Happy Holidays

This post is slightly delayed but I hope it finds you all well.

IM OFFICIALLY DONE WITH MY 1ST YEAR OF VET SCHOOL!! 25% a doctor now and it feels good. Term 2 was definitely a bear, but I think it will prepare us well for term 3 which is supposed to be one of the most challenging. 8 Finals in about 2 weeks is quite tiring and requires alot of brainpower...but I passed all my classes and did pretty well so Im happy. We finished on Wednesday the 10th and my iflight wasnt booked until the 18th so I had a significant amount of time to actually enjoy the island. It felt like I hadnt actually stepped foot outside in weeks so it was a nice change of pace to wake up when I wanted and not have to go to class. Most of the days were spent out on the beach trying to get some color before returning to the cold of the US. My roommates left on the 13th but were nice enough to buy my dinner and get a little cheesecake to celebrate my birthday early. They are keepers for sure. The last night they were on the rock we decided to have a "spa" night. I was in charge of eyebrow cleanup, Sam painted nails, and Emily did massages. A nice relaxing way to spend the last night with the roomies.

Grand Anse Beach

Morne Rouge (BBC) Beach          

View from Sweetly Bakery

On my birthday my very good friend/soccer teammate and I decided to try out this new bakery on top of a hill overlooking both Grand Anse/Mornue Rouge Beaches. We split a sugar bomb donut, chocolate brioche, and a peperoni pocket. All of it was delicious ad the views were stunning. We then made our way down to Morne Rouge beach for some sun. I dont know what it was about that day but we had multiple locals come up to us and "chat" then ask for our phone numbers. One was a painter who wore a british flag flask around his neck (definite keeper), another a young man who was actually nice but couldnt take a hint, and the third was Rasta Frank. Now Rasta Frank didnt really hit on us but more gave us an hour long lesson on how to live life and what he does. The social boundaries are definitely different here but we politely listened to what they had to say and then went owth our lives. That night we went to dinner at the Schnitzle Haus which is owned by an adorable German couple. As we sat out on the porch we could hear the wife pounding the pork and chicken for our Schnitzle and smell the spaetzle cooking away. It was a delicious meal and the restaurant was situated overlooking the water so the views were fantastic as well. Topped off with some apple streudel we wobbled our way out to head back to campus. 

The next day we made our way up to Grand Etang Forrest to hike to seven sisters waterfalls. We had never been before andmight have gotten lost getting there but we made it. A young boy named Wayne was our guide up and down the slippery and muddy path to the falls. He had been guiding for 2 years and was a very spirited kid. After falling only a few times we made it to the bottom of the last 2 falls. My friend was brave enough to jump off the top into the pools below, but I didnt want to risk it right before heading home. The first 5 falls can be accesed by contining up a steep path an the only way back down is to jump down the falls. For this you must have a guide because of the rocks but we decided to pass on that portion anyway. After swimming in the cold water for a little Wayne took u to a 3rd fall called Honeymoon falls. It is so named because the surround rocks at the bottom form a heart. Unfortunately we didnt bring our cameras so for now I do nt have pictures. Next time I go Ill be sure to bring a camera.

The flights back were relatively painless, but my first flight was delayed enough to cause me to run through the Miami airport and get through all the lines just in enough time to board the plane. While I didnt have time to stop at Wendys and get my celebratory hamburger, I did make it on t the plane. Priorities I guess. That night I went out to dinner with my mom, grandparents and one of my best friends Sandy. Little did I know that the 6th place setting was for my other best friend Colleen who had just returned home early from Egypt. Such a nice surprise.

My plan over break i to eat as much good food as possible.....sorry stomach you are just gonna have to put on a few pounds. 

Wishing everyone a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year. See you in a month

                                                        Hayley Mae Cant Wait for Santa

Gobble Gobble, an Island Thanksgiving

It's TURKEY DAY! Well not for most of my family and friends back in the U-S of A, but here on the island it is. The Vet school puts on a potluck thanksgiving where they fly in...yes fly in whole turkeys to cook and serve. We decided to forgo this event and make our own smaller meal, sans turkey however. My roommates and the girls upstairs had a 6 man feast that very closely resembled a fine American dinner. Our room made sweet potatoes, green beans/corn, stuffing, gravy, rolls, cranberry sauce and no bake pumpkin pie. Bri, Celene and Courtney brought mashed potatoes, fried chicken (of course its always chicken here), ice cream and apple crisp.

All Smiles

                          Roomies, gotta love candid shots




















 Of course no Thanksgiving feast is complete without some decorations so we made some old school handprint turkeys. Just like 1st grade all over again....and probably just about as artistic. A lull came over the room as our smiling faces shoveled in more than our stomachs could handle. The saying of the event..."Oh my gosh this is SO GOOD". It definitely brought a glimpse of home and reminded us all that we do have family here on the island. Afterwards we all faded into a food coma and I have been laying in bed ever since.....so much for my productive weekend. But its all worth it. This is the last week of classes and review sessions before finals hit next week, and I really wish I wasn't such a procrastinator and would hit the books harder. But, pressure has always been a great motivator for me so I'll kick it into high gear here in a few days.

SO GOOD

No bake pumpkin "pie" (might have been more pudding like)

Getting down to the wire now and I couldnt be more excited to go home. I plan to do nothing but spend time with family, enjoy the cold (wishing for some snow every day), and eat as much delicious food as I can! Christmas is my absolute most favorite time of the year

Jake loves Christmas too

Radio silence will commence in a few days as I'll be glued to my chair but I will definitely post an update when I can.

Wishing you all a happy holiday season, eat some extra turkey for me :)

Three Blind Mice Walk into a Bar....

Its the Halloween post! Yes I know we are well into November by now but its been busy as always :)
So this was my first year outside the US for Halloween and its definitely not as celebrated here outside of the student community. Halloween for me loses some appeal after you are too old to go out asking for candy.....probably because I have a huge sweet tooth and who doesnt love free candy? But it is hilarious to see the costumes people come up with.

This Halloween was extra special as it was my roommate, Sam's birthday! Also her guy friend/ boyfriend flew in to spend the week on the island. Thursday after class Emily and I snuck off to the store to get a cake, Cookies n' Cream, and buy some decorations. We waited up until 1 am for Sam to go to bed so we could decorate the kitchen with balloons and streamers.....past this grandmas bedtime but worth it.

Friday we celebrated with some drinks and splurged on sushi (surprisingly pricey for an island....surrounded by fish) and it was delicious. Sushi is one of my favorite foods and I was definitely craving it. Again it was totally worth it to see how happy Sam was. As the evening approached Sam went to pick up Ricky and we continued the celebration. Around 1130 we got into costume......the 3 blind mice! It was definitely thrown together but it worked. Once blind and mouse-like we headed out to the local bar that was throwing a Halloween Party. We may have cut the line to get in faster....but hey we're blind! Some other students really went all out on their costumes. I remember seeing a whoopie cushion, a jellyfish, a christmas tree, and about a million ninja turtles. On our way home we stopped at our favorite food truck for some munchies, schwarma and cheesy fries. Emily and I may have eaten it all before getting back to campus, sorry not sorry

The rest of this past week has been spent studying and taking more quizzes. Finals are right around the corner, in fact we have one tomorrow. More importantly Thanksgiving is right around the corner. While there may not be any turkey here, we plan on making our own little Thanksgiving feast complete with mashed potatoes, stuffing, sweet potatoes, green bean casserole, rolls, cranberry sauce (that may be tricky), and chicken! Maybe Ill even facetime the family back home and pretend I'm there. We are in the home stretch people! Stay tuned for more exciting events.

Wishing you all the best

New Pages!!!

So if no one has noticed I decided to jazz up the blog with some new pages! I know I know you are all falling out of our chairs with anticipation. I decided I would share various recipes of the local dishes I have had here to give you all a virtual taste of Grenada. Can't stand the mouth watering photos and descriptions???? Well come on down for a visit! (yes that was a shameless plug for visitors).

To access the pages just look on the right side of the screen under the about me section. If you get ambitious try some of the recipes and let me know how they are.

Eat. Love. Eat Some More :) 

Rounding 2nd

The title of this post is my simple attempt at a baseball metaphor....rounding second = halfway home....midterms done= halfway home. Hey I never said I was a baseball aficionado.

Anyway, you get my point, midterms are over! Another stressful week filled with late night study sessions, junk food galore, and panicked factime calls to mom and dad sayin "Im gonna fail!!!". Well luckily I didnt fail. Is there room for improvement? Always, but I'm happy with how I performed and hope I can carry it into finals. Finals? What? Thats so far away. The good thing about the second half of the term is it tends to pass by quicker. So after we finished our last of 7 finals on Friday morning we headed straight to the beach. We taunted the sun to give our pale bodies all it had....and it did. Despite lathering sunscreen we all managed to get a little crisp. It was great to sit on the beach and drink a few beers without worrying what to study next. It was also nice because the med school still had class so the beach was fairly empty. Friday night the roomies and I grabbed some pizza and cookie dough on our way home and had a relaxing movie night. We managed to get in two movies before passing out all piled in the same bed. Solid night in my opinion.

Saturday we slept in...till 8. Our bodies were still used to getting up at 6 am every morning so this was quite an achievement for us. We made our way out to the beach for a few more hours in the sun. And again got a lil crisp. Yes mom I applied sunscreen every hour. But my pale Irish skin was no match for the intense yet glorious Caribbean sun. However, the med students were out in full force. It was hard to tell were the wave of students ended and the waves of the ocean began. Unfortunately they left their fair share of garbage on the beach after their departure. Hopefully somebody knocked some sense into them. Saturday night was another relaxing one just hanging out in the room.



Sunday the women's club team I play for actually had our first game. It was quite the adventure to say the least. We traveled over mountains, beside the ocean, and precariously close to some cliffs to get to a field located just outside the town of Grenville. But we took the long way.....so it took about twice the amount of time. Not ideal but we did get to see some idyllic views of the island. We played a local girls team that had just formed. They couldn't have been more than 15 years old and were definitely full of spunk. They definitely have some talent but also have a long way to go skill-wise. Everyone does at that age, Im just glad to see that women's soccer is thriving here on the island. We won 5-0 but they certainly left us with some bumps and bruises before the final whistle blew. It was great to be out on the field and traveling with a team again. There is a great bunch of girls on the team and some amazing talent. We are playing the same team again next weekend and hopefully some other local teams as the semester continues.

SGU Lady Knights

A weekend gone too soon but one that definitely helped recharge the body and mind. Next weekend the school is throwing a huge beach party called Sandblast. It should be alot of fun......but we have a final on Monday so I better get off this computer and start studying now! 

Wishing everyone the best 

Midterms Already???!

Hey Hey Hey Blog People,

School just keeps on rolling along and after next week we will be in full force midterms mode. How can it already be October and half of the semester gone?? Craziness.. Since my last posting our house searching has come to a close. We should be signing the lease this week and unfortunately I do not have pictures to share with yall just yet. However, its a house situated in Lance Auz Epines and right on the bus route. Its 2 bedrooms and 1 bathroom with a large kitchen and open dining and living area. The selling point is the big back porch which runs the length of the house and overlooks the water down below. Its situated on the back of a hill so the breeze throughout the house is great. Just open up the double glass doors and you dont even need AC or a fan! It is also pet friendly, yes! so little dog 1 and my roommated dog 2 whenever we find them will be right at home. Unfortunately the housing here is not as cheap as in Blacksburg VA so that has taken some getting used to and some loosening of the purse strings. Gotta live somewhere though right???

Saturday some friends and I took a break from studying to attend a "pool party" at a local restaurant and bar where proceeds went to the Shelter Medicine Club I'm a part of. We had some good food and a few drinks just to let loose a little. Even after a few drinks now I get sleepy....oh how times have changed. It was a nice day and although I didnt get much studying in, I did give my brain and body a chance to relax. I'm looking forward to the Shelter Med club developing as we will be traveling to the local SPCA to help out and care for the animals. EVERYONE ADOPT SHELTER ANIMALS! They need good homes and are often forgotten.

Well thats all I have realy done in the last post other than studying. Oh wait...I did spill coffee on my laptop last week. While the computer itself works the keyboard does not. And whats a computer without a keyboard? Its probably about time anyway. Ive had it for almost 5 years and the CD drive wont open, it runs hot and now the keyboard. Just hurts dropping 500 on a new computer. But hey now I will be able to type again. For those of you wondering how I am writing this post I have my ipad (Praise The Lord) or else Id be really freaking out.

Roomie breakfast from last week

Getting some fresh air and a quick respite from studying

Until Next Time

Still kickin

Hello again, it certainly has been a while. I really cant remember the last time I posted, probably because I have lost all sense of time. Its crazy to see that a month has already gone by. Term 2 keeps you busy with 2 tests a week. As of tomorrow we will have finished our first round of tests and will start studying for the next round. Heck before we know it mid terms will be here.

In the past few weeks a classmate and I have also begun the process of looking for places to live off campus. Its definitely a struggle when realtors are on island time...but then I sit back and think, hey you're about to rent an apartment on a tropical island. How cool is that. We are targeting the well known Lance Aux Epines are where most students and faculty live. But with nicer apartments come some not so great prices. Give and take I suppose. Plus we need a place thats pet friendly ;) Sorry mom its gonna happen sooner or later. This past weekend we actually had 3 days off, our only "holiday" this term. Faculty and staff had a strategic planning meeting so that meant the vet students received a much needed extra day off. Thursday night we went to a student grand opening for a local bar thats about as close to an American sports bar as you can get. We treated ourselves to some pitchers of beer, wings/nachos/cheese fries, and even played a round on some old school slot machines they had. Suffice to say I will never be going to Vegas. Friday we managed to drag our pale bodies out to the beach for a few hours for some quality Vitamin D time. It felt great to be on the beach and away from campus. The rest of the weekend has consisted of studying for our Pharmacology test on Monday and watching some college football.

Study break on the dock

Tomorrow morning my roommates and I will cook a nice Sunday breakfast. One of my favorite events that definitely reminds me of being home. Whats on tap? French toast, bacon, eggs and hashbrowns. And of course we will turn on our "Mamas Music" playlist consisting of the perfect oldies songs to get you going in the morning. Almost like christmas eve where all you want to do is go to sleep so you can wake up the next morning to orange rolls, stockings, and presents.......Hey its the little things. Sunday breakfast is a rarity so as you can tell we are a little excited.

Yes I do ask to see my dog on facetime....

In other news our term won the Large Animal Society softball tournament for the second semester in a row. I personally didnt play but we have a pretty stacked group of guys and gals. In personal news, I am 1 of 2 class representative for the newest club on campus; the student chapter of the association of shelter veterinarians. As many of you know I worked at a shelter before coming to school and it really makes you realize how much a quality veterinary service is needed. I'm not sure if I solely want to focus on this field, but I know I at least want to give part of my time to a shelter. The animals in shelters are rockstars and deserve the same quality care as our household pets. Everyone adopt shelter animals!! :)

Well thats all for now. Hope everyone is well. Enjoy the change to fall that will come in the next months. I know Ill sure miss the crisp mornings and fall colors.

Until next time

Another "1st Week" in the Books.....Literally

First week of term 2 has come to a close and it was fairly uneventful. As both my parents have noted I am definitely less stressed going into this term than the last. Its easier when you know what to expect....but that also might be a drawback as well. This semester they have moved classes to upper campus so we have to hoof it up a hill at 8 am to sit in an arctic tundra. Its all we can do to sit through 50 minute classes to finally get to the 10 minute break in between. Rushing outside to stand in the warmth of the sun and cap off our coffee cups. A delicious bakery sets up shop under a gazebo right outside our building....bye bye money and hello chocolate croissants.
Classes thus far are less than invigorating but we have already covered ALOT of information. Term 2 is one that will keep you on your toes. Quizzes and or tests every week so you have to stay on top of it all. We have Anatomy II, Physiology II, Radiology II, Bacteriology/Mycology, Immunology, Pharmacology, and Physical Diagnosis....I think thats all of them. Fun? As Friday rolled around some students started studying and others took advantage of the light amount of work. I like to think I fell somewhere in the middle....maybe. Friday night the school hosted a welcome back party at an outside bar called Woody's. Our term took over one of the top decks and it was a really good time. Everyone was letting loose and cutting it up before we are stuck inside on weekends. Saturday my friend Ashley and I decided it was a must to get to the beach for a little. We ate at a place right on Grand Anse beach called Umbrellas. A burger and fries after a night out....heaven. It really was a blast, we were laughing the whole day and got our fair amount of sunshine. Solid day in my book.
Sunday has been a recover and study day. Unfortunately some bug is being passed around our class and its caught me. So I'm doing more of the recover than the studying.....clearly, because I'm updating the blog. Another week starts tomorrow and with it the stress of upcoming quizzes. Heyo Vet school I've missed you. At least football season is starting and I get to watch my Hokies and my Redskins.

Until next time my lovely followers.

Back on the Rock

Hello hello! I'm sure you were all lost without me over the past few months but do not fret I am back and ready to regale you all with the future stories of Vet School....Term 2. The summer was a relaxing one. No job but I was able to volunteer/intern at a clinic in Roanoke. Other than that I spent most of my time traveling to see family and friends. But now its time to get back to the books and finish up this first year of vet school. Traveling back was fairly uneventful except customs is always a bear. Luckily I got through unscathed but I cant say the same for many of my classmates. Our first day back we headed straight to the beach....surprised?? Gotta get some vitamin D before we are holed up in classrooms and study halls. The second day back we went to the beach.....surprised?? Then we spent the night hanging out and catching up. I'm living in a 3 bedroom dorm on campus with two of my closest friends here. Its nice to have my own space but still have people around. The rest of our friends are in the same building but on the floor above us. We may have drank a few too many drinks but hey, when in Rome. Saturday we hit the beach for a short stint before heading to a welcome back bonfire and beach luau. They had all you can drink beer and mixed drinks as well as some good barbequed food. The setting was gorgeous. It was down at a place called Magazine beach which has some of the best sunset views on the island. We got there right as the sun was setting and the music was bumping.

Just a few of the girls

Embers floating across the sky....artsy stuff

Fire dancer....dont put me down for that

After the luau we headed to a local bar called Bananas to hang out before calling it quits for the night. Everyone is care free and soaking up the freedom before Monday rolls around. Today has just been a lazy day. Mostly catching up on sleep and preparing for the week ahead. Glad to be back

Term 1 in the Books

It's over!!!! The 2 week hell that we called finals is over. The late night studying, coffee pumping, mind numbing, anxiety ridden last few weeks of school is over! Finals actually went really well except for one class but I can't complain about my overall grades. Funny what hours of studying can do for your Gpa...novel idea. After our last final everyone flooded to the beach in an attempt to actually look like we live on an island. Our pale bodies were no match for the Caribbean sun. After a few hours on the beach we came back to campus to finish up some packing and head out to our last meal all together. Most of my friends were leaving Saturday morning so we decided to go to a local bar for some food and drinks. A mellow night but a fabulous send off for some fabulous people. At 430 am Saturday morning I helped load up my friends in a taxi and sent them on their way. The few of us that remained went out for a late brunch/breakfast where I annihilated a waffle from the best lil shop on the island called Mocha Spoke. The owner was actually featured on house hunters international for Grenada. After lunch we headed back out to the beach until the sun hung low in the sky and the cool evening breeze floated down from the mountains. A perfect end to my first semester in Grenada.

I went out to dinner and ice cream with a few friends and then finished packing up what little I had left. I'm going to give a quick shout out to my mom here...I don't know how she packed me up so well coming down here but I was unable to match her skills. I had to sit on every bag to get it closed. Thanks mom. At 430 am we headed to the airport. We had heard the lines can get very long as the mass exodus of students occurs. It actually wasn't that bad but I hate waiting in lines. My day of travel was fairly in eventful. As soon as I touched down in Miami I headed straight for the Wendy's outside my gate and I haven't stopped eating since. American food...gotta love it. As I arrived at Reagan national I was greeted by my sister and 4 of my amazing friends who all wanted to get me from the airport. Not to mention they were holding a sign that read "12.5% Dr. Flint Welcome Home". It was a good feeling.

We headed back to my sisters apartment for Ledos pizza (my favorite) and some beer. A perfect dinner if you ask me. Finally we headed back to Mclean to Sandys house, a bittersweet feeling as I would no longer be going to 1835 Rupert St.
The next day consisted pretty much of eating food. Lunch was Chinese food followed by sweet frog frozen yogurt. And dinner was sushi from my favorite place in McLean. My friends headed back north and I went to meet up with my high school buddies. It was a short visit but so great to catch up with everyone.

It's crazy what you miss out on when you're away for 5 months. It was a good first day back and I have more eating and visiting ahead of me before heading down to Roanoke on Wednesday. My summer plans are up in the air as I don't have a set job but will most likely be volunteering at an animal shelter. I'm just excited to see my friends and have a mental break for a few months....it'll be over before I know it. Thanks to everyone for following me through my first semester. I can't wait to share the next....7 with you.

All the best

The countdown continues

On the Eve of my anatomy finals I found this lil prayer posted by a colleague quite fitting. 3 tests down and 7 to go. Unfortunately for us the first 3 were our easy ones. But I'm not complaining, plenty of people would like to have my spot here. 

Now I lay me down to study,

I pray the Lord I don’t go nutty,

And if I fail to learn this junk,

I pray the Lord I do not flunk,

And if I die, don’t bury me at all, 

Just lay my bones in the study hall,

And pile my books upon my chest,

And tell my proffs I did my best,

So now I lay me down to rest,

And pray I pass tomorrow’s test,

And if I die before I wake,

That’s one less test I’ll have to take.

 Lil Hayley Mae showing the world her smile

My friend Ashley posing at the campus entrance after a night out

One of the little puppies we get to play with during lab

The Expanding Flint Clan

A short post today but our family has news that's too great not to share. I awoke this morning, put on my scrubs and trudged my way to anatomy class. But as I looked down at my phone I saw a text from my mom saying Hayley Mae 7lbs 5oz. Little did I know my sister in law went into labor early and delivered her precious baby girl in the wee hours of the morning. What a great way to start off the day. Being an aunt is one of the greatest jobs in the world and I am blessed to have that opportunity. I have never been a huge baby person but there is something magical in holding your niece/nephew in your arms, sitting and watching curious george, spoiling them with ice cream before mom and dad get home, and yes even dealing with their temper tantrums. Connor (my nephew) has been such a joy to watch grow up, even if much of it is virtually as I've either been in undergrad or here at vet school. I am so looking forward to watching Hayley grow up as well. You can bet this auntie will do all she can to influence her to be a soccer player :)

But really I just wish the best for both my niece and nephew and their mom and dad. My brother is in the field for Ranger school but luckily Julia was able to get word to him through the Chaplain. He gets an 8 hour pass in between phases of Ranger school so he will be able to see his new baby girl.

As for me, this is our last week of class and we have a holiday on Thursday. Finals week (s) start on Monday where I will be struggling to make it through 10 finals. Home is in sight and I can't wait. Best wishes to everyone! Please keep my brother and his growing family in your thoughts.

Welcome to the world Hayley Mae Flint!!

April 16th

Hello again blog followers. Today is a special blog post as it is the 7th anniversary of the April 16th tragedy at Virginia Tech. This is my first year away from Blacksburg on the memorial day and I must say its a little strange. No longer do I see a flood of maroon and orange as everyone walks around head to toe in Tech gear. No longer will I stand on the drillfield with my classmates holding a lit candle while echoed taps plays in the background. No longer will I run the 3.2 for 32 and pose in front of Burruss for a gigantic group photo. But, while I may not be in Blacksburg to support my Hokie community, I am supporting them from afar. Sending them love and showing the people of Grenada what a great color combination Maroon and Orange really is. I hope that each one of you reading this can take a moment today to send up a prayer for our fallen 32. But more importantly take the time to talk to those you love, reconnect with someone you have been meaning to, or do something good for another person.

The past few weeks have been filled with tests and assignments, gearing up for the end of class and the start of a 2 week finals period. I have 10 finals over the 2 weeks and it will be a mental challenge for sure. I have a final histology quiz on Thursday but after that the shenanigans shall commence. We have a 4 day weekend to celebrate the Easter holiday. Thursday night everyone is going the a "Fort Party". Exactly what it sounds like, it is being held at Fort Mathews and is a final throwdown for the seniors in both the medical and veterinary school before they leave the island. Friday will most likely be a recovery/lay on the beach day which I am excited for. My body is in serious need of some vitamin D. The rest of the holiday will be spent studying....final anatomy quiz on Tuesday and then some prepping for finals. Today marks the 31 days left before I get to go home. I love it here but I am very excited to be back in the arms of my family and friends. The list of food I have lined up to eat is extensive....more diverse than a UN conference. I still am not 100% sure what my summer plans will entail. I am waiting for a few employers to contact me. Well thats all for now.

"While 32 of our friends and classmates are in Heaven trying to explain what a Hokie is, I stand here sure in the fact that I wouldn’t want to be anything else." Live for 32

 

Pictures of Recent Adventures

 Erin and I at my favorite boat on the campus beach...It definitely doesnt come easy

3 generations together atop Leapers Hill

View from The Aquarium

Tour of Belmont Estate Cocoa Plantation.

Green Beer from our St Pattys Day celebration. Erin Go Braugh!!

Old church atop leapers hill

Why Hello Again

Didn't you miss me?? I have returned from the midterm hiatus and family fun week no worse for the wear. Midterms were...well horrible, but my grades were good. We had 6 midterms over the course of the week, some consisted of a lab and lecture portion while others were simply lecture. All exams are online which is a bit strange. Its like going through airport security to take the darn tests. You have to show your ID to enter the room in which 6 or so proctors are mulling around and watching you. You are not allowed to bring anything but your computer, charger and a clear water bottle without any writing or opacity. Apparently people started writing things on the inside of the paper slips around the bottles. You also cant wear a watch...maybe they think you can program in answers or write something on the band? Girls must tie up their hair and you are not allowed to have a jacket anywhere but on your arms or on the chair. Then they give you a whiteboard and marker to use as scratch paper but if you leave writing on it for too long they make you erase it. All part of the experience eh?

We spent many hours in the study hall going over slides and various practice tests and luckily it seemed to have paid off. The weekend after finals was spent at the beach....all day...and at various restaurants getting our fill of some unhealthy foods. Some of my classmates chartered a catamaran for a day which supplied them with unlimited alcohol. For me the ocean already makes my stomach churn a bit, so add alcohol to it and watch out! Just as my sister about our experience in St. John. Long story short she may have seen more of my lunch than anyone wanted to. Sorry Sis!! Monday a group of us went to a local bar called Umbrella's for a St. Patty's day celebration. I was very sad to not be dining upon corned beef and cabbage with boiled potatoes, but we had pitchers of green beer and Irish carbombs instead! Erin Go Braugh!

I anxiously awaited the arrival of my mom, sister, grandma and grammy for the rest of the weekend/week. They arrived on Wednesday (19th) and I met them at the airport. Lucky for me they brought a duffle bag full of various goodies; nutella (a must), sour candy, chocolate and cookie galore, and other foods back from the states. Lets just say I'll be needing to amp up my time at the gym (HAH!). We caught a ride back to where they were staying, a really nice place called Lance Aux Epines cottages. They had their own little cottage with a screened in porch looking out onto the grounds and the beach. It was a really beautiful place and in my opinion much better than the big resort hotels. The next morning we hired a driver to show us around other parts of the island. We drove up the west coast of the island through the city of St. George and along the coastline. We traveled up toward the fishing village of Gouyave, known for its weekly fish fry on Fridays. We stopped at one of the many waterfalls of Grenada to take a look and of course look at some of the local vendors. Its amazing to see the change in environment going from the low coastline up to the lush forests of the highlands. From the falls we visited a historical site known as leapers hill. It is home to one of the oldest cemeteries of Grenada but more notable it is said to be the cliff where the Caribs jumped from after being taken over. However you will here many different stories from the locals about what really happened. We cruised over towards the east coast and the cocoa plantation Belmont Estates. Here we had the most amazing lunch consisting of a 3 course meal. You got callaloo or papaya soup, a buffet consisting of bbq chicken, stewed beef, creole fish, salads, and various side dishes. For dessert you could choose chocolate or mint ice cream or chocolate cake. Suffice to say we were rolling out of that place. Afterwards we took a short tour of the plantation and saw the process of harvesting the cocoa and its transformation into the product that is sent to the factory to become the famous Grenadian chocolate bar. Grenadian chocolate is dark and ranges in various levels of cocoa. From 60% (slightly bitter) to 100% which will knock you right off your chair. Ironically many Grenadians don't like dark chocolate and therefor most of it is exported or sold to visitors. After Belmont we traveled down the center of the island back to Lance Aux Epines.

The second day my family spent lounging on the beach while I attended classes. I met them over at the cottage where their cleaning lady Eva had made an amazing dinner. This was by far the best food I have had on the island and consisted of many local dishes. We had fried breadfruit balls, callaloo soup, bbq chicken, fresh vegetables, creole fish, plantains and a coconut pudding for desert. Once again we could barely move after eating so much. Saturday my mom booked a trip on a Tamaran (like a catamaran but it has 3 edges instead of two) through a company called Carib Cats. It was nice because it was just the 5 of us, 2 other people (one was actually a term 2 vet student) and the 4 crew members. It was a beautiful day for being on the water and with the help of some Dramamine I did just fine. We headed out into the open ocean destined for some reefs a few bays over. We spent about and hour out at the first reef looking at the colorful fish, a group of little squid, sea urchins and whatever else we could spot. Our next dive location was the famous sculpture garden. For those of you that havent heard of it, it is the result of Hurricane Ivan destroying a part of the reef back in 2004. The government hired a local artist to create stone sculptures that would be lowered into the water to promote coral growth and rejuvenate the reef. The sculptures all had different names and were scattered over the ocean floor. Some of them included the circle of friendship, Ricardo, guy on a bike, naked beach, mermaid, Jesus Christ, guy on a bike, the valley of faces and holy ground. I definitely suggest any futures visitors take the time to head out to this spot for some diving.

Sunday was another relaxing day. My mom was nice enough to cook breakfast for a few of my friends. The school hosted a huge beach party known as Sandblast the night before so I was skeptical anyone would wake up. Regardless breakfast was delicious and a real taste of home....the way mama makes it. Sunday evening I took the family to a restaurant called Aquarium that hosts a Sunday BBQ. The restaurant is beautiful and situated right on a beach. The style is very much tropical with open air dining areas and dense tropical foliage draping the walls. The food was also very good. Among us we had swordfish, shrimp, and various side dishes along with a coconut cake and apple crumble for desert. You wont go hungry on this island.

Monday and Tuesday I had to go to class all day but the family continued their adventures. Monday they hired our same driver to take them to a nutmeg processing plant and to the Grande Anse craft and art market. That night I went over for dinner where Eva had made the national dish, oil down for us to try. I had only had it once before but it was the families first time. It was very good and the leftovers fed my hall for the next night. Tuesday they went on a kayaking trip through the same company I used, conservation kayak. They did the shorter Woburn Bay trip but said they had a great time and learned alot from the awesome guides. That night the family came to a local joint right outside of campus where me and some of my friends were waiting. It consists of 4 or 5 little huts that cook different style foods. It was a short visit but our last goodbye as they were leaving the next morning. It is amazing how much seeing your family/friends can rejuvenate your spirits (even if I may have slipped on some studies...it was worth it). I had a blast showing them around and I think they had an equally enjoyable time.

Now its back to the grind as we only have 50 or so days left....our next round of tests in 2 weeks and finals in about 6....YIKES!!! Hope everyone is doing well and hasnt given up on this blog :)

Wishing you the Best.

Conservation Kayak Photos

As promised here are just a few of the many pictures from our weekend excursion with Conservation Kayak. I would highly recommend this company for anyone visiting Grenada or for any of my fellow students. I will be taking a short hiatus from posting after this as midterms are next week and I should really start studying (.....just kidding mom I've been studying very hard). The next time I post will probably be after my mom, sister, and two grandmothers come to visit. I can't even begin to explain how excited I am to see them. They keep us pretty busy so you don't realize how much you miss your family and friends from back home. Its quite the change from being able to drive 4 hours up 81 to get home....now its a 900$ plane ticket and a day of flight time. Anyway back to the books. See you all in a few weeks.