The Most Fun I've ever Had by Jessica Brody

“This has been the most fun I’ve ever had.” That is what I told the director as we drove to the airport.

“But you didn’t go to Gibbs Cay. And you didn’t do the bike tour. What have you been doing that was fun?” he joked.

I have been working, of course, that’s what I came here for. I just didn’t know it would be so much fun.

I didn’t know anything about the Caribbean or maritime history before I landed on Grand Turk. I’d never wondered where escaping American loyalists might go after the American Revolution or how important salt production was to the British Empire. Now I can go home and impress my friends and family with everything I learned at the National Museum.

Of course, I didn’t come down just to learn, that was an extra bonus. The project I came to work on was the organization of the libraries and archives collections. These projects are now well underway. My colleague Tiffany and I have cataloged 50% of the library books and prepared the archives collections for accessioning into the database (which Tiffany will continue). With the help the museum’s regular staff we have also digitized 60% of a slide collection that was donated around the time I arrived.

So, yes, we’ve done a lot of work, but I’ve enjoyed every minute of it. Working with the museum staff has been fabulous. Sharing what I’ve learned about the TCI with the visitors from the cruise ships was so much fun. Living on the island of Grand Turk was unforgettable, and encouraging the museum’s young friends was so rewarding.

Simply put: my TCI experience has been the most fun I’ve ever had.