Merry Christmas!

Hard to believe that it is already the day after Christmas!! And I must say, Santa was very generous this year! Got lots of fun stuff to take with me to Grenada, and all are small and light weight, so they will perfect to pack! I really can't believe how quickly time is passing... ah, 9 days until I leave and live in a different country than my family!! Starting to feel a little homesick before I even leave :(

We are currently enjoying a day after Christmas lazy day.  We went out to breakfast with Mama and Papa Leo, and now Nick is playing video games (modern warfare 3 of course) and I am lounging and blogging. Neither of us have voices, so we also have lots and lots of hot tea and honey :) This is what we get for running around in the snow Thursday night, but what do you expect when we haven't had any snow yet this winter?! Bring on the snooooowww! 

I really should be packing though. It is time to make some major moves on that and get a big chunk done... I can only put it off for so much longer.

Things still left to do: 

-finish emptying out bedroom

-box up winter clothes

-pack up summer clothes I plan to take with me

-box up summer clothes that isn't going to Grenada

-wash blankets then pack the 2 that are [hopefully] coming to Grenada and box up the rest

-buy makeup/toilet trees/sunscreen/lotion/etc. 

-clean bathroom

-empty closet

-take boxes of school stuff down to basement

-find suitcases and start strategically packing

-spend time with family as much as possibleeee

-and probably a million things I am forgetting, gah.

Grades for Term 1//Master's Graduation

It has been SO nice having Nick home for the past week, we've been more or less inseparable- and I love it!! We've been spending a lot of time with family and friends, trying to soak up as much of home  as we can before we leave in just under 2 weeks!!!!


First off, an update on how Nick finished off his first term of medical school.... he did great!!!! Seriously, I could not be more proud of him and am so happy to see his countless hours of studying pay off.  He finished the semester with 2 A's and 2 B+'s!!! He was also the Term 1 Class Representative for both Surgery Club and the Emergency Medicine Club, and will be the Surgery Club Secretary and the Emergency Med Vice President for Term 2. So, in typical Nick fashion, he is taking SGU by the horns and pretty much running the place :) It is amazing to see how much he has learned and accomplished in just 1 term!

As for me, I am officially a Master's Graduate from the University of Michigan!! Yay!! Decided to attend the Social Work Commencement Ceremony on Saturday, and am really happy that I did.  The ceremony was really nice and it was a nice celebration of all that I have accomplished over the past 16 months.  I still have a hard time wrapping my head around the fact that I am 100% officially done with school though! Seriously, it is weird!! I keep feeling like I should be reading, or writing some paper whenever I am out shopping or just lounging around with Nick, but then I realize, NOPE that ship has sailed!! Donezo! Still waiting on final grades, but very excited to be done :) If I let myself think about it too much though I start to feel overwhelmed at my new label of "unemployed adult." Shesh, being a grown up is stressful ;) Just kidding...

Besides that life has literally consisted of sleeping in, eating (so much eating!!!!), making Christmas cookies, playing video games, and watching movies. Rough life right? The rough part has been the packing. Ugh, I despise packing. It highlights the fact that I have way too much crap and clutter, and now I am paying for it because I am forced to go through it all! Reason #18984979 why I will never be a hoarder or pack rat. I hate excess, random, annoying, never-used, stuff! Rant over. It is coming along though. Maggie is being a super trooper and not complaining that I am making the entire apartment more messy in my attempt to organize/pack.  I promise, I really am packing stuff up and throwing bags and bags of stuff away! Packing is also a bit hard because it infringes on my ability to deny that moving is quickly approaching.  Not that I am not very excited about the new adventures in Grenada... but I am going to miss home, and family, and friends.  And I know that at some point I need to face it head-on and let myself be sad about it. But right now, I'd rather just push ahead, enjoy the holidays, and soak up as much family time as I can before leaving!!

Okay, I've officially procrastinated packing/cleaning out my jeep for way too long just to write this post, so off I go... Here are some pictures from Nick's fun times after finals/my graduation pictures/ enjoying being home for the holidays :)

Enjoying a beverage with friends at the cliff after finals

Nick and Marty picking up Dr. Brahim one night after finals?? No idea why haha

Waterskiing in Grenada... How gorgeous eh??

Making Christmas cookies! They were so yummy!!!

So lucky to have such a wonderful family/support system :) 

With da family

Daddio and I- He's dressed appropriately in his UofM coat! :) 

With my boo boo!

Close up, he's so handsome!

With my mama! 

Hangin out with Al and Nat

Packing for Grenada 101

So how does a person pack to live for 2 years in Grenada? Frankly, I have not the faintest idea. I  figure sundresses, swim suits, flip flops, are clearly all essential. Throw in some makeup, a nice outfit, a pair of sweats. Ah, yes this is turning out to  be a typical throw together a suitcase for a vacation Lindsey style list. And while these things will be necessary for island living…  we will be there a minimum of 4 months at a time… we will be living there. Crrrraaazzyyy. Luckily, St. George’s has a list of Do’s and Don’ts, so here the list of what to bring. Bring on the 70lb suitcase!! Oh, and some love from home in the form of packages (hint hint) ;)
Things to Bring
Clothing

• Light clothing (shirts, shorts, sundresses, bathing suits, cover-ups, etc)  Sandals, flip flops, “Teva” type sandals, sneakers, etc. - Comfort is key, you will do a lot of walking!!!Running shoes, hiking boots (if you plan on doing hiking - waterproof would be best)

• Umbrella

• Nice dress for white coat ceremony, men need sport jacket and tie. (Although you will most often wear shorts and T-shirts, there are nice restaurants, and other social occasions for “dressy casual” attire, so pick your favorite outfit and bring it along.)
•  Also, you’ll need long pants and a shirt with sleeves when visiting the Immigration or other government offices. 

• Sweatshirt or sweater, long pants - the lecture halls and on-campus housing are air conditioned and can be very cold at times (but you’ll only need these if you visit the lecture halls or live on campus.  Otherwise, SOs won’t need them.)

• .Laundry bag, you may need 2 if you only wash once a week!  (Laundry baskets can generally be purchased from students leaving the island.)

• Sunglasses - a necessity, bring an extra pair!

• Hats

• Travel Iron with dual voltage switch. If you must bring a 110V iron try a converter, it will work fine & is less expensive than buying a transformer of such high wattage.

Kitchen

• Water filter and purifier- + refills - can be pitcher style or the kind you attach to the faucet.

• TIP: Local spring water (from the rainforests) can be purchased on the island and delivered; however, it can be costly.

• Dishes - non breakable (If you live on campus, you’ll have to bring dishes or buy them here.  If you live off campus, your place will probably provide them.  Ask your landlord.)

If you wish to continue reading…

Household

• Shower curtain - most places have them, but are old and grimy, only plastic low quality curtains are available here, so if in doubt, bring one!

• Rubber bath mat, something to step out of the shower on, all floors are tiled and can be slippery.

• Towels - Bring at least one bath towel and one beach towel per person!

• Sheets and bedding - some places provide sheets so check with your landlord.  If you live on campus, you’ll need sheets and bedding.

• Battery operated radio/alarm clock (electric ones tend to be slow with the transformer)

• Extra batteries or rechargeable batteries and charger.

• Decorations for your house- tablecloths, wall hangings,etc. There are fabric stores on the island but they are expensive.

• Flashlight or good fluorescent lantern light (You will definitely need in case you lose power.)

• Fabric softener sheets (if you have a dryer)

General

• Laptop for the SO to use

• Print cartridges 

• Camera / video camera/ underwater camera/ digital camera

• Pocket Calculator - handy for $$ conversions!

• CD Player, stereo, etc and music!! iPod or Mp3 player.

• Any books or hobby supplies you may need

Personal Items

• Prescription medication for your entire stay

• Contraceptives - many brands are available here

• Feminine products-available here but quite expensive

• Vitamins

• Contact lens solution, saline etc.& extra pair glasses, plenty of disposable contacts if you use them. TIP: Duty can be very high when shipping contacts or solutions.  Solution is incredibly expensive here and hard to find.

• Cosmetics, no Clinique here!

• Bug repellent( bring alot.)

• Antibacterial soap*

• Sunscreen - The sun is very intense here, daily protection is wise.*

• Mending kit (small pair of scissors, thread needle, safety pins, etc.)*

• Hair coloring, gel, mouse, hairspray, etc

• Travel hairdryer with dual voltage switch

• First Aid Kit - TIP: most OTC medications are available here, and not too much more expensive than at home, take care to bring your prescriptions, maybe a few bandaids, some cough drops etc, but don’t worry, Pepto, Advil, etc, are all here at the pharmacy.

• Razors, blades, shaving cream*

• Shampoo and conditioner*(Non-professional products are very available.)

• Nail clippers, tweezers, etc.

Tools

• Hammer

• Duct tape (bring plenty)*

• Screwdrivers-Phillips and flat

• Picture hangers - buy “hardwall hangers” (has 3 tiny nails and a hook) - All walls in Grenada are concrete - the stick on hangers are really handy too, don’t get the kind that you have to moisten, but the kind that have a sticky tape back, the removable ones are very nice.

• Extension cords and outlet strip, surge protectors are very important!TIP: There are hardware stores on the island. (One is an Ace Hardware)

So there it is! If you read the whole thing, nice work and dedication! And I even left out the “what to bring for children” suggestions… Although, lets be honest, I am totally bringing beach toys with me!