As a group, we were all tremendously excited to see what the Island of Andros had in store for us, as we heard many stories of the vast differences between the two islands. The day started off with all of us waking up very early, packing up all of our belongings, and completing our short stay on the Island of New Providence. All of the activities and sights that we experienced on the island made us pensive as to what the less tourist-geared islands of the Bahamas were like. Our journey to the Island of Andros began with a wonderful drive to the ferry, catching yet another glimpse of the beautiful Atlantis prior to our boarding. The ferry ride was very relaxing as a whole, as many of us were either asleep for the majority of the ride, talking at tables, or eagerly overlooking the sea and waiting for our arrival to the highly anticipated Andros Island. The ride there allowed us to catch up on some well-needed rest, to see the beauty of the open seas, and to watch part of the beloved movie, Pitch Perfect.
After spending a day in Andros, I think I can speak for all of us when I say that we are all looking forward to the next week. Since we are not doing direct service this weekend— rather, exploring the island, meeting residents of Andros, connecting with our community partners, and doing educational activities— we will be able to see the island and its beauty on our own. I believe that we will develop a deep appreciation for Andros that will have an immense impact on our service. I believe that the next two days will be both eventful and eye opening, culminating with our service for the remainder of the week. After meeting Tavares, our representative from the Bahamas National Trust, I think we have our work cut out for us and will experience the necessary labor that it takes to keep Andros the paradise that it truly is.
Andros is quite different from New Providence where we started our journey; the contrast was quite evident from the moment we saw the Andros coastline from the ship. The green and preserved environment of Andros is starkly different from the developed and commercialized cities of New Providence. Life seems simpler here. Our driver to the villas, a U.S. citizen who now lives in Andros and works for one of our community partners, told us that there is only one main road on the island, and it was mostly dirt and full of potholes. It was quite interesting as she told us that everyone on Andros has to travel to New Providence for certain things such as medical needs. It makes you realize the simplicity of life on Andros and we are looking forward to experiencing this ourselves.
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