Force made its way to the grocery store Picture this. Don’t close your eyes; you’ll stop reading, but picture it: it is 15h00 on a Monday. You are a very normal Mauritian resident in Port Louis, picking up a few things from the local Intermarche. In walks a congo line of college students, five grocery carts (chariots, en franais) long, with murder on the mind. The mission has begun. You watch as they divide and conquer: Juliette to cans, Allie to produce, Travis to sauces, Ainsley to baked goods, Kackie to pasta and quinoas, and oh my god, it’s never-ending Have you ever spent four hours in a grocery store? Have you ever stared at the endless mass of shelves and seen everything and yet nothing at the same time? Have you ever wondered to yourself how this place could be so poorly organized? Where are the chocolate chips!? Oh my goodness, get me out of here! Make it stop!! Why do we climb mountains? Not to say that we’ve done it. Nofor the view over the summit. My, isn’t it incredible? Travis, Ainsley, and I watched in amazement as the novella-long bill printed. Then, we loaded up the car and drove home to Argo. Even under a thick layer of shipyard coal dust, the ship is as beautiful as eversporting a brand new bowsprit to boot! The short timers arrived half an hour prior to us (fifteen minutes before that, Argo’s hull was reunited with the ocean; “Watership down”!) and were all set to start loading our five chariots’ worth of groceries into the boat. Together, we did quick work of putting away all the provisions and ordered a pizza to celebrate. While we waited for it to be delivered, half the other studentsPhilip, Hannah, and Drazkaand I started a preliminary deck wash. Students versus soot, we did not win the battle, but we will win the war. Mark my words, coal dust. A huge thank you to Boss Travis, Herman from Wanna Studios, Sea|mester alumni, and everyone else who helped to make the final leg of this trip possible for us. When we first lost our prop, there was talk in the wind about whether or not the program could continue. Tomorrow, we set sail. Again, again, again, thank you. I am so incredibly grateful to be back aboard, homeLand|mester had its charms, e.g., washing machines and enough free time to rip Smash Bros.where the heart is. Argo, we missed you! The Argonauts are back!