Things to Do

Arrgh, Ye Scallywags!

Arrrgh, ye scallywags!  Okay.  So I have been at Pensacola Christian College for over two years and I have never been out to West Campus—until this past Saturday.

I don’t think I can put into words how awesome it is to be in command of a sailboat, but I will try to describe my most recent tropical adventure on the ocean blue.

I heard from some of my female friends that West Campus is amazing fun.  They told me about the sailing, kayaking, and sight-seeing.  They even saw dolphins!  My friends and I decided that we needed to see what all the fuss was about, so we made the drive over to West Campus intent on having some fun of our own.

Admittedly, none of us really knew how to sail.  But we had no excuses.  The girls were able to do it, right?  After a brief crash-course and a bit of hands-on learning with the ropes, we hoisted the sails.  And once we figured out how to manage the sail properly, we took off!

The wind blowing through our hair, the ocean spraying our faces, the waves splashing beneath us—we truly felt like sailors.  Or pirates.  Or Mariners in the Queen’s Navy.  I don’t know what it is about being out at sea in a boat, but it made me (and my friends) yell and scream in faux pirate/British accents.  “Man the ropes, mateys! To starrrrboarrrd! Arrr!”  Erm. . . eh-hem.  Anyway. . .

We raced other sailboats around in the bay and tried to find the best way to “harness the wind.”  The trick to sailing is to catch the wind and NOT flip your boat over.  The wind can be a powerful adversary if you don't respect it, so make sure you take proper precautions and wear your life jacket.  If you ever run into trouble, don't fear! The staff members at West Campus are great--and they can save the day with their motorboat.

After sailing across the bay and meandering along the Alabama shoreline, we were called back to the shore because West Campus was closing for the day.  While we were all pretty bummed that our sailing adventure had come to an end, we were all asking ourselves the same question: “Why did we wait so long to visit West Campus!?”

So if you have never been to West Campus, I urge you to give it a try!  Don’t make the mistake I made and wait until your junior year—go now!  (It is closing for the fall on November 26, but be sure to check it out in the spring if you don't make it this fall!)

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The thoughts and opinions expressed in Life in the Nest are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of Pensacola Christian College.

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Major History and English double major

From Washington, DC

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