High School Study Abroad in Gustavia, St. Barts

My trip to the Caribbean was, in short, a life changing adventure. Living out on the water for 2 weeks made me connect with the people around me and further appreciate the beautiful nature and marine wildlife. I was able to witness things while scuba diving that many dream to see, such as sea turtles, nurse sharks, spotted eagle rays, and the overall diverse species of fish. While I do have amazing memories of the sites I saw, more importantly, I cherish the friends I made and the fun times we had together. Right after the first day, the whole group immediately bonded, and every night on the boat we would dance to music and just get to know each other. We became so close, that by the end of the trip we were already planning a reunion. Every day was a new adventure with something fun planned, and if I had the chance to do another Broadreach trip I would do so in a heartbeat.

My mom was in this position of researching how the trip would be and she was concerned she wasn't getting the whole truth about people's reviews towards this since it was the same cliched words. However, she goes back on her word as she lights up when I tell her the amazing experience I had over there. To say this was the time of my life and it is so easy for me to say this because it was. I have a glass bead necklace that I have never taken off since I got back. It’s been on whether it be a formal event or going to the beach for a swim, much to my mom's dismay. Those 21 days in the Caribbean not only introduced me to the most extraordinary 10 people but my family (ohana). There was never a moment on Pom D’ô, our boat, that I wanted to be elsewhere. Screaming glum free on the top of my lungs every chance I got. Making dinner and all of us taking a few moments to watch the sun disappear in the horizon with the explosion of colors coming from it. It was breathtaking; that bright orange glaze that would become the ocean and the swirls of red-blue that would become the sky and later, if we were in Saba, that sky would later reveal the never-ending Milky Way and the awe/silence that would overtake everyone. I met the greatest people on my trip and we all still keep in contact, before I went on the trip I was nervous about it, but looking back I know for a fact that it all disappeared with the first hour of meeting each other and the same goes for everyone ready to embark on a never forgetting journey.