Originally published on July 2, 2017

I was invited by a close college friend to go on a cruise with her and her family last year. I was incredibly nervous, broke, and unwed. Child I could not afford that cruise, but in true a new adult with adult money fashion, I decided to go and put my $200 deposit down.

As June approached and I congratulated myself on my 9 pound weight loss, I found myself more nervous than ever. I didn't know what to expect, I couldn't swim, I didn't know if I was going to eat something I was allergic to. Anxiety Ashley kicked in full force as I remembered I didn't have a copy of my birth certificate. 

Everything came together though. I got to Florida, got on the Carnival Magic ship, and the next eight days were absolutely wonderful.

Grand Turks & Caicos Islands - Grand Turk Island is the capital island of the Turks and Caicos archipelago, in the Atlantic Ocean.

Grand Turks was amazing! I had the most fun on this stop. We went on a sailboat to go snorkeling; Then I remembered I can't swim. So with a life vest, noodle, and lifesaver I got into the water with one of the excursion host, Luke. I pleaded to Luke to please not let me go, or he'd be responsible for my death. He laughed, I chuckled, but I was dead serious. I floated in the water and after mastering breathing through my mouth, I looked under the water. It was the most beautiful thing I've ever seen. I saw a beautifully colored reef and so many colorful fish. Someone from the boat tossed Luke a bag of bread and he began to toss the bread around me. He told me to look under the water again. I looked and saw so many beautiful fish swimming around me. Cobalt blue fish, neon yellow fish, so many lovely colors......

After snorkeling or in my case, floating and looking, we got back on the sailboat for music and rum. After 3 Rum & Coke's (I had A LOT of rum by the way), we arrived at a private beach. The water was so clear, it was the perfect temperature, and the sand was perfect. We got back on the sailboat and headed back to the port. Island music played and they handed out more drinks. I really didn't want to leave, but we had three more stops.

St. Kitts - St. Kitts is the larger of the 2 Caribbean islands that comprise the nation of Saint Kitts and Nevis.

Saint Kitts was the most beautiful stop for me - it's known for the rainforest and beaches, I quickly learned why. We took a bus tour and I learned so much about the island. I learned that St. Kitts had many black sand beaches that were destroyed and buried by Hurricane George in '98. I watched a local woman make tapestry with hot wax which was incredible to witness. 

We closed the trip by visiting the mountain between two seas. I stood atop a mountain and saw where the Atlantic Ocean meets the Caribbean Sea. It was one of the most heart stopping sights I've ever seen. Soaking in so much visual beauty only made me more excited for my other two stops. 

San Juan - San Juan, Puerto Rico's capital and largest city, sits on the island's Atlantic coast.

San Juan was wonderful, but probably one of my least favorite stop. The areas where it was "safe" were so Americanized, I found myself easily bored. We went to one beach, but there was trash on it, which really broke my heart to see. Some of the highlights of San Juan were the architecture and graffiti. I also got to take pictures with parrots, which was exciting for me. They were actually very heavy. 

Next time I visit San Juan I hope to have a better time. I know it has more to offer but after San Juan, there was one more stop.

St. Maarten/St. Martin - Saint Maarten, part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, is a country on the southern part of a Caribbean island shared with Saint Martin, a French overseas collectivity. 

St. Maarten was the most historically rich stop which was exciting for me. The rain prevented me from getting many pictures but it was still beautiful. The islanders were thrilled about the rain. Our tour guide said that they don't see it often so even though it isn't ideal, they are grateful for it. This made me appreciate everything around me even more. 

In the middle of nearly all the roundabouts there were statues of island heroes. There were statues honoring salt pickers, lunch ladies, and bus drivers. The highlight of these was seeing the Lady Liberty statue. It was beautiful. Again, I don't have any pictures. I was in a moving van in the pouring rain, so I do apologize. But use this as motivation to visit St. Maarten. 

As the cruise concluded, and I had my last few drinks, I couldn't help but think of how beautiful other parts of the world are. Oh and before I forget - The food was delicious! Dinner was amazing every night and we had the most personable waiters. 

-Ashley