Ocracoke Days
On Monday evening we arrived in Ocracoke. Everyone was tired from the flight and the drive, and it was very late, so we just went to our host families’ houses and we went straight to bed.
Because it had been so dark when we first arrived, we finally got to see the island in it’s full glory on Tuesday. We met the students from Ocracoke highschool for the first time and also got to know our host families better. During the school day we continued to work on our projects and tagged along with the students from our groups to their classes. We had good converstations about sustainable lifestyles but also learned more about the American highschool life.
On Wednesday it was time to explore the island a bit more. We Finns did a tour of the island on bicycles. We went around the village and saw the pretty houses and beautiful nature that Ocracoke island has to offer. On top of that we visited the lighthouse that is located on the island. In the evening our lovely host families had set up a bonfire, although we would call it a campfire, since Finnish bonfires are much grander. We sat on the beach for hours and chatted with the Americans. It was very nice for all of us.
On Thursday we went to the beach. We enjoyed the sunshine and the waves. We also found very nice looking sea shells that made a great souvenir for our families back home. Addition to the sea shells, the beach was also filled with small crabs. They camouflaged in the sand so well that it was hard to notice them.
On Friday the groups presented their projects although some of us already did that on Wednesday. All the groups had made great presentations and listening to them was interesting. They all touched on the differences between our countries and how various aspects of sustainable development are handled in these countries.
We all learned a lot by finding information about our own topics but we also learned new things from other groups' presentations. Alltogether, the projects were a great success and a good way to get to know eachother’s countries and their attitudes towards this theme better.
On Friday evening there was a homecoming event for Ocracoke highschoolers that was an interesting glimpse of American culture for us. Students, that were a part of the event, were introduced by a host and then they walked with a partner through the school gym, which was decorated. We all clapped for them. The students had evening gowns and suits and they looked great.
On Saturday we said goodbye to Ocracoke and started to head home. On the way we visited Hatteras’ lighthouse and a memorial for the Wright Brothers, who invented the airplane.
Ocracoke was a truly beautiful island filled with kind people. We are so grateful that the Ocracoke highschool and the host families showed what life is like on a paradise island. We are going to cherish this week in our memories for a long time.
Author: Laulu Lehti / Kauriala Upper Secondary School
