I will continue talking about this trip to anyone that will listen.
For the first time, I traveled on a big trip with no adult supervision. In my senior year of high school, I went on an international school trip to Ireland and Scotland, and I loved it. However, that trip had several adult chaperones, and it was entirely planned out by the school and a travel planning platform. This trip that I just took has taken the top slot of being the best trip I have ever been on.
Don’t get me wrong, this trip came with its fears and mistakes. For the first time, I was solely responsible for myself even though I traveled with my roommates. It was scary but also incredibly exciting. It gave me a new sense of independence and showed me the different cultures within the Caribbean. We visited several islands including Puerto Rico, St. Martin, St. Lucia, Grenada, Curacao, and Aruba. The only thing that I would change is that we had more time on the islands. However, when I go on another cruise, which I hopefully will, I will know how to navigate and plan for it better. For example, there are some outfits that I had planned on wearing that I never wore and there are clothing items that I regretted not taking with me.
Maybe it’s just because I hate the winter, but the Caribbean felt like paradise. It is still crazy to think that there’s a part of our world that exists like that all the time. I don’t know why but I think it is so funny that there is a part of our world that is used to seeing palm trees, coconuts, and cruise ships every day. That sounds like paradise to me. I keep having to tell myself that the cruise ship still exists even though I am not on it anymore. I miss it a lot and will be going on another cruise hopefully within the next few years!