Pigeon Point and the Nylon Pool

Pigeon Point, Tobago, is paradise on earth. I never wanted to leave. The salty air, the clear water, the swaying palms ... plus there was a Fishermen's Fete going on down the beach, so plenty of music and good food (I had a bake and snapper that was delish!). I took a glass bottom boat tour out to the Nylon Pool. Got to snorkel and see some beautiful fish and the coral reef. It was a delightful day.

Tobago in solitude

I decided I need some hard-core relaxation (is that a thing?) stat, so I arranged to visit Tobago this week. Alone. This is my first time vacationing solo, but I really just felt the need for some solitude. I staying somewhere safe, taking reasonable precautions ... It's all good, I swear. Anyway, I'm staying at Kariwak Village. My standards have changed since living at St. Dominic's, because I'm super ecstatic over hot water, a decent mattress, and wifi in my room. Don't get me wrong. I love interning at St. Dominic's, but the accommodations aren't what I was used to back home. So this is a nice luxury, to have those things back for a few days. Before I gush more about Kariwak, let me tell you how I felt flying over from Trinidad. ... Well, I'd LIKE to tell you, but I can't quite articulate it. I didn't feel giddy or high on life. But there was a sense of freedom I've never experienced. Flying over the green mountains, then seeing the shoreline of Trinidad, then the open water blending into the sky, soaring in the white, fluffy clouds ... I just felt like I was finally "in charge" of my life. In a "by the grace of God" kind of way, of course. I've often found myself hating being a woman due to the limitations I feel, as for not always feeling safe in the world. And while I will certainly take those precautions I mentioned because I AM a woman travelling alone for a few days ... it's so empowering to believe in my own competence enough to take the risk and just do it. I started thinking, while that plane was in the air, about how all the pain in my life has fueled my determination to transmute the trauma and tragedies in my life into something that can help me and, with this new career in social work, help others. Up in those clouds, I felt more grounded or centered or whatever you want to call it than ever before. Reading back through this, it doesn't adequately explain ... but whatever. I hope you get the gist.

But back to Kariwak. Rather than describe, I'll just post a few pictures. I will add that the live band performing tonight did a reggae version of Knockin' on Heaven's Door that was cool but completely confused me. Also, when I was soaking in the waterfall jacuzzi, I kept moving around to different vantage points trying to figure out which angle had the best view. Quite a problem to have, ent? After I dragged myself out of the water, I relaxed in a hammock for a bit. I realized I was more blissed-out than ever. Lots of firsts today. Again, not a high exactly, as it was calmer, more serene. There was no intensity, which is rare for me, as usually every emotion I feel is amps to 11. I'm just ... good. Oh, and I don't want to leave. Ever. Never, ever, ever, ever. ... Now the pics, no captions, as they're all at Kariwak.

Ariapita Avenue and Oktoberfest

Last night I got a real taste of Trini nightlife. First Jenna and Nakeshia (friends from the office) took me to Shakers on Ariapita Avenue, where Jenna was meeting some folks she knows from Rotary. I had a Tequila Sunrise, Coke, chicken strips, and fried cheese, while the overhead speakers pumped out Aerosmith, Bon Jovi, and GNR. That part was obviously a lot like back home. But we were under a mango tree, and the air was thick with humidity and Caribbean accents. A good rain earlier in the day had cooled down the temp a bit; I'd guess in the 80s.

Jenna, Hope and Nakesia limin' under a mango tree.

We enjoyed each other's company outside Shakers for maybe two hours or more before deciding to check out Oktoberfest just down the avenue -- or up the avenue? The geography still confuses me. On the walk to Oktoberfest, plenty of Trinis were hanging out with open containers. Reminded me of Bourbon Street in NOLA a little. Street vendors were selling cow heel soup and doubles, neither of which I tried. My adventurous spirit doesn't extend to food, as I've mentioned before, I think.

 

Street vendors on Ariapita Avenue.

When we arrived at Oktoberfest, the police made us wait in line for a few minutes before we could enter the dance floor/stage area. Filled to capacity. While we stood in the mud (from the earlier rain), a German entertainer in traditional dress tried to teach the crowd a German dance. The results were quite funny. Soon enough we were allowed entrance, and I got a look at Trinis in German costume. Quite a sight. The crowd attempted yodeling, which didn't work out so well. But shouts of "Wunderbar!" translated well enough, inspiring cheers and drinking all around. I tried a Carib beer, a local brew, just for kicks. I'm not a beer fan, but this wasn't bad. Still, after two careful sips, I passed my cup to Nakeshia, who graciously finished it for me.

Germans and Trinis unite in their appreciation for beer.

After the German portion of the show, Bunji Garlin took the stage. He's an entertainer from Trinidad and Tobago who's been nominated for a Soul Train Award. I enjoyed his stuff, though it's very different from what I usually like. You can't help but dance to it. I felt honored to hear him live. And I felt a wonderful energy as he interacted with all the Trinis who were singing along and dancing. We were on the dance floor maybe an hour and a half, and my feet were aching when they shut down for the night. Gotta take it easy as I'm still getting over ailments. Fortunately my feet are in decent shape this morning, so I didn't overdo. Right now I'm awaiting a ride to the POS airport for a noon flight to Tobago. I'll post more as I visit the sister island.

Bunji Garlin, a much-loved Trini performer.

Marqueripe Bay

My first visit to a Trinidad beach was lovely. It was so beautiful. Comparing it to Destin would be an apples to oranges thing though, so I can't say which is prettier. They're just different. The water was clear, but from a distance looked greenish brown. The sand was full of pebbles, some as big as soft balls. The water wasn't shockingly cool, just pleasant. I went with the kids from St. Dominic's. The boys, in true male style, showed off, splashin' around. On the bus ride over, the girls belted out every word to Trouble by Taylor Swift, and on the way back the boys sang some Bruno Mars. Nice to know America is exporting its finest music. (Ha) Enjoy the photos (taken Oct. 20, 2013).

My first earthquake -- not even kidding

This article tells about the 6.1-magnitude quake I experienced last night. It was my first, and more confusing than scary. I was in the downstairs area of the office building using the internet, on the phone via Skype with my mom, when the building started shaking. I was confused because it wasn't storming, and I associate a shaking house with big thunderboomers. But I realized, no, it wasn't storming. And then the floor moved. I was like, "is that a freakin' EARTHQUAKE?" To mom on the phone, I said something like, "I think we're having an earthquake. Let me call you back." I hung up, and by this point the shaking had stopped. I went upstairs to the convent, where the nuns confirmed that it was indeed an earthquake, a bad one by Trini standards. They asked if it was my first, was I OK. I said yes and yes. I didn't really have time to get scared since my brain wasn't really wrapping around it as it happened. I'm sure if an aftershock had occurred, I'd have been plenty scared. After the one experience, I was like, "Oh my goodness! What if the building structure has been compromised? What if the convent falls into the office? What if they water lines are busted? What if, what if, what if????" Anyway, I calmed myself back down, called to reassure mom, then called my grandparents to say, "Hey, y'all ain't gon' believe what just happened!" They were surprised and worried. Maybe I shouldn't have told them. But I just thought it was cool, in a morbid way, so I wanted to share. It was unique, more than cool, I suppose would be a better way to describe it. Just one more "first" for this trip.

Karaoke, shopping, zoo visit, mid-term evaluation ...

I've been too busy to write much, mostly with internship and seminar obligations. But I have made some time for fun and new friends. A few weeks ago I attended Sr. Debbie's 50th birthday party in South, in the city of San Fernando. I sang karaoke, and Sr. Bernard said she saw me come alive. "That's the real you," she observed.

 At left, Sr. Debbie is amazed at the candles on her cake. At right, Sr. Bernard listens to another partygoer share a story about Sr. Debbie as a youth.

One of the kids there mistook me for a nun, which was quite disconcerting. When I said I wasn't a sister, she assumed I was in training to become a nun. I will burn the dress I was wearing. No, really. ... Anyway, the birthday fete was an all-day affair, with food and karaoke and dancing and libation. Sr. Bernard can really dance.

Another fun outing was today, actually, when I went shopping with my friend Jenna. She's a psychologist at St. Dominic's and is helping train me. She escorted me to town for a retail therapy session, and we further established rapport by trying on dresses, picking out make-up and earrings, and expanding my cultural competence by finding Trini keepsakes I can take home to remember my time here.

Jenna and Hope both love purple.

I got this great batik cushion cover, which I plan to hang when I get home. At first I thought I'd use it in my living room of my future apartment, as it would go well with my yellow chair. But I don't want Lucy and Leon loving on it too much. So a frame seems safer.

This batik cushion cover features the national flower and national bird.

A few days ago I went to the Emperor Valley Zoo. It was fairly small compared to zoos I've visited in the US. There were a couple of animals there I'd never seen before though, so that was very cool. I plan to hit the botanical gardens soon. One of my favorite features of Trinidad is the bright, beautiful flowers.

A Capybara (foreground) and a South American Tapir

As to the reason I'm here ... I'm enjoying the internship, but I had a rough couple of weeks. The chronic stress of getting adjusted to all the new finally got to me, and I got sick for a bit and couldn't work a full week at one point. Sometimes the only way out is through, and I'm definitely through the worst of it all. I did pretty well on my mid-term evaluation and foresee actually managing to pass and graduate as planned. (Yes, I was doubting this, despite the encouragement from other people).

At any rate, all is well now. I aim to enjoy my remaining two months as much as possible without ruining it by second-guessing my competencies all the time. That's the plan, at least. Wish me luck!

Salon day and Chaguaramas National Park

My new friend Petra was generous enough to spring me from the joint Saturday (Sept. 14, 2013). She took me to West Mall, a swanky establishment where I could only afford to window shop. I found a beautiful original painting of a tropical sunset on a piece of bamboo there that I simply had to have, but it cost more than TT$2,000! Sadly, I decided I could, in fact, live without it. I did splurge at a walk-in salon, however, because even the boys in my house were finding my grey hair a bit off-putting. My last color job was in June, I believe, so it was certainly time for a touch up. I got an all over dark brown that's nearly black -- basically my natural color. The staff wasn't rude, but they were certainly slow. Inefficient, poor customer service. That's something I'm coming to expect in Trinidad. Nobody here gets in a hurry. About anything. Anyway, I was pleased with the results and felt much more like myself on leaving the salon. Petra then took me to Super Pharm, which is similar to CVS, so I could purchase some make-up. I got L'Oreal products: blush, lipstick, eye liner, eye shadow. Purples and pinks. Hallelujah!

                                          Bamboo cathedral at Chauaramas National Park

After the girly portion of the outing, Petra took me to Chaguaramas National Park. We walked around a bit, and Petra told me that screaming sound I heard was monkeys. I never saw any of the animals, but it was cool knowing they were around. The area had been flooded the day before, as a bad storm had come through. So the walkways were messy with leaves and mud. But that didn't detract from the beauty. The bamboo trees were amazing. Petra said people get married and have parties under the bamboo cathedral (pictured). I can see why. It was quite tranquil there, and the shade made the heat and humidity slightly more bearable. We didn't walk around much, as my fitness level leaves a lot to be desired these days. Also, we got there pretty late in the evening and wanted to leave before night fell.

                                                           Hope under the bamboo

Happy birthday to me!

I'm 35. Instead of having an existential crisis about getting older, I decided to just make myself happy today. So I did something I've always wanted to do: I took a yoga class. More than a decade ago I did a yoga DVD at home several days a week and considered myself fairly flexible. Today was humbling. Fortunately the teacher at Akasha Studio in the Maraval neighborhood of Port-of-Spain was a gentle, encouraging soul. She would make minor corrections to my poses now and then, but just as many times she would come by, pat me on the back and say, "perfect" or "good job." It might seem childish, but I certainly responded to the praise. I was struggling to make it through the hourlong class, even had some fleeting thoughts of walking out. But the teacher was quick to show me modified poses when I appeared to be having trouble. I'm grateful for her attitude, because I felt fabulous -- mentally and physically -- when the class was over. A couple of side notes. 1) "Feel the mountain breeze" is code for "the windows are open, hence no a/c to chill the place down. 2) If you want to find the white people in Trinidad, try a yoga class. I don't mean this last one in any negative way. It was just a little strange. I've been among people of different ethnicities for two weeks, so suddenly being around a dozen other folks who look more like me was a jolt. I still felt somewhat out of place, because they were in far better physical condition than I was. But whatever. They were nice enough, didn't bite. I'll probably go back next week. And the week after. In fact, I may be able to do one of the inverted poses by the time I leave Trinidad. OK, well, maybe not. But I do hope to try one eventually. I bowed out of that particular adventure today. I was slightly out of breath and lightheaded already, so standing on my head didn't seem like the best idea.

When I got back to my room, I almost appreciated the cold shower. I swear I have never sweated so much in my life. Anyway, after freshening up I collapsed on the bed for a bit to give my jelly legs time to recover. Axl and Slash entertained me (iPods=sound of home on demand) while I lay there and thought about my brother. I figure everybody gets tired of me mentioning him. Yes, he's been gone 10 years. But I still wish I could see him on my birthday. Surely that's understandable? My reflections this time weren't painful or sad. I just daydreamed a bit about what I'd say to him if he were here, wondered what he'd think of my Caribbean adventure. He'd probably laugh and say it wasn't much of an adventure so far since I'm mostly doing work and reading books. He'd be half right. He was very protective of me, so I don't know if he'd have approved of me going so far from home. I can easily see him pitching a fit and demanding I come home at once. I'll never know. I do think that wherever he is now though, he has a broader perspective and IS proud of me. That's what I like to believe.

Anyway, after I was sufficiently fueled on guitar riffs, I went to work for a few hours. It was a productive day, though I admit to sneaking over to facebook frequently to read the "happy birthdays" from friends and family. Thank God for technology.

Sr. Arlene, my supervisor, took me to TGI Friday's, where I had sesame jack chicken fingers and fried cheese. She'd never had fried cheese, but tried it at my insistence. She declared it "quite nice." Amen, sister. AND I DIDN'T GET SICK! This is cause for celebration, almost moreso than my actual birthday. Caribbean food doesn't remotely agree with me, so I am very limited in what I can eat without ... digestive distress, we'll call it. The staff sang happy birthday to me and presented me with vanilla ice cream, which was tasty too. Now I'm winding down, looking forward to some video chat with friends and family. Tomorrow it's full steam ahead with my work.

Oh, another good thing to report. My new friend Petra, one of the psychologists at SDCH, is taking me to the beach this weekend if her schedule allows. Not sure which one yet, but I'll be sure to post pics if and when.

Water park fun

Last Friday SDCH took the kids to a water park in Port-of-Spain as a last hurrah before school started back this week. I went along with plans to swim but ended up staying in the bleachers with the adults just talking and learning more about Trinidad’s culture. When I first heard water park, I was envisioning something like Shipwreck Island in Panama City Beach, FL. Or maybe Big Kahuna in Destin, FL. Turns out this was a temporary attraction, like a fair. 

Blue Waters Aqua Fun Park

Blue Waters Aqua Fun Park is a moving beast, with inflatable pools and slides, bounce houses, a food court. The food court made me feel at home, as there was fried chicken, pizza, and hamburgers for sale. I had a pepperoni pizza and some fried cheese sticks. Aww, home. Lol. And Pepsi. No Coke. The other options were juices and smoothies, which aren’t my favorite thing. 

                                                                   A taste of home

Watching the kids from SDCH play with such abandon was nice. The scenery beyond the stadium was pretty too. I was told the stadium normally hosts football (soccer), cricket, and netball matches, among other things. A DJ played a lot of SoCa over the loudspeakers, with some American pop thrown in for good measure. The music was energetic and enjoyable, made me want to dance. I greatly appreciated getting out of the compound in general and having a change of scenery. I’m used to hopping in the car on a whim to go wherever I want. Having no car and living and working at the same place is quite strange. I feel a little cooped up sometimes. (Fortunately I’ve talked a co-worker into planning a working lunch out at a restaurant this Friday. Yay!)

I did a good bit of walking Friday, so after the outing my feet were bothering me. Plantar fasciitis flaring up. I was limping for a couple days, but I’m feeling better now in that regard. My tummy, however, is making known it’s discontent with the spices here. I suppose that’s part of travelling abroad, having stomach trouble. I guess I’ll get adjusted with time.

A gal pal of mine and her mother are planning to visit T&T in November, so I’m hoping to get my hours scheduled so that I can take a week off to vacation, really see some sights.

Meanwhile I’m doing homework for my seminar and soaking up my training materials here. I hope to get sessions scheduled with a couple of kids I’ve been assigned. Facebook, email, and Google Hangouts are keeping me connected to friends and family. 

SDCH marks Independence Day

In anticipation of Independence Day, which will be Saturday, SDCH (St. Dominic’s Children’s Home) had an Independence Day/Celebration of Heroes event yesterday. The kids gave presentations on national heroes and demonstrated martial arts, read original poetry, and performed music. I was proud of all of them. Stage fright is no laughing matter, and these kids did great up there. The ceremony also included awards for the kids, staff, volunteers, etc. It was nice to see how much everyone appreciated being recognized for their efforts and achievements. There also were displays showcasing the kids’ photography, book reports, and other works. A couple of the children discussed their contributions with me. I was pleased to be part of the day. And there was food. I had my first bake and shark, which was quite good, although I ate mine plain. Apparently it’s like a hamburger, in that you can put anything on it. Oh well. Next time I’ll try some condiments. Basically a bake and shark is fried shark sandwiched between two pieces of fry bread. Yeah for fried food! I tried a vegetable pastelle, which I took one bite of and declined to finish. The vegetarian thing isn’t for me. During the event, the four boys from my house voluntarily sat with me. I think it’s nice they’re willing to socialize with me.

More about the food. … So, I have been really anxious about eating things I might not like. If you know me, you understand how picky I am. Food is a big control issue for me and my major coping mechanism in times of stress. And while this adventure has been nothing but positive so far, it is still very, very stressful in that so much is new and different. My imagination, prior to the trip, had me coming down here and taking the island by storm. Instead I’m tiptoeing around most of the time. I feel most comfortable doing my assignments, throwing myself into training and research. The people are very friendly, so it’s no fault of the environment that has me hesitant. It just takes me a while to acclimate I guess. At any rate, I’ve been shopping and preparing my own food and eating in my room for the most part. I’m welcome to dine with the kids or the sisters, but I like to process everything that’s going on while I enjoy my meals. My goal is to start being more social in the next week or so. But I’m giving myself this week to just conserve my energy as much as I can, even if that means hiding a bit now and then. That said, I AM talking to the sisters, the staff, the boys in my house. I’m just better at one-on-one conversations than groups.

Meanwhile, I can’t express how excited I am to be working on my lifebook research project. Sr. Arlene says this is cutting edge in Trinidad and Tobago, as no agencies have used lifebooks in this country as yet. And the research I’m finding is on foster kids, not residential settings. So this will be a bit of a twist, implementing it here. I’m grateful for the chance to have a hand in starting a new treatment protocol. And it’s something I believe in, not just based on the research but from my personal experience. Journaling and scrapbooking have been effective therapeutic tools for me, aside from being just plan enjoyable.

Overall I’m happy and grateful, despite the nerves. Say some prayers for me, that I’ll continue to be this passionate about the work to be done, and that I’ll come out of my shell a bit more as time goes by.

Groceries, people, internship

Sister Bernard took me grocery shopping this evening at a store called Hi Lo, and it had fewer American items than the TruValu store where I shopped a couple of days ago. I still have trouble converting currency and knowing what is simply too expensive. For example, “local minced beef” is TT$69.99/kg. I am planning to make taco soup (my favorite recipe) for the sisters, and the beef is required, so I got it. I don’t know if it will be worth the money, but I’m at a loss as to what to make instead. Even back home cooking is a rare thing for me … Oh, I could not find a packet of Ranch dressing mix, which was just weird. I got more Coke, of course, to which Sister Bernard said, “You Americans and your Coke.” She has no idea. I explained to her that I used to collect Coca-Cola signs and other memorabilia and decorate my bedroom with it when I was a teenager, and she just looked at me strangely and laughed. The first bottle I had here caused me some distress, because the recipe is different -- actual sugar instead of corn syrup. But it’s going down fine right now. My air conditioner in my room is a bit moody, so I’m a little warm. The cold coke is fervently appreciated. I don’t think I’ve even laid eyes on a Pepsi, now that I think about it. I wonder if they have that here.

Meanwhile, everyone keeps calling me “Miss.” I’m so Southern that this is strange to my ears. I’m very much accustomed to being “Ma’am.” Also on the language front, I have learned a new Trini phrase. If you tell someone, “you’re too fast,” it means “stop poking your nose into my business.” My hearing is terrible, and the Caribbean accents here are sometimes difficult for me to understand. So I ask for repeats, sometimes for spellings even, just to make sure I’m following along.

Mandella, one of the boys in my house, invited me to go to MovieTown tomorrow when the kids have their outing. I’d love to, but I have this internship thing to see to. It made me happy to be asked though. The kids start the new school year next week. This Saturday is Independence Day, and I’m told we have a perfect view of the fireworks from St. Dominic’s. There is a parade and other festivities, but I am not sure if we will attend. I’ve been warned that traffic is a nightmare on the holiday, and based on my experience so far, I don’t know if I want to brave the streets when they’re worse.

As to the reason I’m really here, the internship … Today was my first day, and I met with Petra, the new psychologist. She just graduated and has been assigned to work here for a year. The government paid for her education, and she has to do service as repayment. So she has been here three weeks and is still learning the lay of the land. I think she and I will work together a good bit. To get me up to speed on the treatment approach here, I am reading a couple of books. The first is Common Sense Parenting; the other is the Child Trauma Handbook. I was so engrossed in my studies that I missed lunch completely. About 3:30 p.m. my stomach grumbled, bringing me back to the real world for a bit. That’s when I went up to the sisters’ kitchen and had some leftover stew, watched NCIS with Sister Bernard, and made plans to go to the grocery this evening. I appreciate her taking me. I’m always on the road in my little box, so not having the independence will be strange. I hate asking for help, so requesting taxi service here and there will be hard on me. But the sisters have assured me they are happy to take me wherever I need to go. They just don’t understand that I want to go EVERYWHERE. I hate to impose.

Sister Arlene, my supervisor, and I will iron out the specifics of what I’ll be doing in a week or so, she said. For now I’m learning the intricacies of what’s done here, and she is exploring my skills and interests and matching them to the home’s needs. I will report in when I have a clearer picture of my duties.

First impressions

Beautiful mountains, friendly people, oppressive heat and humidity ... That's my first impression of Trinidad. St. Dominic's has been very welcoming. I officially start my internship tomorrow. Today is for settling in. My travels yesterday were completely uneventful, which is strange. My life is usually fraught with quirky mishaps. But I'm grateful for the ease with which this journey has started.

Riding on the streets of Port of Spain was a bit harrying. Aside from adjusting to being on the wrong side of the road and having the driver sit on the wrong side of the car, I also was educated on how "undisciplined" Trinis are as a people. As other vehicles nearly hit us (repeatedly) when they were changing lanes in front of us, I expressed some distress. Sister Arlene merely said, "Welcome to Trinidad." I didn't see a single turn single. Apparently the lines dividing the road between us and oncoming traffic were only suggestions. Since I have a Florida driver licence, I can legally drive here if I so choose. That may be one adventure I skip.

I fell asleep quickly last night, my first here, after being completely overstimulated. I won't say I was anxious in a bad way, just felt bombarded with information. During the week leading up to my departure from home, I was lucky to get three hours of sleep a night. Too much anticipation, wild imagination, plus my usual penchant for insomnia ...

The biggest adjustment may be not having internet access via my phone 24/7. I'm so accustomed to being in constant contact with people and information. Speaking of, I'm not sure how often I will post. But I will be online daily, I imagine, so please feel free to send me an email at hopemccormick@gmail.com.

The northern mountain range, as viewed from St. Dominic's Children's Home in Port of Spain.

Party like a pirate!

It started with an octopus bracelet from Charming Charlie. The gold, shiny sea creature reminded me of my boyfriend, Johnny Depp -- ahem, allow me my delusions, please -- by way of the Pirates of the Caribbean movies. Then I mused on Facebook something like, "Hmm, I'm going to the Caribbean. I should dress like a pirate for my going away party." An "I'm. So. There" fb comment from Carmen, and this is what you get ...

                                      Hope                                                                  Carmen

I had so much fun having dinner and later going to hear some good live music with family and friends. I'm feeling loved, and it's awesome that these people not only tolerate my quirkiness but are supportive enough to join in the kooky ideas I sometimes insist on living out. My crew rocks.

From left: Lori, Randi, Hope, Krystal, Janet

In all the excitement of preparing for the trip, I've worked really hard to gloss over how much I'm going to miss my loved ones. I sincerely hope that we'll all be able to stay in touch regularly while I'm gone. That said, I'm also looking forward to making new connections and forging strong friendships with the people I meet in Trinidad. I'm counting my blessings and saying prayers for a few more as I look forward to leaving in a couple of weeks.

Reading, Writing, and 'Rithmetic

READING: Obviously I need books to read while I'm away. I rely on public libraries here in the U.S. So I grabbed a few free ebooks from Project Gutenberg. I like audio books as well, but I'm old school and usually get CDs from the library. My iPod would probably be a good resource, if I can figure out how to get a book on there. (I'm a late adopter of technology, apparently.)

WRITING: Just a quick note to point out that this blog is a collection of ideas, not particularly well stated, more stream of consciousness. If I were actually "writing" it would all sound fabulous and more intelligent. So don't judge too harshly, gentle reader.

'RITHMETIC: I got my foreign currency from Wells Fargo today. TT Dollars. I giggle a little every time I say TTs. But this is serious stuff. I'm doing a good job to figure a tip when I dine out. Managing my money in another country will be fun, fun, fun. I'm posting a pic of some of the money I picked up. It's quite colorful and has far more personality than our boring old U.S. dollars.

FSU confirms all details on the To Do List are checked off

All the official tasks are completed for starting my internship in Trinidad. My bank has currency for me. I've got clothes picked out. Just trying to keep my focus on the two classes I have to finish over the next few weeks. One thing at a time. Also, I'm trying to worry less about what I'm going to do after graduation and just enjoy the moment. I'm so proud that I've made it this far. My persistence has paid off. But I have to give a big thanks to the friends and family who have supported me. Too many to name and I don't want to leave anyone out. You know who you are. I'll keep you updated if anything else comes up before I leave.

I have a passport

I'm one step closer to realizing a lifelong dream. In fact, I guess I've already realized one just by receiving a passport. No need for a long post on this topic. I just wanted to share that I'm checking off the final details of the To Do list for my trip. Wish me luck in wrapping up the rest!

Plane tickets purchased!

It's gettin' real, y'all. This Southern Belle who's never left the United States has gone and done it. Bought round-trip plane tickets to Trinidad, that is. When I received email confirmation from American Airlines that I have, indeed, managed to buy said tickets, I was of two minds. First, I wanted to turn cartwheels in the apartment. The foot splint I had on at that moment convinced me that was a bad idea. The next urge was to find a paper bag to help with the hyperventilation I was sure would start any second now. The emotions leveled off and I just went about my day, slightly disbelieving, but mostly excited.

Earlier in the day I got an email from Sister Arlene, who will be my supervisor while I'm at St. Dominic's. She was welcoming and reassuring, which helped allay some of my nervousness. I look forward to meeting her.  You can find St. Dominic's on Facebook.

For the details: I'll be leaving the US on Aug. 24, 2013, and returning Dec. 11, 2013.

I want to start documenting the trip, as it will be life-changing for me. It might be early yet to start sharing my experiences and (hopefully) insights. But today was a big step for me, so here we begin.

Today's quote: "The best way to find yourself is to lose yourself in the service of others." -- Mahatma Gandhi