The last few days at sea were filled with activity. We had the alumni ball and a series of reflection sessions to allow people to look back at all they had seen and experienced over the last few months. Hallways and common areas were full with people exchanging contact information, trading maps that took the place of yearbooks for writing personal notes and huddling for hugs. Not to mention all the packing that everyone had to do!
As we awoke to watch our approach into our final port, Fort Lauderdale, competing emotions swirled within us. The decks were filled with students. New friends hugging and sharing promises to stay in touch, tears falling as the reality of leaving this remarkable community became more concrete. Meanwhile, parents waited anxiously for their children on the pier. There is no doubt they would be confused by the sadness mixed with joy on their child’s face but they would soon figure it out as they heard more about the remarkable friendships that had been formed during the voyage. Fort Lauderdale marked the end of the trip, the end of the adventure, the beginning of reintegration back into normal life…for the rest of the passengers.
Not for us yet…first we had one more country to visit. We were heading to Guatemala for 10 days to see another culture and study Spanish before returning to Boulder. We hugged our friends goodbye and lugged our boxes and bags from the terminal to the UPS man to send home as much of our luggage as possible. With only a few suitcases and backpacks, we enjoyed one evening in the US before catching our flight to Guatemala. 
