video top of the world

Leaving on a jet plane

I cannot believe that I will be having lunch with my family this weekend. I am very excited. The only draw back is I will be leaving Shiloh here, and I have to confess my obsession with that dog. So, D and I were making the "stuff to bring back" list, and how cool are you when you are all excited to put new flip-flops, and makeup on the list! And if you have ever meet D, you know he is all like, just the essentials, but after 5 months of living on just the essentials, even he was happy to put things like more towels on the list. I am telling you, making that list seems like Christmas. It is strange to think that most of those items I normally had and really would not have been thrilled to have them as Christmas presents, but I am so looking forward to bring back some sharp knifes for the kitchen, and some of those sweater hangers that hang in your closet. No we don't wear sweaters here, but we don't have a dresser, so all of our folded things don't really have a place to go. I am not complaining just excited to be bringing back all these luxury items.


So, one of the blogs that I read is call the Nester http://www.thenester.com, and it has been all about getting your home more in the summer season. You would think living in the Caribbean, where it is summer all the time, this would seem pointless. However, I decided that I could do a few things to help "cool" our home.

I borrowed these flowers from the yard to set on the table. Thanks mom for giving all of your flower skills to your youngest daughter! I also put a white sheet on the couch, and it does look a bit more summery now. We went to the beach and I found this great sea shell, but Shiloh was so sure that it had to be food, that she would not leave me alone about it, and I finally just had to give it to her. She of course broke it, then after about 30 min of trying to eat it, she buried it in the sand. Speaking of the beach, I just could not wait to get my new waterproof camera to get some pictures, so I took my camera.

 That is the beach, this is on our way, and it a great view. You can kinda see how clear the water is, but it is much better than this picture shows.

Me, showing off my great hat, that my mom sent me! We walk over a mountain to get to this beach, it is about a 20 minute walk, but at the top is the most amazing view. I will upload a video that I took at the top. My internet is really slow right now, and it will not upload. So excited to be coming back to the states!!

What is that green stuff poking out of the ground?

The two week mark. That is right, it has two weeks since finals, and I have to tell you this week has flown by. In the last 2 weeks it has rained at least once everyday. Some days it has just rained the entire day. The place is really starting to look alive again.

Can you believe all this green stuff poking out of the ground. Shiloh has been thrilled with the rain. She so enjoys scratching at the door, and not standing still so that we can wash her feet, but instead tracking mud half way though the house, while we chase her with a towel. Also notice the nice football that was bought for her to play with, and carried from the states taking up space in the luggage that I could have packed another shirt, and look at that great stick. Oh, great, look a stick, who cares about toy, sticks!! Nice! So, I have come up with a plan to buy Shiloh these boots, and make her wear them, and then just take them off when she comes inside.

D says that will never work. But he also said that if I do buy them, then I have to get the blue ones, because the other dogs will make fun of her in pink. I will not be getting the blue, for sure! In other important news, we have our flights and plans all worked out, and I am so excited to leave that it is hard to wait around.

We have been doing some studying this week, and I have never been one of those people who studies something, and then thinks they have what ever problem they have learned about, BUT I am studying about parasites and you know almost all of them are in the tropics. Also, we now live in the tropics. We, rarely get sick, but I have been sick once, and D twice since we have been here, all stomach issues. I am just saying, the symptoms seem to fit some of the parasites. Not like the ones that live in you forever, but some cause you to be sick for a week or two, and then your immune system wins, hopefully. We have a filter for our water, but D has been searching on the internet for some higher quality filters. Great topic, I know. At least I am not making you watch any more homemade videos. For a much more intellectual topic, D and I have been discussing what we will eat at the airport on our way home, yes this is crazy, but we are so obsessed with really unhealthy food. I mean like Taco Bell and McDonald's bad.

Shiloh will not be coming home with us, we have a pet sitter. She will be staying with 3 other dogs. She will probably forget completely about us. I am sure there will be sticks in the other yard, so at least she will be entertained.

Oh, almost forgot, I have to tell you this great story. J our landlord's son is 6 years old. So he was at school talking to his friends and he was telling them about us. So one of his friends ask him if we were white. This is his reply, "hmm, ...... well, ..... no, more like peach." Isn't that the sweetest thing ever, I mean I was kinda going for khaki , but peach is probably more accurate. R, my landlord told me, and we both thought it was just the best story.

I hope everyone has a great 3 day weekend! Happy Memorial Day

Ok, this is addictive.

I made a movie

BBC Beach is the Best

What a great week. NO studying. So it has rained like 3 days but I have caught up on some much needed sleep, and my house will is no longer unsuitable for animal. Finals can get really messy. We went to the gym, and it was nice to get a good work out done, and just listen to music on the ipod instead of trying to read notes on the treadmill. Today we took a hike to BBC beach. This beach is just on the other side of a mountain across the street from our home. One of our friends K, had promised to take us, so we met her today. You kinda need someone to show you the path, it is certainly not a road, and the path goes thought several peoples yards, and across some ruff terrain.It was only about a 20 minute hike and was totally worth it. Shiloh of course had no problem with the hill, as she is part mountain goat. The beach was so great, very few people, and the water was perfect! Very calm water and super clear, I could see bottom easily when I swam out to about 15 feet deep. The beach is kinda of in a cove setting and there are not really any big waves. Shiloh was quite happy about this, as she must bark at the large waves, because they are after us. There is also a small restaurant there, and one of our friends works there. He ordered us some chicken and chips, and wow, really good fried chicken. With a great big glass of coke. What a day!! I am so tired now, the sun and the beach always makes me so sleepy.

I know one dog that will sleep good tonight. If only every week was this good! I can't wait to share this place with friends and family when they visit, the only thing better that going yourself is sharing it with others.

Term 1 is OVER

So term one is officially over. The grades, the grades. So we have still not gotten our biochemistry grade back, hopefully tomorrow. So Anatomy B, Histology B, and if you remember that we got an A in Ethics. So that is for me and D, so far we have made the same grades. We have been refreshing the biochemistry like every hours, but nothing yet. So, the weirdest thing happened Friday, it rained the entire day. It never rains here and we are in a huge drought, but really, on our last final, when everyone wanted to go to the beach to celebrate?!? So, we did not get to go to fish Friday, as everything outside was canceled due to the rain. We did however catch up on some much needed rest. Yesterday we went hashing, which is really interesting. This group gets together on a different part of the island every other Saturday and they have these trails made and everyone hikes them. There were four trails done, and the hardest was called the iron man. D and I went with our Landlord R and her friend C, and they were like, "you guys wanna do the ironman trail?" So we did, and come to find out, studying 24/7 for 4 months does not get you in the best shape.

This is at the beginning, we haven't even gotten in the woods yet. Not normal woods either, like the Rain Forrest. We climbed this mountain and it was straight up, and they had ropes to help you pull yourself up, I mean crazy steep. If you let go of the rope, you would roll down a couple hundred feet. it wasn't like a cliff strait down, but you would not be able to stop. The whole hike was 3 hours long. Then there is a big party afterwords with a band and food and drinks. Because it was our first time we were hashing virgins, and we were initiated. They told us that they had a certificate for us to stand in line, once they got all of us virgins in an area they sprayed beer all over us. I know, fun right? But they really did have a certificate for us with our names on it and everything! We felt so special. I will defiantly go back, maybe next time we can take Shiloh along, several people had their dogs and she loves to hike, so it would work out well. Oh, and the hash was all the way in St. Marks, so we had never been there, and now we have.

Here is the website if you want to read about it.

We are so tired today, but it was so refreshing to be outside doing physical activity instead of indoors behind a book. So, term one is over, we should know our other grade soon, but we do not think it is a passing/failing kind of issue, so we can say that we are 2nd termers now! It has been a crazy 4 months. Moving to a different country, studying harder than I have ever imagined, and coming to a place where I did not know a single person except D and of course Shiloh (who is a dog, I know). It has really been an adventure, and sometimes scary and sometimes hard, but term one is over and I am really proud of myself and D! Thanks to all you, family and friends who have given us your support! We miss you!