All Good Things Must Come to an End

They’re here! My parents arrived safely on Tuesday night and the fun began soon after. I met them at the airport, we dropped their bags at the hotel and headed over to the Ti Bananne restaurant to toast to the conclusion of my unique adventure abroad. We returned to the room to assemble the treat bags I would give my students the following day at school, while I talked nonstop about some of the things I have learned here.

With “Treat Day” planned for the following day at school, I had no idea what to expect, but I warned my parents that there would be a lot of noise. They laughed it off while we packed the rental car with three suitcases full of school supplies they brought with them. Thanks to my aunt and her kindergarten class, and all of the effort my parents went through to transport the supplies, we were excited to be making such a large contribution to a deserving school. Since I had told a lot of the students that my parents would be coming that day, they were greeted with excited smiles and welcoming hugs. My dad made a quick speech and then, just as we hoped, the students and teachers were thrilled and appreciative of the gifts and supplies and their wide eyes and toothy smiles were priceless. As the all-school assembly continued, I was presented with a gift from my class as well as a song they had written. I couldn’t say thank you enough and I was so proud of them. It was hard to say good-bye as I fought back tears, but the glassy eyes of my students told me that I truly did make a difference.

With only three full days on the island, I knew I would have to pack each day with multiple activities to show my parents as much as possible. Therefore, after school, we headed over to Pigeon Point so they could have a turn climbing the Fort. We also stopped at the shopping mall, ate lunch at the marina and then made our way to Castries for the Festival of Lights. Marking the beginning of the Christmas season, the Derek Walcott Square was packed with people waiting to see the town light up for the first time of the year. Now the lights will stay lit until Christmas is over.

To celebrate my Dad’s birthday on Thursday (which is also a holy day in St. Lucia), Annabelle and I arranged an “Around the Island” tour for the day. We packed fifteen people into the bus and made our way down the Western (Caribbean) Coast and back up the Eastern (Atlantic) Coast. We began by touring the College of the West Indies – the only post-secondary school on the island – which stands right next to the monument in remembrance of the fourteen battles fought between the British and French for possession of St. Lucia. We continued along the narrow, winding roads (much to Mom’s discontent) and despite the slightly overcast (and very windy!) day, we were able to stop at various viewing points to take some gorgeous pictures. We also saw the shop where Casava bread is made and of course had to have a few samples. The other highlight was spending time at the Sulphur Springs to step in the warm, yet smelly, water. Supposedly, bathing in the stream is good for sore muscles and other body aches, but we were content with just getting our feet wet. The sulphur comes from the only volcano on the island which uniquely caved inward instead of erupting outward. Exhausted, but content with the jam-packed day, we made it back to the hotel in time for happy hour and then spent the rest of the night relaxing with the cool breeze.

Friday was sort of a catch up and relax day for us. Unfortunately, my parents still didn’t get to see very much sun, but we walked around Rodney Bay for awhile before packing up our suitcases and sitting by the pool. It’s a good thing they brought those extra suitcases of supplies that we left here, otherwise I would have had to leave quite a bit behind! That night, I confidently led my parents on the two-bus trek from the hotel to the Cherubin’s house for one last dinner with my host family. My parents had already met John and Brenda, but it was nice to sit down and actually have a conversation all together. Over a delicious meal and various drinks, we exchanged a few gifts and a lot of thanks. The highlight of the night for them was the snow my parents brought from home! Granted, they’re just little crystals that you mix with water, but it truly does look like the real stuff and they enjoyed that very much.

Over the past eight weeks, the Cherubins and everyone at school have helped me create so many stories that will remain with me forever. Despite my excitement to be coming home for Christmas, saying good-bye to my new family was very difficult. They all said I had exceeded their expectations and hope that I return in the future. All the words in the world could not express exactly what it’s like to spend eight weeks in an entirely new community and culture, but I want to thank you for following me along on my adventures. I was happy to share the good times, and during the not so good times, I appreciated the reminders that I have a whole support system rooting me on from home. This experience has truly been both eye-opening and life changing. I have learned so much about myself as a teacher, but also as an individual. It’s hard to believe that everything I had planned for for over a year is actually over, but I’m proud to say that I did it, I really did it.