MARCH 2019

LABADEE, HAITI

In 2019, I went on a cruise through the Caribbean instead of having a big and expensive graduation party. I am so grateful that I did not have a grad party because this was a much better experience.

Our first stop was Labadee, a small coastal town off of Haiti. We spent the day on the beach and watch the stray dogs run the beach, they were all a little skiddish but a few came up to me and let me pet them. when we wanted to get away from the sun we traveled further into the main land to explore the small vendors and shops from locals. They all stared at us as we walked through the quiet and empty streets, calling out to us to come buy. We didn’t purchase anything, but they had some of the most beautiful and well crafted jewlery I have seen.

SAN JUAN, PUERTO RICO

This was the second stop on our journey, My brothers and I were forgetful in Haiti and never applied sunscreen for the three hours we were on the beach. We were all fully dressed to cover our painful burns from the previous day. We were dropped off in the port of the city, the vibrant colors of the homes captured my eye first. These buildings were vibrant reds, yellows, and blues.

We were waved down by a man, telling us that he gave tours. he was by himself in an old mini van, against my gut we decided to go with him. I am glad that we did, this strange man showed us the whole city. We got to see the old and new parts of the city while snacking on some local favorites like plantains and limbers. I hope to go back soon and visit the whole island.

PHILLIPSBURG, ST. MARTEEN

The third stop on our journey was in St. Marteen. A small Island in the Caribbean that had string influence from French Colonists. The beach was cowded so we decided to explore the small town on the beach. The town was definetly old. The gravel and buildings were coated in dust. As we walked around we found an interesting site, “The Yoda Guy”. Confused about why Star Wars was in St. Marteen. Turns out, the literal creator of Yoda lived on the island with his wife! He had a whole museum dedicated to his work in the movie industry and sold art prints to fans. After the shock wore off we went to a local bar and had a signuature PHillipsburg, The Old Man Rum. A Guava-spice rum blend that is popular amongst the locals! If you ever go, you gotta try it!

BASSETERRE, ST. KITS

The last and final stop of our 10 day journey, one of the most beautiful islands by far. We went on s tour of the island, going through the forests, walking along the beaches and driving through the mountains. We got to see the entirety of the island and learn from the locals on how they spend their days here. The smells of the open air and sea fills my scents, taking in my scenery as we buzz past the working locals.

We finally made it up to the very top of the island and took in the beauty of it all. We also saw and held so many baby monkies! They were everywhere, all crawling on top of people, they were so cute! The locals were all very friendly and helpful, I would love to go back and spend more time on this island.

HAITIAN DANCERS @ THE PORT︎︎︎