Wanderlust … meaning to possess a strong desire to travel. I am a woman consumed with wanderlust. I haven't traveled abroad to many places yet, but I had the opportunity to start my adventure in the West Indies this summer. I had no idea what to expect traveling to Trinidad and Tobago, but when we landed at the Port of Prince airport, I already knew that this experience was going to be different from anything I have ever imagined.
The moment I stepped outside the airport the first thing I noticed was the sticky, humid heat and then I saw the beautiful green mountains, mountains like I have never seen in the States. For the first two weeks, we stayed in Trinidad at The University of the West Indies which was in the city of St. Augustine. We stayed in the cutest salmon colored dorms with other UWI students. There was no air conditioning, community bathrooms, and horrible wifi but it was refreshing. All of the homes and buildings in the city were all sorts of beautiful colors. Especially when we visited the Hindu communities and temples.
My second night in Trinidad my cohort and I wanted to see the city and have some fun. A couple of blocks down from the dorms there was a bar called Trevor’s, and it was karaoke night! We learned the hottest new dances in Trinidad; my favorite was “Side Chick” by Alkaline. It was so much fun the bar was full of energy. We went out with some locals, and as soon as we found a seat at the bar, some guys bought all nine of us all rounds of drinks. I was expecting the guy to flirt or expect “something” in return. He bought us the drinks and left us alone. Not that there weren't any weirdos in St. Augustine but I experienced a lot LESS catcalling in Trinidad than back home in Atlanta.
My favorite part about Trinidad aside from everything... were the beaches! We visited Maracas Beach, and it was so beautiful. It wasn’t crowded with people, but there were just enough people. There were people playing soccer, people eating, people swimming and the scenery was beautiful. I even tried “Bake and Shark” for the first time, and it was something different from the KFC we usually ate by campus… KFC’s are a huge thing in Trinidad. I took plenty of pictures, but they didn’t do the raw beauty any justice. We even met some lifeguards on the beach who threw me an amazing beach party (all expenses paid) for my 21st birthday. I felt like I was in a movie.
For my last week in the West Indies my professor surprised us with a stay at The Magdalena Grand Beach Resort. A five-star beach resort. During that week I experienced a lot of “first times. My first time zip lining, my first time ATV riding, my first time partying on a boat. I had the most amazing adventure of my life in the West Indies an adventure I can't describe solely in this article. I made unforgettable memories and will never forget the West Indies. I do plan on coming back to Trinidad for Carnival sometime soon and experience the best Carnival in the world.
Text: Akili Yasmine
Visuals: Akili Yasmine
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