Lessons learned in Cayman...

Lesson One: Superstition
I kissed a stingray. Twice. Apparently I get 14 years good luck for that.
Lesson Two: Water like blue KoolAid
When I was a kid I didn't learn how to swim until I was 12 because I spent most of my summers in a cast. Because of that, I've never been a big swimmer and have developed the philosophy that "I like to play ON water, not IN water." After my first snorkeling experience, I've decided that if I go back, I will scuba certify first. There is something AMAZING about that world. No question in my mind.
Lesson Three: American food tastes better OUTSIDE the States (lesson relearned)
The best MacDonalds I've ever been to is in Valdivia, Chile. The best Blizzard I've ever eaten was in Grand Cayman.
Lesson Four: Lifestyles
I had many flash backs to my mission on this trip. One of them was to a moment I had in my first area: I was standing on a river bank, wishing I had a raft, and the elder next to me said, "I was born in the water and I'll die in the water, but for these 2 years-I can't even touch it." I couldn't fathom that mentality. I mean, I liked the water (I was even wishing for a raft!), but it wasn't THAT big a part of my life. Flash forward to Cayman, I sat there watching the waves splash past I us and had the realization that I had entered a completely different lifestyle when I had climbed on that boat. The men on that boat lived for the waves and the salty wind in their faces. The captain's 12-year-old nephew stood on the bow of the boat and dreamed of the day that he would have his own boat. I'm sure of it. I don't remember the last time I dreamt about the future like that...
Lesson Five: Limits
I like traveling with cash. I know. It's a liquid asset that is easily stolen. You have to be careful. But at the same time there are perks to having visual limits. Traveling with a backpack and NO checked luggage also helps because then you don't really have space to pack stuff either. Postcards. This is exactly why I love postcards.