Caribbean Scuba and Sailing Voyage

Prior to going on my Broadreach trip I was a little nervous going into it, not knowing what I was getting myself into and meeting bunch of “strangers.” Little did I know all the instructors and everyone else were so welcoming and kind spirited, I immediately felt a sense of relief and knew I was gonna have the best time. Learning to scuba dive was my favorite part, I always felt so safe and it was just such an exciting and fun thing to do. Also, living on a boat and learning to sail showed me a new side of myself and the world. It taught me to be so great full for the normal Luxuries like unlimited water and internet but also taught me that you don’t need fancy things to live your best life. Exploring all the islands was so cool, I was immersed so many new cultures I had never experienced, and I loved hiking and exploring. The bond I formed with the people around me, is a bond I will never forget, and by the end of the trip I didn’t wanna leave and was ready to come back as soon as I could.

This trip was really fun, but also a bit stressful. For starters, the living situation was rough. It was too hot to sleep in the cabins, so we had to sleep outside, but it rained every night, and it was difficult for all of us to fit under the covered area. My boat had seven people on it, but some had 12, which must have been really cramped! I loved learning to dive and meeting new people, but I felt a little bit unsupported sometimes. For instance, I got this rash (probably due to the fact that you're only allowed 10 seconds of fresh water to shower with), and I wasn't sure who to go to. I guess I could have gone to my counselors, but I would have rather spoken to someone from the support boat. It was kind of frustrating because, even though they were supposed to be there to support us, we never really had a chance to talk to them. I kind of just wanted to call my mom and ask her what to do. I know that all of our counselors and staff were adults and professionals, but I would have felt more comfortable talking to my mom and having her contact support boat for me. We weren't allowed to wash out hands, we could only use hand sanitizer, and we almost ran out before the trip was over. We washed our dishes in the ocean (although we rinsed them off at the end), and if someone used the bathroom while we were doing dishes, we had to wait for a while. Maybe I'm just not cut out for boat life, but I did have a pretty good time.

This voyage was insane! I had so much fun and new friends that I think I got more memories there than in all of my previous camps. If you will ever go on that trip, get some candy to share with your teammates and counselors (if you do that they might even take you on the unplanned night dive :). I had a lot of fun!!!