Student Reflection: Adventures in the Virgin Islands
By Colin Ebding
To say this has been an adventure would be an understatement. The unreal feeling of boarding a shuttle at midnight and ending up in a tropical paradise is something no meeting could’ve prepared me for. However, I would soon come to find that this would be the first of many mind-blowing experiences.
After adjusting to the temperature and time change, we soon parted with all technologies and boarded one of the last true tall ships in the world, the Denis Sullivan. One of the last of its kind, it’s a three-masted sailing vessel modeled after the ships of old. The ships of this nature require quite the crew to work it, and it was quite the crew we received. World Ocean School assembled a colorful cast of mentors to teach us the ropes of manning a ship of this nature. We raised the sails and anchors as our morning ritual, scrubbed and scraped every surface from the top deck to the lowest bilges, and smiled and laughed all the while we did it. It was hard work, and constant exposure to the sun’s heat didn’t help, but it was worth it once the sea’s breeze wiped the sweat from our brows.
The end of our stay on the Denis Sullivan marked the beginning of decadent relaxation as we indulged in the tourist traps of Christiansted. Shopping and eating filled the hours before we embarked through unorthodox means to St John. We boarded a swift sea plane to St Thomas; we only momentarily witnessed its hustle and bustle before boarding a ship made for transporting cars and people!
St John's splendor and natural beauty is starkly unique compared to the previous islands, vast rainforest climbing the mountain ranges and shanty cabanas sprinkled across the horizon is something otherworldly once witnessed in person. We traversed aggressively steep and winding roads until we arrived at the ecologically enriched resort of Concordia. As we moved into our respective cabins, we united at night to share food, company, music, and laughter. It was at this first night's meal that I could appreciate this trip for turning a group of strangers into a group of friends willing to give and wanting to improve each other through acts of wellness, compassion, and sacrifice.
