Our room has high ceilings and the window lets in the Jamaican sunshine !

Today (1/9) we finally got to Jamaica. Forget waiting through the long day of travel that got us here with cars, planes and vans. We’ve been eagerly awaiting this day since the minute we opened our acceptance-to-the- program emails months ago. We took ourselves and our luggage up to the open rooms and picked our roommates. I am rooming with two other girls in a room with two bunk beds and one single bed. We all chose to sleep on the bottom mattresses. Why make things complicated? We spent the remainder of our day acclimating to the life we are about to live for the next two weeks. We were given a walking tour and were lectured on the history of Discovery Bay Marine Lab. We spent a lot of time getting to know our new home, the staff, and each other. I am floored by how fast we have all cliqued. Everyone’s differences are just as exciting to learn about as our similarities. At dinner we all sat at one long table and laughed and shared stories. I am so happy to be sharing this experience with such a wonderful group of men and women.

Our balcony has a view of Discovery Bay in the distance.

Our room on the second floor opens up to the walkway and the volleyball court.

-Peace, Sunscreen, and Neoprene Nikki