Just Keep Swimming

Our Thanksgiving Group-next year we will try to cook it in the Dome Home

Tomorrow marks the 3 month mark of embarking on this amazing adventure and in 3 weeks from tomorrow I will be done with my first semester of vet school and on my way home to celebrate the holidays with my family.

Sorry for the lack of posting the past week was SUPER busy.  As you know we had our 3^rd micro exam the past week and that was sure an interesting exam.  It was a 40 question exam that covered over 800 slides. Everyone that I know walked out of the exam feeling defeated.  Well, long story short 8 questions were thrown out of the exam for multiple reasons so I ended up getting an A.  I guess I can’t complain.

Saturday my AXO big sis flew in to enjoy the island!! It was so good to see her and she delivered LOTS of presents from my mom to remind me of home.  I tried to show her the island as much as possible while still going to class and studying for my exam today.  Not going to lie, it was a VERY stressful week but I hope my big enjoyed the island.  Saturday we drove around a little bit so she could see parts of the island while it was light outside and she even saw the Dome Home that I will be living at next year.  We had an amazing dinner at Rock Lobster.  It was our first time there but we will be back for sure! Our Sunday morning started early with zip lining and then off to shipwreck for some lunch and tanning.  I of course toted my notes along everywhere I went.  Sunday night was spent in the anatomy lab studying.  Monday morning and afternoon I had class and Sam got to go roam around the campus.  We had ritual sushi for dinner and then more anatomy lab. Tuesday we went to port after class and was able to do a little shopping, eat at Sugar Cane and went on a 4 hour island tour.  I had done an island tour during orientation week but it was fun to go back to a few of the places.  Wednesday Sam roamed around the beautiful Marriot while I got to sit in class.  We had dinner at Sprat Net for her last night here.  Thursday she departed and I already miss having her here.  We did not get to do too many things so she will just have to come back again.  Though I LOVED having her here, it is very hard to juggle graduate school and visitors.  I think if other friends are going to come over , I will try for them to come on our semesters breaks or NOT on midterm weeks.

Thursday was thanksgiving but it sure didn’t feel like it.  No thanksgiving break for us down here, class all day AND a VERY hard Anatomy exam the next day.  I did get to celebrate the holiday with my island family at a local restaurant Carabonas .  It was a BEAUITFUL setting out on the beach but the food was not like home.  They had some AMAZING pumpkin soup but the rest was just mediocre.  I truly appreciate the island trying to make the holiday special for us  but I missed my mom’s cooking for sure!! After dinner, we came home and I was actually able to skype with my family at the dinner table.  They even made me a plate (see picture).  It was funny to think that last Thanksgiving I was on my Mexican cruise swimming with dolphins and zip ling in Puerto Vallart and this year I am studying for an exam on a tropical island in the middle of the Caribbean!!  I never said I had a normal life!

My plate at home for Thanksgiving!!

 

But as there is no rest for us, the day after thanksgiving was our 3^rd Anatomy exam at 8 am and boy was it hard!!  I will be waiting on pins and needles for the grades to be posted.  I have a mid B right now in the class and needed a 94 or above on the next exams to get an A but I don’t think that is going to happen on this one.  I made a few silly mistakes but there were some REALLY hard questions too.  Tonight I am taking a mental break from everything.  The stress of school, playing hostess, not enough sleep and too much studying has finally caught up with me and the LAST thing I need is to get sick before finals. 

Tomorrow Brittany, Taylor, Rachel and myself are having a twilight marathon to run through all the previous movies and then going to our island theatre to watch the new movie.  For those that know me…NO I am not a twilight fan one bit but it will be fun to do something besides school.  Rachel promised me she found a drinking game for these movies so I am excited. 

Guess I should add...there is NO black friday shopping here on the island!!

Well, that is all for now…home in22 days!!

Another week finished

Well another week of my first semester of vet school is finished!! I had my nutrition exam this past week and I received an A on it!!  From what I heard from upper semesters, Nutrition is the #1 class that causes students to fail so I am very pleased with my B on the first midterm and now my A.  At this point I have an A in Microscopic Anatomy and Physiology and very high B’s in nutrition and gross anatomy.   All that stands between me and break is 1 micro midterm (next week), 1 anatomy midterm (the week after that), another palpation quiz, and 5 finals!!    Got to just keep pushing along!

My big sis from AXO is coming next Friday to spend some time on the island with me so I am SUPER exited!! I am trying to figure out all the places to take her in such a short amount of time.  I am trying to study TONS this week so I don’t have to stress out too much while she is here.  It will be interesting to see what a masters in advertising thinks of vet school!!

Packages from home and Good Grades

My notes after 5 exams...almost 8 inches thick of pure hand written notes

 

Well, I survived a few more tests (which is a good thing).  Last week I had my anatomy palpation exam and the second midterm.  I got an A on the palpation exam and a B on the second midterm.  I am a little disappointed in the B because I felt like I really knew the information.  I keep getting the hard questions right and overthinking the easy questions.  We still have 2 more exams in anatomy as well as another palpation quiz so I am really going to buckle down for those tests because I really want an A in this class.  This week we had our second of three physiology exams.  I am very proud to announce that I received another A so I maintained my A in this class.  We have a nutrition exam next Wednesday so my weekend will be spent studying for it. I received a B on the first exam so I am really shooting for a high A to bring my grade up.

My life has been pretty much study, sleep, eat repeat.  I am trying to go to the gym more often since I want to get back into shape but I feel so limited on time.  The school has a really nice gym here so I just need the motivation.  Maybe I can convince my good friend Taylor to make me go!!

On Tuesday, Brittany, Rachel, Taylor and myself went to meet our landlord for the dome home.   She was SOOO nice and the dome looks amazing.  I loved living in the dorms this semester and it was a great transition onto the island but I am READY to move off and have a bath tub and oven!!

 

These past 2 weeks have also been amazing because I have gotten 3 care packages from home!! My first one was from my sorority advisor Casey and it was filled with AMAZING candies.  She knew trick or treating would be thin down here so she made sure I had PLENTY of sweets!! I must admit I did give myself a tummy ache from all the candy I ate one night.  The second package to arrive was one from my mom which has TONS of stuff in it!! From my nerf gun, The Spotter, hair pins, slippers, wall art, crock boards, PINK poncho, ink cartridges, some cooking supplies I don't know how to use, passport holder and even an In N Out place mat (which I could have done without).  And lastly a  packaged arrived from my old co-worker and AMAZING friend that had lots of inside jokes between us and work.  LHAH snow is now hanging in my room and my Gold Gym Dalmatian is on top of my printer.  The package also included LOTS of candy and food.  Thank you all for sending me these care packages…it means SOO much to me!!

 

Gold Gym has taken over Saint Kitts...what animal will be lucky enough to wear this!!

 

As I said before, this weekend will be spent studying Nutrition as that test is Wednesday and the week after that is Micro Anatomy again and then we FINALLY have a week off!!! In first semester we have 10 weeks of a test during each week…NOT fun!!  I think we are going to try to go to the beach the weekend and the Marriot brunch…but who knows…it is island life!!

See I really do study!!