As the end of the semester is getting closer, I have been thinking about all I have done at the USVI and what I still want to do. Before coming here, I made a bucket list of the top things I wanted to see or experience during the semester. A couple of them were going to all three of the US Virgin Islands, hiking on different trails, exploring Main Street, and seeing bioluminescent algae. The most memorable bucket list item was seeing a whale. We were traveling from St. Croix to St. Thomas by ferry last month. As the sun was setting and we were getting soaked by the waves, a humpback whale breached the water in the distance. That is a moment I will never forget. Another favorite bucket list item was going on a boat tour with friends around the islands. A few weeks ago, my friends and I spent the afternoon on a catamaran boating between the different islands. We snorkeled off Lovango Cay and Little Saint James all while celebrating our friend’s birthday. It was a lot of fun and well worth the sunburn.

There are still a few things I want to do before leaving the islands. I would like to do a tour of the local breweries (Frenchtown, Tap and Still, Leatherback) and try some more homemade food. Carnival is another event I want to participate in. It starts next week and will be filled with local food, culture, and celebrations. Lastly, I am hoping to rent a kayak and explore Cas Cay, an island with small hiking trails and plenty of snorkeling spots. I plan to experience all of these before I leave, but it is getting tricky with only 16 days left before I go home. Hopefully I can fit everything I want to do in the short time I have left. If I am not able to, I will still be beyond happy and grateful for my time on the islands. There are things I never thought I would be able to see or do, and there is so much I have learned about myself. It would be nice to cross everything off of my bucket list, but I am content with all I have done while here.