I have spent a J-term in Trinidad, then St. Lucia, as part of the Literature of the West Indies course in January 1999 with Professor of English Jonathan Hill and eight fellow Ole students. This study-abroad program was not only a terrific vacation in the tropical islands of the Caribbean, but also an opportunity to experience the cultures of these islands. Our experience included living with host families and eating local, fresh-cooked meals from the daily morning market runs, providing an eye-opening experience into the lives and history of the people living there. Trinidad was a multicultural environment that has not experienced slavery in its history, yet through multiple changes in control over times among European powers, has inherited a variety of people, languages, and cultures living peacefully with each other. I remember seeing construction workers coming home in the afternoon — some white, some Black, some Indian folks — carelessly talking and joking as they walked along the street without any hint of racial tension. It was a refreshing sight after dealing with an oppressive historical air of the past when hanging out with multi-ethnicity groups of friends in the U.S. In St. Lucia, sitting next to a 50-something-year-old local from Martinique in a small, beat-up minivan serving as the de-facto local mass transportation, I was surprised to find out he spoke fluent English, Spanish, French, and German (he lived in Munich for 10 years prior to returning to the Caribbean). We also got to meet with people like Derek Walcott in person. Not an everyday life experience to speak in person with a Nobel laureate in literature. Although brief, I will never forget the month we spent together with fellow classmates in magical places, meeting with fascinating people and learning about their history, everyday lives and aspirations for a bright future.