Goodbye Grenada

Sunday was our last night in Grenada. It felt strange waking up knowing that we had finally come to the end of our journey. It hadn’t really hit any of us that we were about to be done. Fortunately, we had planned a really exciting snorkel trip to end the trip with a really nice memory. We were so lucky that we had some extra funds in our program account so we were able to get the trip free for everyone. The snorkel trip was set to visit three sites, including one to the Underwater Sculpture Park!

We arrived at the resort around 9:30am and were given the snorkel gear (masks and flippers). I was kind of expecting a big boat, but instead a small speed boat pulled up on shore. We all piled on and set out towards the first site, which was the Sculpture Park. From what I remember being told, the park was built to commemorate certain historical events, including a memorial to slaves that were thrown overboard during the journey to Grenada. It was so amazing to see the art! I couldn’t believe I was getting the opportunity to see actual rock sculptures underwater in the warm, clear Caribbean water. The view was breathtaking and the fish were really interesting to observe. They were all brightly colored with yellows, turquoises, etc. I even was one of the few that dared to dive down to see the sculptures up close while holding my breath. My favorite sculpture that I reached was the one of Jesus. Yes, I touched Jesus.

The second site was more general observing coral and other tropical fish. By the third site I was feeling really nauseas from diving down so deep too many times, but I convinced myself to go for a few minutes because I didn’t want to miss out. I loved the third site, because it was really shallow so we were really close to everything. I can’t even explain how interesting and beautiful it was to see the coral and fish up close. I could just reach out and touch the fish. It was an overall amazing morning, and I’m so glad we were able to go.

Snorkeling took up the majority of our day, but then we had a final dinner planned. We got bused to the top of one of the mountains to a tiny café where we had our last meal. I enjoyed some tasty chicken stew with other typical companion side dishes like pumpkin, rice, and plantains. And of course I topped it with the hot sauce that is seriously blazing hot, but I could never stop eating it because it tastes so good. I was still pretty tired from the snorkeling trip, but it was a nice casual way to say one last goodbye to Urias and Dr. B. We all said our final thank you’s and parting words about the trip. Everyone was so grateful for their time in Grenada and for everything that Urias had done for us while being there. This trip has been truly a once-in-a-lifetime experience and I could not have dreamed it would go any better than it has. I feel like I made the right choice and I’m so glad I took a chance. It paid off and I learned so much about myself and about music and Grenada culture. I will never forget these memories and the people I spent this trip with, because they were all a part of the experience.

All of us had tried to plan out last night so that we would all stay up the entire night; however, only a few people made it until the morning. I had to get a few hours of sleep, so I did cave in, but I’m definitely feeling the effects of no sleep today as I write this on the plane half asleep. Thank you all for reading my blog and for supporting me while being in Grenada. I hope you enjoyed reading about my experiences, and I cannot wait to touch down in America to see everyone that I’ve missed so much while being away. I hope to go abroad again sometime soon, maybe next summer, so I have a feeling this will not be the end of my blogging experience right here. So, until next time J