Submitted by Michael Rimbey on the 2024 Winter HDFS program in Barbados…
During my 7 hours of being on different planes on the way to Barbados in early January, I couldn’t help but feel excited and also nervous for the journey that was ahead. I was not sure what to expect, but I understood that it would be a lot different than what I was used to. After meeting many different people this first week, I already feel comfortable and accepted being here in this new environment and am beyond excited for the rest of this journey abroad.
In this first week, we have done a lot of things to help us get accustomed to the island and see some of the great things this place has to offer. Such things included a bus tour around the island, a glass bottom boat excursion, a tour of Harrison’s Cave, and some placements in the local primary schools here. In these placements, we are assigned to a teacher or two, and we assist in teaching the kids their curriculum and also a little bit about where we are from and how it is different from here. The children in these primary schools, which are ages from 4 to 11, took no time in getting comfortable with us and just loved hanging out and being in our presence. It is an extremely heart-warming feeling to have them grab you by the arm and begin showing you around the school. For a lot of them, it was their first time meeting someone from the United States, and so I am doing my best to represent our country in a positive way. Helping out at these schools is a great way to immerse myself in their culture and understand what it is like to grow up and learn on the island.
One person I have connected with here is a man named David, who has lived in Barbados his whole life and makes most of his money by selling jewelry on the beach. After seeing him walk by a couple times, I decided to invite him over to our area and talk to him for a little bit. After having a conversation with him, I decided to help his cause and purchase a bracelet, made entirely out of coconuts. One thing I have noticed while being here is that everyone is extremely friendly and welcoming, just wanting you to have the best experience possible when visiting their homeland. I am excited to continue to embrace these new experiences during my time here and bring my knowledge back home to the United States. (Submitted on January 11, 2024)