You never know a day will be unforgettable when you wake up.
We woke up at 6:40 a.m. this morning, which means we were automatically 10 minutes late. Our drive to good ol' Micky D's was fantastic. Being that it is Kelsie's brithday (HAPPY ASBIRTHDAY, KELSIE!), we rocked out to T-Swift, One Direction, Spice Girls, and the legendary Ms. Britney Spears. Some of us (Evan) even tried to harmonize with the original songs, so that was pretty great.
Once we arrived at PASOs, we finished our laminations, booklets, and website editing. Most of us worked at Myriam's office while discussing every topic under the sun, from interracial relationships to high school drama. At 11 a.m. we were ready to have lunch. And boy, it was delicious. We had ceviche, rice and beans, chips and dip, and a really great vegetarian quesadilla for Evan. Also, TRES LECHES was a thing at lunch today. It was beautiful. We should probably explain that Tres Leches is the most delicious type of cake on the face of this earth. There are no words to describe its deliciousness. Trust us.
Finally, it was time to head to our now-infamous canoe float trip. We got lost on our way there, which in hindsight foreshadowed the rest of our day. We also drove by an impressive number of cemeteries... Which thankfully did NOT foreshadow the rest of our day.
It took about 15 minutes for one of our canoes to capsize. The first victims were Lance and Nate/Matt, who lost their shoes and life jackets in the river. Everything was recovered, though. The next victims were Landon and Jazmin, and keep in mind the latter can't swim. Landon almost lost his keys, and both of them were soaking wet. It was at this point that Evan spotted a snake, but no one listened to his scream because we were too worried about Jazmin (she was alright though, no worries!).
The trip was fairly uneventful for a while. Kelsie and Paula were masters at canoeing. They were ahead of everybody, and they dodged every branch and tree imaginable. Then, things got really crazy.
No one knew how long the trip was supposed to be, and that includes Kevin, our supposed tour guide. Audra thought it'd be roughly 4 miles long, but no one knew for certain. We paddled back and forth, up and down, trying to find the landing bank. Nothing worked. Then Audra and Alyssa went ahead of us to look for Kevin, and that was the last time the rest of the group saw them. Until we finally reached land, at least.
The rest of the group was confused, baffled, and amazed by the size of this creek. Actually, it was a swamp maze. We thought we were lost, and Paula began to worry about sleeping in the woods. She really didn't want to sleep in the woods. Maddie had granola bars and sweatpants, so she was a little more prepared. The rest of us debated when was the appropriate time to consider cannibalism.
Our arms were tired, and our minds weren't functioning. We just kept paddling, hoping the signs on the trees would lead us somewhere dry. It was all very dramatic.
Kevin was the talk of the town. Kelsie was the only one who did not associate the name Kevin with our tour guide, and her best guess was that Kevin was the name of Megan's paddle. At this point, we'd like to clarify this blog is 100% accurate and truthful.
Finally, after a long, exhausting, and mentally-challenging course, we found Audra and Alyssa standing on the landing bank with the "trustworthy" Kevin. Paula, Kelsie, Megan and Evan immediately began to sing "We Are The Champions" euphorically, driven mad by exhaustion. Paula actually swung her paddle up and down while yelling, too. It was very poetic.
We finally left the creek and got back to the church where we're staying. The girls stole the boys' locker room because it had more showers - we were determined to celebrate Kelsie's birthday as fast as humanly possible.
The restaurant was beautiful, the food was delicious, and honestly, everybody had the time of their lives. Then, the cherry on top of the sundae: Audra and Alyssa surprised us with a birthday pinata named Lucille. Kelsie beat Lucille up with a bat, but Jazmin was the one who managed to break the pinata. We ate candy, changed our clothes, and then most of us went to bed.
Our dramatic canoeing experience has made us closer as ASBuddies. This week went by so fast, and every minute of it was awesome. It was truly unforgettable, in the best sense of the word.
Well, this is it. We'll head back home tomorrow, and Megan and Paula could not be more bitter about it. But hey, all good things must come to an end. Hasta luego, ASB! At least until next year.
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