(Pretend today is Wednesday May 4^th)

This past week I’ve been balancing studying for finals with doing things for the last time.

Glimpse of the most beautiful
sunset all trip as I rode the
safari home

Saturday I went to St. John one last time to see my girlfriend’s family. Sarah’s sister, Rachel, is graduating soon and her dad wanted to take her on a trip. They weren’t coming to visit me; it was just a coincidence that they picked here. Unfortunately, it rained most of the morning Saturday so our snorkeling plans got ruined. We did get to go for about 15 minutes, and ended up getting to see a 5 ft. nurse shark. I haven’t seen a shark since I’ve been down here, so I’m glad I got to check that off the list. I’ve been really eager to see them in my SCUBA and snorkel/swimming classes but we never got lucky. When I saw it on Saturday I first thought it was a rock. It was just calmly sitting on the bottom 5 feet below me. I never thought I would be scared, but as I swam over it I saw how big its mouth was and how little my arm was and that was unnerving. It was a nurse shark, so it’s pretty docile, but still. That scenario where it gets pissed off and chomps your body in half always flashes through your head. After that experience we dried off and went back to where they were staying. We played cards and ate lunch until it stopped raining, and then we went to Salt Pond Bay. After snorkeling some more at Salt Pond Bay I caught the 7:00 ferry back to my dorm. It was another fun day.

Sunday I spent the day packing and studying. The semester was winding down and it was starting to hit me. I am super excited to see my friends and family and get back into my routine back home, but I’m going to miss this way of life I’ve gotten used to and the friends I’ve made, and the beauty. I had three days left.

Monday I took all of my exams and packed a little more. They ended up being nothing I should have stressed over, which was a blessing.

Brewer's at sunset

Tuesday was my last time hiking to the rock and swimming in Brewers. John, a local who was in my SCUBA and steel pan classes and one of my good friends down here, accompanied me. At night I got to see the sunset one last time, and she showed off for me. They sky lit up with pinks and oranges as I sat there with some Kenny Chesney playing. Over the course of this semester I've watched the sunset move further and further west. It used to set off the runway (look back at my blog post in January), but now it sets over the mountain. The no-see-ums made sure to tell me bye too. That night I packed more, retook and online test, and hung out on Brewers for a couple hours with Nate, Josh, and Erik. I’m going to miss them.

Wednesday (today) is my last day here. I’m sitting in the airport because I got here three and a half hours early. Traveling stresses me out pretty badly so I like to allow for a lot of time to ease my nerves. I’m not sad anymore like I was the past week or so. Today I am excited. Goodbyes were tough, but I honestly believe I’ll see these people again.