Welcome to da Caribbean Mon (with a Caribbean accent)

So finally touched down yesterday in my new home for the next 28 months!  It was a long 48 hour journey from the Ontario airport to St. Kitts but I'm here now so ha!

Left Ontario Wednesday morning and flew to Dallas, then to Miami.  I had a 14 hour layover in Miami which is over their 12 hour bag holding limit and so I had to first go get my bags, then drag them all to the hotel for the night.  Good thing I had my trusty travel buddy with me to help me with all the bags.  My friend Aroon came down to Miami on the same flight heading to the Ross Medical School so we at least got to start the adventure off together.  As his flight was about 7 hours after we touched down we decided not to sleep that night and headed down to South Beach Miami for the evening.

Definitely a fun time ta boot.

After a very long evening, I picked up my bags at my hotel room(which ended up being more of a storage area for my luggage than a bedroom) and headed down to check in and go to my gate.  A few hours later and I was in St. Kitts!!!

We got our luggage(most of us as apparently our airline couldn't fit all of it on a plane because of some weight concerns) and headed to the dorm complexes on campus.  Found my room in the basement of one of the dorm buildings which was a little creepy walking to at night with flickering lights and a strange echo that seems to come from nowhere.

Once a dropped my bags off in my room I headed back to the orientation group van and we all went to the grocery store to help stock up on our mini kitchenettes.  The first thing I must say is the exchange rate really messes with the mind sometimes.  My bill came out to about 650XCD which ended up being a little under 250USD.  We just had enough time to get back and drop off the frozen food in the freezer before hopping back in the van to head to dinner, it is now 9pm.  Mind you... I have not slept yet.

Finally got back to my dorm and had a few minutes to put some food away and partially make my bed before falling asleep, (my fitted sheet rolled up around me and I woke up as a mummy, I wish I had another person to take a picture of it because it must have been pretty funny seeing it on the outside).

I have a lot of activities planned over the next few days but I hope I have some time to make a few quick posts.  In the mean time I hope this gives you exciting incite into the fun activities of a soon to be caribbean vet student. (I'm getting all the fun out now before I spend the next 28 months inside with a book attached to my face).

♫My bags are not packed, and I'm not ready to go.♫

I am on single digit days now!  It's been a long time since my last post.  I truly wish that they become closer and closer once I actually get on the island.

So I finished my Banfield externship last Saturday.  It was a wonderful eye opening experience into the world of corporate veterinary medicine.  Being a multiple hospital practice requires the necessity to adhere to certain standards that may not necessarily be upheld at some other private practices.  I felt like I was working to the same standards as some human hospitals and it felt pretty awesome.  I also met a lot of awesome individuals I hope to stay in contact with for a long time to come.  I feel a lot more prepared going to veterinary school now having completed this externship and being able to practices my skills as a technician at another practice to see how they do things differently.

I had a wonderful going away party as well last Saturday.  I was able to see some wonderful people that have helped me throughout my life that I have not been able to see in years.  I'm hoping over the next 6 days to be able to see some one last time before I leave.

I also sold my car 3 days ago.  It was a win-win all around as the individual who bought it from me I used to work with and could really use a reliable car that would last them years(My Honda could easily get another 150k on the engine the way I took care of it.)  I was a little sad at first as it was my car, a symbol of my independence.  But after realizing that the whole reason for selling it was not only to have some cash to buy another car on the island, but also to not have to worry about registration and insurance for the next 28-40months.

If you look very closely you can see a yellow Virginia registration sticker on the front windshield.  That was my favorite way of telling my black Honda for the fifty other ones that seemed to always be in the same parking lot as mine.

And of course, I have yet to start packing.  Not necessarily because I'm lazy(although that may have some truth to it) but more so as it is difficult to figure out not only what to bring with you for 2 years, as well as which of the 4 bags to pack it in to make sure it arrives safely and under 50 lbs.

This picture above is only about half of the things that I have planned on taking with me not including actual clothing.  I'm hoping to spend the better part of today after I finish writing this packing the rest of my suitcases/duffle bags so I can be done with it.

My flight leaves Wednesday morning (6 days!).  From there I head to Dallas and then onto Miami.  I'll be staying in Miami the night as I have a 12-14 hr layover until my flight to Saint Kitts and Nevis.  This may be my last post from California but hopefully not from the states, so until next time....