By Jada Esprit
The final week of the Create Caribbean New York trip left me and the other Create interns with much anticipation and excitement. Although the final week was scheduled to be a fun-packed adventure with us visiting places like the Empire State building and the Statue of Liberty, this week was also very saddening because this would be our final Create trip.
Now, it is important to remember that many of the Create Caribbean interns, including myself will unfortunately be moving on to bigger and better things, but at the expense of no longer being an intern at Create. This final week was simply a reminder that soon many of us will either move on to the working world or naturally go off to school sometime in the future; both scenarios that scare me deeply. On the other hand, it was imperative that we all stayed positive throughout this last week together by participating in some bonding moments and outdoor activities.
One of the most thrilling and breathtaking sites we visited recently was the Empire State Building. For myself as well as one other intern it was a little nerve-wrecking visiting this site given that it is a 103-story skyscraper and is considered to be the tallest building in the United States. We all engaged in much laughter and enthusiasm once on top this infamous skyscraper; it was definitely a moment we will never forget.
The Empire State Building was not the only memorable activity we got the opportunity to engage in that day. Later on in the evening, all the Create Caribbean interns got dressed up to attend an activity hosted by the Medgar Evers College and the Caribbean Cultural Theater, which showcased talented poets from all over the Caribbean who displayed some of their work in the spirit of emancipation including Samantha Thornhill, Tiphanie Yanique and Vladimir Lucien. Honestly, all the poems were exceptionally entertaining and enjoyable, taking you back to your Caribbean roots with every word they uttered. Many of the poets expressed their desire to inspire mainly Caribbean-born individuals with their creative and influential work.
All in all, this trip was a complete success in my opinion and it was an experience I would not change for anything. Not only did I confirm the idea of attending school in The Big Apple, but now I have also experienced the city in a way I have never done before. I sincerely thank Dr. Esprit and Dr. Eugene for gifting us with the opportunity to visit all these amazing places together as a family. It is crucial that we acknowledge them for their intense fundraising efforts and for simply believing in us enough to help fund this trip.