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Monday, March 23, 2015

Two and a half days!

Just two and a half days to go until I leave for Saint Vincent! I can't believe it's almost here and there is still so much left to do. I have barely started packing though I have been busy buying appropriate clothes for clinic (preparing for the combo of warmer weather, perhaps lack of air conditioning and a more conservative culture), purchasing children's books and other items as well as gathering a few food items I don't think I can live a month without. Powdered soy milk, anyone? I will have access to local markets and there is one grocery store on the island that seems of decent size. However most packaged foods are very expensive since everything needs to be shipped in. Even things like oatmeal are reported to be very pricey. Bring on the local produce!

There has been a change of plans regarding where I am staying. My preceptor has a family situation and she will be now be watching her niece's baby. So I am instead staying in an apartment which is walking distance from the clinic I will usually be working. It's the first floor apartment and an RN and her family live upstairs. So I won't be put out on my own. :)

The idea of living in a small village and being walking distance from work is so appealing! I can't wait to find out how far from the local market, beaches, etc I am! So many unknowns! I am trying not to stress about what I don't know and just look forward to the experience. I am working on my mindfulness and being in the present and not thinking about not having a job when I get home either!

My flight plans to Saint Vincent are a bit painful, but it saved me a few hundred dollars. I am flying from RDU to JFK in New York Thursday morning and then have an eight hour layover. I will meet up with my classmate from Duke at JFK so we will finally meet while we kill time waiting for our evening flight. We arrive in Barbados at about 2am and wait until 8:30am for our flight to Saint Vincent. I am sure we will be exhausted! Fortunately our preceptors will graciously be meeting us at the airport! It will be nice to help us get settled and recover from the long trip. The people of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines are known for their generous spirit and they have already gone out of their way to prepare this trip. I so look forward to meeting everyone.

The next time I post it should be from the island! I hope I can share some sights and stories of interest! Thank you for joining me on the journey!

5 comments:

  1. This is great! I didn't know you were leaving so soon. Thanks for allowing others to vicariously experience a bit of the excitement from your Saint Vincent time. Thanks for taking the time to blog and share. Let me know if there is anything I can do (airport rides, sending forgotten items, etc.) from Durham while you're gone or while you're preparing to go. Enjoy!

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    1. Thank you for reading! Feel free to give blogging tips to this newbie. :) And I will let you know if I can think of anything I need! See you in May!

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  2. Sounds fun. Good luck!
    Once you get settled into a routine there don't forget to keep taking & posting photos, even if you don't have time to really write anything up.

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    1. Thank you - I'm excited! I don't know how fast the connection will be, but I am lucky to have internet in my apartment. So I should be able to share lots of pics!

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  3. You don't need blogging tips - you write like a pro!

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