April 1st 2015

As of April 1st I was no longer a Peace Corps Volunteer,

It was a strange feeling to wake up that morning and realize that I didn't have to follow any more Rules!!!! Their are a lot of rules that we had to follow such as you can't drive, ride motor cycles or sleep out of your sight more than twice a month. I don't have to report anything anymore and I can go where I won't when I want. I know that it sounds strange but some times you feel like you where a toddler trying to live in a grown up world under peace Corps rules. Most of the rules were made because so many people abused sleeping out or traveling during the school year, taking boats who were unlicensed. Some of these rules came with reasons, safety reasons but I find a lot of people don't care.

Any ways its just nice to be free, even though I did not have any problems following the rules.

Today I woke up, and made breakfast without feeling the rush to leave and go t work. I know what my grandma is thinking as I type these words. Don't worry I know it will be different in a few weeks so spare me please.

I still have a lot to do in the next few weeks, clean my apartment that has three generations of peace corps stuff inside of it, go threw cloths, the wedding, moving my soon to be husbands stuff to his families, packing my own stuff and saying GOODBYE!!!  Ohhh gosh thats a lotos stuff.

I am trying to go back around to all of the places that I love and eat as many rotes as possible before I leave. I'm collecting memories that I didn't at first have time to gather.

All keep you all posted on how things are continuing to go, be prepared to here a lot about my wedding planing and how emotional I am getting.

talk  to you all soon

17 days left before I go back to the U.S.

The count down began a long time ago lets say 47 days ago and I was so exited and scared to go back to the U.S and leave this amazing island and my soon to be husband.

As time got closer to me leaving I started to think about all of the things that I miss back home in the US, Food, driving, my washing machine, a microwave, good shopping, friends and my family.

I also started noticing and having many more pet peeves about Grenada, the way men talk to me on the street, or people assuming I came off a cruse ship, the slow pace and hand washing my cloths. Its so bitter and sweet at the same time to be leaving this amazing, loving different place where I would like to say I found a new me.  

I find myself to be very emotional, angry, sad, confused, happy, and exited. I think that because I went back to the states each year it will make my readjusting to the US much better, in the Peace Corps we are offered counseling to help us readjust I found that interesting but now I understand why some people would need that.

The wedding planning is going grate everything is in order and the first family member has arrived. Just one problem I went from 47days left to 17 in the blink of an eye. This weekend is almost over next weekend I have an interview for a summer camp back in Grenada in August, my mom coming Thursday and the rehearsal Friday and the wedding Saturday.  Then I leave on the 20^th. WOW.

I wish that I understood when I was younger when my mom said tack your time enjoy your childhood because you only get one. Now I am 26 Years old and getting ready to start a new chapter in life and I just want to freeze time and enjoy whats going on around me but I cant!!

Time will tell and things will work out but its just amazing you have one life to live and it really  does fly by.

Clarification

One thing I always wanted to tell people about being a Peace Corps in the Caribbean!!!!!

Although the Caribbean is a beautiful place and some of the islands (Grenada ) are known for being a tourist destination their is still a lot of poverty and lack of education that needs assistance. 

I completely agree that your service is what you as an individual make it to be. It is not fair that just because we live on a tropical island we are considered to be in a fairytale, or it's not the real world, because actually it is the really work. We do not live on a made up planet the beautiful islands are on earth just like the US or France. 

It is quite painful to here people say Ohh wait till you came back to real world. Just because it is not your world does not mean it's none existent. We worked hard to get here and we did not pick were we were placed! 

Be respectful of peace corps volunteers!!! We hand wash cloths , carry 50lb gas tanks up hills you probably could not walk up yourself, live in poverty and make friendships with people who we can't always help. We integrate into a brand new life that we did not grow up in and the move back to the U.S. And integrate back into that society. It's stressful.  

As I said you can not make my service or know everything I get from my service YOU do not make my service I DO!!!!!!!

My island Grenada is beautiful, complex, spicy, outgoing compassionate, an eye opener, my family and one of my homes!!!!!! A part of me is now Grenadian and all never forget that! 

It has been an amazing two years testing my abilities, integrating into a society where not everyone wants me here or think I am off a ship, or where everyone wants me and I can't stretch myself enough. I have learned a lot about myself and this amazing place I was placed on. I became apart of this island a saw the true side of it. I saw the real green dot ( it does exist outside of the movies) . 

Been a long time

Well it has been a long time since I have written on my blog wall. I have been busy and not been so motivated.

Well I want to inform you all that I have decided to not extend!! Originally I was going to start a ceramics program but that did not end up happening and things began to slow down at White Cane and GNCD. 

It is amazing the small tings in life that you get that can change whats next to come. A month before Christmas my mom sent me an email with an update on the University Of Arizona and the undergrad program that I was in. The news letter explained the new changes and benefits of doing the Masters Rehab program. That one letter sparked my mind. All of a sudden I was looking at masters programs and getting ready to apply.

When I went home for Christmas I got everything in order for when I come back April 2015. I applied for my masters, found an apartment between my moms house and school. I was so busy cleaning out old things and getting rid of the old. My life was going to change and my Peace corps service was flying by. 

I think that it is true that you have ups and downs threw ought your service, they can be huge drops in depression or teeny tinny lows in your service. I found that my service was never a full drop I had a consistent emotional ride threw my service. I have a lot of people to thank for that, some of the teachers at my school, my boyfriend, family, my newly met friends, and dancing. Of course my family back home helped me a lot when I need someone to talk to or getting me supplies for my projects.  

Now that it has been two years and re evaluated what is currently going on and what’s to come I have decided to go home and not extend. The school was interesting but White Cane and Grenada Council of the Disabled was by far what I considered my first assignment. I feel like I have accomplished a lot with them. Although I love them things have slowed down a lot, the ceramics project never really got started and I decided that its time to start my masters. So I am declaring that I am moving home April 20, 2015. I already have my apartment all set up and I have applied for the Fellows program at the University of Arizona, and the masters program in Rehabilitation for Special Education with counseling. 

I am also exited to announce that in April I will be getting married. It’s an exiting new chapter in my life and I cant wait to start it. Grenada will always be a part of me and a passion. I was so happy to be here the last two years. 

Pot Hounds

A street dog, stray or what Grenadian's call a pot hound.

Animals are not considered pets here in Grenada, most of the animals are FOOD!!! Anything you can think of small and big.  I think animals here are considered pests not pets or a part of the family like they are in the US and I think that its sad. No one here understands the concept of spaying and neutering their dogs or cats. One man I know told me that he has 20 cats and the drops (gives birth) every month. Well what does that say to you, I asked him? He did not have an answer. Another belief here is that if they get a boy dog or cat it won't have babes. Well to my knowledge you need a boy and a girl to make babes. Although the mail dogs and cats do not carry them inside and give birth to them they help make reproduction possible. I have seen two dogs get hit by cars, no one stopped or even slowed down, emaciation, dehydration and wounded animals is what you see a lot of here. 

Anyways the man next door to me abandoned this beautiful gold dog with huge tall ears. I had watched her how threw 2 litters of puppies none survived or where given away to early. Some of here babies died because she could not feed herself let alone produce enough breast milk for the babes. 

He left and I started to feed her, she had two litters before I finally brought the 3rd litter inside because she had them in a bush. Lots of people think that I am crazy. But in all honesty I can't handle watching animals die from abuse. So my goal is to get all of the puppies to good home, I think i found good homes for all 7 already with some of the students at the South St. George University. and then get the mother who I call BabyGirl fixed. 

Some of my local friends want the BOYS!! I asked them "what are you going to do with it?" Response "ohhhh um tie it up outside"!! I think to myself give it to SGU for a pet a part of the family or an un fixed chained dog, hummmmm SGU no questions asked. They are two sweet, clean and healthy to become beaten hungry and mean.

    I had three boys, Cookie, Chew, Bear

four girls, Cinnamon, Daisy, Juva, SweetP

It was so interesting to watch them grow up deaf and blind to barking and sliding around. Once they get to be about 4 weeks they are messy and a handful let me tell you, but I love them all and they will be missed.  

Lets talk about getting sick

As a Peace Corps volunteer we have unlimited sick days, if you are off the job more than three months than you are medically released from the Peace corps.

When I was in the stats any little thing that wen around I cough it, after concerts I would get stress colds you name it I got it. I will say I am thankful I never broke or twisted any bones.

Even when I went to Africa I got food poisoning and thew up in a doctors house and new car.

Now that I am eating better, more raw things and way way less processed foods I feel like I have a higher build up for most things that come around in Grenada. Also because I work at a school around kids with drippy noses, ring worm, and sneezing every direction  you would think that I would catch everything they have. I dont!!

When I first got here they gave us this big water filter, did I use it?? No I did not i wanted to get used to the water one time. I had a runs and an upset stomach for a day and I was fine. One girl drank the water at her school and had worms coming out of her nose. That did not happen to me I drink the water at my school, home and most other places if other people are drinking it.

However I  get  dengue fever that was not fun but not to bad, sore eyes head ache, fever and other cold like symptoms. As we know I survived.

Next is chikungunya virus, I was so lucky I did not get it to bad. I had a rash, fever, sore toes, back, and shoulder. I was walking around and still playing w puppies. On a side note if you didn't know I have seven puppies and one street dog living on my veranda. I have had then 4 weeks now.

Any ways some people get the chick-g so bad that they cant walk or move their fingers. I am taking one daily vitamin and one extra vitamin C hopping that I dont catch the relapse as they say happens a month latter.

I know that people in the US are scared of the  ebola virus but you cant not live your life. I wont stop living mine due to fear of getting sick.

Got to live your life to the fullest


here is the Chick-g info

http://www.cdc.gov/chikungunya/   

New volunteers

The new volunteers have been here since August, and I find that we have all meshed well together. Before they got here I was set on not wanting to have much to do with the new volunteers because I wanted to work on my work and myself. But to my surprise I get along better with the new group better than the group I came with. I don't know why. But any ways I have found new joy in spending time with them on the weekends if they come to town.

Its amazing to me that I have lived here a year and a half and yet I still have not tried a lot of things around me. The new b's have already shown me some new restaurants, tricks to get American Netflix (yes I had the Spanish version) and new incite to their schools.

We had one person leave already from their group, so I think we have lost two from the EC 86 group one in Grenada and one in Dominica. It takes so long to get into the Peace Corps I think its sad when they have to leave early. I am just thankful that I am happy here, and nothing makes me want to go home right now.

I look forward to the rest of my months here in Grenada with my new friends, boyfriend, school teachers and kids, and White Cane friends!