By Philip Beardsley
After a week of exploring, camping, and simply being at one with nature, we are finally back to civilization – or so it seems. Kayak trip…what an experience.
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On Monday of last week, 5 members of the Island School community embarked on a journey that will never be forgotten. After much anticipation, preparation, and thought, it was finally time to leave. Not a single ripple on the water or cloud in the sky – what better conditions could we have asked for? After a long day of kayaking, sunshine, and positive vibes, we finally reached our first camping spot for the trip, Plum Creek. It was then time to do the one thing we had all eagerly been waiting for: eat dinner. Few things can beat a dinner cooked around a fire, and even fewer things can beat a dinner cooked around a fire with good company and an upwards view looking straight at the bright stars in the night sky. Stomachs were full and energy was drained, all that was left to do was relax. The nice thing about going on these sorts of expeditions is that you get to know the people you are with in a different way than you normally would, in a more personal, genuine way. Great conversations took place around that fire on the first night, conversations that were to set the tone for the rest of the kayak trip; what a great way to plunge into such a journey.
After our second night camping – possibly the worst night of our lives thanks to our very unwanted companions – sand flies, we took off on what would be the last leg of our journey to Lighthouse Beach. The next three nights were to be spent on one of Eleuthera’s, if not one of the world’s, most beautiful beaches. Waking up the next morning, we knew immediately that we were in for an adventure for the next two days: solo.
Oftentimes, people do far too much without ever really thinking about what it is exactly that they are doing, whether it is work, school, or life in general. Sometimes it’s important to just take a step back, and think about what it is that you want to do with your life. Solo was the perfect opportunity to do this. Lots of deep thoughts went through all of our minds on solo, thoughts that will definitely be visited in the near future for guidance, thoughts that teach us who we are.
Solo went smoothly for all of us, despite one common complaint: a lack of food. Oh well, that was to be compensated for very shortly with a large batch of pancakes waiting for us. Once all the gear was cleaned up and we were back on campus, we all headed to Ron and Karen’s house for a wonderful, home cooked dinner. Endless food and a beautiful Bahamian sunset to top off what had been a great week – could it get any better?
So now we are all back onto campus for what is going to be the last two weeks of the gap year students’ time here. A lot has happened in the last week, and surely, a lot will happen in the coming weeks, we’ll just have to see what all goes down!