St. Lucia Service Trip

The Fab Five (my four roomies & I)

If someone told me you could make friends who feel like family in 17 days, I would never believe them. I’ve been in Georgia with my family for a little over a week and I miss living in a room with four other girls. It was so comforting to have the same experiences with others and have them know all the pieces of the story without having to hear it. I’ve learned so much from these girls and have formed lifelong bonds with them. It so interesting that people who I had brief conversations with at school, became my confidants and part of my extended family over a 17 day period. Leaving St. Lucia was an emotional experience for me because it meant only being able to relive memories through pictures.

I miss the laid-back Caribbean atmosphere and the friendliness of the people. I even miss taking the bus to various places for EC $1.25 which is strange because I don’t remember taking the bus more than one time before going to St.Lucia. I miss Anse La Raye. I miss interacting with the trainees at C.A.R.E. I have mixed feelings when I think about C.A.R.E. because I don’t think that enough support is given to the two-year program. I am a firm believer that skill-based education is more beneficial than a theoretical education in preparing someone for the real world. The C.A.R.E. program teaches skills that will always demand more workers, these include; automotive repair, garment making, and carpentry.

The most valuable lesson I learnes from service-learning in St. Lucia is that you don’t have to do a whole lot to inspire someone, sometimes just being there is good enough. Another lesson I learned is that you cannot always plan ahead, you have to be flexible. In addition to these lessons, I’ve learned the truth of the saying that someone is always in a worse situation than you. I met a young man named Cornelius who was at C.A.R.E and attentive to all that was said despite his hunger due to lack of funds. I cannot think getting up in the morning and going to classes all day with eating anything but school was just that important to him and that really touched me.

St. Lucia has changed me, I will never be the same.

So, I have been back in Virginia for a little over a week and when people ask me about my trip my response is still “It’s sad to be home.” It is just something about St. Lucia that I can’t let go. I sit at work and wish I was in a classroom full of third grade boys or on the beach. I am sure everyone daydreams while they are eat work, but I don’t know how many of them involve St. Lucia. I can’t pinpoint exactly what it is that I miss about St. Lucia because I miss way too much.

I miss the laid back atmosphere. I miss being able to say hello to everyone I passed on the street, and get a friendly response. I miss fresh pineapple. I miss how drivers would actually stop traffic to let others car pull out. I miss my third grade boys. I miss Anse La Rey. I miss the friends I made. I even miss living with ten women and two bathrooms.

I think I am starting to get on everyone’s nerves back home because all I talk about is my trip. When I try to explain my experience people look at the trip as a simple vacation. They will never fully understand how it was so much more. Only those people who were a part of this trip can truly know what it was all about. I know I am going to have to let go and accept the fact that I may never return to St. Lucia, but I am holding on to the hope that I will go back one day. Until that day, I will sit at work and reminisce on the days I spent on the beautiful island of St. Lucia.

After a week back, I’d like to think that things would have gone back to the way they were but that is not exactly what has happened. Who’d have thought that 17 days in a foreign country could allow me to reaffirm my values, and help to remind me of  what’s truly important in life? I frequently replay in my mind the overall experiences of being in St.Lucia.  For me,  I definitely realized the difference between The United States and St.Lucia.  As a student, I tried to pay keen attention to the way things took place in the education system and I must say I was very impressed with the discipline of the students while at school.There was a clear respect for their teacher from each and every student. This foundation is the basis on which these young boys will build on to become young men. I think U.S schools could go well with some of this respect.

 America is such a fast paced place, people often times are so focused on the tasks they have to complete that they forget how to be polite. It was a welcomed change to constantly interact with the friendly Lucians who always greeted us with a pleasant “Good morning!” or “Good afternoon!” Now that I’m back, I still find myself  greeting people in this way. Unfortunately, I only get a response by means of a nod or the head or a quick smirk. 

Definitely, one thing that had happened in St.Lucia that will stay with me always is the invaluable friendships and bonds that have formed. I was givent he opportunity to experience the colourful culture of St.Lucia while making somefriends that I hope will remain in my life for years to come.

I am changed from this trip.I no longer take the privileges I’ve been afforded for granted as I realize how blessed I am. More importantly, the Lucians are so content with the simplicites of life and that is a quality I admire and wouldlike to emulate. From this trip, I consider myself to be a painting of many colors, many nationalities…I am american, I am canadian,  I am Jamaican and I am Lucian. And i will miss the picturesque landscape and sociable people. Simply Beautiful! 

After the trip I’ve gone through so many emotions and states of being. I went from ‘I can’t believe it’s over,’ through to ‘what am I supposed to do with myself now,’ to ‘I miss St. Lucia and want to go back,’ straight into ‘now that I’m back my life just isn’t the same.’  

Strange enough I’ve settled with this sate of being; my life isn’t supposed to be the same. We went from an over commercialized society where everyone was too busy to truly care, into a place that was so laid back, warm and welcoming. Even more significantly however, the same people that I traveled with and was too busy to see now became such good friends that we would miss when they were away on different project for too long, and wouldn’t greet without a hug.

However, the most significant change is the feeling that I can make a difference, and we did create differences.

This experience has taught me that each of us can take the time to slow down and look around, not stress over the little things especially when everything is not going according to plans, but be FLEXIBLE and know that everything will work out. I also learnt that you don’t have to buy/build someone a house to make a difference in their lives, but only a few minutes/hours spent talking to them, teaching them, inspiring them can make just as much an impact as any other large gestures.