Happy New Year! (Sorry for the Late Post)

Hello World.  I am so sorry for not posting sooner but I went home and Christmas plus New Year's happened so....yea.  My bad.  And yes it is 12 days past the new year and I still think it is an appropriate greeting.

Life has been happening.  Since I last wrote, I attended the MD4 White Coat Ceremony.  I had a few friends to graduate and I will admit that I cried.  I spend an awful amount of time in the library and everyone that I would be in the library with is now gone except for a few.  It was a great ceremony.  It includes a few teachers speaking on how the students professional careers may be, reciting the Hippocratic Oath and of course, receiving their white coats.

After the ceremony, I proceeded to study and pass my courses better than I did in MD1.  I was so proud of myself.  Woohoo!  So maybe, if I want to, I can be a tutor for something but I have some other plans that I will disclose over time.  The big news is that I am now a MD3 student which means I only have 8 more months on this island left.  Sounds great but it can be or not!

So over Christmas break, I did do something useful and became an American Heart Association BLS Instructor.  I am proud of myself for doing something productive besides going shopping, eating all my favorite foods and gaining 10 lbs.  I say all of that but it really did happen.  Christmas with my family includes a lot of eating so I made sure to make up for all the homecooked meals that I missed out on especially at Thanksgiving.

I flew back to Saint Martin from Raleigh Durham Airport or RDU this time because it was cheaper to stay with my grandma for a night or two than to fly from Anguilla this time.  I must say she continued to feed me.  Now I feel like I have eaten an entire pig and I have to get back to eating right like I was before.

This semester will be a little different with new people joining the island.  Students and teachers included.  As well as new classes with different teachers.  This semester does have a longer schedule with classes 8 am to 5 pm each day but they all serve their purpose.  I am very optimistic although it is Day 4 of class but I am sure that I will be busy this semester for better reasons than none.

I will also mention that I moved again but I think this will be my final move on the island before I leave.  I probably wouldn't recommend all this moving however I can say that I had a very good tour of the island because of it.  I am now close to the ferry and am back to the alarm clock of roosters and chickens.  Oh how I missed it so much I had to find another place with the blessed sounds.  I will upload some pictures after I am completely settled but as for now, I have to get back to studying.

To everyone else, be safe and keep God first!
In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths.

Proverbs 3:6, KJV

My First Week Exploring Anguilla and St. Martin

Well, when I left off last, I was just getting to the island and I had not eaten a complete meal since Friday.  Well on Monday, that all changed.  I finally ate something.  But how?

Mosquito Problem in
St. Martin sign

Well I got on Facebook and communicated with some of my fellow classmates to see who was on the island and their experience thus far.  I came in contact with one of my peers who still had her mom in town.  They came and picked me up so that we could go to Shoal Bay.  I had not seen the beaches in Anguilla yet so I was very excited to go.  The beach was beautiful.  We ate at the restaurant called the Madearimen and they had really good tasting food.  Although we were at the beach, we didn’t swim at the beach.  We concluded the evening by going to the grocery store called Best Buy and swam back at the hotel, the Royal Palms.

The next day, we went to St. Martin to explore the island before her mom had to go back home.  We took the public ferry which cost $20 one way.  One of the first things I happen to see as I stepped off the ferry was a sign about the mosquitoes. 
 It was odd but I went through and had my passport stamped like you’re supposed to.  We shopped around at the vendors on the street and even went inside a pharmacy but didn’t get any bug repellent.

SXM Airport

That night for dinner we went to the infamous beach where you can see the jet blasting fanatics.  During dinner we were able to see a plane land and take off.  After eating, we took a walk on the beach to feel some waves.  And take a few pictures!  It was beautiful.

Before calling it a night, my classmate and I got to know each other a little better by the pool. While sitting at the pool, I was bitten by mosquitoes numerous times and decided then to get a 100% citronella bracelet the next day.  Just knowing each other's goals for attending medical school in the Caribbean made us a little bit closer.  The next day, we needed to return the rental car so we went back to Marigot.  We went to a pharmacy and the first thing I looked at was a 100% citronella bracelet.  While there, we went to a bakery called Sarafina's and they had delicious pastries to choose from.  I tried a chocolate macaroon for the first time in my life and it was absolutely delicious.

After taxing back to the hotel, we called it a night by taking a swim at the pool.  The next morning we wished her mother well on her flight back to the United States.  We got up later on and taxied back to the ferry to come back "home" to Anguilla.  We taxied back to our apartments and went with some other students to Shoal Bay.  After this fun filled day, I slept wonderfully.

Ferry to Anguilla

For the rest of the week, I chatted with students in the Facebook group that we made and waited until orientation on Monday.  While chatting, I went to Shoal Bay a last time the day before orientation.  I think my skin has transitioned about five shades darker.  I am just ready to start my journey already!!!

Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love.

-Ephesians 4:2, NIV