Out of my routine

by Alandra Jeffs (United States of America)

Making a local connection Antigua & Barbuda

The alarm rang, it was my last day off before an upcoming working sprint of 3 weeks. I could've slept in and justified it as a "calm before the storm" . However i hadn't seen sunrise in over six months because of such a work schedule. That needed to change. I crawled out from under the covers, quietly as to not wake my bunk mate. Slowly gathered my self and my camera gear together and headed up on deck. Stepping outside, it became obvious that the rain had been at play throughout the night. But this i knew would make an unforgettable sunrise. I knew very little about the island we had docked at the day before, and it was even more mysterious this early in the morning. Excited I hastily walked to the back of the vessel, slipped on my flipflops and jumped ashore. With camera gear in tow I headed to what looked like the nearest high point. I started climbing the hill, as dawn just started to awaken my surroundings. The unfamiliar houses and building with there inhabitants just starting to come out of slumber. Dew had settled on the nearby grass and grape vines. It sparkled like diamonds as the sun glistened through it to wake up the world. At the top of the hill was a charming church building surrounded by lush grass, nourished by the nighttime rainstorm. The hill overlooked the marina and the ship I had just left, and further still the entire bay. The sky was now full of color. It was time for action. I started to take photos of my surrounding. In the distance I heard a voice saying "Good Morning". Startled I looked over my shoulder. It was one of the locals standing on her front porch just beginning her day. I would've guessed her to be in her late 60s. I replied "good morning how are you". She then invited me to come onto her little patio as it would "make the best photo". Scarlet red vines grew up the side of the building making their way toward the sky. A gourd tree slightly overshadowed the entrance. The quaint front steps of the old house creaked as i stepped up them. The porch overlooked the bay. In the distance I could see ships leaving the dock headed to sea, the waves smashing against the distant shoreline and the world awakening below. Her grandson was laying on an old bench just coming to terms that it was now morning. I started to have a conversation with her. Thanking her for inviting me in, I got right back to snapping a few photos. She stepped inside for a moment only to return with something that very much intrigued me. She was busy harvesting the gourd tree and making the hard fruits from the tree into everyday household items. First she would clean them, then depending on what she wanted to create she would cut and dry them. She showed me a bowl with a lid, and a few decorative items. She then let me look around her humble little abode. She told me a little history about the charming church building. Also how it was her church, her special place, her sacred place of worship. She made sure that I would take a few photos of it. I could see how much it meant to her and sense the enthusiasm in voice as she spoke of it. I couldnt help but think while sitting on her porch, what an interesting experience I was having. I would never have experienced it if I had stayed under the covers, if I had not done something a little outside of my normal, daily routine, or if i had stayed in my hometown. I would've never known how she makes her dishes from gourds or of the little special church she held so dear. I wouldn't have known what it was like to overlook the bay from her front porch as the sun climbed into the morning sky. I wont forget this morning and why it happened. All of this happened because I broke a little out of my normal routine.