One More Thing...

Well well well, here I am posting on my St. Kitts blog again. Didn't I already wrap things up and say goodbye? Yes, yes I did. So what brings me to post on here today? The answer is Duffy, my roommate's dog. One of her moms recently removed her old SK dog tags, and I couldn't help but laugh when I saw what was on it.

Here it is...

If you lived in St. Kitts, you'll understand that A) we don't really have addresses and B) we use landmarks such as 'a tree full of white birds' to direct people. That's just how things work in SK. And it's quite effective.

The other reason this makes me laugh is because I have had quite the response to my Sea Glass Beach blog post. Numerous Rossies, (students, spouses, etc.), as well as various tourists have emailed me to get directions to this location. Happy to share the beach with others, I have sent specific directions. Most often, I have received replies stating that the tourists were dubious of my step-by-step guidelines at first, but found the beach easily enough and had a fabulous time. What were they most unsure of? Turning left/right in Camps at the tree full of white birds. Of course, I understand why they'd think oddly of this...but as anyone in SK knows, this is a critical step in the directions. Not to mention that the birds are always in that one tree!

Anyway, I just had to share this little anecdote. I ought to head over to my new blog and post something interesting. Cheers!

My very last {Caribbean Blog} post...

Well...I've procrastinated long enough, and I think it's time to wrap up this blog. I'm not sure if my life will ever be as fun/amazing/interesting/crazy/etc. as it was in sunny, beautiful, simple St. Kitts, but I'll give it try. Here's the link to my new Raleigh, NC blog: http://adventuresintheoldnorthstate.blogspot.com/

Please note that there aren't any blog posts on it. At least not yet. I'm getting around to that...maybe tonight if you're lucky!

I just have two more events to document before ending this post...and this blog. *sigh* *BIG SIGH*

Prior to leaving my treasured Mitten State for North Carolina, I drove down to Grand Rapids, (for not even 24 hours, mind you), to see my friend Holli and attend her birthday party. We started the night out at Stella's Lounge, and then spent the rest of the night at The Pyramid Scheme. The next morning/early afternoon, Holli, Ashley, (a friend of Holli's), and I met my friend Andrea for lunch at Panera, followed by a quick trip to Pier 1 Imports, (where Holli, Andrea, and I all met as coworkers). That was a very long sentence, I know. Anyway, we had a jolly good time!

On New Year's Eve, I went to my grandpa's house with my family. We all bundled up, and went sledding—just like we did when we were kids. After we warmed back up, we played ping pong and hung out until it was time to ring in the new year. It was sooo fun!

Enjoy the pics! And don't forget to check out my new blog in case I write something cool in it.

Birthday girl!

Hipster Hollister.

The girls!

Beers at Stella's.

Me and the birthday girl.

Yep, it was that kind of night.

Andrea and moi.

I'm in my thermals and ready to go sledding!

The Jaworski ladies all bundled up to go sledding...it took us FOREVER to get dressed.

Jaworski sisters posing in the snow. Mom made us do it...

"Come on, Cat! You've posed under this tree your whole life! What's one more time?" - Mom

Beautiful Michigan.

Doubling up on the sleds! Poor Winny. Hehe.

So those are the last of my Michigan adventures over the holiday break, and it was a jolly good time. I only wish that I had more time to stay and visit all of my friends. Because of mine and Matthew's crazy busy schedule, we didn't have much time to spend outside of Northern Michigan. However, I'm hoping those that I missed will trickle down to Raleigh. Hehe.

Thanks to everyone who has read my St. Kitts blog for the last two years!

SK—>Miami—>Chicago—>GR

Our trip from St. Kitts to Michigan went smoothly, more or less. We cleaned our apartment OCD-style, managed to pack up everything in four checked bags, loaded up our dogs into their crates, aced Kittsy, and then placed him into his cat carrier.

Matt G. and Tiffany drove us to the airport when we were ready...and it was such a sad goodbye. I've hung out with Tiffany almost every day for two years, and it was sad knowing that I wouldn't be returning to SK in January to begin our pool-workout-watch tv-clean-cook-beach-trivia routine. Matthew and I just absolutely love these two people, and all that they have brought to our lives. Thank you for your friendship; we are missing you both so very much. Sending big Xs and Os your way! Once we dried our tears, Matt G. and Tiff got into their car and drove away—leaving us to begin our journey back to the Mitten state. *sigh*

When we arrived in Miami, we did the usual: claimed our baggage, (and our dogs), went to customs and immigration...and then waited an hour for the shuttle to our hotel. Blahhh no fun, especially because the airport process is already so exhausting. Not to mention that our dogs were already anxious from being ripped out of their normal island-ey environment, and stuffed into their crates. At that point in the night, all we wanted to do was get to our hotel and let them out. Oh and on top of that, Matthew and I aren't really 'cat people' and we were completely befuddled as to what to do with Kittsy. Being a mostly outdoor cat, he doesn't use a litter box. So we did what we do with our dogs: we walked him outside on a leash. It worked. That damn cat is so cute.

After not getting much sleep, we woke up to head back to the airport where we went through the process of checking in our pets again—which means they were anxious again. And every single time we have to check our dogs, it takes about an hour or so. Not kidding. And the airline reps don't ever know exactly what they're doing, so it makes me nervous. I've had trouble trying to fly my dogs in the past which is a very long story that I will choose not to bore you with at this time.

Okay, now I'm rambling...where was I? Oh yes, Miami. Okay, so we checked in our pets, boarded our flight and arrived in Chicago. Next step? Board our flight to Grand Rapids, Michigan. Did Milo and Trooper make the connection?! They sure did! Hooray! Everything seemed to be going smoothly (for once in our lives, to which we are sooo very thankful.)

At the Grand Rapids airport, my mom and dad were there to meet us. And boy what a reunion that was! Of course, that ended early when we had to take our dogs and cat to the 'outdoor pet relief area.' When the animals 'relieved' themselves, we hopped into my dad's truck and made the three hour trek up north.

Here are some photos from our journey.

Last family photo...minus Kittsy. (He's behind us in this pic.)

You ready to leave your native island for the States, Kittsy?!

Last Stag beers for a long time. *sigh*

Clearly, St. Kitts was sad to see us go.

In Miami...waiting for our hotel shuttle.

Milo and Trooper all wrapped up in the back of my dad's truck with me and Matty.

So that's the story, folks. No major problems. Just a lot of anxiety about our dogs traveling in such chilly temperatures, and trying to figure out a routine for Kittsy. What's important, is that we made it and everyone is happy and healthy. Here's to a Happy New Year! Hope you are all having a lovely holiday season.

Quick Update

Okay, so I only have a few minutes to blog because it's already wayyyy past (passed? I can never remember that grammar rule...) my bedtime and I have to get up early tomorrow. But I just wanted to quickly write an update so you didn't think we left St. Kitts and then fell off the face of the planet. I mean...it's more like we actually traveled to a different planet, but more on that later.

Moving on: Matty, Trooper, Milo, Kittsy, and I made it safely to Michigan last Tuesday. Ever since we've been back, we've been here, there, and everywhere—and we've still got a lot of things to accomplish during the last week we're here. So I guess blogging will have to wait for when I'm not busy running around trying to get our lives sorted out. Oh! Not to mention that I'm trying my hardest to readjust to the very overwhelming American lifestyle, and the Northern Michigan COLD WEATHER. Aka: I'm freezing my ass off! (Sigh)

I'll end this post with a snapshot of me and Matty from this evening. We went to my uncle's for my extended family's Christmas Eve dinner, and it was our turn in front of the tree for the annual Christmas pictures.

Happy Holidays!

Two Announcements

I have exciting news to share with you...some of it isn't 'new' news, but it's 'new' in the sense that I haven't gotten around to blogging about it yet.

Here we go:

1) We found a place to live in Raleigh! Yes, that's right. After all that back-and-forth about whether we should get a house, an apartment, or a cardboard box...haha just kidding about the cardboard box part. But there really was a lot of pain-in-the-ass apartment/house hunting involved, and we even considered living in a hotel for a while.

Matty and I assumed we would be living on our own when we moved to Raleigh. We figured we'd find an apartment near school and just deal with not having a yard for the dogs. We'd all adjust to going on lots of walks with lots of leash time...as opposed to free range yard time, which is what they have here in St. Kitts.

Well, pretty much everything about that above statement has changed. Not only are we not going to be living in an apartment, we're going to have roommates! Yes, that's right. Who is brave enough to move in with us, you ask? Rhiannon and Sami...and their two dogs, Duffy and Taygan! Yes, you're right again. That will be four adults and four dogs under one roof. However, our new place is large enough for our zoo craziness. See description below: 

The house is almost 2000 square feet, has a huge sunroom, a large backyard with a big oak tree...it has three bedrooms and two full baths, there's a washer/dryer available, annnnnnd we're five minutes away from NC State, which is great for Matty and Rhiannon. The house is a bit older than what I had originally wanted, but I think once we move in, furnish it, and get some DIYing under our belt, it'll feel more and more like home.

So what does this mean? It means that you should come visit me while my students are away doing nerdy vet student things. :)

Our future Raleigh home.

Onto more news...

2) Matty and I have officially adopted a cat. You've probably heard me mention him before, but Kittsy will be coming back to Michigan with us. He was just at the vet last week getting the necessary vaccines and paperwork to be okayed for travel. I consider him our little SK souvenir.

Kittsy...doing what he does best.

So that's the update for now: a place to live (finally), and a new (furry) family member.

The Dincaus Will Head to NC STATE

As I had recently mentioned, this was a big week for us. Not only did Matthew have his first cat spay surgery, we also found out where we'll be living come January. We are excited to share with you that we will heading to North Carolina State University for Matthew's clinical year. We feel very blessed/lucky/amazed/appreciative/surprised/thankful that he will be attending this school. If you'd like to know why, read the following email:

If you scrolled down and skipped the email, here's the summary: NC State is a sought-after school. Forty-six students listed it as one of their top choices. Only six from Matthew's semester were selected to attend. He's one of the lucky six.

Moving on. I have already spent a significant amount of time researching our soon-to-be home, chatting extensively with both Emily and Andrew who are both North Carolinians, and I have notified my friend, (and fellow VIP), Ryan, to start apartment shopping for us—since he and his wife, Kate, recently moved there from St. Kitts in August.

OMG! And Matty's twin, Rhiannon, who has been with him at RUSVM since Vet Prep, (May 2010), is going to NC State too!!! Which means that Sami will be there as well. I suppose Ryan, Sami, and I will just have to start our own SK-to-NC VIP group. Haha.

And regarding football, we will be called The Wolfpack and this is our mascot, Tuffy:

And of course, I had to google map the state as well as the driving distance (all pertinent information, you know):

It should take us about 15 hours from Manistee, MI to Raleigh, NC. 

And lastly, here are five interesting facts for you:

1. NC State is tied with CO State as the # 3 ranked veterinary med school in the US.

2. The capital city is Raleigh with the largest city being Charlotte.

3. A state culinary staple of North Carolina is pork barbecue. (Matthew is ecstatic about this, naturally.)

4. Growing Christmas trees has recently become an important industry (in NC).

5. North Carolina has 17 major river basins.

Mitten-bound

Didn't I just arrive in St. Kitts? No? Oh...weird. My memories—of climbing out of the Delta airplane onto the SKB airport tarmac with the sun shining high and the heat hitting me like a wall of bricks—are still quite fresh. So, when Matthew lectured, "Baaaaaaaaaabe. You really need to book our flights back to Michigan...I know you've been procrastinating," I experienced a mix of emotions.

First and foremost, I was annoyed. I did not feel like dropping almost $1000 USD on flights to the US for us, (and that's fairly inexpensive). Not to mention the upcoming costs of also flying Milo and Trooper back. Generally, I don't mind financing legit expenses. I just like to whine about spending money on things that don't include me getting new clothes, super cool gadgets, or fun accessories for my pets. Ha. Oh, one more thing. We can always get to SKB in one day, but we can't get to Michigan within 24 hours. It's very inconvenient. We settled on this itinerary:

Depart SKB at 3:30 p.m.
Arrive MIA at 5:30 p.m.
~Overnight in MIA~
Depart MIA at 7:40 a.m.
Arrive ORD (Chicago) at 10:00 a.m.
Depart ORD at 11:55 a.m.
ARRIVE IN GRR at 1:45 p.m.

Kind of overkill, don't you think? Especially since you can leave Grand Rapids, MI, arrive in Miami, and fly directly to SKB afterwards. *sigh*

So anyway, moving on. I often feel anxious when I think about our future move. Booking our flights today means change, big change. It means that we will be packing up our lives in about five months to head to the States, leaving behind our sunshine-filled island that we have called home for about 2-3 years. And it means that we will have to find a new home, in a new and unfamiliar place. Annnnnnnnd it means that we have a lot of work ahead of us. Oy vey.

Next, I felt sad. I love SKB! I have truly loved my life here. It's been so simple and uncomplicated. I've learned to live with less and to sometimes live without. I've met some of the most interesting people, and I've made such beautiful, lovely friendships. Leaving St. Kitts means that I will be leaving my simple way of life and my treasured friends behind. Not cool.

I know that I'm beginning to sound quite negative about heading back to the mainland US, but I won't lie. There are definitely some things that I am looking forward to when moving back. Seeing our family and friends again, buying fresh produce at the grocery stores, seeing affordable prices almost everywhere, having endless options of places to shop, using clean public restrooms, etc. are all things that I am excited about.

And while I am bummed out, depressed, and sad to be leaving my island home, I do find myself looking forward to the future. To finding a new place to call home, to seeing where we go next, and for new life adventures. I never in a million years thought I'd ever live in the Caribbean. It was never part of 'the plan.' And yet, we ended up here, we have loved it, and we are sad to be leaving. But our time here is almost over, and while it may take me some time to snap out of my slightly whiny state, I will embrace what life brings us next.

To conclude, I'd say my overall feelings about leaving SKB, and heading back to America, are bittersweet. Yep, that's definitely a fair assessment.

Stacey Visits Saint Kitts

I met my friend, Stacey, at Grand Valley State University in 2003. We lived next door to each other in the teeny tiny dorms on-campus, and became fast friends. Almost ten years later, we've maintained our college-initiated friendship, with quite a lovely history---if you ask me. We've been roommates, involved in each other's weddings as bridesmaids, and we've even worked together. However, these days we're forced to watch each other grow and experience life from afar...literally. 

After Stacey was married, she and her husband moved to Ohio, bought a house, and had a baby. A few years after Matthew and I were married, we up and moved to the Caribbean. While our lives have gone in completely different directions, it's always been easy for us to pick up wherever it was we last left off. So, when Stacey said she was planning on coming to visit me in St. Kitts, I was ecstatic! I hadn't seen her since New Year's Day 2011. I was really looking forward to reconnecting and catching up with her. And that we did!

She arrived on a Wednesday afternoon, and Matthew and I met her at the airport. Unfortunately, I had to go to work from 2:30-5:00 p.m., so I had to part ways shortly after our initial reunion. But don't worry—Matty kept her busy during the few hours I was away, showing her around, and giving her a brief tour. Once I arrived home, I made dinner, and we spent the evening catching up. We chatted about everything: work, school, family, friends, neighbors, sports, books, movies, current likes and dislikes—you name it. It was a great start to her vacation, at least for me. :) 

On Thursday, we spent some time at my friend's gorgeous infinity pool, and later that night we brought Stacey to Bombay Blues for her first Indian cuisine experience. Of course, we ordered her the butter chicken, bismati rice, and butter naan. NOM NOM NOM.

Friday was a busy day, but definitely fun. I brought her to Caribelle Batik at Romney Manor, Palm Court Gardens, Port Zante in Basseterre, and The Strip (for Friday night beach volleyball). We rounded out the night at Reggae Beach Bar for Lobsterfest, where we dined on lobsters the size of our arms!

Saturday was spent at Shipwreck Beach. We soaked up some vitamin D, went snorkeling, and enjoyed the beautiful island views. That night, even though semi-exhausted, we decided to head over to The Marriott. After the tour, we sat at the sports bar and enjoyed a few Caribbean beers, along with the live Calypso-esque music. We also took part in one of our all-time favorite activities: PEOPLE WATCHING. Free entertainment at its best, folks.

On Sunday, Stacey joined me and Matthew at our intramural flag football games. And she even participated! Afterwards, I drove her out to the peninsula to Spice Mill Restaurant. We had lunch, and then admired a lovely view of Nevis while out on our beach chairs. We had a late start to our 'beach day,' but it was still very enjoyable.

Monday was sad. It was sad because she flew off de island that day. But before I dropped her off at the airport and choked back my tears, we enjoyed one last lunch date at the The Marriott's Bohemia Beach Pool Bar & Grille. We even kicked off our shoes, and walked on the beach for a bit.

After lunch, we went back home, and I helped her pack. Then the inevitable arrived, and I had to bring her to the airport. It was a quick goodbye because I couldn't handle much more than a hug and a wave. I sobbed on my way home. Stacey coming all the way to St. Kitts to visit meant so much, and it was like having a small piece of 'home' with me for a few days. I loved being able to show her around, as well as introduce her to our island family and closest friends. We definitely squeezed in a ton of quality time, and I couldn't have been happier. What a blast!

@ Timothy Hill scenic turn-out.

We wear our sunglasses at night.

Stace posing by a Traveller's Palm.

Nice photo...except for Matthew's lovely addition.

Dressed and ready for dinner. 

@ Caribelle Batik

Jurassic Park.

@ Palm Court Gardens 

@ The Strip for Friday night beach volleyball. 

Go, Stace, go! 

Puerto Rico: Day 4 Part III

After we spent most of the day in Old San Juan, we headed back to our hotel to prepare for our Bio Bay Kayak Excursion. Matty and I had been looking forward to this part of the trip for days, so we were really excited.

At about 4:30 p.m., the kayaking company picked us up, and we headed to Fajardo, the area where the bio bay is located. Once we arrived, we checked in with our group, were given life jackets and a short kayaking tutorial. As the sun began to set, we were helped into our kayaks, and we headed into the nearest channel, surrounded by beautiful mangroves. It was such a lovely ride. There were fireflies all around us, and the closer we got to the bay, the more the water below us glowed. It. Was. So. Cool. Quite Avatar-esque. 

Once we reached the bay, our tour guide gave us an informative speech about what bioluminescence is, and why Puerto Rico has the best bio bays in the world. He then let our group explore the area on our own. Matthew and I headed away from all of the people and chatter. As we rode along, we were in awe of how completely magical biolumiescence is. Yes, I said magical. We could touch the water with our hands, or our oars, and the water surrounding us would light up and sparkle. When the organisms glow, it scares away fish, which makes them swim away, causing more water to glow. I am serious when I say it was an experience of a lifetime. 

After about an hour, we were called back to our tour guide, and we began our ride back to the starting point. Matthew, of course, was very reluctant to leave, but eventually I reeled him in. No pun intended. 

Overall, the kayaking tour was amazing. Hands down. I definitely recommend it to anyone going to Puerto Rico. It was such a great way to end our vacation. 

Here we are, all suited up and ready to go.

Puerto Rico: Day 4 Part II

After a long walk to the other side of Old San Juan, we arrived at the next fortress, El Morro, (Castillo San Felipe del Morro).

After our tour, we headed back into OSJ to do a little shopping and to eat lunch.

El Morro in the distance.

People on the grounds having picnics and getting ready to fly kites. 

View of OSJ behind us as we walked toward the fort.

Entrance to El Morro.

Iguana sighting.

Isla de Cabras

Only 77 steps.

We opted to ride the trolley back.

We loved this little shop; they had a lot of really pretty handcrafted artwork.

Where we had lunch.