Happy Hump Day!

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Happy Hump Day Everyone! 

I can't believe this week is flying by so quickly... thank goodness it is. Midterms are next week and I can't wait for next Friday when I can check them off the list and finally get a day off, the first time since I've gotten here in August. 

Speaking of time flying, how is it possible that October is so close? While it is nice to have warm 80* days on the island I have to admit that I am missing the New England fall weather (apple picking, pumpkin picking and wearing sweaters, blazers and boots). Isn't it funny how we often yearn for something that we always took for granted? 

I've taken some time since living in Grenada to step back and be thankful for everything I have and to realize that nothing should be taken for granted, especially one's health. Between personal, family and learning about health conditions I've come to realize that health is everything and one of the main reasons why I am here is to find ways to help those with health issues. It is important to be thankful and while this experience has been far from easy I can't help but appreciate how fortunate I am for this opportunity to achieve my goal of one day becoming a doctor. That is something worth motivating me for. 

xo

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Views From the Deep Blue Sea

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I thought I would just stop by briefly to share a few pictures of the beautiful island of Grenada. The one above is of the hotel that one of my friends ended up being placed at. They ran out of rooms on campus so they have students living on one of the most scenic properties on the island! 

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This is the view from my dad's favorite lookout point on the island. The right peninsula is the beginning of campus. 

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Stunning Caribbean sunset... some nights the sky is so pink it is amazing. I was surprised to see the sun going down so much earlier each day, just like at home in New England. 

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The Ants Come Marching In...

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You might be wondering where on earth this post is coming from... well I have yet another funny story for you. 

Before I arrived on the island I would read articles saying that students quickly build a list of "Only in Grenada" happenings and I have one to add for you. And I can assure you my list is rapidly growing each day. Today though was the most comedic of them all. 

As I was studying in my usual study room this morning I noticed little ants crawling around on my desk. They would walk one by one and I'd kill them and keep working away. Then I quickly realized that the ants were climbing out of my computer, from the keyboard, from the hinge... from everywhere. 

Yes, I said it. I had ants in my computer. 

After looking into the hinge of my two month old MacBook Pro I became alarmed. There were ants crawling in and out!! In medical school your computer is your life, all of my lecture notes, study notes and tests and quizzes are on the computer. So I began ferociously killing as many as I could, packed my stuff and ran in the hot caribbean sun to the library IT center. With no help provided there, I continued to kill the ants myself and found a student who works on Macs to take a peak after class. 

Thankfully the ants marched out just about as quickly as they marched in. 

As I was explaining this story to my friends in class one asked what ants even mean. So of course I took it upon myself to look up the symbolism for ants and found the above quote. I'd say those words are pretty suiting for a medical student like myself. I can't help but wonder if those ants came marching for a reason... they didn't cause too much trouble just enough to get my attention and to appreciate the symbolism. 

I truly believe that there are certain people, signs and symbols that come into your life for a reason and my marching ants was one of them. 

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Medical School Essentials

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I've been here for well over a month now... hard to believe how quickly time flies! It became evident early on in the term that I brought along some essential items that I haven't gone a single day without using. I thought I'd share just a few of my top daily necessities. 

Eye Mask ~ This is a must. The caribbean sun shines through the windows early in the morning. Medical school students already run low on sleep so it is imperative that we get the best quality sleep in the little time we have! 

Lilly Pulitzer Planner ~ I wrote my whole term (tests, quizzes, labs and even breaks) at the beginning of the term and I check my schedule throughout the day. More importantly I check off each day on my master calendar to celebrate the accomplishment of completing another day of medical school. That also means one more day closer till I am reunited with my family for the break! 

Cashmere Travel Scarf ~ If you didn't know it already, I'm cashmere obsessed. Everyone laughed when I told them I was going to be packing cashmere to live on a Caribbean island. But I might just have to say I told you so. The study spaces, lecture halls and even my dorm room is freezing so I throw this wrap on and its basically large enough to double as a blanket. It's perfect! 

Beats Solo2 Headphones ~ I can't live without these. I actually got them as part of the Back to School promotion that Apple was running when I got my computer. They are amazing, I wear them in my room, to FaceTime and in the study halls. While they do squeeze my ears after wearing them for so many hours straight they get rid of background noise so I can wear them and not even have to play music. 

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All About Mindset

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It's hard to believe that this is my first post after such a long time away from blogging. 

It's also hard to believe how much has changed since I last posted... I graduated college, moved to the Caribbean and started medical school. Medical school has been a dream of mine since I was little so I sometimes can't even believe that I am here living this reality. 

I've been living here for over a month now and nothing about this transition has be easy. And I really mean nothing... I had to move dorms three days before our first big exam and then had a stomach infection for two weeks that I am finally getting over. But time and time again I think about how fortunate I was to be one of the 850 students in my class, to have the opportunity to attend such an amazing medical school and I look out to the ocean surrounding my campus and take a step back from all the stress and just truly appreciate how stunning this island really is (pictures to come). 

I have also begun to appreciate that every bump in the road that I have experienced has been put there for a reason. Whether it be to teach me a lesson, to push me, to challenge me, or to take me out of my comfort zone I have somehow managed to keep going. A lot of my strength has been due to the incredible support by my family but I've managed to become stronger myself too. I think it is important for everyone to appreciate their own strength and to really understand that when nothing comes easy it is for a reason and we can appreciate that we will become stronger individuals as a result. 

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