Personal Narrative-Andros Trip

I never would have envisioned that I would blossom into a new person when stepping onto a peculiar, little plane on its way to Andros, Bahamas. This was the first time in my life being solo, not enveloped by my parents. There was a sense of independence; I ultimately felt that I was an adult -my own person- and it was incredible. When arriving in the Bahamas, we waited in the smoldering heat for the border control officers to check our passports. The week could finally start after the elongated wait to pass through. On our way to the Forfar Field Station, our campsite, everyone had to cram into white taxi vans with the local taxi drivers. Driving through Andros was truly a unique experience on the trip. The scenery was fascinating, as was

Snorkeling was one of the most exciting parts of the trip, a whole new world that I never would have thought possible. Hundreds of diverse fish and corals that I’ve only seen in pictures, yet every aspect seemed surreal. Swimming and diving through exotic fish was a breathtaking experience, but running into a Caribbean reef shark was the highlight of the trip. During land trips we would explore the culture, either by meeting the natives or hiking through the distinct types of forests Andros had to offer. The coppice was aboriginal to the island and we were fortunate enough to have the chance of touring through. The alluring environment and the surrounding creatures outweighed the irritable swarm of mosquitoes and the deathly feeling of heatstroke. The environment was unforgettable as so was the people that we encountered; it was spectacular yet saddening at the same time seeing the conditions these people lived in. The natives seemed so content and thankful for what they were blessed with; it warmed my heart being surrounded by people who were sincerely happy in life. As part of Bahamian culture, they lived off of the land by gathering from mango and banana trees as well as raising their own livestock such as boars and chickens. I was exposed to a new variety of people that I considered beautiful not only on the outside, but also on the inside, and I am ecstatic to say