by Lyndsey Silverstein:

After two weeks of waiting it had finally come, Sunday. It was our first real day off of the school year. I began by sleeping until 8:00 AM, which was late compared to our normal 6:30 AM wake up, got dressed and biked to The Conch House with a few friends. Hearing that The Conch House had pancakes and milkshakes beforehand, I was eager to finally arrive and gorge myself on all the food I’d been missing. It was a great start to the relaxing day ahead of me. After consuming what felt like an entire buffet just for me, I biked back to campus and gathered for noon circle. Everyone was in a good mood all rested and calm for Sunday. At circle, a faculty member announced that we had an arranged activity at 1:30 to go to the sand bar. Joining in on the choir of sighs, I was reluctant to go because this was our only day off. It was mandatory so it didn’t really matter what I thought, I was going and it was my only day off. At 1:30 I got my life jacket on and headed onto the boat with the rest of the students and faculty. Upon our arrival I was completely stunned. This had to have been one of the most beautiful places I had ever been. The clearest lightest water, the softest sand that we plastered our bodies with, made it pretty much impossible to be upset that they brought us here. After swimming around and relaxing in the shallow waters I got back on the boat and went back to campus with a changed perspective: thankful for the arranged activity that I once dreaded.