Hello from the Corn Islands,

As I write this update, all of the TTS21 girls are off on their first SCUBA dive.  The waters surrounding the island mix between bright turquoise and deep shades of midnight blue.  The water is clear, allowing the girls to see the bottom of the ocean from more than 30 feet above.  The sun is shining, and the breeze is providing some sweet relief from the heat.  Needless to say, it is not a hard place to enjoy our final week of the semester.

We arrived here by plane and ferry on Saturday.  We have our own house, complete with our very own pila for washing clothes and a large kitchen.  The girls were all smiles at the sight of fans in each of their rooms.  (Feel free to remind them of that when they complain for a lack of air conditioning this summer).

Yesterday was filled with classroom instruction as students were introduced to the world of diving.  It's unbelievable to see how quickly they have become adept at the technical aspects of their scuba equipment – you should see how fast they can connect all of their dive gear already!  Only one day of instruction and they already use terms like, “BCU, psi, and regulators,” as if they were already old scuba pros.  This morning each diver took their first breath underwater in a few feet of water off the beach.  Mikaela described the moment as, "totally crazy to take a big breath and just hear yourself breathing.  After it actually worked -  I just thought it was the coolest thing ever!"

If you’ve ever gone scuba diving, you know that divers talk a lot about healthy ears – which are essential in pressurizing as the girls descend and ascend from underwater. Mimi was thrilled her ears were great and didn't cause any problem at all.  And, while the beginning Open Water divers were taking their first breath of compressed air, some of the other girls went snorkeling.

It is typical for about a quarter of the girls to drop the Open Water course before they become certified scuba divers. This can be from fear of being underwater, issues with their ears, or anything that makes the girls choose to pass on scuba diving as their sport. This semester is no exception, and a few girls have chosen not to complete the course.  These girls are well-cared for – with world-class snorkeling from the beach, and plenty of good books to read in the sand. We will let you know if your daughter chooses to drop the course.

Two of the girls are working on their Advanced Scuba certifications, Abby and Annalise, and they were lucky enough to dive with a noisy pod of dolphins yesterday. But, in general, all of girls are loving the warm water, and a much needed break from classes.

Diving will end at the end of this week, providing a few days to complete final projects and transition activities to prepare for the return home.  There are mixed emotions swirling around the conversation of going home, both excitement to hug loved ones and to sleep in their own beds, as well as sadness for leaving such a powerful semester abroad.  The TTS21 family is a close community, and we will be focusing the final week's discussions on what it means to go home and how to share their transformative experiences with friends and family.  But today, it's time to focus on swimming with rays and watching as huge crabs enjoying a lunch on the sandy ocean floor.

Thank you for all of your love and support throughout the entire semester.  It has been a pleasure traveling in all of your company, both in person on the Campus Visit and on the blog.

I will be sending another update soon regarding the specifics of our transition discussions here, and descriptions on how TTS is providing support for your daughter as she prepares to adjust back to living at home. 

For now, it's time to go welcome the divers back --  here come 9 smiling girls in wetsuits! J

We will keep you updated on all of the members of our community as the semester slowly draws to a close. Thank you for sharing your daughters with us.

All the best,

Gennifre, Jennifer, Jim & Price

Jen, Heather, Caroline & Liz