Happy Easter from The Island School! We’ve had a great holiday weekend down on Eleuthera. After a hard morning workout and some classes, Saturday afternoon kicked off with settlement day. George, Ashley, and I, my settlement group, went to the settlement of Wemyss Bight, where we met an extremely interesting man named Garret. Born and raised on Eleuthera, Garret has been all over the world, including parts of Africa and Arabia. He showed us a picture of himself in the US navy, where he worked on the nuclear submarines. Now, Garret is known as the “fixer” of the settlement, as he is very talented with his hands. He has built almost everything in his home, including the lion statues that sit at the end of the walkway. In the morning, people line up outside of his home for him to fix their broken belongings. We talked for nearly 45 minutes, and learned all about his travels and life on Eleuthera.

Once settlement day interviews were over, we went to our Saturday night activity: the annual Rock Sound Homecoming! Homecomings here are nothing like they are back in the States. Stands selling conch fritters, ice cream, and even games of ring toss lined the street, while the DJ on stage blasted Bahamian music that could be heard around the block. All of us gathered in front of the stage, and danced for almost two hours straight.  We spent the night eating, dancing, and having fun in the streets of Rock Sound.

Easter Sunday was busy and exciting. In the morning, many of us went to church, and those who stayed helped to make a delicious brunch.  Church was nothing like anything any of us had experienced before. Filled with singing and food, it was a great way to immerse ourselves in Bahamian culture. Students and faculty helped to cook a tasty brunch of eggs and ham. After brunch, the dorm heads led an Easter conch hunt, where painted conch shells found around campus and in the water; winners were rewarded with candy and chocolate. Exploration time afterwards was awesome. Students relaxed, went free diving, and even played beach football. There was one more large highlight of the weekend. With contributions from boys’ dorm, the school, and some craftsmanship by Brayden, we now have a fully functional Ping-Pong table! Tournaments are already in progress, and we could be looking forward to some intense game nights. Overall, it was an extremely fun and exciting weekend.