Grenada or Bust!

So this is it. The post you've all been waiting for... it's epic. As in looooooooonnnnnnngggg...

Um, actually, who am I kidding!? No one actually reads this ole' thing anyway. Here's to memories...

After years of research, months of preparation (including this), and weeks of packing...

...Adi and I set off on our Grenadian adventure on September 26th!

That day was a little cray-cray to begin with, but add a looming 4,000-mile trip, and it was insanity.

It started pretty early with my photo shoot at 8am in the morning, but it was soooo worth it when I saw Mar's handiwork. I'm pretty dang pleased with the outcome if I don't say so myself.  #vainmuch?

After photos, we ran some errands and did a little more packing before lunch. We hit up the Creamery on 9th for one last kids' cheeseburger meal with some of my favorite people (#ilovebyu) and I dropped Adi off with Chuy so I could go to the temple with Heidi. 

After getting home from the temple it was "go time." Here we gooooooo!

We had a late start, but after getting our three large Uhaul boxes, one large suitcase, two carry-ons, two backpacks, and the pillow in the car, we were late in the game, so we scurried North and met up with Adam, Erin, Tyler, and the kids in Lehi for a quick goodbye. 

I miss this sister. 

And Adi misses these cousins of hers. 

After our rendezvous at Wal-Greens, we headed up to Brad and Jennifer's for dinner. It was really nice to have our families get together, including grandpa!, and I really love my in-laws cooking, so that was fabulous too.  

Then, it was airport time. 

We all piled in two cars and headed for the big send off. (Let's be honest, it wasn't really for me, but rather, for a small human with long golden hair... 

On the way to the airport, it started raining and I was really worried about the boxes, but with a little prayer everything turned out okay. #stressedmuch 

That's when things became surreal. We were traveling, internationally, first class. 

First class. 

We pulled up to the Delta curb-side pickup and started getting checked in. 

Box #1, 70 lbs exactly. SCORE! 

Box #2, 70 lbs exactly. SCORE!

Box #3 and Bag #4 74 lbs... ouch! 

But with a little maneuvering, we had 4, 70-kb items, plus one car seat. Now that's what I call packing efficiency. 

We got our tickets, sent our bags on their ways, and said goodbye. 

"Caps, caps for sale! Fifty cents a cap!" (: 

Goodbye was hard for Adi and her grandparents who have become some of her best friends and it was hard for both of us saying goodbye to Grandpa, but in such a digital age, I felt like it was "I'll talk to you tomorrow" in a way. (Although that whole "talk to you tomorrow" thing has been hard with opposite schedules and the like.) 

Adi and I cried up the escalators and then put on our game faces. We made it through security without any snafus and headed to the gate. I was relieved when they said I could plane-side check my carryon which made life a heck of a lot easier. 

When it came time to board, a guy on our flight said, "hey are you McKenzie?", it was Bing, one of the St. George's students, who had been in the states for medical reasons; it was great to have a friend on the flight. 

Adi and I were the first on, and let's just say there's a reason you board first with kids. It was hectic to get everything squared away even without the extra carryon. But, with a little time, we got settled in our amazing first-class seats, had chilled water, blankets, and pillows and were ready for our 11:40pm take off. 

When we got in the air, Adi was. a. dream. She slept almost the entire time, and I got about three hours of continuous sleep before tossing and turning a bit. I did snap this though as we approached JFK. 

Seeing the sun rise from the air was incredible; the earth is really round (insert head slap here)! 

When we landed in JFK, we had about a 1/4 mile walk from our one gate to the other. It was during this walk that I realized that the blazer was missing. I resigned myself to the fact that it was gone forever, and was relieved when Bing was willing to watch Adi while I hightailed it back to the plane. 

The flight from JFK to Grenada was also pretty amazing. 

It started out with freshly squeezed orange juice and...

and a private tour of the cockpit.

#notgonnalie I was pretty dang excited too.

A first-class flight that's a red eye is great and all, but a first-class flight with food, now that was awesome. 

I should have taken more pictures of the food, but as you can see below, it was pretty good. Adi had cereal, yogurt, fruit, a bagel, and juice while I had an omelet, fruit, a bagel, and juice. 

(I'm actually ravenous right now, so that does sound rather divine.)

After eating, Adi slept. At one point (or actually, I'll admit 5 times) I got up to go to the bathroom while she was sleeping. I opened the door to find the flight attendant with my hysterical child. 

Soon enough we started our decent and we started to see azure waters and land ho! 

You know what the best thing about flying first class was? Being first off the plane and thus first to feel the warm, sticky climate and as we stepped into view of "Welcome to Grenada!" 

Then first through customs (five minutes), we headed to the baggage claim, where our friend, Bing was helping get our large-and-in-charge boxes off the conveyor. I had been worried about transporting all. of. our. luggage. from the secured area to where I would meet Ryan (and at this point my phone wasn't working and I didn't even have a number to call because I had Ryan's revived-by-apple phone), but a nice gentleman from the airport helped us get all of our bags and boxes onto two carts. 

Then we hit customs. 

I'd heard horror stories about going through customs and getting racked with charges, so I was skeptical. The man working customs wanted to start with the boxes, so we started the rigorous effort of opening them. 

I say rigorous because my parents had helped us double box, tape, and then re-tape with the special packing tape with extra lines in it we had purchased. It took us ten minutes to actually pop one open! I think the customs agent was disappointed with a pillow and clothes (why yes, of course he chose the box with my underwear on top!) and more clothes and random books and stuff.

Then, hoping for more discovery, he wanted to open a second. This time, it was a little easier to hack into a box, but still it took waaaaaayyyyy more effort than a zipper. (Insert: Adi was starting to get a little impatient at this point...) 

In this box there were even more secrets! A box within a box! (Ma'am, we'll need to open that.) 

Cut, cut, rip, pull, cut. 

Hummm... half-used bottles of sunscreen. Liquids. Hum.

At that point he asked if we had any electronics. To which I pulled my iPhone out of my pocket--that had been connected to my large, visible headphones and said, "I have my phone.?"

Closing the box in slight exasperation--there was another box and five more bags to go through, thank you Adi for being a little whiney at this point--he waved us on. 

Waved. Us. On. 

Did he care to ask if I had any other electronics? Or check the carry-on bags? 

Nope!

What a relief! Blessed be traveling with a child! 

The man who helped us collect our luggage helped us return and fifteen steps later we were out of the airport and about five seconds after that I saw Ryan (instant relief) and my physical reaction (no thought, just reflex) was to run and give him a HUGE hug! I couldn't believe it! Eight weeks apart and we were finally together as a little family again!

It was great to see him and finally be 'home'. 

We paid the man who helped us--Bing had told us it was about $2 a bag, and I'm not sure if that was $2 USD or $2 ECD, but either way, I gave him all the ones I had in my wallet--which at that point was $14 USD. He was so incredibly helpful! 

Ryan took me to the car where our new friend, Lori, was waiting--it was so thoughtful and helpful for her to pick us up--it was a tight squeeze, and when putting Adi in I realized I'd forgotten her carseat, so I ran back into the airport--oh wait, something you wouldn't have been able to do in the states--and grabbed it from the conveyor. 

The crazy, Grenadian thing, is that we didn't even use it because there. was. no. room. 

We barely all made it in the car!

Once back settled in the car, we were off! 

The first thing we'd noticed when we stepped off the plane, was the August-in-Washington, hot and sticky air. But the best A/C is 2-40, two windows down, 40 mph, so the breeze was wonderful. 

Ryan had previously mentioned that he had been surprised by how underdeveloped St. George's was, so I had tried to manage my expectations effectively. 

You know that movie you've been waiting go see? The one that looks so. dang. good. (Let's say "Vantage Point" with Dennis Quaid circa 2008. I was soooo excited to see it. It was a bust.) Well, most of the time when your hopes are up, you're let disappointed. However, the opposite is true. If,for example, you don't know much about a movie or have low expectations (Let's say "Edge of Tomorrow" with Emily Blunt and Tom Cruise. It was awesome!) you're bound to be pleasantly surprised. 

I had prepared myself for this...

With a little of this...

and this...

And possibly some of this...

And you know what, I was pleasantly surprised. 

Ryan said the roads were really bad, so I assumed dirt roads with humongous potholes. What I actually got was paved roads with medium potholes. 

I had thought--perhaps it will be like Mexico City or Marrakesh, but really much of the island is more developed than that. Now, don't get me wrong, there are shanties. 

Lots of them. 

High on the cliffs and hills, with no electricity or running water. 

But for many of the people, and all of the expats, there are most of the modern conveniences that Americans are used to having. 

The biggest surprise was the hills.

Lori drove us home, and as we were going up and up and up this driveway that was pretty steep, I wasn't quite sure when we were be there. Come to find out, right as I started to panic a little about possibly rolling, we were there. 

Home! 

We hauled our boxes and bags out of the car and made it into our little apartment. 

Now, you have to know that a few weeks before, someone said, "I hear it's pretty bad." 

Come to find out, no one had even seen it. They were basing it on Ryan's comments of "It's okay." Like a huge game of telephone from "It's okay" out of Ryan's mouth to "I hear it's pretty bad" to me in Utah, I had low expectations. 

But honestly it was the most surprising thing about the whole experience! It's a two-bedroom with a bathroom and a small living area. We have mango, soursop, sugar apples, avocados, passion fruit, and cocoanut here in our yard! We have a cleaning lady and a security guard, and an amazing landlady. 

It's perfect. We settled for about 20 minutes until we found our bathing suits and headed to the beach. 

Awwww. the beach. 

Grand Anse. 

We spent the afternoon there at the opening social for the SO organization.

Afterwards, we made it home--together--which was a great way to end a crazy eight weeks of being apart. 

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! 

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.)

Never Say Never

Growing up, I swore I would never homeschool my children. And, although my sentiments are much the same, I am the first to admit... never. say. never.

A lot of people have asked if I'm nervous about moving to the Caribbean and the short answer is no; I am ecstatic! When else would we have ever had this opportunity!? Perhaps it is that I've already lived internationally, or that I'm not an overly anxious person, or even the fact that I'm secretly (or not-so-secretly) looking forward to a "break".

But, the one thing that has caused insecurities and nervousness is making sure Adi thrives in all areas, especially academically.
When we first made the decision to matriculate at St. George's, I started doing research about the various educational options for Adrielle. She had already been in a year of an academic-based preschool and if she had stayed for a second year would have read at a third-grade level going into Kindergarten. I was a little apprehensive about where to send her, and whether to enroll in Pre-K or Kindergarten, so I started to learn about options.

From what I found there were four viable (private-school) options:

Grenada Montessori, a private Montessori school with a school day from 8:00am to 3:30pm. It was the most expensive option at $250 US a month, and it had excellent pros including a Spanish-immersion program, individualized attention, and great math curriculum. Cons however included being less teacher-led, a long school ay for Pre-K/K and the fact that cursive was taught first.

Grace Lutheran, a private Lutheran school with a school day from 8:30am to 1:30pm. It was less expensive at $180 US a month, and also had great pros such an after-school program, a classroom setting, but it also had a long day as far as American standards go.

I was left a little hesitant so I kept looking.

Miss Pat's, was a great little option. It was a less-structured, private preschool that was cheaper and flexible, but not as academically rigorous as I hoped.

And finally, the GAP that I had heard so much about turned out to be the Grand Anse Playgroup; a nice daycare and play group for significant others and their children.

When all was said and done we were heavily considering Grace Lutheran; but something in the back of my mind kept nagging.

Finally I decided to call Mrs. Herrera, Adi's preschool teacher, to seek some advice. During our hour-long conversation, I felt very strongly about a thought that had crept in over the few weeks I had been researching, and decided that at least for this Pre-K/K year I was going to homeschool Adi. Mrs. Herrera said she would be happy to help in any way; she had homeschooled her own five children.
I immediately felt a mental burden lifted and felt confident and happy with our decision.

We decided if we were going to do it, we were going to do it right, so we invested in Brainquest flashcards and workbooks for Pre-K and Kindergarten, sight word flashcards, math workbooks, fake coins and clocks, Dover educational coloring books, maps, an iPad, Hooked on Phonics, an abcmouse.com year subscription, and a plethora of art supplies. I even threw in a small American flag. Overkill? Maybe, but considering I have to have everything I might need 4,000 miles away, I think I'm good.

Plus, the Grace Lutheran extracurricular activities are something in which others can participate, so Adi starts dance on October 1st.

So there you have it, I'm a [temporary] homeschooler.

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

The Silver Lining

I’m pretty sure that in life, when we look back, we’ll see the silver lining that sometimes evaded us. But, life is good, and often in retrospect things make a little bit more sense. 

I’ve thought a lot about this lately as we’ve embarked on a new adventure, started blogging again, and as new friends have commented on old blog posts here and there. 

In particular, I’ve thought about buying our home, our road to medical school, and the loss of my second pregnancy last winter. All three have been crazy, emotional whirlwinds. They were trails and blessings. They are all gifts for which I am grateful. Each of them reminds me of my favorite scripture from the Book of Mormon:

Alma 26:12 "Yea, I know that I am nothing; as to my strength I am weak; therefore I will not boast of myself, but I will boast of my God, for in his strength I can do all things; yea, behold, many mighty miracles we have wrought in this land, for which we will praise his name forever.”

Through God the Father and His Son, Jesus Christ, we can do anything. He truly lifts us up. 

Acknowledging the blessings that come through trials is often one of the ways I recognize the hand of The Lord in our lives and grow in the realization that I am weak. This is especially true now.

Two and a half years ago when we debated about buying a house it was frustrating, exciting, exasperating, and thrilling all at the same time. We didn't want to move AGAIN, but were excited about the prospect of earning equity while we prepared for med school. 

Looking back it is one of the many miracles. We had no idea when we purchased our home that it would be a small source of income to us during the transition from two incomes to none. We are grateful. 

In addition to our home, the path to medical school has been challenging yet rewarding. We experienced the excitement of secondaries and interviews as well as the frustration of rejection and waitlists, but looking back, it has been right for us. I will have the opportunity (because of Visa laws) to be a stay-at-home mom which is both incredibly exciting and positively nerve wrecking. I have the opportunity to serve Ryan as he prepares to be a physician and provide for our futures. I have a lot of emotions about leaving my career, but have learned so much over the past ten years about who I am, who I want to be, and the abilities that make me unique. (Who knew that after four years at BYU, I would decide to start my won consulting firm!? More on that to come…) Looking back, our road to medical school has been one of the many miracles. We are grateful. 

Finally, in retrospect, we look back on the loss of my second pregnancy as a beautiful growing point in our relationship together, as a family, and with our Savior. I recently re-read my post about it, and it’s incredible to see how the hand of the Lord is ever present in our lives. He knew that we wanted to know we could have another baby, but that it wasn’t the right time for that little spirit. And we are grateful that He knew better. We were already crazed in July. I cannot. imagine. what life would have been like with the a newborn and trying to recover while moving, sending Ryan off, finishing up my job, etc. We aren’t worried about infertility, we know that when the time is right we will be blessed with more children—I think heading to Grenada with one is just fine. She’s seriously the best thing that has ever happened to us. Looking back, this has been one of the many miracles, and we are grateful. 

Ryan has been in Grenada alone for 22 days. It has been challenging, but we have consecrated ourselves to this path to medicine and have chosen an attitude of gratitude. We know it is not an easy path and not for the faint at heart. We have been richly blessed to be where we are and want to make sure that we acknowledge the silver lining as it happens. 

Life is good. 

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!

Is This Real Life?

Do you remember seeing the "David at the Dentist Clip" from a few years ago?

That's kind of how Ryan and I have felt over the past week...

We're moving to the Caribbean.

We're moving to the Caribbean?

We're moving to the Caribbean!

#isthisreallife

---

Last week was crazy. Literally.

One of the craziest ever.

Moving out, cleaning, packing, sending Ryan off to the Grenada, moving to my parents', getting our renters in. Whoa.

If it weren't for some amazing people from our ward and our families, it wouldn't have happened.

Seriously though, Stace, you were a life. saver. I'll owe you forever.

Stacey and Steve. We seriously love these two. Gorgeous. (our kids just need to grow up and get married already)

I didn't finish packing and cleaning until Friday (after Ryan was already gone) with more help from our families, but it was a whirlwind.

Evidence of the madness...

Everything we own in one 10x15 storage unit. 

---

Friday morning at 3:30am, Ryan, Jennifer, Adi, and I headed to the airport. Unknowingly, Ryan and I were both praying (pleading, begging, etc.) for one thing: that the bags would be the right weight.

He had three bags at 70 lbs a piece, and although we first weighed them in at 50-60 lbs a piece, there had been a lot of shuffling.

We got to the airport (Ryan had already checked in on his phone) and proceeded to check the weight of the bags.

68 lbs... yes!

70.10 lbs... umm...

75.00 lbs... yikes!

But, with a little shuffling (we were literally placing Ryan's oil canvases one by one on top of the suitcase) we got it down to a svelte 70 lbs exactly, 70 lbs exactly, and 69.50 lbs.

Seriously! There was not room for another granola bar or pen anywhere in his checked bags, carry on, or personal item (and heaven bless our new friends Laura and Jared for telling us a pillow didn't count, because that's where we hid some of the sheets)!

We got the bags squared away weight wise, but because of the embargo, we had to be escorted by our new friend American Airlines friend, Walt, to the desk to be checked in manually. (The desk agent seemed really annoyed with the fact that our bags were at exactly 70 lbs. She stared at it for ten seconds, willing them each to be over. I was thrilled that they were the right weight and beyond grateful!)

After that, Ryan came back to the car and wished us all good bye.

Ryan and Adi - 8/1/2014 - 4:00am 

Ryan and Adi - 8/1/2014 - 4:00am

It was a quick goodbye--we were all tired at 4:00am, but in a flash, he was off!

I stayed up texting Ryan until his flight took off at 6:00am, but I loved this iMessage later in the day that he sent from his Miami to Grenada flight...

"Warm nuts are the best thing about First Class" 

Love him.

Only 54 days until Adi and I join him!