However, before I can talk about Semester 3, I get to talk about the two weeks that preceded the beginning of the new semester. Those two weeks consisted of flying back home (with a few bumps along the way), spending a few days helping my parents move to a new home, traveling to the Bahamas for a short period, and then spending the rest of break at home before flying back to Dominica. Flying back and forth from the US to Dominica is always an experience and every time that I have done it, it's been different. The first time flying to Dominica, I had to spend the night in San Juan. Then on the way back, I had to spend the night in Barbados. Flying home for this break, once again, I ran into problems. Typically when you book and pay for a direct flight, you get a direct flight (Dominica to San Juan). But if you book your flight with the notoriously bad Liat Airlines, they sometimes make unscheduled stops in Antigua. After landing in Antigua, our connecting flight from Antigua to San Juan was delayed making the next flight impossible to make. In other words, I had to purchase a new ticket from San Juan to Orlando and I wasn't reimbursed for anything. So mad.
Anyway, after finally making it home (a little later than I had expected), it was so nice just to lay in my own bed in an air-conditioned room. The things I realized on break that I missed the most about the US in comparison to living in Dominica are the following: home-cooked meals, air-conditioning, actual toilet paper (instead of this papier-mâché junk they give us down here), TV, driving, paved sidewalks/roads (I am not joking), and not eating Subway for every meal. Oh...and most importantly...my parents!
Well, the first few days being home were spent helping my parents move into a beautiful new home and move out of their old apartment. Since the last few weeks of Semester 2 were so hectic, I didn't really get much of a chance to workout as much as I had wanted to, but throughout those first few days of break that were spent moving...made up for the time I missed.
After being home for a while, I took a short hiatus down in the Bahamas to an island called Abaco. As you could imagine, the weather was beautiful, especially compared to what we have here in Dominica. For the most part, it was clear blue skies and over 90 degrees every day. Perfect for beach weather.
The pictures below show the playground that I had access to during my four day trip. Swimming, snorkeling, paddle-boarding, you name it.
During my time in Abaco, I tried my best to eat as much fresh seafood that I could get my hands on; lobster, grouper, mussels, clams, shrimp...oh and I guess I also had a 14 oz. steak at one point. Delicious.
But after a much too short trip, it was back to Orlando for the rest of break. This time a little more restful and relaxing. I'm not sure if this was because there was less to do...or I got lazy. Probably a combination of both.
So for me, semester break flew by...much shorter than the break after first semester. And now I'm back "on island" after a long travel day (due to the same shenanigans that Liat Airlines always pulls). But I made it back with my luggage and I'm very motivated to start Semester 3 strong.
Now, Semester 3 differs somewhat from the previous two semesters. At this point we have been through the entire human body in situations that we consider "normal". However, the next two semesters will be spent going over the exact same systems of the body, but focusing on situations that are "not normal". Semesters 3 and 4 are more clinically based. So, our first day is tomorrow. Fundamentals block. And...my blog is back.
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