Term 5 ponderings

"You're term 5?!?! Wow, you've been here forever and must be so excited to be almost done with Grenada!" 

I can't tell you the number of times I have heard that just in the past week! What's the saying? If I had a dime for every time someone said it, I'd be rich? Yes. Yes I would be.

The thing is though, my feelings about being term 5 are not so one-sided or black and white... but how would I even begin to explain this to someone who has only been here a handful of days and is still transitioning to island life and the thought of completing 2 years and 5 terms of medical school (or whatever program or alotted time frame for your situation) is still overwhelmingly daunting... Yes I am thrilled to be term 5! This means Nick is one step closer to achieving his dream. This means he has so far conquered the basic sciences portion of med school like a freakin' champ. This means 4th term is behind us. This means I am one step closer to a job that includes a paycheck. However, we've been here a year and half- not forever. Yes, at the end of each term does it sometimes feel that way? Certainly. But really we love Grenada and all in all when I think about our time here on this wonderful little island, I think good things and that time has literally flown by! And when it comes to leave for good it will absolutely be bittersweet.

Another thing that always sits with me funny is the "done with Grenada" part. Will we ever really be done with Grenada? I don't think so. And I sure hope not. It's hard to top the feeling I get when I see the kids with big smiles on their faces racing toward me like it's the greatest thing in the entire world. And they react that way every time! It's unconditional love at it's best. At the same time, as much as I will miss being hands on with the kids, and seeing pictures of other volunteers with them will be wonderful but also make me miss them entirely too much- there is almost more I can do to help these kids from the United States. In the U.S I can do fundraisers and help in many ways that I am unable to here due to financial restrictions and distance from those I am hoping to reach out to for support once we get home. So, it's 6 in one- half a dozen in the other. For my own personal fulfillment, I will miss their cute faces and squeezes every day... but at the same time, I find solace in that I know there are many volunteers here who will continue to love on them, and I can take my talents and help them even more from a distance. Oh, and of course hopefully visit again in the not too far off future when Nick comes back to SGU as a guest lecturer and I can come back and play... hey, a girl can dream right? :)

To me- living abroad... more specifically, living in Grenada comes down to this: it is what YOU make of it. You have control to decide what type of experience have here. You are in charge of the extra activities you seek out to fill your time. You control your attitude. No one else is going to make Grenada be a certain way for you, but you can choose to make it the best couple of years possible.

Does this mean it will be amazing 100% of the time? No. I doubt it. I think you could have the most positive outlook on life ever and still have days that drive you bonkers... but honestly, that is just life in general- not just life here on this tiny island. I think it is easy to forget that sometimes.

Change can be a good thing- try to embrace it!
There are things to do in Grenada- go seek them out and explore!
Meet people & make friends- there are many other people in your similar shoes!
Start a new hobby- something that a hectic life in the U.S may not allow time for!
Remember the grass is always greener on the other side- in a few years when you are working a 9-5 job, sitting in rush hour traffic, surrounded by buildings and congestion- this life might seem more glamorous!
Volunteer- the kids in Grenada will undoubtedly steal your heart, or find some other organization you are passionate about. Whatever it is- Get involved!
Keep an open mind- your own small life box is not all the world has to offer, learn from new people and experiences!
Laugh at things beyond your control- tomorrow, next month, or next year... it will make a good story!

Look at me being so bossy... ha, but seriously. 2-3 years... is not forever. And with a little effort, positive thinking, and a little less focus on the negative, you just might find these few years go by super fast. You might find you had some fun. You might find you grow a lot as a person by stepping outside the box. You might find that Grenada steals a piece of your heart that you don't ever intend to leave completely behind.