One of the most memorable times of my life

By: Joonwon Choi, high school alumnus January 23, 2020 High School Adventures, Scuba, Sailing

One of the most memorable times of my whole summer? Actually forget summer, this trip was one of the most memorable times of my life. Where else would I get the opportunity to spend 32 days of my life with newly made friends, nonstop excitement, and of course sailing the turquoise waters of the Caribbean? However, the fun didn’t stop there. Scuba diving, snorkeling, cannonball contests, swimming with the turtles, town time, rope swinging, waterfalls. These and more were all pieces of the trip that collectively created my best summer.

As I stepped out of the airplane and met some of my fellow Broadreachers, I could already feel each person’s excitement teeming from their bodies. After introductions were made, we all hopped onto the bus and were whisked away to the pad. However, this bus ride wasn’t an ordinary ride because being in a whole new nation and whole new culture, even a simple car ride was incredibly fascinating. I know this was true especially for me as I had my face glued to the window for the whole 40 minute drive just admiring the scenery and my surroundings.

Once we arrived at the pad and received gear that we would need for the trip, we made our phone calls home to sooth the nerves of our worried parents, and hopped onto the dinghy not knowing what to expect on the other side.

However the little worry that I had washed away, when I stepped onto the boat and was instantly greeted by the rest of my group with the same excitement that I was feeling as well. This feeling of warmth and enthusiasm continued to foster throughout our trip and was one of the keystones to why our trip was so successful. When the trip was coming to an end, I still remember sitting on the boat with my newly made friends and wondering where the time went because it truly was the fastest month of my life. So many experiences were shared, so many memories were created, that when it came time to say our goodbyes, tears were shed and leaving each other seemed an impossible feat. This is what Broadreach has to offer to every single person that goes on the trip. Not only the opportunity to experience a new culture, new activities, and new places, but the opportunity to share all of these experiences with friends from all around the world that otherwise you would have never had the chance to meet. This facet of being in a completely foreign place allows bonds to strengthen in an incredibly rapid pace that by the end it feels as though you are leaving a best friend.

Broadreach gives each student the chance to visit some extraordinary places, but the hardest part for me wasn’t leaving the beautiful and exotic Caribbean but it was leaving the lifelong friendships that I had made on my 32 days abroad. This trip truly is a life changing experience. If I had one piece of advice to give for any future Broadreachers it would be to cherish every single second of the trip with the people you are with, because it goes by in the blink of an eye. Thank you Broadreach for giving me one of the most memorable summers of my life.