YOLO

Blog·ging: verb. 1. to put off till another day or time; defer; delay.

I really, really, reallllllly don't want to study right now, but I have had too much Red Bull to not be productive so I have decided to procrastinate via blogging. Forgive me if the following ramblings are jumbled beyond recognition due to my current caffeine-overdosed mental state.

So much has happened since my last post. Where to begin? I suppose chronological order would be a good way to go. 

Black Sands Beach by my dorm

Last week we had our first Tsunami Warning. There was a 7.9 earthquake off the western coast of Costa Rica. Now, for those of you geography gurus out there, you're probably thinking that's the wrong side. Well, you're right. The NWS Pacific Tsunami Warning Center mistakenly sent out a Tsunami warning to the entire Eastern Caribbean. Fail. 

About 2 hours after the initial warning was sent out, the school finally decided to tell us that the NWSPTW was "just kidding." Not cool, people. Just. Not. Cool.

I've been attending lectures about how to get the most out of lectures over the past few weeks. The SGU Department of Education Services has been hosting workshops on study tips, note-taking, time management, and multiple choice test-taking - all of which have been extremely helpful. I can't get over how many resources are available to the students here. It's such a small school, so the amount of individual attention each student gets is refreshing compared my previous university of 25,000 students. I can tell you that, so far, what they have been showing me has been working because I've gotten A's on all my tests so far! Please, save your applause for the end. :)

St. George's

 I still absolutely love Grenada but have struggled a bit with some of the adjustments. For example, I have to buy bottled water which is expensive. The tap water, even when filtered, was making me sick. We don't always have hot water first thing in the morning, which would be fine if our dorm wasn't FREEZING because of the air conditioner. But the positives DEFINITELY outweigh the negatives. This is a funny picture my roommie caught of me "studying" on the campus pier. You can't see it, but I DO have a highlighter in my hand with my hand on my textbook... I call it studying by diffusion.

I'm working really hard in school, I swear.

I have developed a new love for Indian food. Holy cow. This wonderful woman makes the best Samosas on the planet. Actually, I can't really say that since hers are the first I have ever tried. But regardless, they're amazing. For those of you unfamiliar with Samosas as I was before I got here, they are basically savory roasted vegetables, curry and love wrapped up in a flaky, delectable pastry shell. She sets up a huge buffet every single day in the gazebo on the upper side of campus. I can't tell you how grateful I am for this because it is the only form of food I can get without having to hike down the mountain in between classes. She also has a ginormous cooler with Redbull in it. I'm developing a slight addiction to caffeine, (insert health warning/risks here).

I went home last weekend to be a bridesmaid for one of my best college friend's wedding. The day before I left, I pulled this little gem out of the jar Dinger made me.

 Why yes, yes it is. Creepy, right?

Sunrise on Black Sands Beach before my flight.

When you all come to visit me, make sure you sit on the RIGHT side of the plane for the BEST views. :)

It really was bittersweet to leave this little rock in the Caribbean Sea that I have grown so fond of in such a short time. I was SO excited to see all my favorite roommates from college. We haven't all been together since 2009 and we were all flying in from all over the place. Molly from her position on Capitol Hill in Washington, DC, Lindsey from Law School in San Diego and me from the Caribbean. Dinger picked us all up in a LIMO and the rest is a blur. Oh, and I sat next to Hank Azaria at the Miami Airport. The extent of our conversation was:

Me: "What flight are they boarding?"
Hank: "MIA to JFK"
Me: "Cool, thanks."

OMGosh!!!!!! I decided to take the "celebrities-don't-phase-me" route. But really, I WAS FREAKING OUT! I thought it would be rude to be like, "OMG, CAN YOU SIGN MY BOOB?"

Kidding. I would never do that...

SPRINGFIELD REUNION 2012!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I absolutely ADORE these girls. Please excuse Tato's (Molly) face. She has no manners. The bride was getting her much needed beauty rest for the big day that night so she is not pictured.

SUCH a gorgeous bride. And can I brag for a second? She did her hair and makeup HERSELF.   Gorgeous. 

The next day was Stinky's (Christina) wedding. We all met in her bridal suite for brunch and mimosas and to exchange presents. We all pitched in and got Stinky a naughty "gift basket" and she gave all of us bridemaids adorable pink flasks with our name's engraved on them. THE CUTEST. The wedding was beautiful and I was honored to be a part of it. They are such an inspiring couple. And Eric (her husband) is one of those people who we immediately accepted (probably much to his dismay) as one of the girls. We all love him dearly.

This picture portrays them perfectly. <3

The bridal party.

From left to right: Tato, Dinger, Stinky and me. Wish Tree (Lindsey) was in this pic! Tato, get on it!

For those of you who don't know, that's my tall, dark and incredibly good looking boyfriend, Gabriel, on the left.  Can you see why we call Lindsey, Tree? Cheers! :)

It was a short trip, but SO worth it.  I took this picture after cleaning out my wallet when I got back to the island. It made me smile because it reminded me of what an INCREDIBLE summer I had this year.

You know you've had an amazing summer when your coin purse has currency from all over the world. 

 I jumped right back into school the very next day which has definitely kicked into high gear. I'm stressed and busy and don't have time to breathe let alone eat during the week so I apologize for the inconsistent posts. I took this picture of one of my professor's hand writing. If you can read ANYTHING on the board, I'll give you a cookie. That's a lie. I'm broke as a joke. How about a high five?

Adding to his existing condition of "five-year-old handwritingitis" is the fact that
he REFUSES to erase the board all the way when he runs out of room. SO annoying. 

This weekend I got to let off some steam at my friend's birthday party. It was hosted at her parents' wine and tapas bar called YOLO and was an absolute BLAST. YOLO stands for "You only live once." So fitting. The setting is this incredible part of the island called Port Luis Marina. The balcony of the restaurant was right on the water overlooking the dock. We met a Yacht crew who were sailing to Trinidad & Tobago the next day to get it worked on.  They took us on the boat (ship?) which was parked about 20 yards from the restaurant's patio, (SO COOL!). What an awesome job. They just sail this thing around until the owner needs it. If I flunk out of vet school, you'll find me on a yacht! (Just kidding, Dad.) But this is a common occurrence for Grenada. A lot of  yacht crews port here and you'll run into them at any of the whopping 5 bars on the island.

These girls are TOO much fun.

On the Yacht. NBD.

Second celebrity sighting of the past two weeks: I met Dr. Pasquini, DVM, MSc, ABC, XYZ, GYM... who teaches veterinary anatomy at SGU and also wrote SIX vet anatomy textbooks. One of which I have already studied from in a Comparative Domestic Animal Anatomy course I took in my undergrad at CSU. Not going to lie, the nerd in me was TEN times more excited about this celebrity introduction than Hank Azaria. Don't worry, I didn't ask him to sign my boob either...

Sorry, I know this is a long one and I won't be offended if you need to get back to your regular lives. There's just SO much to tell you! I'm almost done, though, I swear. As per usual, I have a new fruit to tell you about. The West Indian Cherry. Love it! Ophelia introduced me to it when she cooked me dinner the other night. She's such a little Suzy Homemaker. And Ophelia's Signature Salad? Delicious. 

Ultimate school spirit. SGU shot glasses. 

 Alright, alright. I have no more excuses. My room is clean, my laundry is done, my blog is caught up.... back to studying. Cheers from the Caribbean!

It takes a lot of courage to release the familiar and seemingly secure, to embrace the new. But there is no real security in what is no longer meaningful. There is more security in the adventurous and exciting, for in movement there is life, and in change there is power. - Alan Cohen