The Final Countdown (Bella Burns)

Our last week in this magical paradise finally came around that dreaded corner. But tears weren’t shed yet, instead we had to make this week count the most. Monday Ella and I decided to visit the caves and scriptures, since we hadn’t gotten a chance before. A few wrong turns left us still wondering what those beautiful caves looked like, but we did discover the scripture, and another surprise… Unbeknownst to us the scriptures were located on the nude beach. It was definitely a sight to see, but honestly I get to say I have been to one and that’s kind of cool to me.  

The second to last excursion was on Tuesday to Philipsburg, the one and only. Due to our many excursions there, we were familiar with our surroundings and the shops, so we ventured somewhere new. A group of us spent most of our time at the Yoda Guy museum, and the real Yoda Guy (the one who created Yoda and worked on production for Star Wars) was there! It was one of the coolest experiences I have ever had. Personally, the debate and discussion I had with the employees was my favorite part, because it was a chance to nerd out with people of all different ages and places, but still be connected by a love of shared interests. By the end of the museum walk-through I had met R2-D2, gotten my picture with Han Solo and Luke Skywalker, bought a signed picture of Luke and Yoda Guy with a page of the original Star Wars script, and another picture of Yoda dedicated to my Dad by Yoda Guy. Afterwards we headed to Le Dutch, a hotel bar, and had ourselves some frozen mojitos for old times sake. We relaxed, laughed, and shared our happiness for our last shopping trip. Before the shopping trip was over, we had to hit the souvenir shop for ourselves and to have a little treat for our families back home. 

Although this was our last week, we had to abide by the study part in study abroad. Wednesday and Thursday were solely work days, finishing up the last of our campaign book. However, it gave us a chance to have some last bonding time with our friends while working together as a team. The last excursion was Friday, a catamaran dinner cruise. The rest of the morning and day was used for class and the beach, but by 2:00 it was a race back to the hotel. Showers were steaming and curling irons burning as we all prepared to look our absolute best for this last adventure.  

The cruise was the best time, hanging out with friends, dancing, eating and laughing, and most of all enjoying each other’s presence. As a whole we all used that night to remember each other, the smiles we had and the joy we brought. To end the night, Ella and I watched the last Star Wars movie and completed the entire series, just like we planned. The next day, our final hours in Sint Maarten rolled around. We visited the french bakery down the road, hung out in the lobby with the rest of us on the 1:00 shuttle and said our goodbyes to the rest.  

It’s been a long time coming and I’ll never forget the people or experiences, but you know what they say… All good things must come to an end.