And... We're Back to Paradise

As this is a new year and I have been horrible about recording our adventures here in Grenada, I thought I would try to record more, especially for friends and family wondering if we're alive at times and to pay it forward to those who visit and or end up living here someday.

First let me say I love Grenada. After stepping off the plane this morning I took a deep breath of fresh, Caribbean air. Sigh.

Our trip to Utah was wonderful. We saw friends and family, saw and watched movies, ate delicious food, and enjoyed being in the United States. I loved it. But, we were ready to be back in the swing of things.

The flights here were hectic...

Our original SLC --> JFK flight was delayed an hour... and then five which meant we wouldn't make our JFK --> Grenada connection, so we flew from Salt Lake to Atlanta to New York to Grenada. #yikes.

The first two flights weren't too bad, but man the red eye was bad this time around. First of all it was full of medical students who joked about getting drunk on the flight and left a path of destruction in their wake at the airport. Secondly neither Ryan nor I could get comfortable despite having a full row of our own with Adi.

Immigration was slow, but a little southern charm helped get us a 6-month visa! I was so thrilled.

Delta lost our bags (ugh), but luckily they didn't have any necessities. So, we should be good to go as soon as they get here (fingers crossed) tomorrow!

Because of our lost bags, we were the last people in line for customs ... after about 150 other people. Luckily Ryan had paid the taxes on our computers in August and he saved the receipts and suggested we bring them. Two words: Golden Tickets. We skipped all 150 other people. I couldn't believe it. I was however sad that our friends with us weren't able to come with us.

After that we were good to go! Ryan and Adi slept and then we went to campus for Ryan to register. Tomorrow and Sunday are our lasts days of freedom before term 2 begins. #bringiton

This is Grenada | #TIG

Over the past few weeks, I have quickly observed a distinct difference between those who really thrive here and those who don’t: I attribute it to one thing: T.I.G. 

Or in other words, "This is Grenada." Let me explain.

Americans have expectations of American things. 

Cheap food. Reliable electricity. Good customer service. A good car. Hot water. 

I could go on. 

Here in Grenada, when something doesn't go right, people always seem to throw out, "TIG." 

In exasperation, in jest, in frustration.

Linguistically speaking it's meaning has come to be a cross between a cuss word and a euphemism for the phrase "third world problems". (I'm generalizing here but this train of thought is pretty pervasive. One of the major exceptions I've found to this is a post written by a Stephanie, a former SGU SO, who found my blog a couple of months ago. When I googled "TIG Grenada" her post was one of the first to populate.)

Now, I am more likely than the average person to use a good #hashtag, to emphasize linguistic meaning, but think about it, Americans can be entitled because of being accustomed to our easy way of life (aka luxuries). 

However, this easy way of life is uncommon outside of the US of A.

So I didn't hear from my jeweler on the day that they said they’d call, I'm rollin' with it. 

So something on my car broke, I'm rollin' with it. 

So my fridge isn't really an ice box, but rather a cooler, I'm rollin' with it. 

So my milk (and veggies, and leftovers, and everything) goes bad, I'm rollin' with it. 

Not-so-great things can happen anywhere… Grenada or the States, so I'm rollin with it. 

---

The second night I was here, someone mentioned to me that often Americans insult Grenada in front of Grenadians.

This really bothers me. 

If someone said something about the United States in that way, I would not-so-nicely suggest that they leave. 

After hearing this, I reaffirmed my desire to stay positive and see the good, so while running errands on my first Monday morning in Grenada, I made it a point to be pleasant, smile, and demonstrate gratitude for people's help. 

To this day, I have yet to have an inherently bad experience with a Grenadaian (although I have seen a few happen to other people). For the most part, people often return a smile with a smile. (I know, I've got a long ways to go, but I'm hopeful that this trend continues.) 

I've gathered that a respect, kindness, and even a little southern charm go a long way.

---

So, in an effort to stay positive and redefine "TIG", I'm going to start using #tig to describe this… 

and this... 

and this... 

and this... 

and this...

and this...

T.I.G. 

Confessions of a Newly Minted SAHM

A friend of mine recently lent me a copy of a book called "Change It Up". It has been incredibly fascinating to me because our little family is in a season of change. New places, new friends, new routines. 

New roles. 

It's enabled me to think openly about the changes that I want to implement in my life, and what better time than the present?

Considering I've been a working mom for the past four and a half years, I've found that there are a few things to which I've become accustomed, for better or worse. So, in this season of change, I wanted to make some goals as a newly minted stay-at-home mom (SAHM). 

1) I want to develop better patience. With myself, with friends around me, and most importantly with my family. Experiences helping take care of Laura's little ones made me realize that life is too short to not treat your family as though they are the VIPs of your life, because guess what... they are, and I want them to know that.

2) I want to be a better listener. As an extrovert, this has not always been the most natural quality for me, but daily I am recognizing the need to simply listen. I want to listen to others and truly help them be heard, especially Ryan and Adi. 

3) I want to cultivate an attitude of gratitude. During the month and a half in which Ryan and I have been away from each other, I have become more and more grateful for a wonderful, loving, patient, and talented husband. I knew he was a keeper to begin with, but being apart offers new perspective. In conversations we've had while we've been apart, Ryan has made observations here and there that remind me of how truly blessed we are as Americans and as members of the restored Gospel of Jesus Christ (The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints). As such we have a great responsibility to the world and I believe it starts with gratitude. 

4) I want to be more optimistic and positive. My best friend, Adriel, and I recently had a conversation in which she corrected me when I compared degrees of child development; to be honest I was a little embarrassed, she was right. She had focused on the positive while I had focused on the negative. She really helped me see that looking at the glass half full changed the attitude and tone. So I want to replace focusing on negatives to a habit of focusing on the positive (for example, when seeing a woman treat another woman rudely on the plane this morning I could say, to myself, "I really love it when people are kind and understanding", instead of saying, "I hate rude people."). Some of the words I would like to use more are words such as love, like, can, will, should, right, good, doable, prefer... I'm sure the list will continue to grow. 

5) I want to institute some kind of routine. I am flexible, spontaneous, and random, and want to continue being so; and I am confident a routine will help balance our med-school life. A routine will also help us see more of each other, build our testimonies, stay healthy, and learn more--I'm actually really looking forward to it.  

6) I want to get up, get ready, get going, and get out every morning. I am a social being and both Adi and I thrive with social interactions. We may have to instigate these interactions, and may have to adapt, but we'll both benefit from jump starting our days with a shower and planned activity. 

7) I want to develop new talents. At any age, learning something new is an adventure, and I'm excited that my new role allows me to do so. I want to learn to swim (better), snorkel, and to surf. I want to get scuba certified. I want to develop my photography abilities and jump start my consulting firm. I want to grow a garden and meal plan. It's never too late for any of these. 

I'm sure these goals will evolve over time and that I will come up with new goals as time moves forward, but I wanted to be ready to embrace change and meet it with a smile. 

So, let's change it up already! 

Raining

I was told this morning (by a Grenadian) that Grenadians are afraid of the rain because it's cold and if you go out in it, it will make you sick. Well, it's been cloudy and rainy all day and I am enjoying it because every once in a while a cloudy day helps you enjoy those that are sunny even more.

I thought that, having lived in the D.C. area, I knew a little about heavy rain. There was one day that I was in traffic creeping out of the city on 395. Everyone was going so slowly because the rain was coming down so hard and fast. I had the wipers going full speed but the water kept on coming and I could hardly see anything. Well, I was wrong thinking that was rain. Today it rained so hard that we could not hear each other in Sunday school. The teacher was literally yelling, as were those reading scriptures. Just when I thought it could not come down any harder or be any louder, it did (I had this thought three times). Looking out the windows all we could see was a wall of water. So much for our view of Grand Anse.

Speaking of rain, I used my poncho for the first time on Friday. It was raining hard and I waited as long as I could before I had to leave or else I was not going to get to lab on time. So I put my beach flip flops and my poncho on, covering my backpack. As I was locking the door, thunder shook the house (the thunder sounds and feels like it is right above you here) and I had visions of getting struck by lightening and not making it to lab. Fortunately, everything was fine. I walked down our road (which was also serving as a small river at the time) and the bus arrived right as I got to the corner.

Because All the Hernias

At work we would often have discussions about books, movies, research that faculty was doing, or something related to an elaborate, ongoing joke about IRB implications of making clones and cyborgs (I blame this one on our webmaster and am not even going to try to explain it). If we were unclear on some aspect of someone's research project, wanted to know what time it was in Arizona, or what characterized something/someone as a cyborg, I would usually quickly turn to Google.

As I was typing in "indirect vs. direct inguinal hernia" to help me visualize the differentiation (it's one thing to read that a direct hernia is medial to the inferior epigastric vessels and another to actually see a side by side diagram, which unfortunately isn't in Gray's), I couldn't help but realize how much my Googling has changed. 

Because all the hernias.

Speaking of work (and not hernias), I didn't get to see the actual products for this year's ORCA Grant campaign. My replacement was kind enough to take a few to Kenz so that she could bring them to me.

It's nice to see the product of hours of planning and design and hear that ORCA has had great response from faculty and students.

And here are the new pins for this year (showing how ORCA fits into any field of study - some of last year's are here).

Sounds of Grenada II

Ever wonder what one listens to while cruising around in one of these (and by cruising around I mean bouncing around trying to read my notes until we get to campus)?

Wonder no longer because here's some of the good stuff (really, I like it).

The amazing thing is that if you don't like the lyrics to this song I found there are at least seven to eight other versions with just the lyrics changed.

Do a little search on Spotify and you could get down to this "riddim" all day long.
(And check out an old original and the reggae-fied remake here: original and remake.)

Running Diagnostics

Let me be honest. Do I like it here right now? Sometimes. It's an interesting experience to be alone, yet feel dependent (I still feel so new to everything, feel culture shock every once in a while, don't have a car yet, etc ... And I still try to go out the locked door in the library sometimes -- one of the side-by-side doors is always locked.) There are days that I want to run back to everything that is familiar and comfortable, and I realize that I may have had an unhealthy attachment to Cafe Rio.

For example, after studying all day for an upcoming test, last night I started feeling the beginnings of what I undeniably knew was a fever (my back becomes tender and achy). As I curled up in the sheets and comforter (which I have only done this one time since being here) and started shivering, I thought to myself, "Great. Test on Monday and I have chikingunya  or dengue."

I shivered for an hour or so thinking things along the lines of, "Well, I guess it's nice to feel cold. How could a mosquito have gotten me? I have a morning bug spray ritual and I am inside all day." Visions of me freezing in lower Taylor Hall while taking my test ran through my mind until I eventually fell asleep and then woke up hot, which was also nice because, guess what, fever's gone. Still waiting it out for the day before deciding on a diagnosis (don't worry, I'd go to the student health center if I thought I had dengue or chikingunya), but I should be ok for tomorrow.

The truth is, I miss my people and especially my girlies. (Is it bad that sometimes I read our own blog and look at pictures of my family?) On Friday nights I miss pulling out our pillows and blankets from the linen closet and laying them out on the living room carpet to watch a movie with treats. I miss the smells of our home, easy access to everything, and I could really go for a Cafe Rio chicken salad.

This is not easy -- not that I expected that it would be. Life here is different. But sometimes I catch a glimpse of how I am being stretched through this experience and how I will be better for it. It's just a matter of having patience with my lesser days and working towards what I should become.

A ship is safe in harbor, but that's not what ships are for.

-- William G.T. Shedd

I Run to the Bus

I was a little late getting to the bus this morning and ran. I passed some locals and they laughed at me. Is it not normal for someone to run to catch a bus before it leaves here?

Maybe by next term I'll be too cool to run to catch the bus ... or carry a backpack full of books everywhere I go ... or wear my student ID and clicker around campus ... or sweat like a faucet after walking to upper campus to study at the library. Some things you just have to embrace, I guess. I imagine these are probably just a few of many things about me that say, "Look at me! I'm in term 1!"

In other news, this happened last Friday:

Only four more years and I'll actually earn it.

Bachelor Confessions

I have eaten the Grenadian version of Oreos (TeaTime made by Wibisco) and popcorn for dinner because, well, it sounded better than making anything else. **Post-editorial note: I just made the best black bean burgers ever. Don't worry, I do eat real food. And vegetables, too.**

I hang out in my underwear at home because it's just too darn hot and I'm too cheap to use the AC. Luckily I don't get visitors (or if I do I'm not home and on campus, but there have been Sundays when I have irrationally panicked thinking someone would come by).

The whole bed is mine and I use it all, too. This presents a possibly difficult adjustment when Kenz arrives but I have started a readjustment plan that makes use of a rolled comforter that is supposed to keep me on one side of the bed. Hopefully this training works out.

I wash my clothes in the kitchen sink because it's not worth the time or money to go use the washer. I don't iron anything because, hey, the humidity takes care of the wrinkles (either that or sweat).

I go to campus at 7:00 AM and am at home around 10:00 PM. So much for work-life balance.

I check the empty room and the shower for unwelcome visitors (human, insect, or reptile) before I go to bed at night. I have a vivid imagination.

My Saturday night is comprised of study with a few episodes of Bones or House on Netflix, accompanied by TeaTime and popcorn, of course.

I can't wait for my girlies to be here with me.

Locating Satellites

As I sit here typing, the frogs chirp from outside of my open windows and I hear the sounds of music playing from across the hill. Somewhere a dog barks and the breeze rustles through a palm tree. It rained last night and this morning, which cooled things down. This weather has been a nice respite from the usual -- sunny, hot, and sweaty.

I went for an evening run (evening being relative considering the sun sets around 6:00 PM, which I am still getting used to) and felt that I finally had some time to think. Sometimes it feels good to turn off the music and get a little lost. I actually did get a little lost and a little reflective, but it was nice.

The first couple of weeks of med school have been a blur. I study a lot. I have papers that I take along with me so I can study on the bus, while waiting in lines, or sometimes while walking. In fact, I was reading and walking past the bleachers by the courts on campus and I kind of hear a kind of insistent whistling but kept walking until I heard someone say, "Hey! Up there!" It was Michael (a local member of the church congregation I attend) trying to get my attention to say hello. I had been in the zone.

Things on my mind lately: 

1. I have no idea how I am going to learn everything I need to know. The more I learn, the more I find I don't know. This is a vicious cycle.

2. As I was riding the bus to school I looked out the window and realized that I am really liking Grenada. I love the view of brightly colored houses perched on forested hills that I walk out to every morning. The people are charming and I even had a breakthrough and found that I can get the stoic cashiers at the store to smile if you pause, and thank them while looking them in the eye and smiling.

3. There's a kid in my term named Gregory House. I learned this during the white coat ceremony. Everyone freaked out. I felt bad for him because he doesn't even look like Dr. House, but there are worse things in life.

4. It never ceases to amaze me that I can instant message my wife in real time and that my Garmin tells me how far I run by locating satellites.

Dr. Ryan

I admire my husband. 

A lot. 

He's got a week of med school under his belt, and I can tell he is working very hard. 

Up until the start of school, he was exploring the island and the beauty of Grenada's beaches, now he's exploring the beauty of St. George's library. 

Now instead of talking multiple times a day, we talk maybe once a day and text when we have a moment. (I'm glad that we're both busy because it is definitely making the transition easier.) 

He is a pretty incredible man. He cooked and froze all of his meals for the week on Sunday, scheduled out his 7am to 10pm an entire week in advance, read ahead for his classes, and acclimatized to 100% humidity without air conditioning. 

Now... All Adi and I have to do is help with the meals and stay out of his way.

He is seriously going to rock this med school thing. 

It makes me so grateful that we made this decision together. Seeing each other for only an hour a day is definitely going to have its challenges, but I am thrilled for the joy and excitement along the process. 

Heck... Ryan even started asking me about the antibiotic I had been on months ago and started explaining how it works and what it does to a virus' DNA. 

I'm pretty sure he's like a kid in a candy store. 

Either way, we're praying for him every day. (Feel free to send your thoughts and prayers his direction whenever you think about it.)

I'm looking forward to joining him... 36 days from now... #grenadaorbust

SGU MD

In July we bought my ticket to Grenada where I began an MD program at St. George's School of Medicine. Looking back, everything has seemed so ephemeral and yet so very formative and substantive. I wonder how the next years will compare.

While fleeting, it has been a longer road than I had anticipated, and to be honest Grenada is not where I pictured the road leading. When I received an interview offer from the University of Arizona in Tucson, it was like everything had fallen into place -- it was my top choice. When I interviewed I found that U of A had everything I could ever want -- connected to the hospital, early clinical exposure, a large hispanic population, etc ... I felt the interview went well but then I waited, and waited, and waited.

While waiting, I interviewed at Pacific Northwest University, which I also thought could be "the school." I liked their approach to OMM and even preferred some components of PNWU's early clinical exposure more than U of A's. I was wait-listed and I actively waited.

It was February and I had no concrete acceptance offers. I wasn't getting any younger and was not going to go through another application cycle. So, I applied to the only caribbean school that I would consider attending, St. George's University (see some reasons why here and here). I received my acceptance letter and was excited to know that I would be going to med school, yet I still held out for an acceptance elsewhere.

There came a point where I had to make a decision. I grappled with the reality of attending a caribbean med school. It was not where I thought I would be, nor where I had hoped to go. I realized that I would have to confront the stigmas (some hateful) I had read about on the pre-med forums about not being good enough or not attending a real medical school because I would be an international medical student. I told someone at Adi's gymnastics training where I would be going and his first comment was, "Have you ever seen the movie, 'Bad Medicine'?" (Very encouraging, right?) Yet I personally know students who have been very successful and placed in competitive U.S. residencies. My take-home message: it is what you make of it.

So, yes I am attending a Second-Chance Med School. But SGU gave me the chance to pursue my dream and is providing me the resources to excel. What I have learned being here is that SGU cares about their students and about our success, the university cares about the integrity of the profession and about the Grenadian community.

I am an international med student and I am gratefully taking this opportunity to gain a renowned education, through the study of medical sciences, learning from international classmates and faculty (who visit from universities like Harvard and Cambridge), and from living in and serving an underdeveloped nation.

Rainy Season

Rainy season has begun here in Grenada. Tonight a storm came through, just in time for Carnival, with thunder, lightening, and pouring rain. Let's just say I unplugged my stuff and found the flashlight, just in case.

 One of the mild storms earlier this week.

But these sporadic and sometimes intense rain storms sure make great rainbows.

Double rainbow outside of IGA.

Weekly Beach Review

I had a friend here tell me to enjoy the beauty of the island, and I am trying my best before classes start.

My first Saturday in Grenada we went to Grand Anse (which is also visible from the primary rooms at church).

(Today at church.)

Monday was pool day at the University Club, there's also a private beach there where we found some conch shells.

Not my picture (http://goo.gl/SR7Y9a)

On Tuesday we went to Magazine Beach (we actually went to another beach near Magazine that was amazing for snorkeling, but stopped by Magazine first).

On Wednesday, per recommendation from a local and also with some friends, we went to BBC (Morne Rouge) Beach. Great shade and fun snorkeling out in the grassy areas.

I forgot to take a camera (http://goo.gl/3UvTq0)

Unfortunately, my back got toasted while snorkeling here. It had to happen some time, though.

Thursday it rained ...
Friday we went to St. George's and I had registration at school ...

Yesterday, Saturday, a group of us went to La Sagasse.

La Sagasse is amazingly beautiful with trees for shade, a freshwater stream running into the ocean, and it is located in a nature preserve. I took the kayak out and enjoyed the view of the preserve from the water. It looks like something out of Jurassic Park from out there.

Here's a taste of it just from the beach ...

Week 1 in Grenada

In my effort to get as much information about what it's like in Grenada before I came, I heard one consistent message from everyone who has been on the island: "It's different." Every time I heard it said I thought, "What does that even mean?" I wanted hard facts, examples, etc ... But since being here I have realized that it is hard to explain, but it is true. It is different here and it's hard to pinpoint specific examples. It is hard to describe all of the cultural nuances or the impact on daily life of the lack of familiar systems and infrastructure. New smells, new tastes, new faces ... it's all a lot to take in and definitely hard to describe. One thing I want to emphasize, and perhaps this is also why others described Grenada as "different", is that different is not bad, it's just different.

A couple of obvious differences for me are that it's hot and humid and I don't run the A/C because electricity is generated by oil on the island, and oil is expensive (someone please come invest in solar infrastructure here asap -- it would be amazing). The roads are steep and in rough shape. Anytime I'm in a vehicle I feel like it could be my last few minutes on earth -- crazy drivers everywhere. I don't understand the locals most of the time even though we all do speak a version of the same language, English. I feel out of place, I ask dumb questions, people stare, I stare (mostly because I have no idea what is going on and I'm trying to figure it out). Food, especially familiar food, is more expensive, and while grocery shopping I often just stand in front of an item trying to figure out how much it costs in the currency I'm familiar with.

In some ways, I feel like I've been taken back in time several years and have started my mission all over again. But feeling like I did when I began my mission in Chile is both comforting and motivating, because for as out of place as I am feeling right now, I have first-hand knowledge that it will get better and I will be better for having experienced this place.

I think everyone here that I have talked to has their moments of, "Did I just make the biggest mistake of my life?!?" or "What do I think I'm doing?!?" I think this is completely natural and I have to remind myself of it. I wonder how often these moments of panic will continue to come along the way (especially once classes begin), but it helps to talk or write about it and know I am not alone to have felt this way at times.

So, lessons I learned from week one:

1. Even though I don't understand them over half of the time, Grenadians are generally wonderful people. They have genuine smiles, kind hearts, and have been very patient with me as I try to learn from them.

2. I have gained a deep respect for those who choose this path to medicine and hope to become like many of those who I have met who are in later terms. They are intelligent, competent, kind, and have sacrificed so much to become who and what they are. Med school is not for the faint of heart (I'll actually get a taste of it all in the next few weeks), but med school in a developing country presents other challenges for those, like me, accustomed to a cushy U.S. lifestyle.

3. It's okay to feel overwhelmed, things get better.

4. I will not die without A/C, although there was one night where I'm pretty sure I came close to it (fans are a lifesaver, also cold showers).

And I'm definitely no guru, but in my naivety I have discovered a couple of things that have helped me through the first week:

Bring something familiar. I can't believe how much of a difference it made in how I felt about the apartment to have replaced the shower curtain that was here with one from home.

Do something familiar. It's good to bring a familiar hobby. I brought running shoes and have had a great time seeing the island through an activity I enjoy.

Eat something familiar. When I first arrived, I was surprised by the cost of familiar foods and attempted to go all native. This only made me feel more estranged. I eventually just decided to buy some cereal and had it for dinner. While I hardly did this ever at home, it was a simple way to help me feel better about life in general. Go ahead, splurge on the Oreos every once in a while and eat your feelings.

Find something new. I found a conch shell during one of my first days at the beach that I have placed on my desk. It reminds me of good times here and reminds me there will be good times to come.

Try something new. I discovered snorkeling and I love it (I actually want to implement a Saturday Morning/Afternoon Snorkeling group to mix things up while in school, we will see if it happens). Who knew there were so many crawly things all around your feet out in the water?

Eat something new. Ever heard of guava cheese? It is awesome. Enough said. (Buy it from a heavier lady who has a stand in the middle portion of the spice market in St. George's. It is so much better than the stuff they sell at the store.)

And it turns out that breadfruit tastes like potatoes and is actually good with catchup.

More pictures ...

A couple of views of the drive that leads to our apartment.

Preparations

When our friends, Amber and Peter, were in Grenada, they said make sure you take any medication you might need... 

I took that literally and we decided that although it was unlikely we would be taking 72-hour kits, we were going to revamp our First Aid kit and be prepared. 

I made a list... (is that any surprise) 

And found an awesome L.L. Bean toiletry bag in red that would work as a bag to store all of our medications and First-Aid supplies...

I'm pretty sure we're prepared for just. about. anything.

(I'm sure I'll update over the next two years and laugh at how frivolous many of our preparations were--I'm sure to document them too!

The other thing I wanted to do, was gather our immunization records and have them in one centralized location.

But guess what.

That's harder said than done.

Holy cow.

Finnnnallly, after looking, prodding, calling, emailing, and visiting the doctor's office, I was able to get all of Adi's vaccination records, but I wanted them in one cohesive place, so I recreated the schedule I found here.

It's really weird for me to think that Adi is almost old enough for Kindergarten. Crazy!

Views for Days

I walked out of the apartment this morning to this beautiful sight ...

And went to church where this was the view out the window of the nursery (makes me want to work with the nursery kids again) ...

Part of me wonders if the novelty of this place will subside once I start classes and real life begins. But for now, I'm taking it all in.

Life in the Middle of the Ocean

It's hard to believe that I live on a 12 x 21 island in the middle of the ocean.

But it sure is beautiful.

I spent the day snorkeling on Grand Anse beach ...

with these champs (so glad to have great friends here) ...

But the highlight was face-timing with my girls at home.

Just counting down the days until they're here with me. 

Barbecue with St. George's Friends

One of the most amazing things about St. George's is the significant other (SO) organization on campus. It really is amazing. They provide a lot of information on housing, schools, travel, and simply what to expect. They even assign you a "Footsteps Buddy" that helps you get things squared away and to make sure you have a friend and ride from the airport. My buddy, Beth, has been so insightful about schools, where to live, Internet and phone information, etc! 

But, the close-knit feeling doesn't end there. In addition to the St. George's SO group, the group of students (and locals) who belong to The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-days Saints (aka the Mormons), have a small congregation down there that is incredibly tight-knit. So close in fact that we've already become friends with over ten student families who have either been down there previously or who are headed down there for the first time this fall.

Those who have been there on the island for 3rd term this summer have even helped us get our apartment squared away and offered to help with grocery shopping and schools. 

Really, amazing. 

Knowing that, and already being connected to many of them on Facebook, Ryan and I had a great idea... why not host a BBQ for the students who will be there this fall! New students would get to know old students and new students would get to know new students. A really great win-win! (Especially because I'm excited about having a group of friends down there when Adi and I arrive in September.) 

So, last night we hosted a little BBQ with eight different families. It was so much fun. We are already so grateful for these incredible families and their examples and friendships. The next two years will be such a fantastic adventure! 

Grenada or Bust! 

L to R: Anna, Laina, Tim, Me, Ryan, Jason, Lori, Megan, Kylee, Erin, Paul, and Brad

(Plus children... I didn't quite catch all of their names) 

"The List"

I'm in denial about being stressed.

I have a list a million things long. Work is stressful. Moving is stressful. Ryan leaving is stressful. Getting Ryan ready to go is stressful. Finding good renters was stressful. 

Mentally I keep saying "not stressed", but then my body reminds me in random  ways via sickness and fatigue. 

Oh well, it's worth the adventure in the end. 

One thing that's been an adventure (yet stressful) has been "The List". 

The list is an ongoing process, a living document if you will, of what to pack. Ryan is flying first class so he'll have three bags at 70-lbs a piece which is great. But even then, packing up the "essentials" has been crazy. Tomorrow we will start packing the house, but first we're going to start packing for Grenada (and more specifically Ryan) because heaven forbid we pack something at the bottom of a box that is at the bottom of a pile in the back of the storage unit. 

So without further ado ... "The List". 

(And for those of you who have lived in Grenada and/or abroad, if I've missed anything, definitely let me know!)