Junior Lindsey Blessing (Fredericksburg, Pa./Northern Lebanon)

Day 1:  We arrived in Philadelphia at 4 a.m. and departed for Miami at 6a.m.  The flight was a little bumpy, but we made it to Miami in one piece.  From there, we flew to beautiful Barbados.  As soon as we stepped off the plane the warm air and sunshine felt so good.  We were shuttled to the Blue Orchids Beach Hotel, our home for the next week.  Once we got settled in, we went to dinner and had our first taste of Barbados food.  It was so good!  After dinner we went back to our hotel and went immediately to the beach.  We all wanted to feel the warm water on our feet.  Even after flying for a very long time, it was still a wonderful day.

Day 2:  I think I could get used to waking up to the bright sunshine and sounds of the ocean.  After we had an amazing breakfast, we departed for practice.  Most of us had not touched a ball over Christmas break, so we needed to get back in soccer mode.  We were a bit rusty, but after the very hot practice we were ready to kick some butt.  We got back to the hotel and layed on the beach for a few hours.  However, since we had a game later that afternoon, coach made us quit a little earlier than most of use would have liked.  I think it helped because we won our first game 2-1.  After our game, we went to dinner then came back home and we all went to bed early.  We would need a lot of sleep for tomorrow’s adventures.

Day 3:  Little did I know that when I woke up I was preparing for the best day of the trip.  We had a Safari Jeep tour planned for today.  After hopping in the three jeeps designated for our group, we headed out to see Barbados.  The tour guides were super nice and very informational.  Our tour guide told us all about the different buildings and landscapes as we traveled through the most beautiful terrain I had ever seen.  Although quit bumpy, I was still able to take some good pictures.  Then on the way to lunch, our driver stopped and picked some aloe for us to use.  Real aloe!  He then proceeded to cut it and bottle it for us.  How amazing is he.  We stopped a few times to take in the view and shop the road side vendors.  After we had a delicious lunch, we headed for our hotel.  After dinner we were all exhausted, so once again it was early bed time.  

Day 4:  How nice it is to wake up and realize you’re in Barbados?  It’s amazing!  So amazing, that Colleen and I woke up extra early just to see the sun rise.  Even though it was a cloudy morning it was still gorgeous.  Since we had a game today, we had a good breakfast then spent some hours on the beach, working on our tan.  After getting a lot of sun we had lunch then headed for our game.  Once we arrived to our field we were all pretty shocked.  It definitely wasn’t a PSAC field.  However, even with the huge cricket mound on the field, we made the best of it and after beating the National Team who really cared about the field.  We were 2-0.  After grabbing quick showers, we headed for dinner.  Dinner was pretty good.  I did have the spiciest pork chops ever, but after tasting everyone else’s, it was a good dinner.  We did a little shopping then headed back for the hotel.  Tomorrow would be another fun filled day. 

Day 5:  Today was Catamaran Cruise Day!  We were all very excited.  Once we arrived at the docks and boarded our ship, our excitement continued to grow.  It was a gorgeous day and the water, as usual, was incredible.  The first activity was swimming with the sea turtles.  We geared up and jumped in the clear, blue water.  Snorkeling with the turtles was a great experience.  They came so close you could dive under and touch them.  It was amazing!  After the sea turtles, we went to the coral reef and snorkeled there.  It was so neat to see all the different types of fish and coral.  After a fantastic lunch we unfortunately headed home.  The Cruise was so much fun but we had to rest up for our last game tomorrow.

Day 6:  Since we had an evening game under the lights, we spent all day laying on the beach adding to our tan.  It was a beautiful day and the water was so warm.  After making lunch in the room and relaxing for a few hours, we headed for our last and final game in Barbados.  Once again, we dominated by winning 4-0.  The game ended and we ran to the bus, we were starving.  With no time to shower we went home for all of 15 minutes then left for dinner.  It was an interesting journey to the restaurant since it was pouring.  And let me tell you, in Barbados when it rains, it pours!  We scarfed down our dinners and relaxed for awhile.  Wet and tired we made our way back to our rooms and fell right to sleep.  Our last full day was tomorrow.

Day 7:  With the heavy rain brought lots of clouds and off and on sprinkling all day.  That didn’t dampen our shopping spirits.  We went to a variety of shops purchasing souvenirs for ourselves and family members, who so graciously gave us money so we could come to this amazing country.  After shopping we went back to the hotel and spent the day relaxing and packing.  Once we were all showered and all fancied up, we headed for our last adventure, Harbor Lights.  We had the best dinner of the whole trip and got to see some amazing performers.  We stayed up late and had a great last night in Barbados!

Day 8:  We woke up extra early today to get time on the beach and to top off our tan.  We spent the remaining ours of our trip relaxing on the beach and reminiscing about all the fun we’ve had.  After forcing ourselves out of the water, we finished packing and headed for the airport.  It was a sad time when we made our way up the stairs to the plane that would take us away from this beautiful country.  Little did we know what was waiting for us in Miami?  The busy airport had lines a mile long and employees who we like to call “sassy”.  While in Barbados everyone was so nice and layed back, and now we were back to reality.  After getting dinner, we boarded and headed for Philadelphia.  We arrived in Philly around 12 am.  After getting all our bags, we said our final goodbyes and headed home.  It was the trip of a lifetime.  We went 3-0, got a great tan, met a lot of interesting people, did amazing activities, and we got to spend it with our soccer family.  I know I will never forget the memories I made in Barbados and will probably be on Island time for the whole semester.

The End