Antarctic Field Course - Study Abroad

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Carrie's Journal

QA

Please use the links below to view a specific date further down the page. December - 2003 Sun. 14 Mon. 15 Tue. 16 Wed. 17 Thu. 18 Fri. 19 Sat. 20 Sun. 21 Mon. 22 Tue. 23 Wed. 24 Thu. 25 Fri. 26 Sat. 27 Sun. 28 Mon. 29 Tue. 30 Wed. 31 January - 2004 Thu. 1 Sun. 4

Photos credited to Carrie. Click an image to enlarge, hover over an image for a description.

12-14-03

Eventually, we made it to Ushuaia, got off the plane, and walked into a rustic-looking airport. After claiming our bags, we all walked out to the bus to go to our hotel. I couldn't believe I was finally here in the city at the end of the world. It smelled like fresh flowers and the air was so crisp and clean. This place is so beautiful that no words will ever do it justice. The mountains stood tall with clouds wrapped around them, masking the infinite beauty. The Beagle Channel looked so pristine and immaculate with the mountains surrounding it.

Today, it first hit me that I'm actually in Argentina and on my way to Antarctica. I've already made a few friends and it's only the first day. I can already tell that this is going to be an amazing trip.

Standing in the wind,
Face to the sun,
Inhaling crisp, clean air,
Waiting for the fun.

------

Sunshine yellow running through my veins
With warmth and excitement.
Powder white caressing my face
With softness and delight.

Baby blue wrapping itself around me
With arms of joy and laughter.
Forest green calling my name
With the voice of an angel.

12-15-03

The first museum we went to was the Museo Yamana. In here, we learned about the paleo-history of Antarctica and Argentina. This museum also taught me a little about the indigenous people of Ushuaia and Argentina. The second museum we visited was the Museo del Fin del Mundo. Inside, there were several stuffed birds and a couple seals. It was great to finally see some of the birds we have been talking and reading about, even though they weren't alive. At least I could see what I would be looking for when we got on the boat. However, the stuffed animals and birds made me sad in a way, because those animals had to sacrifice their lives for that museum.

On the walk back to the hotel from the museum, I stopped on the street at a table where a woman was selling oil paintings. Since I get native artwork from everywhere I travel to, I had to stop and look at what she had. I ended up buying three paintings; one for me, and two for my friends. The one I picked for myself is a painting of a winter scene in Ushuaia. The brush strokes are fascinating and the colors are beautiful. One of the paintings I bought for my best friend is of a lonesome, small, rugged rowboat that has been washed ashore and the waves still beat on it, as it is stuck in the sand.

Gentle waves, washing ashore,
Drumming against the white, aged wood.
Blues and purples painting the sea
With calming intentions of good.

Rocking, swaying, to and fro
She sashays with the water.
Her worn and tattered structure is weak
With what the ocean has brought her.

Her days are few and numbered,
She knows that this is true.
Still alone, she fades away
Into the purple and blue.

12-16-03

It was so neat to see the prison in the way that it actually existed when it was used a hundred years ago. I also enjoyed the Darwin exhibit because they had vertebrae bones of different species of whales and dolphins. I couldn't believe how similar these bones looked compared to human vertebrae. I know much more about the human body than mammal bodies, especially marine mammals, so it was interesting to see the comparison between the two.

After the museum, we came back to our new hotel and met with our professors to talk about our projects. This morning after the test, I talked to Craig about switching my topic in order to make it more applicable to my field of study. The topic is not set in stone yet, but I am going to observe and research the effects of our journey on our health from a tourist's point of view. I want it to be scientific, but also something that the average person can read and learn from. I'm not sure yet if I am going to do mental or physical health observations, or both. I need to talk to Craig tomorrow to finalize my topic. Back at the museum, there was a little bit of artwork. There was one sculpture of a woman holding her baby and it really intrigued me.

Snug, holding him to her breast.
His eyes gazing back at her
With such innocence and purity.

Little does he know,
How short his time
With her really is.

One day the baby will wake
And find himself all alone
With the sun, moon and wind.

12-17-03

After what seemed like forever, we finally embarked on our journey and left the dock. The views were so beautiful of the mountains in Ushuaia and Chile. We also saw some Petrels and Albatross in the water as the boat traveled down the Beagle Channel. I stood at the bow of the ship, while the sun set, and breathed in the fresh air and felt the cool breeze upon my face. It was such a beautiful sight to see as we began our voyage. I even got chills down my spine, not just from the cold air, but from the beautiful scenery we sailed by. I was so glad to finally be in a place where nobody from the United States could reach me, and I wouldn't see anyone I knew prior to the trip for a few weeks. This feeling of great separation was wonderful today, and I'm so glad it's not going anywhere anytime soon.

Face to the wind,
Back to the shore,
I set out to sea,
Still wanting more.

With camera in hand,
And friends at my side,
We laugh until sunset,
With nothing to hide.

On with the journey,
On with the fun,
Sleep until morning,
And wake with the sun.

12-18-03

During the course of the day, I went up to the bridge several times. It was so windy that I couldn't make it to the front of the boat. I also saw tons of birds flying alongside our ship. I think these birds were Petrels and Albatross. We still haven't seen any whales or icebergs, but there is a contest for whoever spots the first iceberg. If you win, you get a bottle of "whatever-you-want." At dinner tonight, Colonel Sanders told us that if we kept at the speed we were going, we wouldn't get to Antarctica for another 45 hours! We had to drop our speed in order to get through the rough ocean. This was a major bummer since we are all so excited to get to Antarctica.

After dinner, I went back out one more time to see the endless ocean. Then, I came in and watched Old School with a couple of my classmates before I went to bed for the evening.

Into the abyss,
An endless ocean,
For days and days.

Rocking and swaying,
Back and forth,
For days and days.

Sleep for hours,
Waking with the sun,
For days and days.

12-19-03

This afternoon, I went to another lecture where she talked about the food web and a little overview of all the animals in the Antarctic. The most interesting thing I learned at the lecture was where each species of animals lives. She said that we would not be seeing King or Emperor Penguins, Blue Whales, and a few types of seals. I really wanted to see a blue whale, but she said that nobody has seen a Blue Whale in the Antarctic in 20 years due to the whaling industry depleting the population. The whole whaling industry thing really upsets me, too. I just can't stand that I belong to a race, the human race, that kills off some of the most beautiful and amazing animals in the world. I wish someone could have stopped all those whalers 60 years ago, because then today, I would be able to see Blue Whales.

At about 10:30 p.m. tonight, we spotted our first iceberg. A little kid, about 13 years old, won the bottle of "whatever-he-wanted" since he saw it first. I also saw some whale spouts in the far-off distance, but I never got to actually see the whales' bodies. However, I'm not too worried because we are almost to Antarctica, and I'm sure we'll see tons of whales, seals and penguins there. Tomorrow morning at 8:30 a.m., we will embark on our first trip to land. After being on a boat for so many days straight, it might be a little weird at first. I cannot wait to see the penguins!

Floating in front of the boat,
As if they were posing for me.
The Petrels showed off their amazing wings,
And filled me with incredible glee.

Wave upon wave, Swell upon swell,
The birds swooped around the boat.
Following the boat for hundreds of miles
Without flapping once, they soar and they gloat.

12-20-03

There were 2 species on this island; Gentoo and Chinstrap Penguins. They live in the same area, but don't get into fights about territory or anything. I wish people could live like that. Then, we hiked up a hillside and down to another beach area where we found seals. I saw one Weddell Seal and 67 Elephant Seals. There was a giant Elephant Seal on the beach, and a bunch cuddled together taking naps. The seals were so disgusting, but very interesting to see up close. They kept burping and farting and making gross noises. Once in a while, they would lift their heads up for a couple of seconds, then go right back to being a slug. Sometimes they would use their stubby arm-flippers to scratch themselves, and go right back to snuggling with the rest.

As we were leaving the island, I looked at a group of penguins nesting and noticed one bird in particular. He kept walking back and forth, between the nest and a pile of rocks, and would bring over one rock at a time. I couldn't help but smile, it was way too cute. If only people could be that polite.

Our second excursion today, took us to Yankee Harbour. The first thing I saw as I got off the Zodiac was a huge Weddell Seal sleeping all by itself in the snow. Then, as I walked further into the island, I saw thousands of penguins everywhere. Gentoos were the only species of penguin on this island, except for one Macaroni and one Adelie. Again, most of the penguins were sitting on their eggs, while the other penguins added pebbles to their nests. Most of the guano was pinkish-red, due to their main source of food, krill. We even saw some penguin vomit that looked like it wasn't digested very much at all, because we could still see the krill's body. This was interesting to me, because I see human vomit all the time at the clinic, but animal vomit with whole creatures in it? Now that's not something I see everyday.

In the afternoon, I started losing my vision. I could still see far away with my contacts in, but I couldn't read anything in front of me. Everything was blurry within 2 feet of my face. After a while, I finally called the doctor, and he said that it was a side effect of the sea sickness patch I was using. That information really relieved me, because I was afraid I would be blind in a few hours as my vision got worse and worse. My pupils were extremely dilated, so I wore my sunglasses everywhere for the rest of the day, (even to dinner).

Then, after dinner, we had a third excursion planned to Half Moon Island, but I was feeling sick after eating, so I stayed back at the ship. I didn't want to get all the way there, and then say I had to come back immediately for an emergency. The only different thing that everyone else might see on this island was a Fur Seal. We still have a week left on the boat, so I'm not too worried about missing out on too much. I just wanted to feel better so that this doesn't happen again.

Black and white,
Are these cute little creatures,
Sometimes orange and red,
To add to their features.

Waddling around,
They clumsily make their way.
While others on nests,
Lay down for the day.

Each little penguin,
On its own mission,
Searching for rocks,
Under every condition.

12-21-03

They are very curious birds, so they just walked right up to me to check me out. I could see every little detail of their body and their eyes. The coolest thing was when I finally got to see babies! They were absolutely adorable. They were about the size of a peach, with tiny little heads. Their mothers and fathers were feeding some of them, while others just laid over them to keep them warm. It looked like the perfect little family; with mommy feeding the babies and daddy standing by to help. The rookeries were similar to human nurseries at hospitals because all the parents were around tending to their babies in their nests (or cradles).

Then, this afternoon, I did the unthinkable. I went swimming in Antarctica! We sailed into Port Foster, which is the center of a volcano. From there, we took a Zodiac to Deception Island and walked around, looking at the ruins of past whaling stations. After a couple hours, I went swimming in the ocean, (which is actually the middle of a volcano that has been filled in with water), then quickly jumped into a small pool that we dug on the beach. The reason this place is called Deception Island is because the water underground is actually very warm. So, after the quick dip in the freezing cold water of the Antarctic Ocean, I laid in the warm pool for a while. The reason the water is warm is because this volcano has hot magma underneath the surface, heating the land and the water in the land. This day was definitely a highlight of the trip, because swimming in Antarctica is not something that most of the 6 billion other people in the world can say they did.

A palette of colors,
Which one to use.
Lavender, indigo, rose,
There's no way to lose.

Next come the bright ones,
Tangerine, lemon and fire.
Setting below the horizon,
The sun does retire.

Pale cotton mountains
With a hint of pink,
Outlining the beautiful,
Giant blue sink.

12-22-03

Before all of this drama, we started off the morning bright and early. I stayed up for the winter solstice last night and watched the sun rise and set. The sun rose at 3:30 a.m. this morning. After I watched the sun rise, I went to bed. This morning, I missed breakfast and had to hurry out to catch the Zodiac out to Port Lockroy, on Wiecnke Island. This is where Base A, a British station, is. We went into their station/museum and I bought a postcard and a stamp, and wrote a letter to my family. I'm excited to see how long it takes to get back to my home, from Antarctica.

The nests of the penguins were so close to the station that people had no choice, but to walk right by them. It makes me wonder which got here first, the penguins and their nests, or the humans at the station for the summer; and if the penguins got here first, what are we doing here terrorizing their breeding grounds?! On this stop, I hiked into the island a bit and saw hundreds more nesting penguins. However, this rookery was different from all the others because there were Blue-Eyed Shags' nests interwoven with the Gentoo Penguins' nests. The Shags' young had already hatched, so I was able to see them feed their babies.

The second excursion of the day was to Petermann Island, at the southern end of the Lemaire Channel. On the Zodiac ride over, we stopped at an iceberg to see a Leopard Seal that was simply laying on it. This is my first Leopard Seal, and they look very different from all the other seals. I found this to be very fascinating.

When we arrived to Petermann Island, I immediately hiked up to the rookeries to look around. When I got up there, I saw hundreds of Adelie Penguins, and most of them had chicks. The chicks were absolutely adorable. I could here them all chirping and watched them eat from their parents mouths. The most amazing thing I saw here was the "changing of the guards." I had been watching a mommy penguin keep her two chicks warm and happy, while daddy stood by guarding the nest. Then, the two penguins started talking to each other for a few minutes. After they finished their conversation, mommy stood up and out of the nest, and daddy replaced her spot keeping the chicks warm. I hadn't seen this behavior before, even though I have learned about it. It was just great to actually see with my own eyes, out in the wild.

The day ended with a risky maneuver through the Lemaire Channel at the point where we got stuck this morning. Our captain did a great job getting us through the narrow passage without hitting the huge iceberg. I also watched the sunset while I kept an eye on the boats positioning. The sunset was another beautiful one, where no words will ever do justice for it.

Another palette,
Shades of happiness,
Laughter and might.
Blue for serenity,
Indigo for solitude,
Violet for imagination,
Green for friendship,
Yellow for life,
Orange for freshness, and
Red for courage.

12-23-03

First, we went to Paradise Bay where we actually set foot on mainland Antarctica. There was an un-staffed Argentinean station right at our landing point. We hiked up to the top of a small mountain and took pictures. I sat there and enjoyed the view for a while. I also collected data on this excursion by checking heart rates when people got to the top of the slope. It was a little difficult to get some people's cooperation, but I think my data is pretty good. I also observed some of the older passengers and how they couldn't make it passed 50 yards of the climb. The first 50 yards was only a slight slant, too. These observations might help me on my general health-fitness assessment.

After the island, we boarded the Zodiacs and had a mini tour of the bay. We went right up to glaciers and icebergs. We even got off the boat and stepped foot onto the iceberg. It was like walking on the moon. Once every 15 minutes, we heard the big "woosh" of an avalanche, but never actually saw one. It sounded like thunder, and everybody turned to look at the mountain, but the avalanche was deeper into the island, so we couldn't see it.

We did see a Minke Whale, though. It swam right in front of our Zodiac and its body just kept coming out of the water. I really didn't think that Minke Whales were that big, but this thing was huge. It surfaced a couple times, and then disappeared off in the distance. As boring as Minke Whales are, it was definitely more entertaining than anything else in Michigan. This boring creature absolutely fascinated me with its giant body and smooth skin. It seemed to just cut right through the water. I don't study animals at home, so it was very interesting to look at their physique and see how they interacted with their surroundings, just like my athletes and their physiques pertaining to their specific sports.

Our second excursion today, and the final excursion of the trip, was to Cuverville Island. Here, we saw a bunch of Gentoo Penguins and their rookeries. I only stayed on the island for about 15 minutes, then jumped back on a Zodiac with a few people from our group, and had a mini private tour through the icebergs in the bay. It was really nice of the staff member to take us out like that. We went super close to all the icebergs in the area, and took a ton of up-close pictures. It was a great way to end our Antarctica expedition. We started back for Ushuaia after our final landing and ran into some tumultuous waters. While we were still surrounded by land, we already had giant swells. When we got to the open water, it got even worse. The rocky water lulled me to sleep and gave me dreams of beautiful Antarctica.

Time to say goodbye,
To penguins and seals,
Icebergs and glaciers,
And calm-water meals.

Time to say goodbye,
To coldness and whales,
Rocky boat rides,
And mighty wind gales.

Time to say goodbye,
To glaciers and snow,
A bittersweet ending,
For now we must go.

12-24-03

After the lecture, I had lunch (which was breakfast for me since I got up so late) and we actually got served super fast. Usually it takes a half hour to receive each course, but today I was sitting at the lucky table. As soon as I got back from lunch, I interviewed one person for my project, and then fell asleep for several hours. The big swells in the water make me really sleepy because it's like a hammock or rocking chair. Now, I should be rested for Ushuaia and the rest of our amazing trip.

The last activity of the day was a lecture given about the Swedish exploration history of Antarctica. The men who participated in this expedition were very brave and they ran into many conflicts, such as a sinking ship. It's very impressive they stayed alive. The most interesting thing was about the extinct species of penguins that grew up to 5 feet tall. I can't even imagine seeing eye to eye with a penguin. It makes me wonder what Antarctica would be like if there were human-size penguins waddling around. Would the penguins be afraid of humans, or attack? Would we still be allowed to hike inland to look for more wildlife? Would penguins eat other penguins??

Lucho, Lucho, where are you?
Can you please, bring us our stew?

I truly can't wait any longer,
This emaciation isn't making me stronger.

Across the way, everyone else has food,
You really are dampening our wonderful mood.

Is it time for salads yet?
We should be done with dessert, I bet.

Entrees are coming from the kitchen,
He better hurry up to stop our bitchin'.

Now that dinner is finally through,
It's time for breakfast, Lucho, where are you?

12-25-03

Today was kind of sad since it was our last night on the boat. The captain had a reception for us and a special dinner for Christmas. After dinner, we did our gift exchange in the forward lounge. I received the same thing that I bought for someone else. It was kind of a coincidence. I got an Antarctica calendar and a little travel journal with blank pages to write in.

After the gift exchange, it was party time. Everyone was in the best of moods. We all mingled with the other passengers and a few of them bought me drinks. After being on the boat for a week, I got to know some of the other passengers and I had a lot of fun with them. The funniest thing is that the Quark staff gets to party with us, too. I was standing at the bar with the head guy, Olle, and took a shot of vodka with him. He's such a funny man and I always called him "the colonel" or "Colonel Sanders." Today made me realize that my journey of a lifetime is coming to an end.

Merry Christmas to my friends,
I hope we all had a great day.
I'm so glad we're all here together,
To celebrate Christmas this way.

Family and friends
Are what Christmas is about.
This ship is our family,
So no friend is left out.

Countries and continents,
All joined as one.
Here on a boat,
In the middle of the ocean.

Together as one,
We make our way back to shore.
Never ending the fun,
Or forgetting what Christmas is for.

Now as I sit here,
Recalling the journey,
I think of all my new friends,
And what Antarctica has brought me.

12-26-03

After the meeting, I went to the grocery store to buy food for our 9 hour hike tomorrow. The grocery store was difficult to get through because the food selection was so small and obviously everything was in Spanish. I ended up getting some granola snacks, bread, cheese and water. I am hoping that this will be enough for our long day tomorrow. The people in this town are so limited as to what they can eat, because the choices are so few. It made me realize how great Meijer is for supplying us with every imaginable item.

I finished gathering my data for my project. So far, it's difficult to make any correlations because each person reacts differently to the medications and the waves. Tomorrow I will finish my power point presentation so that I won't have to worry about it anymore.

I'm so tired,
I could almost weep.

Will we ever
Get any sleep?

It would be nice
To get some zzzz's.
Would someone tell them
We need sleep, please.

12-27-03

I had never seen one of these before, so I had fun using it. Some of the trees we found were so big and old. The biggest oldest one I found was 206 years old. I couldn't believe that I was actually counting the tiny little lines on a tree stump. We also measured the diameter of the trees using a tape measure that has the equation for circumference built into it so that you measure the girth, and the number it gives you is actually the diameter. I had never seen anything like this before and I thought it was very fascinating. I think that was my main interest of the day; using all of the neat equipment in Argentina. The whole hiking experience was very interesting, too. I kept falling into holes and I got my brand new hiking shoes absolutely covered in mud. I came out of the day with a few bruises, scrapes and scratches, but no major harm done.

The thing that impressed me the most today was the amount of work that can go into doing research on trees. In my field of study, I don't have to climb summits, traipse through mud and count tree rings to collect my data. This takes a lot of work, so I can't imagine having to do this all by myself; which is how I collect my own data.

Glaciers, lichen, rocks and trees,
Stumps and mud pits up to our knees.

Climbing the mountain from high to low,
With dirt and mud from head to toe.

Counting carefully, the number of rings,
My neck is aching from looking down at these things.

Eight hours later, we're still here counting rings,
Peppy John still traipses quickly, while Justin still sings.

Hours after that, our cabs finally arrive,
We get back to Cap Polonio, many hours past five.

12-28-03

Pure, pristine, beauty beyond words,
Whales, seals, penguins and sea birds.

Miles and miles of wonderful splendor,
Magnificent sights that make cold hearts tender.

Garbage, trash, ruins galore,
The day is done, still wanting more.

Why such beauty in this place?
What a shame it's going to waste.

12-29-03

Then, I proceeded to work on my Powerpoint oral presentation for the rest of the day. I didn't even have time to eat lunch. Later in the day, we had a review session for the final exam which will be on Wednesday. This helped a little bit to give some major topics that will be short answer questions and the one essay question. We also found out what types of questions would be asked and what the point breakdown would be.

Later that night, I worked hard to finish my oral presentation that I will be presenting Tuesday night.

Trip's almost over,
Don't wanna go home.
Can't I just stay here?
Jai guru de va om.

I don't want to think,
Of what I will miss.
All that I know, is that
I will miss all of this.

This trip of a lifetime
Will stay with me forever,
And these new ties with friends
Will on no account sever.

12-30-03

The first trail we did took us three hours. I think the highlight of everyone's hike, next to the scenery, was skipping rocks on the smooth water. I've never seen water that calm before. It was absolutely perfect for skipping rocks. After the first hike, we drove to another trail and hiked for another couple hours. Eventually, we stopped to eat our packed lunches, and then quickly we were on our way again on a different trail. We hiked until about 2 o'clock, and then got back on the bus to come back to the hotel. I slept the whole way back on the bus, and then when we got back in our room, I slept for another half hour. I could've slept for hours, but I had to present my Powerpoint presentation.

At 5 o'clock, we started the oral presentations, and we didn't get done until after 9 o'clock. It took forever. My group was the first to go, so I was happy to get it out of the way, and over and done with. I was the last person in my group to go. I think my presentation went really well, so I'm not very worried about my grade on it. I worked very hard on it, and I think I should get a good grade for it.

After finally having dinner, I studied for our final exam until 2:30 in the morning. Tomorrow at 4 p.m. is our final exam, so I will be studying all day tomorrow as well.

Cold and dark,
We slip into the unknown,
Together, as one,
Out to conquer this zone.

Motionless water
Silences the air;
To talk above a whisper,
No one would dare.

Calming winds,
Rustle the tops of the trees.
Some skip stones in the channel,
While others enjoy the breeze.

Patagonia still calls me,
"Please, come out to play."
But, we have too much to do,
So, I'll have to save it for another day.

12-31-03

After studying forever, we took the test, and it wasn't that bad. I was really surprised as to how much I learned while I was here. I think I did fairly well on the test.

Then, the fun began with a crazy night at the Albatross. When we walked in, we immediately got a glass of champagne, and it was very yummy. Our first course was a ton of seafood and a pig head on a platter with cherries as its eyes. When I saw the pig, I wanted to vomit, and I think I almost did, but I made sure not to look at it again. Then, after all the yummy seafood, our main course came. Naturally, the only choices they had were lamb or beef. I didn't get to eat for the rest of dinner, so I just filled up on wine and champagne.

Then, the dancing began! I had the time of my life at the party. I danced with some locals and talked with them a lot. I spoke a lot of Spanish tonight. It was really nice to interact with the Argentineans, because I like to get the cultural benefits of visiting a new country as well as the beautiful sights. I was so excited that they played local music and not American music. After the party was over, we came back to the hotel and wound down, and had a super long night of sleep. What a great day!

I was dancing tango,
With a senior native,
Trying new things,
And being creative.

All night long,
I danced till I dropped,
A night like this,
Will never be topped.

Our New Year celebration
Was quite a success,
Thanks to our professors,
Who would never give us less.

1-1-04

The scientific thing that I learned today was that taking vitamin B after a night of drinking is essential. I'm sure I would've felt like crap today if it hadn't been for the vitamin B.

For our last supper in Ushuaia, we went to Tante Sara, the same place we went to for our first dinner here. As always, I had the gnocchi dish with four cheese sauce. I had the same waitress as always, and she remembered my order again. I gave her an extra big tip because she was always so nice and remembered my exact order. I also tried an empanada tonight and it was yummy. I got the corn and white sauce empanada. I had to eat something Argentinean before I left the country.

After dinner, we went back to the hotel to pack, and then watched Old School on the projector in our room. After the movie, we all fell asleep squished onto our tiny beds. Goodnight, Ushuaia,
Farewell, Argentina,
Never a "goodbye,"
Only an "I will see ya."

Adieu, Patagonia,
Until next time, Andes Mountains,
I can't wait to be with you again,
And fill my heart with colorful fountains.

1-4-04

At the end of the trail was a tree island. In the Everglades, there is a ton of grass, then little groups of trees every so often, and they call these islands. In the middle of the island was a pool about 12 feet in diameter and about chest deep. It was a very beautiful sight. It was so pristine and calm. The trees were all standing in about 3 feet of water all around. Sometimes, it was as shallow as mid-calf height on the hike into the island, but most of the water was at least knee height. This was great to see our home country up-close and personal in the national park. I was so excited that I had the opportunity to see alligators. The alligators were definitely the highlight of today. It was great to end our journey with another type of water mammal, to make the trip come full circle.

After that, we went back to the hotel and took much-needed showers. Eventually, after much debate, we all decided to walk to a Chinese restaurant. It was deeeeee-lish! That was the best Chinese buffet I have ever been to before. There were 6 different tables with food on them. It was very yummy.

After dinner, we went back to the hotel and watched the Sugar Bowl game. I'm really sad because we're going home tomorrow, and I don't want to say goodbye. Memories aren't all that I have to keep.
I have many new friends whose ties run deep.

I've learned so much about myself and others.
We've all become a group, of sisters and brothers.

I will never say goodbye to my newfound treasures.
I'll do anything and everything, and take all needed measures.

I've taken much more than I ever thought possible.
I've given much more than I ever thought probable.

I know I will return to my serine paradise.
I return every time that I close my eyes.

Eventually, I'll make it back to this place,
And once again, I'll feel the pristine breeze upon my face.