It has been a little over a week since the group came back from Trinidad, and while I did have some FOMO while they were on the trip, the pictures and calls from the group made me feel like I was right there with them. They even photoshopped me in! Who would know the difference?

After extensive debriefs with the class, the one main takeaway that I heard was the people were the most transformative part. While researching Trinidad’s culture, a key point that was brought up in multiple sources was that tourists are not considered or treated like tourists but rather visitors. This was heavily conveyed during class. My group described two meaningful nights on the beach when they were hoping to spot any leatherback sea turtles. Although they did not find any, the conversations they had with the staff were far more meaningful. It ranged from talks about safety in the United States versus Trinidad, to talking about the stars.

I also loved hearing about how dedicated the staff is to Nature Seekers. They are all team players and take on various roles to ensure the programs run smoothly. Specifically, Chelsea and Tiara know so much about the history of Matura, the beaches, Nature Seekers, poaching, and more. The group’s conversations with them were the most impactful, and I do wish that I could have been there to engage with the staff and volunteers to learn about their perspectives.

The group also participated in various cultural experiences and Nature Seekers programs during their time in country, such as making glass beads, hiking, and taking tours of Port of Spain. Participating in the programs that Nature Seekers offered was a great way for our group to get insights on why specific programs might be more popular than others, as well as gauge which programs are best to market. This helps with our deliverables when determining which programs to promote more on the website.

Regarding cultural expectations, I think that my group was very well prepared. We talked a lot about being prepared for “island time” or generally adaptable. For example, one of the excursions was canceled, but the group was then sent to help paint a building. Being adaptable and ready for anything they threw was a necessity, but also a really good skill to utilize. I think another cultural expectation worth mentioning is how caring and engaged the staff was, which reflected the culture country. Everyone was very warm and wanted to make you feel like you were at home. Hearing bits and pieces of the conversations our group had with everyone shined a light on how genuine and caring people from Trinidad are. A point that was brought up a lot was they do not help you because they feel obligated. but rather because they want to. This is a major difference from the United States, as it can be difficult to find those connections and keep them.

I believe the only expectation that was not met was seeing the leatherback sea turtles, which is understandable but definitely helped with the FOMO. What did not help was hearing about all the food. Phil’s favorite ice cream was definitely missed, mostly because of all the unique flavors, but I really wish that I could have tried goat and the fresh juices.

Other than what I mentioned, I do not believe that there were any major challenges while the group was abroad. For me, it was keeping myself in the loop, which I felt like I did. When they were on the way to meet Chelsea, I was Facetimed and got to refresh the group on which specific booking systems I researched and thought they should pitch.

Regarding the project, I feel like we are now in a really strong place to start more intense research and planning deliverables. We went into our meetings with about fifteen potential booking sights, and they helped us narrow it down to three or four. While we still have a lot to do, we are headed in a great direction. For the website, we are looking to emphasize their digital media presence, and make it a bit smoother. These logistical changes will hopefully work in tangent with the booking platform.

I would also like to highlight how the readings we had in class prepared the group for the trip, and how they would have helped me if I had been there with them. The articles and readings that I mentioned in the past blog post about the various soft skills that are needed and will develop during the in country experience. Skills such as adaptability, being a team player, and effective team management. Reading my peers blog posts and understanding their perspectives on which articles were most impactful was also interesting. I compared and contrasted our groups, as well as with Bolivia and Puerto Rico. I found that multiple people mentioned were mainly about service learning organizations, and what service learning is versus community service. I also noticed an overlap with the theme was being a tourist versus a visitor. Although this was heavily mentioned in our cultural presentation for Trinidad, I believe it applies for all the countries. I say this because all groups entered the in country portion of this course eager to learn, experience, and engage. These are elements of tourism, but I believe our angles and intentions is what make our experience different than a typical trip to a new country.

Overall, I am just really excited to get started on the project. As I mentioned, I am disappointed that I was unable to attend, but my group is amazing and made me feel very included in every activity, discussion, and decision. I am thankful that they are all extremely understanding, and I am happy they valued my input even overseas. I am looking forward to what we will accomplish over the next couple of weeks, and I hope you are excited about my next update! Until next time 🙂