Impending Doom

Midterms are just a week away. Just typing that is enough to give me the heebie-jeebies. This semester has really flown by! Apparently, time not only flies when you're having fun, but also when you're paddling against the current, up a waterfall, while being chased by ravenous spider-pigs.

Okay, maybe a bit over-dramatic, but seriously... I'm having a blast - the people in my class are incredible. As I have said time and time again, SGU really encourages a cooperative learning environment so you will find that each class works together to help each other out and learn as a team, rather than competing for rank.

There is a ton of material to master before midterms but with exceptional resources provided by the school, the workload seems slightly more possible than completely impossible.  As you can tell, I'm in a "GO SGU!" phase.  Ask me tomorrow, I may sing a different tune.

We went out for a roomie dinner last Friday since we knew we wouldn't get off campus much in the next few weeks. We went to Le Boulangerie, (MY FAVORITE!) and O introduced me to the most amazing creation at the sushi restaurant next door. It's ice cream dipped in tempura and fried. OOOOHHH. EMMMMM. GEEEEEEE. Where has THAT been all my life?

Love at first bite. 

I also got a chance to sneak off to Prickly Bay and check that scene out with some of the girls in my class. What an amazing place! Definitely a tourist hang out, but they had live music and for the first time in a long time, I actually felt like I was on vacation! Here is a pic of guys on steel drums playing "Margaritaville."

The ambience ACTUALLY made me feel like I was on a Caribbean island!

In other news, my little sister, Tori - who I miss dearly - is in the process of teaching Levi and his cousins how to fetch the newspaper. Probably the coolest thing I have ever seen! I miss that little dude. :(

I've finally adapted to not having a clothes dryer. Can you believe it? I barely can. The only downside is these little guys sometimes hitch a ride to school without making their presence known till the end of the day. I found this little guy on the back of my sweatshirt... which I had been wearing... the whole day. NBD.

My favorite professor Dr. Pasquini, brought two one-day-old guinea pigs for us to play with the other day. It's days like these that I am rejuvenated by my career choice and remember why I am torturing myself incessantly.

This was another visitor for an exotic animal handling lab. Unfortunately, I was going out as he was coming in but I still got to scratch his shell and watch him actually wiggle his whole body like a dog does during a good back scratch. THE CUTEST!

Dover the 85-pound Sulcata Tortoise

Finally, the newest endeavors:

First, my genetics professor is allowing the top 10% of the class the opportunity to research alongside her graduate students for a gene annotation project. I'm still figuring out what the hell that means, so when I find out, you'll be the first to hear about it. But it's super exciting because it is my first formal research experience!

Secondly, Dinger and I have taken on a fundraising project to raise money for the safe transportation of homeless pothounds on the island to her rescue in Fort Collins. The project was wildly more popular than we could have possibly predicted and we ended up raising more than enough money for our first transfer within just a few hours of activating the website. There are so many incredible groups already in place that are dedicated to getting these dogs off the streets and getting them the medical attention they need. These groups will be ensuring that the dogs are in tip top shape to travel.

Check out the lucky pups that get to make the journey, here.

Well, that's all for now. I'm off to piece together the wonderful world of metabolism.

Harlem Shake

Yes, I know. It's a phase and it's everywhere. But some talented students at St. George's got together and took it to another level. You have to appreciate the Harlem Shake with a little SGU swagger...

Do I have to name it?

I know, I know. Sincerest apologies for such negligence. What a week it's been!

This semester, I'm taking ten classes which means I'm in class from 8:30am until 5:30pm on Mondays and Tuesdays, 7:30pm on Wednesdays and Thursdays and 8pm on Fridays. It's brutal. By the time I'm done with classes, I'm so mentally and physically exhausted I can barely form sentences. Sometimes I have to remember to... what was I saying?

Anyway, this past week was especially brutal because we had exams in 5 of our classes on top of our regular lecture schedule. My biochem prof even scheduled an exam OUTSIDE of regular class time! Meaning, we didn't even get a break from one lecture to take an exam! Is that even legal???

Despite it being one of the most trying experiences of my short little life, and despite the occasional moments like this, I am enjoying every second of it! I'm finally in classes about ANIMALS. Some of them are even ALIVE.

Last week, Dr. Mrs. Pasquini (I must clarify because her and her husband are both professors at SGU) brought 11 of her 17 dogs into class for a palpation lab. Not even dead ones! Real. Live. DOGS! This week, she brought her two parrots! It totally makes it all worth it. Don't get me wrong, I love anatomy. I'm sure Bill, (our dissection dog for the semester), was a wonderful dog but he's just not cutting it (pun tooootaaallllyyyy intended) as the kind of animal fix I need.

Sass level: DANGER.

So happy that this one is BREATHING!

I only like birds in a non-clinical setting because birds hate EVERYONE at the clinic.

This weekend has been all about catching up on lecture reviews and life in general. I came home on Friday night after the longest week of my life to find that we had NO RUNNING WATER. None. Not even a drop. All I wanted to do was shower the week from hell off me so I bought a large bottle of water (ice cold, I might add), grabbed the largest pot we had and went to town taking the most miserable "shower" of my life.

Things I will NOT miss about living in a third world country...

It suffices to say, I will not be doing that gigantic pile of laundry this weekend, as planned, but at least I have plenty of time to catch up on my school work.

 It's easy to get cooped up in the library too long and forget where I am, let alone the date or even season. The weather is no help either. Beautiful and sunny 365 days a year. I didn't realize it was Valentine's Day until about noon. Luckily, I am 3 hours ahead so I still had time to surprise the bf.

He loves pizza so this pretty much rocked his world.

I MUST get better about catching the sunsets. Only 200 more weeks left on the island...

Round 2 - Back on the "Rock"

After an incredible vacation and the always-painful goodbyes, my second semester at SGU was off to a fantastic start when I discovered that I was becoming quite the American Airlines VIP.  I had been upgraded to first class for free which not only meant that I got all the free food and booze I wanted throughout the 10-hour duration of my trip, but it also meant that I would be one of the first people OFF the plane when we landed on the island. This meant I would be one of the first people through customs!

Sunset over the Keys! Love the views from this flight. I also love that there were 18 dogs and 3 cats in the cabin of our flight! All the students get their big dogs certified as emotional support animals so the dogs can fly for free in the main cabin. So much fun!

Fresh-baked cookies and vino! Whose life is this?

For those of you who haven't been reading since the beginning, let me catch you up. Going through Grenadian Customs as a student is the most miserable, unjust, trying experience you will ever encounter on the island. It tests your humanity down to your very core. It turns pleasant and polite people into a pack of rabid, wild dogs. Customs officers are rude, unhelpful, dishonest and downright difficult people for reasons I don't care to understand. They charge a tax for electronics (laptops, iPads, cell phones, toaster ovens... you get the gist) that we own and will not correct you if, in your travel fatigue, you accidentally pay in US instead of EC (about three times more than you actually owe). Furthermore, after you've been the one waiting in line for 2.5 hours, they are impatient and rude to YOU and automatically assume that you are just as dishonest as they are. The amount of dirty looks and eye rolls an unsuspecting student can receive in a 30 second period is absolutely ASTOUNDING. I pity any and all who try to argue with one of these foul creatures.

Hopefully, you've gained some insight as to why I was positively beside myself when I realized I could bypass this hideous experience altogether.

Dinner and a movie!

Aaaaah. Back in my flip-flops. Much better.

As soon as I got off the plane, O and V were there to greet me with shandies and ear-to-ear grins. It was in that moment I realized how much I had missed them over break! We had had some unsuccessful Skype dates due to technical difficulties and time zone confusion - V lives in Singapore, O in California and I was in Colorado over break. In the cab ride home, I was informed that I had half hour to freshen up because we would be going to the Welcome Back party that SGU puts on at Aquarium. I got to see all my friends at once and we danced until the wee hours of the morning. Our friend Emily's parents own the bar, so when we got too sweaty and hot to function, we'd all take a break in the restaurant's walk-in cooler or dip our toes in the ocean at the bar's private beach. TOO MUCH FUN. I'll post pics when I get them off O's camera.

Our humble abode.

The roommates and I got all moved into our AWESOME new house within the first few days. We don't have a dryer so we have to hang our clothes outside like Little House on the Prairie. The newness of this hasn't quite worn off yet, so I still think it's fun. I'll update you later in the semester and let you know if that is still the case.

Just when I thought I had gotten my rhythm and had school figured out, my semester flipped a "U-ey."

I received an e-mail in the middle of the first week of school from the Director of Admissions, stating that after they had reviewed my undergraduate work and grades from my first semester at SGU, they had decided to promote me a semester. At first glance, I was elated! This would shave six months of my time on the "rock" and get me an entire semester closer to graduation. But that feeling was quickly replaced with anxiety and self-doubt as I scrambled to figure out which classes I would be in the next morning and who my new termmates were.

Needless to say, the first week was baptism by fire and while most of the students were taking advantage of "syllabus week" and out celebrating their first weekend back on the island, I was in the library frantically trying to catch up from the week's unexpected, (please pardon my French), ass-whooping i had just received. One illness, about a million hikes up and down the campus mountain, 5 trips to the registrar, 6 textbooks and 25 introductions later, I am officially settled into my second semester at SGU. WHEW!

Pretty much my view for the rest of the semester. Thanks, Dad & Ingrid for the iPad! :)

Half a ream of paper for ONE exam.... NBD.

The classes are fast-paced, fun and full of LIVE ANIMALS! That's right, we actually get to play with ANIMALS this term and the best part is, they aren't dead! We started doing a full work-up on a turtle this week. HELL YEAH! Blood draws and everything. Totally worth the wait.

First sunset of the semester.

Anyway, I gotta run. I'll post more pic of my adventures the first week and a half when I have time. XOXO

OH YEE, NEGLECTED.

There are only 14 chaotic, jam-packed, nail-biting, torturous solar days between me and the Motherland.

I'd be lying if I said I wasn't a tiny bit nervous to go home.  I've grown quite accustomed to having the weather be in the 80's, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. I didn't even bring a jacket down here. How will I get off the plane? I might die. I definitely did not think this all the way through.

You would think that campus would be dead with the impending doom of finals lurking just 7 short days away. But I'm finding the EXACT opposite to be true.

My little tanning pier on campus has been packed with students rushing to soak up those last carcinogenic UV rays so they don't return to their families paler than they were when they got here. (I'm totally guilty of this, by the way). It's quite comical.

O, V and I have been spending way too much time in the library. Here's how I know:

They actually FINED O $50EC for drinking coffee in the library. Doesn't that sound a little counterproductive to you? Who goes to the library WITHOUT caffeine? Not to mention, the unspeakable things students have to to do to scrounge up $5 for the coffee they just bought. Do you REALLY think we have $50EC to give you? Bollocks.


Anyway, BACK TO THE LIBRARY...  Here goes nothing. 

23 Days

In exactly 23 days, I will be back in the U. S. of A.. Just 23 days. Not so bad, right? It is unfathomable how much stress and anxiety can be packed into just 23 days. Yet still, only 23 more days.

This week has been an exciting one. O, V and I finally found a house! House hunting in Grenada has been unlike any house hunting I have ever experienced. You have to worry about things like "half month's rent" and whether or not the house has a washer but not a dryer. You see, most, if not all of the students leave the island on their breaks, so the good landlords allow you to pay only half month's rent during those breaks. This offers peace of mind, knowing exactly where you are going to live each month, as well as a safe place to store your things so you're not hauling them back and forth to the states. O and V have been telling me horror stories about seeing people on the beach wearing their clothes that they stored in on-campus storage so I am extremely grateful to avoid that saga all together.

Back to the house. It's amazing. It's in a super safe and GORGEOUS neighborhood called Lance Aux Epines, right off the bus route. We clocked it and it's about 7 minutes via car ride. An older couple owns it and they are only in Grenada a few months out of the year during colder weather. They will be staying in the apartment below the house when they are here, otherwise it will be vacant. Maid service here is a common amenity at a bargain of a price - each of us only pay $20US/month!

Tomorrow is V's birthday! We're celebrating by going to Grand Anse Beach and doing lunch at Umbrellas. YAY! TOO excited.

Ok, I finally got these pics from the camera we rented when Ding and I went snorkeling. It was a blast! Except the part where I got stung repeatedly by invisible creatures in water.

Ultimate MySpace photo. Only Ding would think of this pose. I died laughing when I saw this pic. 

Back to the grind. Ta ta for now.

A Quarter Life Crisis

Yesterday was my 25th birthday. It was a good one. I'd say definitely top 25...

It all started when I opened my birthday suitcase from the BFF and the BF.

What is a birthday suitcase? I'm so glad you asked. When you live thousands of miles away from the people you love and shipping is absurdly expensive and unreliable, your birthday presents come packaged in suitcases, rather than gift wrapping. Let me be clear - this is for the convenience of the gift giver. The gift receiver, on the other hand, has to refrain from opening said suitcase for weeks at a time with only a zipper between you and its contents. A very difficult endeavor, indeed.

Not to worry, Dinger & TheGabe... I succeeded even without an app for that.

The birthday suitcase was filled to brim with colorful tissue paper and thoughtful little trinkets and gestures. Initially upon opening the birthday suitcase, I was hit with heavy homesickness, which was immediately superseded by overwhelming gratitude and an ear-to-ear grin. What did I do to get so lucky?

TheGabe printed out and framed 14 pictures of himself. How... err... thorough. :)

Emma, my roommate, baked me a homemade carrot cake that was TO DIE FOR. She is a wiz with our new toaster oven. I know, you're impressed.

My suitemates from across the hall came over and sang me happy birthday! TOO CUTE!

Considering I am an ocean away, there were a lot more Facebook presents this year which I thought was absolutely adorable. Plus, there is nothing quite like the feeling of 100+ notifications on your Facebook homepage. Admit it... you like it! #newagekicks

My little sister made me a photo collage! LOVED IT! She also sent me this picture of my Handsome Doglet who I miss in an unhealthy way.

THE HANDSOMEST.

Awwwww! Squidward (the beautiful step-mommy) sent me a Happy Birthday E-mail from my boy. I'll forego the pictures my Dad sent me of the destruction my little angel caused in his backyard this past week. 

Dinger and TheGabe went around to all my favorite places in FoCo and sent me these pathetic photos of them celebrating my birthday without me. Sad.

Exotic guacamole @ El Monte... how I miss thee.

My MiniMe made me this which I thought was EPIC! Ugh. I miss you.

She is too adorable! 

I spent the day studying so that I could go over to our friend Emily's for movie night! All my favorites were there. We ate pizza and drank wine on Emily's incredible deck that overlooks a private beach. Ophelia and Val surprised me with a DELICIOUS coconut cake (this is the CARIBBEAN after all!) and a cute card. Then we did normal movie night things... you know... mani/pedis, braiding each other's hair, trying on all of Emily's wigs, etc.. And of course, indulged in some MAGIC MIKE. I think this is one subject that both men and women can agree on; Channing Tatum is HOT. It was all just a little TOO much fun.

Thoughtfully, O only added nine candles so as not to make me cry.

This is primarily for my records because I think it sums up EXACTLY how I feel about turning 25 and  would make good reading for those of you in or close to being in the Quarter Century Club.

Speaking of, I've decided to update my reading list for my breaks. Out with the Twilights and the Hunger Games, in with the self-help books, time-honored tales and historical narratives. Woo. Hoo.

And the Grand Finale, Dinger delivered ten eleven puppies, (ding was a little out of it when she gave me the original number), from a recently rescued adult dog. Mom took her time, but this little guy was born right before midnight on my birthday so he's my new birthday buddy! Ding had to revive the runt who came out last at around 4:45am on November 4th. Thankfully, all the puppies are healthy and safe. #thelifeofadogrescuedirector. NBD.

Welcome to the world, little man! You have the coolest birthday EVER.

I know. My BFF has THE coolest job. EVER.

Well, back to studying. The profs, in true form, have really piled it on us in the past week. Until next time.

St. George's this past full moon. Photographer: unknown.

“Live as if you were to die tomorrow. Learn as if you were to live forever.”
― Mahatma Gandhi