Best and Worst

So I need to finish up with two more "best and worst" columns. I think it is great that most of the  students have a really hard time pinning down their favorite part of the trip, and even have a difficult time coming up with a worst part too.

Week two (marine week)

Best:

The Wall (Charlotte & Sam)

The Sea Turtle (Kyle)

Getting PADI certified (Alex)

Swimming with the Squid (mine)

The Barracuda (Dean)

Worst:

The Hill (Charlotte & mine)

Dean's toenail almost falling off (Dean)

Foggy Goggles (Sam)

Small Beds (Kyle)

Drinking too much salt water (Alex)

Best and worst overall:

Best:

Wildlife we worked with/saw (Charlotte)

People we met (Charlotte)

Nighttime shenanigans (Alex)

Seeing the turtles on the boat to Cabrits (Dean)

Walking through the jungle (Sam)

Being outside in Springfield and being in the water in Cabrits (Kyle)

Getting to show the group how exciting and fun science can be and having them actually excited and having fun (mine)

Worst:

Having to say goodbye after getting used to being around everyone (Charlotte)

Airport in general (Alex) 

San Juan (Sam)

San Juan airport (Dean)

The small bed in Cabrits (Kyle)

Losing Alex's luggage (mine)

Overall, this was a great trip with great students. I am sure that with different personalities it could have gone wrong quickly (like in the San Juan airport or at the first sight of a cockroach)! This blog is definitely an incomplete story, there are so many things I have left out like:

* The incessant singing of Margaritaville (only the chorus because that's all they knew) and something about Paramore?

* The strange and sometimes wonderful food we ate

* The Opwall people we met: Jacquie, Cormac, Melissa, Sam, Olga, Marc, Tina, Rob, Sarah, Matthew,         George, and Martin

* All of the lectures these students attended on ecology and conservation (about 18 hours in a classroom)

* The Vermonters we met from Burr and Burton Academy: Miss Allen, Liam, Sarah, Meg, Nico, Eric, Sam, Chris, and Devon (who is NOT from Scotland)

* I am sure some of it I don't know - like the "night time shenanigans"??? 

So be sure to ask a Nipmuc Opwall student about it when you see one!

Thanks for reading this blog!

-Jen Field