A Love Letter to Andros Island

This past summer I studied abroad in the Bahamas on Andros Island and it was an unforgettable experience…

Upon going on this “trip” I was excited of course, but I had no idea the impact it would have on my life. I had always heard the impact studying abroad has on a person, but I figured it was only a 1-week program, how much could it affect me? I packed my bag the night before I left. My parents dropped me off at Laguardia Airport and I was ready for my first flight, and to meet my classmates in Nassau, Bahamas.

Arrival

Upon arrival I was a little nervous to meet the other students because I didn’t know what they looked like or who they were, I imagined the awkward encounter that would take place in me trying to find them sitting at the terminal. Which honestly is exactly what happened, but we grew quite comfortable with each other soon after. Our flight to Andros got delayed and we had to spend an awful lot of time at the airport getting to know each other before we made it to our final destination.

Little did we know upon meeting each other that we would soon become a little family, even if it was only for one short week. We eventually arrived at the field station and settled into our cabins. Our cabins with no A/C in the middle of July, and mosquito nets over our beds. We knew we were in for a unique experience.

My Experience on Andros Island

This trip has truly been a once-in-a-lifetime incomparable experience, being immersed in such a unique and beautiful culture is something I will never take for granted, I not only saw so many amazing things but I did it with such amazing people, we may have only met the day we landed in the Bahamas but we became a little family in the week we spent together and there is no one else I’d wanna share this experience with.

We spent our days snorkeling in ocean reefs, swimming in blue holes, and hiking around islands. We encountered corals and fish we had never seen before. I have to say being 1 of 2 people on my trip who got to swim with a shark was definitely a highlight for me. All week all I wanted was to find a shark. Strange I know most people would want to avoid that but… On our last day of snorkeling, we were checking out a shipwreck, and the next thing I know there is a shark swimming right under me. Probably the coolest moment of my life. I quickly showed my “snorkel buddy” who was swimming only a few feet from him. And within seconds it was gone. This is how my friend the shark got his name “Stanley – the one night stand”, named by none other than my professor.

Andros Island Culture

While swimming with a shark, playing beach volleyball, swimming in blue holes, and “party bus” rides are some of my favorite moments of this trip. The part of this experience I value the most is experiencing the culture of Andros Island so first hand. For me traveling is about so much more than seeing pretty places. Isn’t it a beautiful thing that while we all live on the same earth, we all live in such different ways, with different traditions and different cultures?

The locals I met while on this trip all had such big hearts and their hospitality and willingness to welcome us to live in their world for a short time did not go unappreciated. One local we met, a fan favorite, was Henderson. He was the owner of the bar down the road (one of only two bars on the whole island). What was really unique about his bar is that he built it from scratch off the side of his house. It was just a little shack, but it had the most amazing ambiance. It just felt comfortable, we spent our nights sitting outside the bar playing games and getting bug bites. At the end of our trip, he even let us all sign it!

We spent some time in the Red Bays. Learning about the history of the Island and meeting the locals of that area. Which was one of the most unique parts of the trip. The way they live their lives is so radically different from ours, it was amazing. One local sang us songs on his ukelele. Others sold us their handmade woven baskets and wood carvings. And some gave us fresh mangoes right off the tree.

I am so immensely grateful for the opportunity to explore the beautiful island of Andros and this is your reminder to see the world as much as you can, true growth occurs out of your comfort zone<3