7.17
THE LAST ISLAND DAY
So after another egg and plantain breakfast, I decided to take a hike before everyone else over to the east end for the beach clean-up. Once I got there Kona and I enjoyed a moment to ourselves and I got to play with two puppies!!! Then we started working on cleaning up. I heard a sound of a little boy and I went over to the dock and picked him up because he was crying. Kona scared him. So I returned him to his mom who I didn't realize was Rhetina, who's super awesome and has the little baby I got to hold, along with the 3 other kids who are incredible and independent. After more cleaning, I washed off in the water and then got to hold Rhetina's baby for a little bit. He's so adorable!
Once the clean-up was over, we headed back the longer route. Of course, I was going slow because I had taken my shoes off. Soon I had fallen too far behind, and was unsure of where everyone else went. At the "fork in the road" there were two options for me. Go to the water and walk the easy path, or guess the path upwards which was quite vertical and deathly looking for someone like me who really doesn't do inclines well. I went to the water and walked around the island trying not to cut myself on the rocks. Some of the rocks were not as kind as others, but I made it through. There were a couple of moments where I had no choice but to swim in the water around the points, but overall I was alright. Once I found some rocks I could stand on again, I had to debate whether to brave the possible urchin attack or swim. So I swam. Finally I reached a house in an inlet where I met two locals; a father and son. They didn't speak any english, but my small amount of spanish made up for the language barrier enough for me to get by. After a moment of rest, they helped me and took me back up the hill which wasn't too bad, and I was spit out right by our cabin! So I ran to the room and got him 20$, because without him I don't think I would have been as alright as I was. So I finally reached the bar again and learned a small search party consisting of Mei-Jing, Thomas, and Adam had been out for about 30 minutes looking for me. I was thinking on my walk, no one was going to find me if they searched on foot, because I was so waterlogged. (My inhaler I think is ruined. I'll get another one in a couple days.) As soon as they came back Mei-Jing gave me a bit of an earfull. Which was rightly deserved. Being a small unsuspecting Asian kid, most people don't believe I can take care of myself or make the right decisions in situatuions like these. But I do know what works for me and what clearly doesn't, and if I had gone up the incline cliff I would have fallen or twisted my ankle, no doubt about it. And I have developed my sense of direction after finally figuring out how highways work. (It only took 17 years of my life and a lot of being lost.) Then I had enough of my adult sense to go to Professor Gilchrist's room and let her know what happened to me and that I was fine, which went over quite nicely.
I realized today that I am much more capable than I thought, and I am glad of my decision to choose the path I did. I know when something serious or dangerous comes along, I will be able to make the right choice for me. And know that I will make it in the end. And to be honest about all situations, wrong or right. I may not know what I want to do with my life, or what I am doing here on this insanely small blue speck floating in space. (Sagan references.) But I know that I will ultimately choose what is right for me. There have been so many instances where my choices have been validated, but this one was one of the more monumental ones. I'm glad to have experiences like these, and that no matter how dark the tunnel or how vast the space, there will be light for those who choose to find it.

(Skip lunch and working and finishing my power point and helping grab everything to go home and drawing graphs and music and benadryl and money sorting and final dock sunset talking about adoption and bagels and layovers.)
So I kind-of summed up the last 6 hours.... in a lot of "ands."
The presentation went well. Mine was not as scientific as everyone elses in regards to statistics and running computer programs, but it went alright.
I skipped "pirate night" and went to pack. Everything fit! Even both sets of fins!! Incredible I know.