If you have a minute why don't we go talk about it somewhere only we know

First round of exams: over.  Passed all of them and got A's on 3/4!  Just goes to show you that I do better in classes when I like the material.


I finally got to go to Shipwreck beach last weekend.  I haven't been to the beach in WAY too long.  It was awesome to go relax for a day.  This weekend was our midsemester break, which really just means that we get an extra study day.  But since we got that extra day, I was able to go to the beach for a day and not feel like I should be studying instead.  It was great.  Minus the sand fleas.  But at least I can say it was a new experience.


It's "cooling down" on the island.  I haven't paid attention to the actual temperature since I've been here but here's a Kittitian weather report:  If you walk outside and start sweating immediately, its normal.  If you walk outside and are hot but not sweating, it's chilly.  That's about where we are now, and it's AMAZING.  It's so nice to be able to sit outside for more than 5 minutes without having sweat drip off of your face.


I found an apartment!  I'm going to be living in Golfview apartments in Frigate Bay.  I went to check them out and they seem pretty nice.  Anyone who I've met that lives there seems to like it and they feel safe there, so I guess I'm just going to go for it!  Basically it allows pets and has a generator, so it fits my qualifications.  Also, it has a pool and it's a 5 minute walk to the Marriott beach, the karaoke bar, and the pizza place :)  It's reasonably priced for what you find on the island, but it was a huge smack in the face to have to pay $650 USD per month...per person...and that is a decent price.  Yeah.


Nevis (our neighboring island) decided to burn like $1.5 million worth of illegal drugs, including cocaine, so for a good week or so, it smelled like pot everywhere on St. Kitts.  Literally, a bonfire full of pot.  It was coming in through my air conditioner at night so I would wake up really hungry in the morning. :)  It's pretty much gone now, but everything in my room still reeks of it, so I'll have to figure out how NOT to smell like drugs anymore.  I didn't really think this would be something I'd have to worry about at any point in my life...


Also something I didn't think I'd have to get used to:  finding bugs in bags/boxes of pasta.  It's only happened to me once, but pretty much everyone I know has opened a bag or box of pasta to have a few weevils (or so I'm told that's what they are) crawl out.  The parasite lover in me says, "Hey!  Protein!"  The rest of me says, "SHIT!"


Today, we are having Dr. Fitzgerald from Animal Planet's "Emergency Vets" come and talk to us!  I'm very excited even though I don't think I've ever seen the show (maybe once).  It's the closest thing we will probably get to a celebrity on the island...and he's a celebrity in the world of vet medicine too.  I'm getting really interested in emergency medicine too...I might just end up doing that for the rest of my life.  Who knows?  Also maybe something with infectious diseases with the CDC after vet school.  I heard that if you work for the government for 5 years after vet school, they pay your student loans.  It would totally be worth it.


I get to do my first VIDA clinic this Saturday!  Every week, the club sends out an email and the first 8 people to respond get to go to a clinic and I'm always too late (and by "too late" I mean I reply to the email about 30 minutes after it's sent) but this week I got in!  So this Saturday, I get to go around the island and provide free vet care for people who are in financial need.  I probably also get to do some other stuff, like blood draws, heartworm tests, vaccines, or things like that.  Since it's free, the vet who runs it lets students get practice on things.  It's our payment for volunteering our time.  By the way, I notice the oxymoron of "payment for volunteering".  


Another cool thing I got to do is a vaccine wet lab!  I got to mix and administer a vaccine for some of the kennel dogs!  I was surprised at the number of people who have already given vaccines (considering they have never been technicians), but it was my first time doing one so it was really exciting :)  There's not much else to say about it, but it's probably not as exciting if you aren't a vet student.


I'm going to try to go on a hike on the island, probably either on the volcano or up to the bat cave.  I wanted to go this weekend, but it just didn't happen.  More on that if I actually end up going.


Almost class time!  See ya!