Dengue fever...or not.

Marathon Training: 9.26 miles, 1:31:45. (holy cow!)

So it's been a few days.....err, weeks since I last posted, but apparently I've been busy! Not to mention exhausted after even a half-day spent out-n-about, so most of my nights have ended up with me, face down in a pillow, half watching Greys Anatomy until Pat gets home around 1 am. And about that.. My boyfriend is an extremely hard worker. I did not realize how much he could focus until I moved here with him. He had midterms last week, and he was studying 18 hours a day, every day leading up until exams. Thankfully he saw the fruits of his labors in his grades, as he did great, and I am extremely proud of him.

So with midterms behind us, we actually got to spend a few days together during his break this weekend!

For the past few weeks, the girls and I had been thinking of all the things we wanted to do with our men after midterms were over. We had a big weekend planned, but quite honestly I didn't have high expectations as I knew the boys would be tired from studying all week. Surprisingly, we actually did quite a few things on our list AND... Patrick came on a Hash! Trust me, I was just as surprised as you all. But he did it, and although he might of suffered through it, I do give him props for putting on his game face and doing this with me and our friends- especially since one of our good "couple friends" are the ones who set the hash (basically that means they created the trails through the jungle that we all later hiked through).

Pat and his 'study buddy' Brian 

Me, Cayley and Courtney after the hash

The rest of our weekend was relaxing. We met up for cigars at the University Club on Friday night, and smoked hookah (just tobacco, promise!) on a patio after the Hash. Sunday we did brunch with our friends and then spent the rest of the day in bed watching football and movies. Not a bad weekend, minus the Patriots losing which set us back for a few hours.. On that note, I'll give a little update on the fantasy football situation: With zero real knowledge about football... I am number one in our SO league (knock on wood!), and frankly that is the only reason I like it so far.

So what else is new? As I mentioned, one thing I do a lot down here is cook... And I think I might be starting to really, really like it. I search the internet for easy, healthy recipes on a daily basis, and then set out to the IGA to see if we actually have any of the ingredients listed (click on the link to see where I shop for groceries in Grenada!). One thing I do use a lot here is spice. It is cheap, and can completely transform a meal.

Because we are logging more and more miles every week, and because I want to keep Pat and myself energized (read: sane) through this journey, I have done some research on what we should be eating (and I've just always had a weird obsession with nutrition and food, kind of like the blood thing..). Anyway, last weekend after my 8 mile run, I was so tired and sore I thought I had acquired dengue fever and was surely going to die in our bed hours before Pat got home from the library... apparently all I needed was some protein and gatorade (electrolytes!). Eating healthy when you're working out that hard is essential, especially when considering the heat and hills of Grenada. This article was super helpful for easy things to fit into my diet, even on a low budget.

In addition to staying fueled and ache free, I truly believe good nutrition is imperative to a healthy state of mind, and even more so now since we have undergone such dramatic changes in culture, lifestyle and medical school-related stress. These articles explained what to eat to ease stress and depression.

In summation: We eat A LOT of bananas, and I'm overly obsessed with quinoa. We should eat lots of protein often, and complex carbohydrates that take awhile to be digested by the body and I will be able to run this marathon and we both should be free of mood swings. Hopefully.

Eat me for a better run AND a better relationship. 

"Please choose your country"

Week 5; 7.15 miles 1:05:48

Musings:
It's amazing the way life can change so quickly on you. I say that as if I didn't have a choice in the matter. As if life took me by the hand and said "let's go!"- and just when I thought we were going one direction, life took a detour- possibly it preferred the more scenic route- and now I'm here: 25, in Grenada, with a man I met a mere year ago. Despite the reactions of the people around me (which ranged from "are you out of your mind?" to "Yes! Take a chance and live life!) this move was not out of character for me. For the first time in my life I am neither working nor in school. So here I am, trying to live in the moment; to really enjoy my surroundings, or as the kid at the bus stop said "you can use this time to find yourself, whatever that means" (sometimes it seems like there is a sign on my head begging people to talk to me..). But with all this working, and studying and moving, and overall 'avoiding'- how much my life has changed in the past year didn't hit me until I was filling out a survey and came upon the prompt: "please choose your country".

Alright, I guess I'll choose Grenada ;)

Before we came out here I set some goals. Maybe I needed a way to add justification to the decision I was making to move here. The plan was to use the first four months to accomplish said goals, and then I would hopefully be accepted to school beginning in January and I could study along side Pat for the remainder of our time on the island.

Goals:
Learn to cook (this has been an interesting one)
Run a marathon (on my way!)
Learn Spanish (still trying to find a cheap Rosetta Stone on amazon)
Start a blog (.....)
Apply to grad schools (in the process)
Study for the GRE again (eh)
Volunteer (SAMS, Limes)
READ!

Since arriving I have some additional Goals:
Learn about a new culture (I ate salt fish.. Trust me, you are NOT missing anything)
Immerse myself in new culture
Figure out how to stretch a dollar in another currency, in a foreign country (ugh)
Try new things (hashing!)
Learn to drive a moped (check!)
Cultivate patience and understanding in my relationship with Pat (and a million other relationship things that could take up a whole new blog but shouldn't because it would be quite revealing)

That last one is important. Apparently medical school is difficult (?!) and takes A LOT of time (huh??) and can make one, hard working student (Pat) very stressed. The difficult part here is separating what is  new in our relationship because we are living together, and what is new to the relationship simply because of school, and all the additional emotional upheavals that come with it.

Some of the recipes I have tried: Quinoa Patties, Confetti Chicken Pasta, Sauteed Chicken Chunks with Coconut Milk

Overview of weeks 6 and 7: Pat had his first exams of med school! He did well but now he is preparing for midterms and is back to heavy-duty studying.

I have continued to volunteer at the hospital; cool story of the week: A man with a constricted urethra (due to BPH) came in to the clinic unable to urinate. It was near impossible to cath the man so our doc used a large bore IV needle and inserted into his abdomen and directly into his bladder to drain the urine- problem solved (for a short while anyway).

Thought you'd all like a visual...

Giving up on our washing machine, I have resorted to doing laundry by hand. 'Nuff said.

I've since added a drying rack and clothes line, but you get the idea...

Our bike broke down and I took it to get it fixed at the local mechanic- interesting experience to say the least.

Our sweet ride

Finding solace in new friends

Marathon Training Week 3; Day 5: 5.07 miles, 49:32

Crabs in a bowl ready to race!

Before I started this I promised myself I would be totally honest in this blog. It's meant not just as a journal to remember all the fun times this adventure will bring, but also for myself- and others who can or cannot relate- to unload about the hard times too. This week has been a roller coaster of emotions (which reminds me of an awkward moment at work; as we were transporting an elderly lady in the ambulance through the twists and turns of Grenada's rainforest roadway, I said to the woman "it's like we're on a roller coaster!" not thinking that she may well have never seen one in her life...she stared back at me blankly).

The week started off busy, social and fun. A group of us SO's went to crab races at a bar on the beach; all my crabs lost (go figure) but it was fun none the less.

Tuesday I attended my first ever fantasy football draft. Don't assume I know anything about football, but the girls just thought it might be something fun to do this fall, and today I saw one of my guys kick a field goal and get me some points so that was kind of cool.

Wednesday was Katie's "Wine Night" for any SO who wanted to have a mid-week get away while their husband or boyfriend studied late into the night. The students have their first big exam tomorrow and have been stressed and studying like crazy all week, so this was a good excuse for us to get away and relax together (you're thinking "like you're the ones who need the relaxing?", trust me, we do too). I'll say ahead of time, Katie was so gracious for hosting us all. Twenty plus girls in one apartment with a bottle of wine each... things got a little messy. Needless to say, we had a fun night and I met a lot of great girls. However, come Thursday morning as the hangover was wearing off, I felt a bit nostalgic for college and my good friends back home. Moving here is a bit like moving to college; the stress of meeting a bunch of new people at once, made a bit easier with the help of some good ole' ETOH.

group picture; wine night

Now I'm not sure if this was a combination of being in a brand new country for just over a month, too much alcohol for the week, seeing less than an hour of my boyfriend every day, or just crazy hormones, but Thursday was my breakdown day. As a person who tends to hold everything in, and "bite the bullet" in stressful situations, I also tend to erupt when my jaw starts to hurt. I am someone who rarely cries or gets angry. Yes, I am an emotional person, but I am also a chronic over-thinker. When I feel strong, but undesirable emotions, I think them through, rationalize them, and push them away. But when I do this too much, everything boils over and I end up crying in a Grenadian airport when all I wanted to do was to pay the duties on my UPS package and get on with my day. The airport story is long and not something I want to retell in detail, but I will say that if you ever find yourself in a third world country, expect to be given half an answer for everything, not to be taken seriously, and for what ever you're trying to accomplish to take approximately 5 times as long as you would expect. Thankfully, I have met some AMAZING people here, and Cayley was nice enough to drive me to the airport- and wait while I was shuffled around for 30 minuets trying to figure out just how to get my package.

The weekend got a bit better, but with Pat being stuck in the library 24/7, I have to say I was starting to feel the emotional results of his absence. He is stressed, and I'm not going to pretend that is easy on me. It's not. It is easy to begin to feel under-appreciated here, but I went into this knowing this would be the case. In fact, I'm surprised it didn't hit sooner. I am trying to be supportive, bring him dinner (the few minuets we can actually spend time together!) and make him feel positive about all the hard work he is putting in, however, sometimes this effort is met with resistance. I know he will do great tomorrow, I just can't wait until he knows it too. I also can't wait until I hear back on grad school for me. I know my lack of emotional stability is due in part to limited structure and not feeling like a valued portion of society. Work was my therapy back home, and while I do some nursing here, it is not the same as feeling totally confidant and in control of ones environment like I did at my last job. Most of all, I miss my patients, and using all of my skills and knowledge.

Random Updates: 
We have had some random malfuctions in our house- Pat has been awesome about trying to fix them- these include our water heater, our leaky refrigerator, our iced-over freezer...

So handy! 

We bought a scooter!

We are now semi-independent! The one bought is a bit older, and red, but otherwise the same. While I don't normally endorse this mode of transportation (head injuries, death), I am pretty addicted to this thing and love not having to always rely on the buses.

Saint Georges the "Carnage"

Toto, I've a feeling we're not in Kansas anymore...

Week 2: Day 4; 3.00 miles, time: 30:28

Today's route via Cayley: http://runkeeper.com/user/cayley/route

So I decided I would start tracking my progress publicly to keep me accountable. The more people I tell "I'm running a marathon in November", the more likely I am to stick to my schedule and do it. While I do consider myself to be pretty self-motivated, it would not be difficult to say "its too damn hot to run today"... September is supposed to be Grenada's hottest month, and I think both Cayley and I can attest to that truth! I do feel that in the almost-month we have been here, my endurance has drastically improved in this weather.

Our weekend: So we had another "date night" on Friday- Pat was only at school until 7pm (instead of 11 or 12) and we met up and went to dinner and a movie. With him being gone 18 hours a day during the week, I appreciate these moments immensely.

Saturday I went hashing again... I also had an emotional breakdown regarding a dog: We get to Apres Tout, about 45 minuets from where we live, and we enter a typical 'third-world-country' neighborhood- shack houses with tin roofs that may or may not have running water. While we're all standing around and getting ready to run, an English man comes up to our group and asks if anyone is looking to adopt a dog and if so we should check out the stray under the deck around the corner. Of course I jump at the chance to play with a puppy and Pat and I had already discussed that at some point we would like to get a dog, so why not now? I head around the corner of the building and a tiny, black puppy is cowering under the deck. She is completely emaciated and very, very timid. I am in love. She couldn't have been more than a few months old and I could count every rib in her body. By now there is a small crowd of us and some people are asking if anyone would take her home. Another woman introduces me to her dog and says she was found in the same condition and now she's big and healthy and so this dog deserves the same. I decide I'm taking her. I have yet to let Pat know but I know he is sensitive and wouldn't be mad once he saw her. We tie her up, go on the run and the whole time I am hoping she is still there when we get back. As we're about to leave for the evening, I head over and pick her up. She is adorably sweet and rests her head on my shoulders. I begin to stand up with her when an older, Grenadian man walks over and tries to tell me he thinks this is his sisters dog. He is very confused and I'm having a hard time understanding him, much less explaining that I was directly told "the owner dropped her off here and abandoned her". I decide to start walking and am surprised to realize he is still following me. Looking back, I should have just walked all the way to the car and left right then, but we stayed and tried to respectfully explain to this man that this was nobodies dog. Suddenly I look up and I feel like half the town is surrounding me. The same men that told me earlier she didn't belong to anyone are now siding with this confused, older man with dread locks. By now I am angry and begin arguing that clearly no one is feeding this dog, and I was told she doesn't belong to anyone. When we hear mention of the police the group decides not to push our luck (looking back I realize that was probably just a threat; the police in Grenada rarely respond to real emergencies, much less something like this) and I begrudgingly set the dog down and walk away in tears.

Things that I learned from this experience: 1) I have an irrational emotional attachment to animals I don't know, 2) Grenadians are very possessive of things even if they do not outwardly take care of them, 3) don't get involved with the police in another country (images from "locked up abroad" come to mind) 4) I should have listened to the English man and discretely hid her before we left on our run. 5) different cultures view animals differently then I was raised to view them.

Everyone about to start the Hash- photo courtesy of "Grenada Hash House Harriers"

Cayley(front) and me coming out of the forest

So Sunday I am still sulking and begin planning ways to get to Apres Tout.
Later we meet up with a two other couples so that Pat can study and I can gossip with the girls. It's a pretty decent arrangement for me :)

Not a bad Sunday

Tuesday: Limes started! Limes is an after school program for kids as young as 2 and the volunteers help with homework, playing, and giving them much needed attention. They are incredibly fun, energetic and outgoing! I went Tuesday and Thursday this week and I think I plan to be on that schedule as long as I am in Grenada. Between that and the hospital on Monday, Wednesdays and Fridays, I feel pretty productive and involved.

Outside St. Augustine's Medical Clinic

Finally feeling settled

We've been here almost three weeks and I think it's just kicking in that this isn't a vacation. Even though we have been busy doing not very 'vacationy' things, the funny thing about moving is it always feels like that until a month goes by and you're still there. Moving here was a little different then my past 'big' moves because I can't just pick up the phone and call someone back home. We also don't have a TV yet (still working on that one..) so unless I am actively looking for information, US current events is pretty much a mystery to me (but I will definitely be keeping tabs on the RNC in Florida this week and how the RP delegates are faring..). However, the Internet is an amazing place, and because of it I have still been able to chat with and see my friends and family. :)

So, week #3 re-cap: On Saturday I attempted a new running sport known as Hashing (new to me, not to the world apparently..). I was introduced to it by another SO whose husband is an absolute fanatic. It’s basically trail running- we ran through parts of the rainforest, along a beach and through some local neighborhoods- except the twist is that you are following “clues” that tell you which way to go and sometimes lead you on fake trails, in which case you have to turn around and find your way again. If you make it the 5+ miles and are still able to walk at the end, you are rewarded with beer and socializing. Our hash this weekend was 5.5 miles up and down some incredibly steep, long hills (that gave us some amazing views of the island!) and took us approximately an hour and 45 minutes. Now the real challenge will be convincing Pat to come along this weekend… 

If you're curious about what I'm talking about: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hash_House_Harriers 

The rest of our weekend was spent on a 'date night' getting some very good, but expensive sushi, meeting up with a few friends at the bar in our neighborhood, and Pat studying for hours and hours in the library. 

Monday I started my new volunteer nursing position at St. Augustine's. Although there were differences, it was surprisingly comforting to be back in a 'nursing' role. I learned that nursing is still nursing even in a third world country. I work along side Brian, the RN, in an outpatient emergency clinic. The clinic is small and consists of Brian, two receptionists/administrators, the MD (who is very laid back and easy to get along with) an x-ray technologist and three lab technicians. Everyone is friendly and goofy and so far, easy to be around. We had about 25 patients and my designate duties were vital signs. We mostly saw follow up visits and a few wounds, and one woman with diabetic foot ulcers that came in tri-weekly for dressing changes. I did learn a few new things. I had never done an EKG and we did two of them this week. I was actually quite surprised that I recognized and felt comfortable doing most of the things necessary.

Brian, during some down time. He likes to teach me Grenadian history with tourism books when we aren't busy.

Tuesday I went on another walk with Katie, started my 1/2 marathon training with Cayley, and Wednesday I went back to the hospital, ran with Cayley and met up with some girls for BINGO; although I didn't win anything, thanks to Katie, we all got a free afternoon boat ride out of the deal! 

We are finally falling into a routine. Pat goes to school until about 10pm every day. I fill my time at the hospital, marathon training, running errands, doing laundry or working on grad school apps. We eat dinner together and wind down watching movies in bed. Although we're both still getting used to this living together thing (plleeaasseee all I'm asking for is an updated ETA....) so far, I like this new life.
 

The main bus terminal, downtown St. Georges

More of downtown St. Georges, Grenada

Facing my fear of public transportation.. head on.

I am happy to say I am exhausted. I'm also happy to say that it's been over-cast for two whole days and we have finally had a break from the relentless, equatorial sun.  Back to my original thought: I wasn't quite sure how I was going to keep myself busy here, but I have not had a problem yet this week and there are still some application essays I need to write that I can fill up at least half of tomorrow with.

The day started off with an adventurous morning! Pat and I both woke up early so we could catch the 7:45 bus to campus. Because we still have to walk a ways to the stop, we have to be out the door at least 20 minuets before the scheduled pick-up time (we're finally figuring this bus thing out..!). Although we were both just barely awake, I was happy to spend even that short time with Pat before he disappears into classes and books for the rest of the day. His morning started off with an 8 am lab, and I was attempting to make way across town and into the heart of Grenada to speak with someone about a volunteer nursing position(!).

Over the weekend the school hosted a bazaar where students and SO's could sign up for different clubs and organizations. I spoke with a woman at the student health services booth about potential jobs and she directed me to a man who runs a private hospital about twenty minutes north west of SGU.

We live in the very south-western tip in an area called L'ance Aux Epines (pronounced lance a-peens). Pat's school is to the east of us in the area called True Blue. The hospital is located directly west of the city of St. Georges.

So we both take the bus to the University (it was packed with so many students that we had to drive right past the last two stops), where he would head to his lab and I would take the next bus toward Grand Anse, the same part of town that hosts the bank, a few grocery stores, Grenada's only mall (if you could call it that), and the Grand Anse beach. My meeting was scheduled for 9 am and I reach Grand Anse a little before 8, as I planned. None of the free buses that are run by the school go into St. George, so my plan from here is to flag down a taxi and pay the 60 or so EC (about 22 USD) that it costs to get to the hospital and back. As I look around I realize I haven't seen a taxi yet. It starts to rain and because I was too stubborn to pay for an umbrella yesterday, I hurry to find cover. I spot a bus stop. There is another man waiting with me so I decided to ask him if he knew when taxi's started working (being clueless about my surroundings has really awoken my extroverted side..). He asked where I needed to go and quickly explains that it would be much, much, cheaper if I used the city bus. I hesitate on this. He points to the next van coming toward us with a large #1 logo on the windshield and says to get in. So I follow him (apparently it also makes me naively trusting..). I've used this van before but only for short distances. It has four rows of four seats each, and three seats in the very front. We all squish together, sans seat-belts- the laws are much more lax here- and make our way towards downtown blasting a mix of American and Grenadian hip-hop music. 

He explains that I am supposed to take this bus to the main transit station and then find a #4 bus to take me to the hospital. After a twenty minute drive and many stops later, we arrive. The nice thing about these buses is that they will stop anywhere in the region they are designated to. When you near your destination you simply tap on the window and the bus driver pulls over. The transit station reminded me of miniature, sea-side Grand Central Station and it was buzzing with hundreds of people in the midst of their morning commute.
 
http://www.grenadaexplorer.com/Transport.htm

I find the #4 bus and tell the driver where I'm headed. Once the van is full, we leave the station and head up the hills and into mountainous 'suburbs' of St. Georges. The driver stops at the hospital and tells me we're here (I think he only did that for me because I clearly appeared clueless and out of place...). I thank him, pay him the 2.50 EC charge, and head in. I am extremely early. My transportation was much more reliable then I had planned.

The hospital is small. It appears to be two stories and about the size of a small apartment building (It reminds me a bit of my experience visiting hospitals in Nicaragua). After introducing myself to the receptionist, it doesn't take long before Dr. Ameschi comes to greet me. I spent about 15 minutes talking with him and I leave with a plan to come back on Monday and start working along side Brian, a nurse in the out-patient care center. While I would love to be truly employed (apparently Uncle Sam expects us to pay him back one day..) I am happy to have something to keep me busy in the career that I love. I will get to truly immerse myself in Grenadian culture, and experience the ins and outs of a health care system in a third world country--and I am SO excited!
I make my way back, stop to buy and umbrella (tropical storm Isaac is approaching), and am home drinking my coffee by ten am. I used eight different buses and spent a total of $10 EC ($3.75 USD). It might sound tedious, but I can't complain about that!

http://www.samsgrenada.com/

The rest of my day is spent getting lunch with my footsteps buddy, Emily (an SO who has been here for a year already and helped me with questions and planning before we moved), and going on a run with another SO in the L'ance Aux Epines neighborhood. Now, I wait. Pat will be at an anatomy lab most of the evening and I won't see him until late. According to Emily, getting used to this routine will take some time but thankfully we have other SO's to go through it with! I also think we need to invest in a TV.

Where are there more mosquitos than Minnesota?

Growing up surrounded by swamps and wet lands in the Land of Ten Thousand Lakes, I should have been well prepared for the onslaught of mosquitoes that greeted us upon our arrival into Grenada. I was not, and I am not sure I will ever get used to their constant presence. Laughing at the thought of sleeping under a mosquito net (surely it was just there to add to the ambiance of island living..) we disregarded it the first night. Big mistake. I awoke to about 20, red, swollen welts up and down my legs. Not only were they much larger than the mosquito bites I am used to, but they itch much worse and have lasted over a week! In response, I have loaded up our house with everything anti-mosquito I could possibly find. And we use 'the net' religiously. In addition, I couldn't be more thankful to Katie (another SO), for introducing me to Odomos Mosquito Repellent Cream. It works marvels, it's not sticky and it doesn't smell like you're wearing loads of mosquito repellent. I have used it daily since last Wednesday in addition to an equal amount of hydrocortizone cream. 

My Sanity.

Because I have had such a horrible reaction to this exotic version of mosquito and Patrick seems to be bite-free, I did a little research: For starters, according to http://www.straightdope.com/columns/read/2891/do-mosquitoes-prefer-certain-blood-types-plus, mosquitoes prefer type O blood, and least prefer type A. I happen to be B negative. Pat doesn't know his blood type but assuming from his Western European ancestry, he is most likely A or O positive (I love blood- this is not my first time researching blood types...http://www.redcrossblood.org/learn-about-blood/blood-types). The mystery continues.

So on I read: The next site states that people with heavy secretions of cholesterol,  steroids, or uric acid on their skin may attract more mosquitoes...(http://www.webmd.com/allergies/features/are-you-mosquito-magnet). This option seems highly unlikely.

Lastly, people who are working out, or exhale a high volume of carbon dioxide may attract more mosquitoes. When we went scuba diving, I was the first one to use up all of my air in every single dive. In essence, I breathe a lot. Perhaps the mosquitoes are just trying to tell me to relax.