Holiday break and the start of 5th semester

After a wonderful holiday break, I grudgingly return to the vet school grind.

Despite being on break, the holidays were ridiculously busy! WIDECAST (the wider Caribbean sea turtle network) held its annual meeting at Ross, so I was busy running around helping run the programs and make sure everyone was happy. 30 countries were represented, and it was an incredible opportunity to meet all of the people I have heard about and spoken to over e-mail! It was three days of sea turtles, festivities, and good learning :)

(baby green sea turtle that hatched out on a beach near my house)

These are the Moko Jumbies. Traditionally they perform at Carnival, but they came to the WIDECAST meeting and performed for us.

Crazy Kittitians on stilts!

These guys really are insane.

I was also lucky enough to have my mom and brother visit me down here in St. Kitts! We spent a week together enjoying the sun, exploring the island, and catching up. I don't get to see either of them enough, so it was great just spending time together.

(Ian trying his hand at snorkeling.
Despite being in the Caribbean, the water is colder than it looks! I think its around 70 these winter days...)

My mom and I, enjoying some sun :)

Yes... that is a pig... a very large pig named Wilbur

Me and my boys :) Ian (FINALLY with some tan) and Jay, my island family.

Cruising the island in style with my little Kittitian classic.

It may not have power steering, it may not have power breaks...

it may not even have side mirrors or a functional drivers side window.

But it RUNS, and I love it :)

After a week in the sun with the family, we all headed north back to New York to spend the rest of the holidays in the frigid cold. Despite the ungodly chilly temperatures, it was wonderful to see friends and spend more time with my mom and brother. I made a super quick trip up to Boston to visit friends from my teaching days and play with Rachel's new ADORABLE little retriever puppy, and then headed back to NYC to participate in a low key New Years reunion with my nearest and dearest from Middlebury, and finally attend a fabulous bachelorette party for my favorite bride-to-be, Jenelle. Coming home is always a reminder of all of the wonderful people in my life, and how far away from them I am at school. I'm really looking forward to getting back State-side!

Our bride-to-be dancing away the night at her Bachelorette Party!

Sushi dinner before a night of salsa dancing!

I am currently starting my 5th semester (3rd year) in vet school, which means I am FINALLY getting to work with live animals! We had our first hands on palpation lab last week, and they threw us in head (or arm) first! This lab involved palpation of the reproductive system of a cow, which basically means your arm is placed somewhere unpleasant, and you feel around the cow from the inside. It was actually pretty cool, as a lot of the cows were pregnant and you could feel the calves, the cow's left kidney, the rumen, several arteries, and the entire pelvic girdle.

We also have classes right now in Diagnostic Imaging (radiographs, ultrasound, etc), Anesthesia, Toxicology, and Small Animal Medicine. Side labs include suturing and surgical skills, as well as catheter placement and other basics. I'm finally starting to feel kinda doctor-y!

Otherwise, not much else is going on! The dogs are enjoying my schedule much more this semester, as my classes are mostly done by noon, and they are getting out for lots of walks and attention compared to last semester. Tavi continues to be a total freakshow, but is at least entertaining. Leatherback nesting season picks up in two months, which means night walks and monitoring will begin again soon! I will do my best to keep up here...

Here are some more pictures from the past few months!

One of the green vervet monkeys at Shipwrecks. These guys eat better than most people!

Angry mongoose... Also at Shipwreck.

The view of St. Maarten from St. Kitts. It seems so close!

My handsome boy, doing his best to look adorable so I will take him to the beach.
Syd LOVES her beach! She even finds turtle tracks for me (look just off to her left...)

The main power source for the island blew up this past semester (yes, it REALLY blew up), so while they worked diligently to fix it, we had rolling blackouts throughout the semester. We all had to master the art of studying by candlelight. While annoying at times (blackouts were random and unpredictable, and could last for days), it was also kind of relaxing. And now, if I'm ever in surgery and the power goes out, it will be no big deal. "No power? No problem! Pass me the headlamp..."

My lovely Tavi... I swear she isn't ALL evil... maybe only half...