Traveling Stanley: Previous Travel Experiences

The only international experiences I have had are a few hours in between cruise ship stops.

A cruise ship itself is a great opportunity to learn about international experiences. My grandfather says of my dad that he has "never met a stranger." He'll make a friend standing in line at the grocery store. I inherited this trait and tend to strike up conversations with anyone I meet. I am most interested in people who have had a different experience in life than I have.

I remember being around eleven-years-old in Jamaica. We ventured into the jungle and bought handmade goods from locals. The tour guide made us wait behind him for a good three to four minutes before he would let us cross the streets. If he heard a car coming, he made us wait. Speed limits were not enforced and I remember being scared and glad we hadn't gone on that adventure without him. Later, we climbed a waterfall which is one of the most awesome experiences of my life.

I remember being around fourteen-years-old in Costa Maya and Belize. In Costa Maya, I completed a presentation for a Spanish project and donated toys to a local orphanage. I was glad I worked hard in Spanish class because my sisters and I ended up in a different taxi than my parents and we lost them. Knowing enough of the language got us back to where we needed to be.

In Belize, I remember our tour guide stopping by his "house." I say "house" because it was, literally, a few sticks in the ground and with a tin sheet laying on top. But, they had a satellite dish and his mouth was full of gold teeth. I enjoyed seeing this "non-tourist" part of the country

On the side panel, there is a link to "Science in the Caribbean." I use this presentation at the end of the school year. I joke with my students, telling them I'll ruin all their summer vacations by forcing them to think about scientific things they learned in my class. I took many different aspects of cruise ships and cruising and attributed them to things we learned about throughout the school year. They enjoyed it and I hope it inspired them to have some adventures of their own.