Hey Friends and Fam:
I know it's been a while since I posted so I thought I would update folks on our life and what has been happening here in Dominica.
For starters it's July! Yes I have absolutely NO IDEA where the month of June went - which is pretty sad considering I don't have a full time job right now to take away half of each and every day. None the less, the month has gone and it means we are two months closer to moving - ah you say to where.....and much like most of my life is where the story begins....
We had been looking for apartments closer to school and although we were willing to go higher than our current rent of $500 we didn't want to break the bank (what little is left) while we were doing it either. So the search began, endless conversations with random people always had a "so where do you live?" question weaseled into it somehow....and finally we thought we had hit the Dominican jackpot (ironically I just found out today that there is indeed a Dominican lottery - however, it's the scratch off kind - no powerball here folks). We had found an apartment only 6 minutes from school, on a paved road that was actually a 2 - bedroom - this meant for all of you coming down you would have an actual bed to sleep on and not some air mattress (although let's be real a free room is a free room - know what I mean....)
Anyways, the landlord had told me that they wouldn't know until the end of the week and kindly showed us a 1 bedroom as well - which we thought were nice, but didn't want to sign up for unless we absolutely had to. So prayers went up, fingers were crossed and we got a call saying she didn't know whether the 2 bedroom would be available, but we could give a deposit for a one bedroom and still move to the two bedroom later on.....ok not bad. The one bedroom was alright (bedroom with desk, kitchen with desk, etc.) However I failed to notice on the first visit that the 2nd floor 1 bedroom opened to the street (everything is on a hill here) and that wasn't going to work out.....so now we are back on the hunt and only have a week until the *new* first semesters are allowed to find an apartment as well. So once again we're back to prayers, fingers crossed to find a place that is close to campus, NOT $1000 a month and maybe just maybe some place we can call home for the next year (scary - it will still be an actual year that we need to stay).
As the title of this little snippet also indicates we are currently living in the week/weekend before mini 2. For those not down on this little gem of a island that means I don't see my husband until 2am or later each night and I bring meals upon which I get a quick kiss before he heads back to the laptop to watch lectures at double time! (trust me - the professors here speak so slow - double time is needed for most!) So I have made do this week with trying to make no bake cookies for a bake sale (sad attempt considering it was so humid and hot this week that they melted upon delivery), watched sex and the city with some other spouses, actually worked out a few days, taught a dance class for little people (2 -4 year olds, not ACTUAL little people), played a fake patient for some 2nd semester students and made some dinners from scratch....all in all productive and a little exhausting.
Last but not least a *new* discovery!!!! SAVE A LOT - to the average American this little phrase may mean no more than a mere discount store - but to me and the rest of the spouses here on the island - it is as if the heavens have opened up and God has poured out his own sweet manna! Save a Lot my friends is the newest grocery store and pharmacy to hit Roseau (capital and about an hours drive from campus). It not only has great deals, but an actual PRODUCE section - you can get apples, asparagus, fresh broccoli....it's incredible!!!! I know I know you all must think I have lost my mind, but the littlest things here truly do make a difference. I have had limited fresh veggies while here on the island and I am so excited to try something new (or old - as in I used to have it at home).....plus they have a *real* meat section!!!! Most of the meat we get here is ground up in those 1lb tubes (which I had never eaten until I arrived here - but when you are looking for USDA approved you go with what you can get). So now I am hoping my every three week trip to Roseau for our main groceries will be more fruitful and that we will have a healthier diet because of it....still looking out for good dark chocolate, but you can't have it all in one month!
Well that's the update for now - will try to be better about posting more often....
Remember to Love those you are with when you're with them for before you know it they're not with you anymore................
