In Spring 2022, a Lafayette student posted all their adventures in South Caicos. When I saw the eagle rays, sharks, octopuses, and other marine critters on their page, I knew that I had to go to this program. The study abroad office was very supportive but emphasized that the program was academically intensive. In response, I scoffed…How hard could it be? Boy, oh boy. The next few weeks were a roller coaster. Exams, quizzes, projects, unloading the Lew, diving courses, documents for Lafayette, and social life. In all honesty, we had reached a point of utter despair. We wished that we were back on Spring Break.
In addition to the rigor and struggle of work-life balance, I felt alone at times. Most of my time was surrounded by my peers who had more in common with each other than with me. One example was our tastes in food. Every weekday at 4:00 pm, we would have a snack. The cooks would prepare brownies, chocolate chip cookies, oatmeal cookies, or crackers. I was not too fond of cracker and celery day. To me, that wasn’t an enjoyable snack, but to my peers, it was the best thing since sliced bread.
Another example was the only time we had curry goat in our roti. I was ecstatic that day. I felt at home. In the following weeks, we had curry chicken for our roti, but nothing beats curry goat. My professor asked us “Did you guys like the curry goat for the roti that we had last time?” I immediately responded ‘yes’, but my peers all said no. They felt that it was too gamey and didn’t feel right about eating goat compared to chicken. In that moment, my heart shattered. How could they not like something that tastes heavenly, yet enjoy boring cheese, crackers, and celery sticks?
The moments when I left campus, I felt at peace. The house directly next to our campus would play music almost every day. Some of my peers would say “Why are they playing music so loudly and so early” or suggest that they “shut off the music.” To me, it was the best thing in the world. I recall soaking in that music while sitting outside on the steps. They were playing songs that I grew up listening to. I sang along to albums from Lucky Dube, Anita Baker, and Beres Hammond. Though I hadn’t engaged with our neighbors, they brought me so much joy when they turned on those speakers.
Looking back, I’m sure that my peers felt the same way that I did. We came from different backgrounds, so no one truly knew each other. We used this to learn more about and from each other. From introducing Avatar the Last Airbender to part of the cohort, playing random games on a Tuesday night, or watching movies in the classroom. We used these moments to reduce that feeling of loneliness. I’m not a sports person but I began to get into basketball. Loneliness is an inevitable feeling at every stage of life. It’s the loud and vibrant personalities of those around you that minimize its presence.
That Damn-selfish/ RIP Bob
My beloved friend, Kira, decided that we should dip in the ocean every day for April. On our seventh day of the challenge, we headed over to Regatta. The water was extremely calm, and I knew that this would be an epic snorkel. As I followed Kira into the water, I felt a prick on my leg. I looked down and it was a Dusky Damselfish that bit me. Dusky Damselfish, though small, are extremely territorial. I was taken aback and went around him. After that battle, I came across an eagle ray. The slow flaps were mesmerizing. We were entranced and followed the ray for a while. We realized that we ventured a little far and decided to swim back to the pier. Upon our return, I found something moving erratically on the surface of the water. I thought it was a jellyfish, but upon closer inspection, it was a juvenile peacock flounder. The fish was as big as my thumbnail. I cupped him in my hands and took him to the bottom of the pier. Normally, flounders are found at the bottom of the seafloor, so I thought that I was helping him. I watched as Bob (yes, I named him Bob) settled on a nearby rock. I was pleased until a Slippery Dick Wrasse came and ate Bob. I chased that fish, and he released Bob, but another wrasse grabbed him. I was heartbroken.
If I hadn’t helped, would he still be alive? Probably not, but it would be nice to think so. After the murder of Bob, we returned to the beach. Before reaching the shore, we were once again chased by that Dusky Damselfish. We ended our snorkel day with some cupcakes. I’ll never forget you, Bob.