Happy week one of our Sint Maarten adventures! This week was filled with boat rides, plane flights, amazing food, and inside jokes to last us a lifetime. I came into this trip apprehensively, but after only seven days I know this will be the most amazing month.
Day 1: Sunday
After two days of traveling, stepping off the plane into the warm weather and blue ocean was exactly what was needed. I had seen the photos from the airport where you literally fly over the sand but was mesmerized by the actuality of it. After check-in, where I met the truly accommodating staff of the Sapphire Beach Club Resort (our home for the month), we began to meet everyone for happy hour. Our 20-person group ventured into Jordan Village, led by our incredible TA Cat for dinner. A few of us ended up at a restaurant called Bar Code, where the owner came and hand-sprayed each of us with bug spray! That was just a glimpse into the hospitality and kindness we have been shown by the people of Sint Maarten.
Day 2: Monday
Our second day on the island might be by far my favorite. Led by our hilarious guide Sharella, we took a bus tour of the entire island. We started by exploring the town of Marigot where we tried authentic French pastries and shopped for some of the necessities that had been left home. My hunt for a makeup brush brought us into a small cosmetics store. The saleswomen ended up telling us all of their favorite island spots and gave us tons of recommendations on excursions to take - including the infamous Flying Dutchman zipline (the steepest in the world!). We continued to a rum tasting at a local distillery and got back on the bus. During our bus ride to our next stop of Orient Beach, Sharella compared the iguanas to my exes and shared the so-called national anthem of Holiday by Problem Child. This has now become our anthem for the trip and we sing it at every possible moment. Be sure to sing “I'm not coming to work today, I can’t see” to someone from our group. We continued exploring popular spots on the island, like the capital Philipsburg and learned about the island culture. Fun fact, there is a statue on the island where if you whisper into his ear it is said you will get land to farm! I was fascinated by the amount of wild goats, dogs, and iguanas we saw along our journey. We actually got to stop on the side of the road and feed iguanas, which might be my favorite part of the trip so far. We ended our tour with lunch at the Sunset Beach Bar where the planes landed right over our heads. We finished the day with an amazing Italian dinner at Roma and a bit of nightlife exploration.
Day 3: Tuesday
Tuesday served as a bit of needed relaxation. We started the day with our first class where we were introduced to our client: The Sapphire Beach Club Resort. We got to meet the staff and ask questions about their social media and marketing strategies. After class, we walked to Cupecoy and then to the beach. We spent the day swimming and tanning. That night, Dr. Hayes and Huff took us to a restaurant called Fat Tonys where a rendition of Sweet Caroline was sung, and a Bruins hockey game was won.
Day 4: Wednesday
We started Wednesday at a bright and early 7:30 AM to take a bus to the port where we spent the day on a catamaran. We sailed around the island, swam and snorkeled through the water, and took full advantage of the boat's amenities 😄. For lunch, we swam on shore and got to eat right next to the water. Many sunburns were formed this day, but they were all worth it. This was by far a once-in-a-lifetime experience.
Rest of the Week Wrap-Up!
We spent the last days of the week in class researching the island and resort and enriching ourselves with the culture. As someone who has never ventured outside of the US, there are some key takeaways I found. First, language barriers are real - especially on an island with multiple. I noticed most people spoke French, even on the Dutch side. I had never thought of taking language into account when forming campaigns, but with a multicultural island, we will need to. I also realized that a lot of restaurants and bars here have a pretty strong social media presence which surprised me. They all have substantial followings and a clear feed and theme. This really shows how crucial social media is in every part of the world.
As my first week comes to an end, I am feeling so excited about the rest of the month. From the shopping in Philipsburg and historical sites, like the forts, to the iguanas and lively nightlife, Sint Maarten has something for everyone. Sorry for the longer blog post this week, but I couldn't help but share everything so far. Stay tuned for more exciting adventures ahead!
With love from SXM, Maddy Bloom
コメント