weekend :)

Babysittin the kitten






Great weekend... Friday night went out for a friends birthday to karma, a club in town. It was so much fun -all of my friends turned up and the music was great. Saturday I babysat Megan's kitten.. more pics! Sunday I went to an embryo DES session and volunteered for PAP (pothounds against pregnancy) taking the dogs that are waiting to get spayed or neutered out of the kennels for a break outside. It was pretty amazing working with dogs that aern't used to human contact. Definitely have to be careful taking them out of the kennels because they're so nervous you can't be sure how they'll react -the muzzle is your friend! I took advantage of their outside play time to practice some photography :) Big push this week to get caught up because it's round three of exams starting thursday for a week and then Easter weekend and Barbados -Let's get the show on the road!!!
XO~

PAP pics

Heeere Leezard Leezard Leezard...

Had a great day today.. It was our last full day of classes for the week and definitely looking forward to cutting down on the class hours and upping the study time to catch up :) In anatomy we started learning about muscles of the back all the way from the top of the head down through the different vertebrae and into the tail. Pretty interesting stuff and it was my turn to dissect so I felt very surgeon ish. At lunch I was really productive and got a start on the Question and Answers for tomorrow's quiz -one less thing to do tonight and then in the afternoon we had Histology, two hours of Physiology and one hour of anatomy. Anatomy was pretty cool, one of the upper term students gave a talk on reptiles and amphibians. Really interesting stuff, I definitely need to learn more about those guys, they're so different from mammals they're almost like aliens :P Tonight I have a date with the study hall and hopefully will get a chance to catch up with mom and dad for a bit. Tomorrow is a lighter day of classes and Thursday I have a day off :) Cannot wait to get going.. If I get my studying outta the way I'll get a chance to get caught up on reading my camera manual...

Project Kitten :)

My friend Megan is fostering a kitten at nights for the next couple of weeks. We went to pick it up from the small animal hospital after class today and here are some pics :) TOO CUTE!

Little one

Tour of School

Just got a new camera to play with and thought I would show you around campus a bit...

Welcome to St Georges University

Up the road to the guard booth

Charter Hall -Med Lecture Hall

Taylor Study Hall -My Second Home :)

Anatomy Lab



My dorm

My window is the one with the blue curtain, Elise lives next door

My Room

midterms!

Midterms are done and out of the way and now on to bigger and better things. They all turned out really well which is awesome and the best thing about this midterm round was that my studying has really improved. It's gotten to the point where I can notice the difference that keeping up in class and everyday studying can make when it comes to trying to put it all together in the end. Sadly, I've been on a strict junk food no time diet so looking forward to putting in some yoga tomorrow and lots of veggies in the next week! This week has lots of promise too.. tonight I am going to watch a movie and go to bed early! I cannot say how excited I am to watch something other then lab movies. Then Tuesday is St Patricks day and the build up begins for Sandblast which happens this weekend. Beach Party here I come!! Miss you all...
XOX

academic day

Today and the rest of the week will be filled with "academic days". Going on an epic grocery shopping trip with my friend Alex tonight to stock up for the upcoming onslaught of my first official vet midterms. I'm looking forward to studying!! - sitting and trying to absorb all this material (is that sick?). Maybe after the tests are over I'll feel like I am starting to know something because right now it seems like every class we just find out how much more we have to learn ;) Also exciting news, my roommate Amanda has invited me to go and visit her family where they live in Barbados over Easter break! My tickets are booked and i'm so excited to go and see how another part of the caribbean is about. I'm also trying to line up a camera of sorts so that I'll have pictures to post -Manda says Barbados is famous for caves and her mom has booked us for a caving expedition already. I absolutely CANNOT WAIT!!
Yesterday I also tried something new. One of the visiting professors on his trip down here a couple years ago set up a bouldering wall on one of the hidden retaining walls by the human anatomy lab. Not many people know about it but it is the perfect climbing location. Thanks to Jess for bringing my shoes down here (and Keith for sending them with her). Not only do you get to climb (don't worry mom, it's not that high) but there's amazing views on all sides, an ocean breeze and these crazy little geckos that pop out from behind the holds while you're going along. Definitely excited to slip climbing in instead of the horrible weight room at the gym.
Last night I spent some time on my application forms to try and be an RA or resident assistant in one of the dorms next year. Fingers crossed that I get the position because I think it would be a great way to meet some more people and practice some leadership skills. Alright.. time for class!! Talk to y'all soon :)

Island love

I love my friends!! Some of my closest girl friends took me out for a surprise post birthday dinner. I feel so spoiled -my birthday this year was kind of lost amongst a million exams so it was a pretty unexpected fun surprise. We went to the beach house which is my absolute favorite restaurant here (I also got to go there for whitecoat with Grandma and Grandpa -too much fun :) ).

In other news.. I was shocked today to see that lines had been painted on the road outside of campus. They literally paint every single one by hand using a string -WOW!! you don't see that everyday. :P

Figaro

I had kinda a topsy turvy day today. If you hadn't heard, we recently lost Figaro to some chronic medical concerns. We were absolutely so fortunate to have such a great veterinarian to help us with him. Dr. Schlingman from Uncas Vet Clinic is an amazing lady and I hope that I can be just like her when I'm practicing. She made an impossible decision one that we could make and feel like we were doing the right thing. I know that he was in the best hands all the way through. We had a visiting professor offer a workshop on helping clients through grief of losing a pet. I decided to attend with the hope that I could figure out how to help my future clients with something so difficult. Surprisingly, the workshop really helped me to. The clinician outlined the psychology behind euthanasia, and presented some different perspectives on not only determining when it is an appropriate option but also post euthanasia support for patients and although I will always miss my little buddy, I can move past the fact that he has been lost and appreciate what an asset he has been to my life. He was my support, best friend and little buddy all the way up through grade 4 to moving out on my own across the globe to SGU at the initiation of this blog. I will always be thankful to have had a kitty cat that was so amazing.

supercharged term

So looking back, it seems the last couple updates start with apologies as to why I'm not updating and a quick catch up on past events. New approach starting now!! Shorter updates more regularly on cool stuff that happened that day or the past couple of days. Hopefully that will make it easier to keep up on posts with my crazy crazy study schedule. That being said, I'm really sorry I haven't been updating more, It's been crazy trying to keep up with the rigors of school :)
I need to talk about a couple of things that have been going on since the last post. First and foremost Mom, Dad, Tom and Grandma and Grandpa made the long trek down to the island for my whitecoat ceremony. I get all misty even thinking about it because having them here for a ceremony that meant so much to me means the world. I had a great time with them, they rented a house down the street from school and it was so cool to have my family here while I started my first couple of weeks in vet school. First and foremost the support I've been getting from my family has been absolutely unbelievable. I'm still floored whenever I have a tough day at school and talking with family on the phone or friends on the net will just pick up my day. Jess and Colleen thank you so much for the little cards you have been sending they are such an awesome surprise when I open up my mailbox. Mom and Dad have been fantastic -Love you guys so much!! And aunty Chuck and uncle Perry, uncle Jack, aunty Joy and cousins your emails always make me smile! Some pics from whitecoat :) :





Next was an awesome visit from Jess, she came down on her way to a wedding in Cuba and a backpacking trip to Argentina. It was an absolute blast showing her around campus, and the normal routine as well as St Georges. She's also responsable for getting me out to the beach! It was a sad day when I had to take her back to the airport!



Since then, life has been a whirlwind of trips to and from class, the grocery store and the gym all blurring into one. The term is speeding by so fast and it's pretty much supercharged. Hope everyone is enjoying their week -HUGS!

Vet Orientation

This past week has been an absolute blur filled with school functions, registration and orientation workshops. It's a relief I'm finally all settled in, unpacked, registered and ready to start. It's official -I'm in vet school! WOO HOO!!!
I'm extra lucky because I have the two best roommates in the world. My two friends from the medicine program Amanda and Elise have been amazing the past couple of days. We've got our small apartment all hooked up and unpacked it actually feels like a sort of home for the first time since I arrived on the island. Our place is set up really well, we each have our own bedroom, there's a really large kitchen and the bathroom and shower are separate which prevents blocks in the morning. The last two days have been particularly busy because of the Professional Academic Workshop or PAWS put on by the vet school. The purpose of the workshop is to allow us to get to know the faculty and other students in our class in a less formal environment while giving us an indication as to what we are expected to do at SGU and eventually in the profession. I'm extra excited because tomorrow is our first day of real classes. Anatomy is first on the agenda so I'll let you know how it goes.
Night!

Term 3 –The Beginning…

And so I finally made it. I’m officially a veterinary student in first term vet at SGU! And if that weren’t enough my parents, Tom and Grandma Joyce and Grandpa Bruce are all coming down to my white coat ceremony. I cannot wait to show them all around campus and the island. And so now to recap since last term: Christmas break and all the prep to come back down.

I was SO excited to go home for Christmas, it had been a long and CRAZY term. On top of my normal pre veterinary courses I had three extras, public speaking, introduction to psychology and computers. To top it off, to matriculate into the vet program or med program all school of arts and science students must write a cumulative exam on all material covered in the final year of the preparatory program. To sum it up there was no spare time and lots on the go. The flights home were long but pretty uneventful and Tom came to pick me up from the airport. I’m always amazed at how much has changed when I go away each term and come back. This time, I had trouble phoning home because you have to dial a mandatory area code in front of all local numbers –weird! Also, Tom not only came to pick me up but in his own car which was too cool. We went straight from the airport to Millhurst to fix a plumbing emergency. It was really awesome to see how much my little brother knows about plumbing now. He’s so professional and grown up!

On the way home finally I was devastated to learn that my really close friend and neighbour Pat Crowley had passed away the week before. I hadn’t even known she was sick so I felt badly that I hadn’t been able to say goodbye.. I missed her terribly all week and it was pretty heart breaking to see her family try and compensate for her loss and take care of the animals she’s left behind.

The next couple of days at home were busy helping mom get ready for dad’s 50th birthday party. We were in a major cleaning mood trying to get the house back into shape and running errands. The party was amazing. It was really fun to see all of my parent’s friends and everyone seemed to have a great time.

Next was a trip down to Houston. My grandpa Bruce and grandma Joyce organized a family cruise for my family on my dad’s side from Galveston to Mexico and back across the Gulf. Not only was it absolutely fantastic to get to spend time with my cousins, but we had a chance to stay with my aunty Joy, uncle Jack, and cousins Amy and Eric. It was so kind of them to let all 19 of us stay in their House, we had too much fun!

Cousins on the cruise boat..

The family at a park in Houston

Part of the family at dinner
Arriving back in Edmonton was a bit of a shock after Houston’s warm weather. We were dropped off at the tarmac in -29 weather. –BRrrr! The last couple of weeks were spent madly trying to finish up my correspondance classes and write the last of my final exams. I also got to see Colleen, Jessica and Vanessa on a regular basis which was amazing. I’m so lucky to have such great friends, Jess is coming down to visit me for my birthday and I absolute cannot wait.

Packing to come back down to school was insane. I am always surprised how quickly I can fill up a suitcase and still be over the weight requirement. It always takes twice as long to decide what I can live without and repack the suitcase then to pack it in the first place.
On the way back this time I took Air Canada from Edmonton to Calgary and then on to JFK New York where I spent the night in the airport. I almost had a bit of a heart attack. They had forgotten to put my bags on the plane from Edmonton so I almost missed my NY connection waiting for them to come in on the next plane. Currently I’m flying the last leg of the trip on Air Jamaica direct to Grenada. I didn’t sleep at all last night so time for a couple of ZZZzzz’s!