Kirsten's Adventures

Seattle Trip!

2009-05-24T08:38:00.000-07:00

Its been a while!! School has taken over my life!

I am finally going into 6th semester, which means (as long as all goes well...) I have only 7 more months to go!! WOOOHOOOOOO!!!! People ask me how I could possibly ever want to leave a Caribbean island... trust me.. its going to be glorious. Supermarkets with non-spoiled milk, fresh vegetables, TRAINED mechanics, cars that run, good plumbing, reliable electricity... I could go on, but you get the idea.

I am currently working on getting a few more photos from the island up, so more to come soon. If you don't see anything new in the next few weeks, drop me an e-mail and remind me! My scattered brain tends to forget...

In April, I finally got to go back to Seattle to visit my brother and a whole bunch of friends. It was my first time back in 5 years, and while much had changed, I was surprised by how much had stayed the same. After so long away, it was wonderful to see friends, friends children, and of course family! It was good to be home :)

I finally got to see Ian's apartment and place of work, one of the most prized bakeries in Seattle, Bakery Nouveau. If you EVER have the chance to check this place out, GO!! You won't be disappointed... (I strongly recommend the twice baked almond croissant...)

Ian, hard at work :)
Good God... look at those pastries....
Ian and I outside his apartment. SOOOOO good to spend time with my brother :)

Ian and Aleah took me to a little tucked away beach on Puget Sound, overlooking the Olympic Mountains. It was a gorgeous, sunny day, so the mountains were clear and beautiful.

Pikes Place Market... after two years on an island with no fresh produce, Pikes Place has become my heaven.

Ian and I got to have dinner one night with Tante Janet. It was so nice to catch up and see each other!

Ian and his girlfriend, Aleah.

West Seattle Farmers Market

Turtles in Green Lake

Ian and Aleah at the beach on a BEAUTIFUL Seattle day!

Ian

Kate and I at Green Lake. I stayed with Kate at her fabulous condo in Fremont. It was wonderful catching up and her and spending time together. Flashbacks to our days at Middlebury...

The REI crew!! I got to see Trine and Sara for lunch, good times with good friends :)

Holiday break and the start of 5th semester

2009-01-21T17:57:00.000-08:00

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...

Turtles, Tests, and Hurricanes: HALF WAY DONE!!

2008-10-18T19:30:00.000-07:00

All is well in sunny St. Kitts! Hurricane Omar passed with some damage, and several hours of winds, rain, and excitement. Officially, it was a Category 3 storm, by in all honesty the windstorms of western Washington far surpassed this wee hurricane. While it wasn't nearly as big and exciting as I had hoped, beaches have changed shape entirely and many of the Caribbean side businesses were hit hard by the brunt of the winds. Nonetheless, businesses and beach bars were open hours after the rains stopped, despite upturned tables, ponds in parking areas, and waist-deep sand inside the buildings. NOTHING keeps the Kittitian bars down!

Below are pictures from the past several months. I'm halfway through fourth semester, so officially halfway through my time in St. Kitts!! Time flies!

Wee little Green sea turtle hatchling!! They make all of the work and lack-of-sleep worth it :)

These three photos are from this years Agriculture Days. Agriculture Days is an annual celebration of St. Kitts' Independence. This year was the 25th Anniversary of St. Kitts' independence, and the SKSTMN was given a booth on one of the main stages. For 3 days, we taught children, spoke to parents, and gave presentations on sea turtle conservation. We developed quite the following of children :)
Agriculture Days: This is Inches. Inches is in the Junior Military and was our booth's "enforcer." He made sure everyone behaved themselves, and kept us entertained in the process!
Agriculture Days: Sea turtles are clearly the COOLEST things EVER. Ask these kiddos!
One of our tagged hawksbills. This one taunted us during in-water. Since he was already tagged, we didn't need to catch him, and he knew it. He decided to pose for a photo.

In-water tagging! This hawksbill does not look pleased with me...

One of the perks of working on the Sea Turtle project is getting to visit some of the most remote, beautiful beaches on St. Kitts! This was sunset on one such beach, where a total of 7 turtles had nested recently. He's so handsome :)
Break time! Good food, good friends :)
Ok, seriously. These guys look RIDICULOUS when shaved!
Cody's mohawk. He did not approve.

Photos from Omar and of the new car- soon to come!

Georgia Sea Turtle Center

2008-08-21T18:04:00.000-07:00

Hi All!

Well, one more semester over and passed! I am currently on my two week break inbetween semesters, and am spending it as a veterinary extern at the Georgia Sea Turtle Center, located on Jekyll Island, GA. Since I am settling in for the evening and waiting out the effects of hurricane Faye, I thought I would write a little update...

The Georgia Sea Turtle Center (GSTC)is one of very few programs in the US that is dedicated to the rescue and rehabilitation of sea turtles. GSTC takes turtles that have stranded or have been found injured along the entirety of the East coast, and does everything they can to heal, rehabilitate, and release the individuals in their care. They also work with a variety of tortoises and terrapins.

My externship is focused on learning as much as I can in a short amount of time about the husbandry and medical care of the critters at the Center. Its an incredible place with tons of amazing animals, each with their unique personalities and stories. Below are a few photos of some of the critters I've had the priviledge to work with.

Charlotte, a green sea turtle at the center who wanted to eat the camera...

Wee little terrapin hatchling. Don't let this photo fool you... he's only about the size of a quarter!

Griffin, a loggerhead sea turtle at the Center.

Two dolphins out in the marshes of the Georgia Coast. I got to go out with a group of dolphin researchers for a day to watch them do skin biopsies and photo cataloging of the individual dolphins of the Golden Isles. We saw between 75 and 100 individuals during the 12 hours we were out on the water. The Georgia coast is BEAUTIFUL!!

Time flies!

2008-08-03T08:14:00.000-07:00

I'm not sure how to even begin talking about the last few crazy months, so I'm just going to plug in a bunch of photos and explain! School is going well, I have finals next week for the completion of my third semester, and then I am off to an internship at the Georgia Sea Turtle Center for two weeks.

In my previous posts I mention that I have become a Research Assistant for the St. Kitts Sea Turtle Monitoring Network. Nesting season is over for the leatherbacks (ended in July), which means I'm getting a bit more sleep! Now, however, the hatchlings are starting to emerge! The picture here was taken by Fran Pope (a volunteer with the program) and is of a leatherback hatchling. These tiny little kiddos get to be over 1000lbs!

We recently also put on Sea Turtle Camp for the children on the island. This is a picture taken by Sara Ramirez of Dr. Stewart going over turtle anatomy with a juvenile hawksbill that another volunteer and I caught just a few minutes earlier. This turtle was tagged, measured, and released after the kids got a chance to see their first "real turtle! "

Unfortunately, I'm still waiting on a few people for more photos from the leatherback season! So, for now, I'm just going to include some new pretty pictures of the island. Overall, everything down here is going well. I'm definitely missing home a lot, and am really looking forward to this break in Georgia (with two nights in Brooklyn with my mom!!) and then December, when I'll be back for almost 2 full weeks! Its hard to believe I've been living here for a year already! 1 1/2 more years to go...

Sydney LOVES her beach!

Green Vervet monkey taking a snack break by the side of the road.

This lovely little snowy egret was hit by a car. It came to stay with me for a little bit, and then was released.

This cow must have done something very good in past life...

Baby season on the Peninsula continues!!

And we're back!!

2008-05-23T17:12:00.000-07:00

Sorry for the long delay in updates! Its been a crazy few weeks.

Finals ended a few weeks ago. Thank goodness, they went well, and I've moved along to 3rd semester. I had a wonderful two week break, during which my mom and cousin Tina came to visit. It was so nice to see family!! I hadn't seen Tante Tina in over 10 years, and it was her first time visiting the Caribbean, so we spent a lot of time together with my mom seeing the sights and enjoying the island. I finally got the chance to relax at the beach and explore all of the quiet, peaceful corners of the country that I had not yet been able to see. Spending time with Tante Tina and my mom made me realize just how much I miss home and family. It was so hard to see them go.

At the end of last semester, I applied and was accepted as a research assistant to Dr. Kimberly Stewart, founder of the St. Kitts Sea Turtle Monitoring Network. I have spent the past two months working nights out on the beach, monitoring the female leatherback sea turtles nesting on the local beaches. Its been an incredible experience, with a lot of star-gazing and sunrises attached!

I've included a photo that Sara Ramirez (a friend and fellow turtler) took of a turtle who stayed up on the beach until sunrise. It was a rare opportunity to photograph a leatherback, as we are not allowed photos at night (white lights stress the turtles). We just had another stay until sunrise last night, so more photos are on the way!

Some of the work we do includes collecting environmental data, tagging and recording individual data, and collecting blood samples from each of the females as they nest. We also move high risk nests to safe locations above tide line, and work to educate the community about turtle value and conservation efforts. The turtles themselves can reach over 1000lbs, and have shells (carapaces) spanning over 5 1/2 feet long. Standing next to a turtle who is longer than I am tall and probably many times my age is a pretty unbelievable experience.

School is back in full swing, and I am busy trying to strike a balance between turtle work and studying. Classes themselves are a lot less time-consuming than the last two semesters, so life is definitely getting better. I will do my best to update this website more frequently now that I have some time, as well as keep in better touch!

EXAMS!!!

2008-04-10T17:34:00.000-07:00

In the midst of final exams. A new post will come shortly, I promise!

Extracurriculars

2008-03-11T12:21:00.000-07:00

Back to classes and studying. I am eagerly awaiting another break! Exams pick up again on Monday, and continue consistantly through mid-April and the end of another semester. In the meantime, I'm walkin' beaches, working with turtles, taking the occasional study break to draw and play with the dogs, and sometimes, when I'm really lucky, I get to SLEEP!!

Ok, back to work. Some of the more recent results of procrastination are below :)

Thank God for Mid-Semester Break!!

2008-02-24T13:15:00.000-08:00

Finally, some time to legitimately avoid studying...

Frigate Bird in Basseterre (the little boat in the background is our ferry)

Moo... wait. Bah... I think.

"Save a horse, ride a cowboy" party.

Sea turtle beach clean-up. MUCH too early in the morning...

Enjoying island life a little bit :)

2008-02-21T15:23:00.001-08:00

While I am not completely free of exams (I have an Anatomy Palpation exam tomorrow, as well as a Parasitology exam), I have been trying to get out and enjoy the island a bit. Here are some photos from my explorations. Last weekend I also got to assist in a sea turtle capture, where we collect general health information on the sea turtle population by catching a few, taking blood and measurements, and re-releasing them. It was incredible! I even got to catch one myself, although mostly by accident. Someone scared him, and he swam straight into me! I'm hoping to keep assisting with these studies, and maybe get trained in some of the sampling procedures. Good times in St Kitts!

Green sea turtle

Hawksbill sea turtle

Hmmm...

Painted in front of the local preschool...

Shopping at Black Rock

Black Rocks (volcanic rock beach)

Need a Taxi?

I'm sensing a theme...

St. Eustatius from Dieppe Bay on St. Kitts

Burning cane fields at sunset

Mongoose at Shipwrecks beach

Shipwreck beach bar and grille

Hell Week Celebration

2008-02-09T08:27:00.000-08:00

Hell Week came early this semester, and I am happy to report that somehow, I survived. To celebrate our survival, Kate and I decided to go adventure driving to an old dairy farm recommended to us by one of our professors. 4 near-death experiences later, we found one of the prettiest views on the island! Beware, there is a very angry bull in this pasture that WILL chase you down... (near death experience #3)

Part One: The Drive (Near death experience #2)

We drove up through a small town called Stapleton (2nd picture down). Just before Stapleton we ran into a sheep with the largest tumor I have ever seen... Stapleton itself was not the friendliest place I have ever been. I would have taken a picture of the LARGE dog behind this door, had I thought I would survive. The road past Stapleton was beautiful with lots of turns and bends as it moved up into the rainforest. Here the bus drivers and taxi drivers seem to enjoy driving as fast as possible without going off the road. After lots of uphill (and only minimal smoke from under the hood of my car), we reached the end of our road, and the start of the dairy farm (yes, we brought some Carib along to enjoy with the view...)

Part 2: The Farm

The view was absolutely spectacular. It looked out over Bassaterre, the Atlantic and the Caribbean Ocean from an entirely different angle than I had ever seen. The cows offered a lovely backdrop. We were joined by a dog that apparently lives on the farm, and had I not already had my two, I would have brought him home. Kate had her first ever interaction with a cow, which went quite well until the cow ran away. We also found a really cool looking bull, who I felt the need to photograph. We learned quickly that he did not appreciate his snapshot being taken (near death experience #3).

A few more pretty pictures from the farm...

Part 3: The return

On the way home, we decided to try a few sugar-cane roads that had intrigued us for awhile. As we drove down one of them, Kate spotted a femur on the side of the road. Being the good vet students we are, we stopped, picked it up, and found not just a femur, but the better part of an entire pig skeleton. Of course, we collected them and threw them in the back of the car! When a scary man with a machete suddenly appeared out of the cane field (a frequent occurance), we decided it was finally time to go home.

MORE pretty pictures!

2008-02-02T13:13:00.000-08:00

Cruise ship at sunset
Basseterre

Basseterre at its prettiest :)

FINALLY, Internet! And some pretty pictures :)

2008-01-25T10:20:00.000-08:00

After 3 weeks of not having internet at my new apartment, I am once again connected to the outside world, and it is wonderful :)

Second semester has begun, and it feels a bit as though I never had a break. This semester's classes include Gross Anatomy II (dissections of the donkey, cow, small ruminant, and pig), Immunology (worst class ever), Physiology II, and Parasitology. Gross Anatomy is a little adventure into a different world, where cutting a donkey in half and staring at corkscrew genetalia is normal. Parasitology is yet another realm unto itself. There, you stare at creepy parasitic creatures through a microscope, and they stare back.

I have moved into a wonderful new apartment in an area called Half Moon Bay. I have a hammock on my very large front porch that looks out over the Atlantic Ocean and the southern end of the island (see fabulous photos below!). Each morning and evening, a giant flock ofwhite egrets fly over my apartment to and from their nightly roost. My friend Kate lives next door with her psychotic puppy Socrates, so Cody and Sydney have someone fun to play with each day, and sleep well at night (yay for me!). It is a frigid 70 degrees each night, and around 78 during the day. I keep hearing about storms, snow, and freezing temperatures in the northeast...

I once again have Skype and all of the contact information for me has been updated on the right side of this website (my phone number has changed). Please keep in touch, and stay warm this winter!!

More to come soon!

Home Sweet Home
My view :)

School from the air.

Pretty view from the plane.

Holiday Break 2007/8

2008-01-01T20:51:00.000-08:00

The past 2.5 weeks have been a wonderful break from school. I had forgotten how much I actually loved the snow!

The first few days home, I swung up to Boston to visit my Boston family. The trip included two lovely evenings of drinks and down time with Foley, Nilo, Barnes, Cristin, Annalee, Jessen, West, Sosnoff, and Ted at Red Bones and a restaurant in Southie. I also had the opportunity to stop through City on a Hill and visit some of my old coworkers and students, which was wonderful. They are a great group of kiddos, and even better when you are not their teacher!

I then got to spend time down in Brooklyn with my mom. My brother and his girlfriend, Aleah, were also in town. It was great to finally meet his lovely lady and spend some time with both of them. Aleah left to spend Christmas with her family, and Ian, mom, and I spent Christmas with family friends in the Hamptons before returning to Brooklyn. Being pampered by my mom, eating home made meals, sleeping late, and spending time with family was the best vacation I could ask for.

New Years was spent with the Kevin, Kate, Mike, and Chris up at Chris' cabin in Sutton, NH. It was a winter wonderland that seemed to be renewed each morning with fresh snow. Despite the 9 hour drive home, it was one of the best weekends I've had in years :) There is nothing like old friends!

Here are a few photos from New Years (Yay for a new camera for Christmas! Thanks mom!!!)

Congrats to my ROCKIN' brother!!!

2007-12-23T16:52:00.001-08:00

Not only is he off to Paris to do a photoshoot and walk the runway, but he has just been signed to a modelling agency! Check him out! Along with modelling success, his band (based out of Seattle) is doing extremely well. Here are a few photos of The Kings English. You could find them for a listen on MySpace.

One Semester DONE!!!

2007-12-23T16:40:00.000-08:00

Sooo long since the last post, sooooooo much studying done, but it was all worth it. I past my first semester! I'm super happy with the results, and just really relieved to have that first semester over :)

Here are a few more photos of lovely St. Kitts. I can't help but love a place where it is 80 degrees in December.

I haven't had the chance to take any new photos myself, so most of these are from friends and professors. The one above is a fabulous sunset, and the one on the right is an overhead photo of Ross University campus.

For the holidays, I'll be in Brooklyn, NY with my mom and brother. You can reach me on my old US cell phone (425-890-9447) or on e-mail.

Happy Holidays to everyone!! I got a new camera for Christmas, so you can expect many more photos
and updates next semester :)

Steel drums, barracuda, and urachus...

2007-11-04T08:58:00.000-08:00

All is well here in sunny St. Kitts. The cruise ships have begun to arrive, and with them all of the crazy tourists. I've seen more gaudy t-shirts, floppy hats, and cameras in the past week than in the whole of my life combined. Despite the crowding and occasional chaos that the tourists bring, the island itself seems to have woken up, and all of the fun shops, crafts, and performers are out and about, which makes for a fabulous time.

Although all of this excitement is going on outside, I have been spending the majority of my time inside, studying away. Our second round of exams started last week, and for the most part it blends into our third round of exams, so there will be no break until, well, Christmas vacation! Fortunately, I have had a few chances to go out and take advantage of the island, and have found a few places where I can study to steel drum bands and calypso music. Good times :)

I also FINALLY went snorkling again yesterday, and adventured to a new place recommended by a 6th semester friend. He failed to mention the schools of barracuda that live in the area, which I had never seen before and kind of a had hoped never to see, but they were beautiful and scary all at the same time, and I was happy when the swam away. Kate, Kara and I adventured around the area and saw squid, octopus, fish of all shapes, sizes, and colors, and are hoping the next time we go out there that the barracuda will give way enough for us to check out the shipwreck further down the beach.

Otherwise, things here continue as normal. My lizard (yet to be named) still lives in my A/C and turns it off at random, Sydney continues to love the beach and now will jump out passed the waves to swim, my books are starting wear thin from all of the page flipping, and my notecard collection has grown to mildly obscene. I actually get cold at 75 degrees (I am going to die when I come home for winter!), and the hurricane season seems to finally be at a close.

Pictures from snorkling are on the way, I am getting them developed and onto CD tomorrow (if they can do that here...).

Also, I will be back in the states for Christmas, and would love to see folks! I will be in Boston Dec. 18th-20th, New Hampshire Dec. 30th-Jan 1st, and in Brooklyn all of the time in between. Let me know what you are up to, so I can catch up with as many people as possible while I am home!

Cheers from the Caribbean!

Round 1 over, now on to round 2!

2007-10-21T07:08:00.001-07:00

Sorry it has been so long since I updated! Exams had taken over my life. Now, during my (very) brief respite, I will give a little update.

The first round of exams are over, and they went ok. I hate multiple choice. And true/false. But, I survived, and therefore I am happy :) Academic excitement includes moving from the thoracic limb of the dog to the thoracic and abdominal cavity in our Gross Anatomy class, learning the word "urachus" in Microanatomy, Dr. Ohale's awkward lecture on the male genetalia (the word "penis" was said 70 times in 15 minutes... at which point we stopped counting), and, well, the rest is just plain old learning.

Outside of school, the ridiculous adventures continue. My friend Kate and I were driving through a sugar cane field (long story), and found a puppy. Of course, we picked him up and took him to the school clinic. Long story short, Kate now has a new puppy named Socrates (pictures below. He is soooo cute!). The sole surviving kitten from the litter born on my bed is doing very well (movie of his birth below), and has taken to sleeping on me whenever I study. This usually leads to both of us passing out (also, pictures below). A lizard decided to take up residency in my room, and lives in my A/C. This would be all fine and dandy, except that he also likes to turn my A/C off. This is not ok.

Otherwise, there has been some snorkling (not nearly enough), an introduction to and new obsession with cardio kickboxing (GREAT stress reliever), and thats about it.

I also now have Skype, which I recommend EVERYBODY gets!!! Its free (skype.com), and you can talk to anyone else around the world that has it for free. It's brilliant. My screen name is :kthomas0004

I hope everyone is well. Drop me an e-mail sometime, let me know how life in the states is going.

Cheers!

Socrates

Sleepy kitten (and Kirsten)

(The website is having issues with uploading images, so more pictures are on the way. Sorry!)

And the exams begin...

2007-10-01T18:24:00.000-07:00

Two exams down, 4 more to go!
I have officially been here for a month, and the tests have begun. Its a crazy process in which each of your classes give you at LEAST one test, most two. The only thing you get graded on is your test grade (there are no papers or projects), so pretty much all I have been doing with my days is studying.
This does not mean that the past two weeks has not been eventful! Between a cat deciding my bed was the only place to give birth and the troop of monkeys that nearly ran me (and my car) over, the Caribbean adventure only continues...

As for the canine kids, Cody and Sydney are finally off of quarantine, and are LOVING the island life. Cody was supposed to have surgery today to remove a small mass, but due to low platelets, his surgery was postponed. He is currently on meds for a tick infection, but doesn't act at all sick. While he couldn't care less about the beach, he can't get enough of the new open car!
Below are a bunch of photos of the past two weeks. A video of the kitty birth is on the way. Pretty crazy stuff...

I hope all is well with everyone. Keep the e-mails coming, they make me happy :) Back to the books...

The view from Ziggy's bar at sunset.

Water spout (tornado over water) just off of the coast near school.

Kate and I enjoying the bar one last time before exam insanity...

Stewie, my island mobile :)

A few of MANY...

A view of the south end of the island.

Sydney enjoying the beach :)

Cody and Sydney LOVE the new wheels!!

More recent photos

2007-09-19T19:13:00.001-07:00

And some more recent photos, including the Luau...

Orientation Week Photos

2007-09-19T19:05:00.000-07:00

A few more photos from Orientation three weeks ago!

Bat cave hike

Kate, Chevon and I

Views from the Catamaran

Group photo at Godfathers

Kara Bartending at Godfathers

White Coat Ceremony

2007-09-17T15:57:00.000-07:00

Each semester, the first semester students are required to go through an induction ceremony into the field of veterinary medicine. Here we are given our white coats as a symbol of our profession, and are "sworn in" as students by reciting our veterinary student oath. Upon completion of our DVM, we then swear to our final veterinary oath.

Here is a picture of my group of friends and I after the white coat ceremony! YAY for white coats!! I feel so professional...

PICTURES!!!!

2007-09-09T16:02:00.001-07:00

The view from my house.

The road to Cockleshell Beach

The view of Nevis from St. Kitts.

BLUE water! Its beautiful!

My house gecko that lives on my porch. He's a big fella!

My morning alarm clock (the neighborhood cows)

And the kiddos made it too!

My mechanic's pet monkey!

The Shiggidy Shack!

Week 1

2007-09-09T09:01:00.000-07:00

Oy ve! I have survived my first week in veterinary school, although not without a few bumps and bruises. There is a nasty bronchial infection going around, and I woke up this morning with some seriously icky lung junk. School, however, is going well, although it is entirely different from anything else I have ever done. While you have very little (if any) homework, you are expected to have EVERYTHING the professor tells you memorized and ready at a moments notice. Several of the professors walk around the room as they teach and, at random, stand in front of students and grill them for an answer to one of their many questions. I've had to break my sodoku and cross-word during class habit!

I've also discovered that for all the work and study we do, there is a party at the end of the week to help you lose those brain cells. I have never seen a group party so hard and for as long as the folks (both students and islanders) here. I guess the theory is if you are working this hard, you have to have an outlet somewhere, but after two weekends of getting home at 3 and 4am, I think I'm going to have to go into hiding...

Ok, back to the books. Take care, and drop me an e-mail sometime! They make my day :)

Information and Update

2007-09-02T09:44:00.000-07:00

After a week, things are starting to settle in a bit, and I finally have internet at home (soooooo exciting!!). Pictures are on the way. We spent the day yesterday on a catamaran which cruised us around St. Kitts, took us snorkling, and fed us fabulous Caribbean BBQ over on a beach at Nevis. The snorkling here is unbelievable! There are all sorts of crazy fish to see, beautiful reefs, sea turtles, barracuda, sharks, rays, and a thousand other things to see. All I have to do is drive down the road to see all of it! Its crazy...

Speaking of driving, I have purchased my island car! It is a little red Geo Tracker soft top. Now, when I talk about "island cars," one must not think that these cars are in any way comparable to the cars we drive in the states. You wouldn't pay $5 dollars for these beaters in the states, but here they go for thousands! They are bruised, battered, and frequently broken down on the side of the road, but you just take what you can get :) So far, so good!

Island life is a trip. I'm not sure my descriptions can truly do it justice. Basically, I am living in a third world country surrounded by the most beautiful oceans in the world! The folks here so far are very nice, but crime is present, burgleries are common, and your car will get broken into so you just leave the doors open. My apartment is made out of cement, and I have been woken up several times this week to a group of cows snacking on the weeds just outside my window. You frequently have to wait while cows, goats, and sheep cross the road. There are no real fences, so most of the livestock just roam free. Roads are iffy, and on occasion you have to drive through the dirt roads in the sugar cane fields to get from one place to the next. Patience is a necessity here, as everyone will frequently remind you that "in St. Kitts, we live on Island time." Restaurants have names like Ziggy's, Godfathers (not the pizza place), and my personal favorite: Mr. X's Shigitty Shack. Most are right on the beach, and the drinks served here are WAY stronger than anything I have ever had in the states. Even the beer seems a bit stronger...

Keep in touch, drop me e-mails (they make me happy), and photos are on the way!

Contact Info:

Cell:
1-869-660-5656
(I am hoping to get Vonage, which would give me a US phone number)

Address:
Kirsten S Thomas
c/o Ross University School of Veterinary Medicine
P. O. Box 334
Basseterre, St. Kitts
West Indies

In the Caribbean!

2007-08-27T06:17:00.000-07:00

I'm alive, well, and in the Caribbean! Sorry I haven't been in touch with folks yet, my internet is not yet set up at home. You all definately need to come visit this place! Once you get past the fact that you feel like you are walking a sauna (apparently the way summer works around here), its an unbelievably beautiful place. My orientation spent the day yesterday at the beach where we sipped drinks while relaxing in the water. Not bad. I also learned yesterday while at the super market that rum is cheaper that water here... Hmm.

Ok, back to getting oriented! Take care, and I'll be in touch soon.

Saying Goodbye to Boston

2007-08-20T09:09:00.000-07:00

After 2 years in Boston, I am on my way. I have loved living in Boston, working as a teacher, and getting the city experience, but I can't wait to spend sometime outside, where there are no lights, no sirens, no gun shots, and where I can see the stars! My mom came up this past weekend to help me out with the last of the packing, and we arrived (all of us, dogs and cat included) in Brooklyn at 3am this morning. I will be staying here for the next 5 days before heading out to St. Kitts this Saturday. I can't believe how quickly the summer has gone!

To all of my Boston friends, thank you for making my time in Boston wonderful!! I feel like I have a family there :) I promise to visit often, and hope you come down to visit me on the islands, particularly during the god awful mid-winter chills!

Finally, a word to the wise. Should anyone ever have the BRILLIANT idea to take Biochemistry and Organic Chemistry at the same time as summer intensives, DON'T LET THEM!!!! I now the meaning of mental calisthenics...

What's Next?

2007-07-08T10:25:00.000-07:00

In April I was accepted to veterinary school! I will be attending Ross University in St Kitts and Nevis (West Indies) starting in September, and will spend the next 2.5 years on island before returning to the states to finalize my DVM. I am so excited about this move, and can't wait to get down there and get started. All I have to do is finish up organic chemistry and biochemistry this summer...

Up until now...

2007-07-08T09:43:00.000-07:00

For the past year and a half I have been working at a small inner city charter school in Boston teaching science. I am hoping to have my Masters of Education complete by mid August. I have loved my time teaching, and learned sooooo much from my kiddos, and am going to miss them tremendously as I make my next big move!!