Week 10: 10/3-10/10

This past weekend, the NSE group had our second official trip where we got to go on a shared charter boat snorkeling excursion. We headed over to the Marriot Resort to get on the boat and then went to Bucks Island, where we got to explore the reefs and see some native fish, stingrays and turtles. We learned a lot about the native green sea turtle species and their migration, mating and feeding habits which I found pretty interesting. Gender determination is dependent on temperature of incubation, which is why there is a predominantly female population in most USVI areas.

On the way back, we were able to enjoy some Painkillers on the boat, which is the island's signature drink consisting of rum, pineapple juice, orange juice and cream of coconut with a little bit of nutmeg to garnish - definitely a tropical vibe.

My favorite thing about the NSE trips is that they have been such wonderful opportunities for the group to bond and get to know more about one another. I've loved talking to my peers about where they are from and discovering more about the cultural differences even just from state to state. There's also a good amount of exchange students from French Canada, all of which I've had wonderful conversations with and learned a lot from.

On Sunday, there was the full moon party at Sapphire Beach which happens once a month. This was the third, and probably the best one, that I've attended because there were live performers and the DJ set was definitely one of the better ones.

Other than that, it was a pretty uneventful week. With it being the middle of the semester, I've been super immersed in my schoolwork and I haven't had much time to get down to the beach. I've been going to the coffee shop Barefoot Buddha as often as I can for a change of scenery, but most of my days are spent in class or the library.

My birthday is coming up this Saturday and my friends are coming down and staying in an Airbnb to celebrate with me, so I should have some more exciting updates next week as we have a whole itinerary set up.