First Day of 20th Grade

American University of the Caribbean, AUC, Blog

It’s that time of year…. you know, when all the moms are posting cute photos of their kids holding Pinteresty signs announcing what grade they are about to begin. Not to be outdone, I was sure to take a photo of my (very cooperative) husband on his first day of med school year four:

Folks, this is the last first day of school for him. Ever. Twenty-plus years of school is enough. Next year, I’ll have him post for a “first day of work as a doctor” photo. But I probably won’t ask him to hold a sign.

I decided to find his other “first day of school” photos. I took them every year, usually chasing him out the door at the last minute because I just remembered I wanted a picture. His first year of medical school, we actually got a pretty nice photo for the first day of school, which was his white coat ceremony:

I’m not positive which photo is the “first day” photo from med school year 2, but here’s a photo from that year:

You can see Kito is enjoying her favorite perch, which is always behind Ben in whatever chair he happens to be sitting in.

Here’s last year, the third year of medical school, with his white coat freshly ironed on his way to his first family medicine rotation at the clinic:

And, of course, I can’t forget to do a throwback to his first day of college. This picture is provided by his Aunt Barb, who dropped him off at school not long after he arrived in Arizona from Tanzania.

Hard to believe that was almost ten years ago, in 2009!

So, what does 20th grade look like for Ben? Well, for the first four weeks, he has a subinternship rotation in internal medicine. He works 60-some hours a week over six days. I’m not going to lie, I was pretty sad to lose that Saturday with him. BUT- they aren’t requiring any overnight on-call shifts, so that is a major benefit. He doesn’t get “paternity leave,” since he’s a student, but fortunately he can take a couple of days when the baby is born. I’m hoping the baby decides to make his grand debut on one of Ben’s days off. Baby is due September 26, during his last week on this rotation, We’ll see if he comes on time or early. Or late– who knows?

After that, we’re not sure what Ben’s schedule will be. I figure that all of the rotations will probably be pretty intense, but at this point it’s just about getting through everything until April, when he’ll finish his last rotation. He just took the 9-hour USMLE Step 2 exam two weeks ago, which means no massive exams to study for this year! Phew!

After so much school, it’s hard to believe Ben’s almost done. It will be pretty weird to have neither of us in school for the first time ever! But it will also be pretty awesome.

Post Hurricane Thoughts

American University of the Caribbean, AUC, Blog, Caribbean, Expats, Expats and TCKs, International Travel, Saint Martin/ Sint Maarten, Spouses Organization, Third Culture Kids, Uncategorized

Well, I’m probably over-posting on Facebook about Hurricane Irma and the devastation it caused in Saint Martin. I have an awful lot to say about it, though, especially as new updates keep coming through. I figure if you want to know what I have to say about the situation, you’ll read this. And look– here you are!

Med Students are OK

After a semi-sleepless night a couple days ago and plenty of tears, I finally started hearing from friends who had been out of contact for a day after the storm.

The people who sheltered in American University of the Caribbean are safe, and not only that, anyone with any medical training (even first semester med students) are volunteering in a makeshift clinic! They even delivered a baby! What a birth story.

Many of the students, spouses and kids were able to evacuate to Puerto Rico. Many others, mostly students, stayed behind.

Tom and Lisa are OK

If you follow me on social media, you probably know a bit about Tom and Lisa Burnett, who ran Player Development Program in Sint Maarten.

I used to go there most days to tutor and mentor the kids. Player Development blew away and the pieces are yet to be found.

But Tom and Lisa (plus their four dogs) are safe! I could breathe easier after I found that out. Their neighborhood was hit very hard.

They survived the storm huddled on a mattress under their table, both of them plus of the four dogs. They stayed there all day, through the storm and even after their roof was ripped off. I am shaking right now just thinking about it.

Still Waiting to Hear from Local Friends

I started following more SXM residents on social media to keep up with videos and photos. Many people seem to be OK and in shelter, but strictly rationing food and water, and in perhaps in pain.

The need help but it is hard to know what to do. Samaritan’s Purse has a fund now, and I they are delivering much needed help! If you want to help, give to them. But I haven’t heard much else, although a friend of mine with a Canadian Rotary Club is planning to try to ship down supplies and suggested that I call my local airport to see which airlines are willing to ship relief supplies down.

I haven’t heard from too many people since the main cell tower was taken out by the storm, and the power company as well, I believe.

Our former foster son, Roland and Laura Richardson, the families from my baseball team, the foster homes, the staff at the medical school, and many other friends still aren’t online yet. So keep praying.

I just keep thinking about how bad I’ve been at communication lately. My life is so out of control right now and I put everyone else on the back burner. I guess you don’t realize you’re doing that until your friends are in a life-threatening situation and you remember that the last thing you said was some stupid thing about doughnuts or worse, nothing at all for the past few weeks.

There’s nothing like the fear that you might have lost someone to make you think of all the stuff you wish you said to them last week.

I’m Grieving

I think I’m going through the stages of grief. I’m partially in denial, because how can those photos be real when they don’t match my memories? That flooded street covered in debris was a sunlit lane when I walked down it just a few months ago.

I can close my eyes and go back to the way it was. I can see and hear and feel and smell every part of the island.

I can hear the way it sounds to knock on the door of one of my baseball kid’s house. In my mind it is still there.

I can feel the gravel at player development under my feet and see the books and toys and everything.

I can see the view from my old balcony like I am standing there again. Pretty sure that balcony blew away.

I can taste the shawarmas at Little Jerusalem and hear the “clink, clink” of Abe and Cathy chopping up meat on the grill.

But then there are those photos of the destruction, the videos of the looting. It’s hard to reconcile.

I Should Be There

And there is this overwhelming sense of guilt, because somehow I feel like I am supposed to be there.

Maybe I wouldn’t be saying this if I’d actually gone through it, but I’d rather have stuck out the day in AUC, where the hurricane shelter was strong and safe, than be here wondering and waiting and watching from afar.

I’d rather be out dragging palm fronds off the street right now. Or something else useful. Maybe that sounds dumb, and maybe it is dumb.

It’s stupid to want to be stuck on an island when so many people are suffering and desperately awaiting help and wanting to leave.

I feel stupid. And useless.

People reading this are probably going to think I’m trying to be some kind of weird martyr or something, but I think I’m just really emotional and stressed out.

I actually called Jet Blue yesterday to find out if I can fly down and when, but I couldn’t get through because they’re too busy handling the crisis.

I don’t even know what I would do if I did go. It’s not like they need more people to use up rations, anyway.

So anyway, now we’re both depressed, you’re welcome. Maybe I should go back to journaling instead of blogging.

That’s what things look like from my perspective.

Now just waiting for Irma to hit Florida, and I can’t wait until that is done and the power is back and I can hear from everyone.

Photo Credit Flash Meteo Antilles

Fort Karl in St. Barth’s

American University of the Caribbean, AUC, Blog, Caribbean, Expats, Expats and TCKs, International Travel, Spouses Organization, St Barth

St. Barth’s is the French Caribbean’s premier vacation destination. It’s so fancy (you already know)! The world’s rich and famous flock to its white sand beaches all year round! When I had the chance to visit with my friend Emily, however, I was more excited about the historic forts than the upscale resorts. Are you a history buff, too? Read on to see the stunning views from St. Barth’s Fort Karl!

Fort Karl is located in the town of Gustavia. It’s pretty easy to find. St. Barth’s is only about nine square miles, and Gustavia is the port city where just about everybody arrives. A quick ATV ride or brisk walk will bring you to the foot of the stairs. Take the brief climb up the stairs, and you’ll be on top of the world! Well, on top of the island, at least.

Fort Karl has been around for quite some time! It was built in 1789, when the island belonged to Sweden. Since then, it has become rather overgrown with bushes, cacti, and scrubby trees. In recent decades, the island has made the ruins of the fort a popular tourist attraction, creating paths through the fort and signage to interpret the history and nature of the area.

Although the fort is no longer necessary for island defense, it is an excellent vantage point for sightseeing! You get great views of the town, and apparently it’s also a popular place for whale-watching. We didn’t see any whales, much to our sadness, but we did see a bunch of boats arriving for the annual St. Barth’s regatta.

The view from the top really put the tiny size of Gustavia in perspective! It’s incredible how tiny and old this charming historic town is. They’ve really kept it nice through all these years. It’s a tiny place with a whole lot of history! I wonder what it was like to live here during the era when it was all but forgotten by Europe?

From the top, we could also see our next destination: Shell Beach! This beach is entirely carpeted by tiny shells. We could hardly wait to get down and zoom over to this beautiful beach! St. Barth’s has so much to see.

Stay tuned for a photo-filled post about beautiful Shell Beach! You don’t want to miss a taste of this stunning Caribbean destination. Like and follow for more posts on St. Barth’s and the Caribbean! Until next time.

A Day at the Four Seasons, Anguilla

American University of the Caribbean, Anguilla, Caribbean, Expats, Expats and TCKs, International Travel

When Ben’s cousins, Craig, Bonnie, and Wally, visited us a month ago, they spoiled me. And I mean really spoiled me! One of the fun excursions they treated me to during their trip to Sint Maarten was a day on Anguilla at the Four Seasons Resort.

I’d been to Anguilla several times before, but I’d certainly never been to the Four Seasons! Actually, I’d never been to a hotel nearly as ritzy as this place. I’ve always wondered why the rich and famous want to spend their entire vacations in the Caribbean at a resort. Now I get it.

Oh my word. That pool, that view! Anguilla is known for being beautiful, but the combination of wild natural beauty and manicured perfection was just gorgeous.

Wally and Craig went right to the ping-pong table. You know it’s a good place when there’s table tennis. I hadn’t seen such nice grass in months, and I almost felt like I needed to take my shoes off to walk on it.

Rooms at Four Seasons Anguilla run several thousand a night – a NIGHT! – so you can imagine how nice this place is. I felt privileged to get to spend the day there.

Bonnie and I enjoyed the infinity pool. It was a great view of the beautiful, powdery white beach below. All of Anguilla’s beaches are fantastic (or so I’ve heard; I’ve only been to three of them), but Mead’s Bay Beach is one of the best.

Talk about a lot of sand! This beach seemed endless, and it was not crowded at all. That’s the wonderful thing about Anguilla. It’s small, but it’s quiet and offers enough space for everyone.

Two Island Cruise of St Maarten and Anguilla
from: Viator

I saw a few people trying to surf along the edge of the beach, which was freaking me out a little. It was so shallow and close to the rocks! I’m not sure what the appeal was, because they were only getting very short rides. Maybe it’s better on other days.

While we were at the Four Seasons in Anguilla, we got to eat at the restaurant there. Did I mention that Craig and Bonnie also spoiled me with food? I don’t think I cooked a single time while they were staying with us!

The food at the Four Season was to die for. Ben often says that the only think I love more than hummus is him. It might possibly be true. I do judge a restaurant by it’s hummus. And this was some of the best hummus I’ve ever had. I may or may not have eaten it with a spoon once the pitas ran out.

They say that time flies when you’re having fun, and it certainly is true. I was surprised when our day was over and it was time to take the ferry back home.

If you want a luxe vacation in Anguilla, the Four Seasons is the place to go. I don’t know if I’ll ever get to stay there, and I’m OK with that, but it sure was a blast to experience the celebrity life for a day!

If you’ve been missing the Caribbean adventures posts, you’ll be glad to know I got access to my photos again! We have them all stored on an external drive that was making scary clicking sounds. Ben backed it up today, so we’re good to go once again! So stay tuned.

The International Move from the Black Lagoon

American University of the Caribbean, arizona, AUC, Expats, Expats and TCKs, International Travel, Spouses Organization, United States

The good news: we made it back to Arizona!

The bad news: it took 24 hours and about half my remaining sanity.

If you’ve ever moved internationally, you know it’s not exactly a piece of cake. Actually, it’s pretty tough, emotionally and logistically. It’s like I was being ripped in half, because I was so sad to leave St. Maarten, but at the same time so excited to see my family and my hometown. And while I was trying to deal with those emotions, I had to be getting rid of all my stuff and cramming the few things I was keeping into our suitcases.

Fact: You can only drag so many pieces of luggage through the airport.

Also fact: Suitcases hold less than you expect them to.

As we were going through all our stuff, I was wondering where the heck all that crap came from. We only lived in St. Maarten for a couple of years, and I was intentionally trying not to amass copious amounts of things. So even after selling, donating, giving away and throwing out the large majority of what was in our apartment, we still had three suitcases, two gigantic backpacks, and a couple of small backpacks. Plus the dog. And by the way, getting the dog back was incredibly stressful. But I don’t want to even think about that right now. She’s here, and that’s all that matters.

The first thing that happened when we got to the airport, as we were struggling to get our luggage to the counter, was a cranky security guard stopping us and demanding to see our paperwork for the dog. Not only was it bad timing, but she actually has no authority over whether or not a dog goes on the plane. We have to show it to the lady at the baggage counter and the people a customs. I took this total waste of time as a bad sign about the way the trip would go, and boy, was that accurate.

Kenny driving us to the airport

Kito was thoroughly freaking out by the time we made it through customs, but the hour wait to get on the plane calmed her down. We planned to get on the place last of all, so that Kito wouldn’t get in anyone’s way, but they actually let us get on the plane first. That was really nice, and it gave us a chance to get settled. Kito was so worn out that she lay down at my feet and fell asleep.

As soon as the engine started, she shot straight up in the air and landed on our laps! Ben comforted her while I watched my beautiful St. Martin disappear beneath the clouds. I had thought I would cry at this moment, but I was already too exhausted for any tears. The last thing I saw was Pond Island growing smaller and smaller beneath us. It was strange to think that my Little League team was practicing right then and I was not there to help.

Kito literally shook with terror for the entire three hour flight to Miami. Poor dog! The good news was that she was so quiet that I don’t think anyone noticed her.

We had booked a flight with a 1.75 hour layover so that it would be easier on the dog. Here’s a piece of advice: never book a short layover when going through customs in Miami. We had intended to use the really cool new customs app (Guys, it’s really cool. You have to use it next time you fly internationally!) but it doesn’t work if you have an “x” on your customs form. Kito is technically an imported animal, so we still had to wait in the long line.

After the long line, we were taken to another special customs area for people who are importing stuff. We were the only ones waiting in the room, and we waited for fifteen minutes while the staff slowly stacked papers, watched basketball on TV, had a conversation about illegally imported mangoes, and complained about having to multitask when they finally decided to get around to seeing us.

Even through we were slowly watching our chances of catching our connection slip away, I was more concerned about Kito’s rabies shot. I had called my vet to set up Kito’s health certificate appointment, and she told me not to worry about making a separate, earlier appointment for the rabies shot. So I got it a week early, along with the health certificate. St. Maarten is a rabies-free country, so it technically doesn’t matter, according to the CDC. A lot of my dog-savvy friends, however, told me that I might not get Kito through customs if her shot was less than a month old. So I was really worried about that. As it turned out, though, the customs people looked the shot record over, smiled, and handed it back without a comment. Of course, seeing that they didn’t appear to take their job very seriously, I wouldn’t count on that being the norm.

We left customs and realized that we had just missed our flight. We were directed to customer service, where we waited in another long line to get a new flight. When we finally got to the front, the representative told us that the next flight was at 7 AM– twelve hours after we had landed in Miami. Since the delay was not the airline’s fault, we didn’t get a room or even a meal voucher. I could tell that the manager felt bad, but there wasn’t much she could do about it. Another woman who was on our flight was MAD. She was incredibly mad, and she really wanted us to be as mad as she was. Honestly, though, we weren’t that upset. Maybe it’s because we were too exhausted to feel anything other than tired, but I think it was because we were just thankful to be through customs and in Florida. There’s nothing like getting your newly-stamped passport back and hearing, “Welcome to the United States.”

The airport wouldn’t let us through security a “day early,” and when we got our new tickets it was 11:00 PM. So we had to wait an hour just inside the door and get overpriced Pizza Hut, which was all that was open. Boy, did that Pizza Hut taste good just then. At midnight, we went through security. It was actually nice to be doing the TSA thing so early, when there were only five people in line ahead of us. We just had to slide on through, and we were done in ten minutes. Phew. We still had six and a half hours before boarding, so we found a quiet terminal and tried to sleep.

We actually did manage to sleep a little bit. It’s amazing how easy it is to fall asleep in odd places when you’re so exhausted! Even the dog just dropped off to sleep, all curled up on an airport chair.

Of course, we couldn’t sleep the whole time. I was worried about Kito peeing on the carpet, so we took to her to the special doggy bathroom a few times to make sure to avoid a mess. Thank goodness for the doggie bathroom!

Also, Ben made a new friend named Leo. Leo works at the airport, and he didn’t have any assigned duties for a couple hours during the especially slow parts of the night, so he talked to Ben for a while and found out our predicament. He helped us get seats together on the plane, and then drove us an all our stuff to our terminal on his cart.

When it was finally time to get on the plane, I was surprised at how quickly the night had gone. The plane ride didn’t seem so short. I slept for a while, and tried to do a crossword puzzle with my fuzzy sleep-deprived brain. Mostly, I held Kito, who was really not enjoying the whole experience. The upside to the early morning plane ride was that my parents didn’t have to pick us up at midnight, which I was happy about.

Finally, we touched down in dusty Phoenix! I have never been so happy to see the familiar outline of Camelback Mountain. We were so excited to see my family, and Kito was excited about the new kennel they bought her. Seriously– I have never seen a dog who loved a kennel so much. How wonderful to be a dog and have a grassy yard for the first time ever, and a cozy kennel to sleep in at night!

After the whole experience, I can safely say I will never fly with a dog again. At least not for that long of a flight! It was the worst flight experience I’ve ever had, but we got through it with pretty good attitudes and made it home just fine. Now that we’ve recovered a bit, I’m looking forward to seeing family and friends and re-integrating into the United States. This is just the first chapter of a whole new life.

Gustavia

American University of the Caribbean, Caribbean, Expats, Expats and TCKs, International Travel, Spouses Organization, St Barth

St. Barth’s is a magical island. Full of pirate history, tales of buried treasure, and beautiful beaches, this tiny Caribbean island is perfectly enchanting. Since it’s been a couple of years since our last adventure to Anguilla, my friend Emily and I decided to take a last-minute trip to St. Barth! Believe it or not, we managed to do a full day trip for under $100 each. We began our St. Barth explorations in Gustavia, the capital and port town.

We had reserved an ATV to take around the island, but before we picked it up, we decided to explore Gustavia. There’s actually a lot to see in a small space. There are two or three forts (we only made it to two of them, but I’m pretty sure I spotted another), plus a beautiful little beach called Shell Beach. I’ll tell you about those a little later, because Gustavia deserves its own post.

St. Barth was discovered by Christopher Columbus in 1943. Although he often named islands after the saints whose feast days fell on the day of discovery, Columbus named this island after his brother. My guess is that he discovered it the same day he saw St. Martin, and had to pick another esteemed namesake.

Although it was “discovered” (I use that term loosely since there were already people living on it) in the 15th Century, it wasn’t until 1648 that colonists on St. Kitts immigrated to St. Barth. In the 18th Century, a successful colony was finally built on the island by the French. Not long after, the French traded it to the Swedish. The port city was named after King Gustav, and the Swedish flag still flies in places to commemorate the hundred years of Swedish rule. In the 19th Century, the island was returned to the French.

Throughout Gustavia, you can see both French and Swedish colonial imprints in the architecture and in the streets. Lovely old building have been preserved for hundreds of years, and old canons still sand like ancient sentries on the hills above the city. Today, the forts are used for hiking and whale-watching rather than for protection.

Gustavia has changed a lot over the years, despite the old houses and roads. Now, there are malls and fine restaurants lining the wharf and the back streets. Gustavia is a destination for the rich and famous! Being neither of these, we opted to wander and window shop, keeping our wallets in our pockets. Aside from an acai bowl (something you can’t get in Saint Martin, where we live) and a couple of postcards, window shopping was the order of the day.

We enjoyed wandering around and exploring. There were so many interesting things to see! I liked the gigantic coloring page outside a curio shop. Everybody who passed by stopped for a moment to color a little bit.

It was also fun to play tourist for a little while! Emily and I live in the neighboring island of Saint Martin, where we see tourists all over the place and are often mistaken for travelers. In St. Barth, we really were tourists! There’s no shame in a great, big Canon camera and a big, floral print backpack when you’re a tourist. Who are we kidding, though? I walk around like that at home, too.

Stay tuned for more St. Barth adventures. Don’t forget to subscribe or follow me on Facebook! I have a lot more Caribbean adventures that intend to pack in over my last few weeks living in Saint Martin. Until next time!

Nettle Bay Beach, Lagoon Side

Caribbean, Expats, Expats and TCKs, International Travel, Nature, Saint Martin/ Sint Maarten

I’m trying to visit all 37 Saint Martin beaches, and I’m starting to close in on my goal. At last count, I had been to 32 of them. I decided that this was the weekend to tackle the easiest remaining beach. I’ve been told a couple of different names for this beach, and since Anse Aux Acajoux is really hard for my apparently French averse tongue to pronounce, we’re going to stick with Nettle Bay Lagoon Side.

Now, there are a few ways to get to this little piece of Paradise. You can enter here:

Or here:

None of these places had good parking, so we ended up parking at Nettle Bay Ocean Side, in the parking lot for Le Sand and Dreams Beach Bar.

You can park to the right, and then take the path to the left. That’s what we did. This is the path to take if you’re up for an adventure. Saint Martin is full of grown-over paths than nobody really uses anymore, so we assumed this was the way you had to go to get to the beach. About halfway in, I was wondering if this was really a secret beach, or if all the other people are just too smart to go bushwhacking through an overgrown footpath with hundreds of spiders in a place where killers have been known to leave their victims. As it turns out, the beach is neither secret nor only accessible through Spider Forest. So unless you want to catalog all the arachnid species on Saint Martin, I’d advise using a more civilized route.

In the end, the walk through the bushes was more than worth it. So much for a hidden beach! The entire strip was beautifully cared for and lined with the most charming of beach houses! Here, the palms wave gently in the breeze and boats bob up and down in the gently rippling water.

I’m curious why this side of the lagoon is so nice, while the other side (where we live) has muddy shores and tons of jellyfish. It would be cool to have a dinghy to explore the whole lagoon and see what it looks like as a whole.

We found several shops along the edge of the beach. There was everything from jet ski rentals to dive excursions! Who knew all this was hiding back here? Not us! There were also a few little beach bars, which were tempting. A glass of fruit juice would have been nice after walking so far on this hot day.

I’m not sure how long the Nettle Bay Beach Lagoon Side is (Ben guessed 3/4 of a mile), but I really wanted to walk all the way to the end. Ben and R were kind enough to humor me. There was a lot to see, so even though we were hot, we weren’t bored. One house has an antique canon in the backyard!

We eventually came to the end, went through a gate, and found ourselves on a residential street in Sandy Ground. It was another longish walk back, but we took a break in the middle at Parisienne, a bakery and pastry shop I’ve driven past often but never stopped in.

R got a sugar brioche and Ben and I split a chocolate twist. It was a good refreshment for a mid-afternoon walk. The woman working at the bakery was really nice, too.

Before long, we ended up back at Nettle Bay Ocean Side. That’s another beach for another post! If you want to learn how to find other lesser known Saint Martin beaches, check out these posts:

Lovers Bay Beach

Guana Bay

Le Galion Beach

Scuba Diving Creole Rock

Caribbean, Expats, Expats and TCKs, International Travel, Saint Martin/ Sint Maarten, Uncategorized

The ocean is the last unexplored frontier. I mean, we know more about the surface of the moon than we do about the bottom of the ocean! Perhaps that’s why Scuba diving is such a thrilling adventure. Last week, Ben had the opportunity to Scuba dive around Creole Rock.

Ben’s cousin Craig, his wife, Bonnie, and their son, Wally, came to spend a week with us in Saint Martin. While they were here, they spoiled us. And I mean absolutely spoiled us! One of the excursions that Ben has been dying to do is Scuba diving. That hasn’t been in the med school student budget, so we’ve been doing a lot of snorkeling instead. Well, Craig and Bonnie decided that Scuba diving needed to be on the agenda, so Ben finally had the chance to go! He said it’s way more incredible than snorkeling, and it was worth taking a break from studying the weekend before his comprehensive exam.

Jet Ski Flyboard Experience in St Martin

The Experience

We went with Bubble Shop in Grand Case. Max was our guide, and he was awesome! This post isn’t sponsored by Bubble Shop; I’m writing because Bubble Shop is a great dive option and it’s worth sharing. Ben isn’t a certified diver, so he and Craig did the Discovery Dive trip to Creole Rock. Wally, Bonnie, and I did the snorkeling excursion. Since there were five of us, we got the whole trip to ourselves. It felt like a personal chartered excursion!

We started out with a tutorial on how to safely dive and snorkel. Before long, we were all zipped up in wet suits and on a boat from Grand Case to Creole Rock! Max said that it’s called Creole Rock because it looks like the outline of a Creole man sleeping in the water. As we got closer, I could make out the outline of a nose and chin, plus the belly rising out of the water.

Marine Tour Around St Martin

What We Saw

The day was a little bit cloudy, which isn’t ideal for snorkeling, but the water was so clear that it didn’t matter. It’s definitely worth it to get out from the beaches, far away from where everyone is kicking up a bunch of sand or the waves are bringing in a bunch of crud from the Sargasso Sea.

The clarity of the water was awesome out by Creole Rock! The photos don’t do it justice. I usually fix the photos on a web program, but my laptop cord turned in its two week notice and took a vacation this week, so it will be a few weeks before I can fix these on my computer. Still, you get the idea! It was pretty remarkable down there.

At least the photos aren’t too shaky! You can tell which Go Pro photos I take and which ones Ben takes. Ben has the magical ability to take clear, steady videos under the water. When I take them, they look like they’ve been through a tsunami or a category three hurricane. Luckily, Ben had the Go Pro during this excursion.

Here’s a photo of a gigantic hermit crab in a conch shell! Someone from another snorkel excursion told us about it, and Wally was the first one in our group to spot the shell. For size reference, conch shells are generally nine or ten inches long. Look at those pinchers! Anyone feel like losing a finger?

You can see a blue tang and a queen angelfish in the photo above. I’ve seen a lot of blue tang here, but this is one of the few queen angelfish I’ve seen.

This is a trumpet fish. They’re small, thin, silvery fish, and they are hard to see when they’re near the surface. Sometimes, I’m surprised when I slide into apparently empty water and see a few of these sneaky little guys gliding by. At Creole Rock, they’re not very skittish. Since it’s a nature preserve, they let you get pretty close without fear.

Snorkel Tour from St Martin

Why I Liked It

The water around Creole Rock is deep enough to be interesting but shallow enough to feel safe. I like free diving a little bit, and this was a good depth for getting to the bottom and not feeling like I was running out of air.

I also liked the area because it was good for all levels. Even though I’ve been in the water at least once a week since I got to the Caribbean, Creole Rock was an interesting place to see some new things and nicer coral. People who don’t snorkel often enjoy it, too, because it’s protected and shallow- perfect for getting used to open water or for seeing lots of things without having to free dive (and for readjusting an uncomfortable snorkel mask when it’s too loose).

What makes the boat ride out to Creole Rock most worth it is that it’s located in protected waters. It’s also too far out for people to break the rules and go snag some lobsters illegally. The fish aren’t afraid that you’re going to whip out a spear gun, and the coral isn’t bleached from too much touching. This is a perfectly gorgeous place to go. We can snorkel Baie Rouge or Mullet anytime (which we do love to do), but this is special.

2-Tank Scuba Dive in St Martin

We had a great time snorkeling and diving Creole Rock! I’m so glad we had the opportunity to do it before we left. Thanks, Craig and Bonnie!

The Sun Sets on Medical School

American University of the Caribbean, AUC, Expats, Expats and TCKs

There are times in life for sunrises and other times for sunsets. Maybe that’s why I feel a little nostalgic and sad every time I watch the sun set these days. Each time the sun dips below the Caribbean Sea, there is one less ocean sunset to watch from our balcony in paradise and one less day to live here. We have about a month left in our island home, which makes me wish I could slow down the time and enjoy every nanosecond of it. However, every sunset brings good memories and the promise of another sunrise.

Ben is nearing the end of his medical sciences studies at American University of the Caribbean. He still has two more years of medical school to finish in the States, but our two years in Sint Maarten are almost up. In fact, he takes the comprehensive exam in two days! Everything he has learned in the last two years will be covered in this test. Needless to say, he’s off somewhere in the library right now, studying hard about Crohn’s Disease and enzyme deficiencies and other riveting topics. I helped him study last night and the amount of information he knows just blows my mind.

Ben has had a successful run during his time at American University of the Caribbean. Pardon my bragging for a minute! He made the dean’s list every semester, and earned a spot in the honor and service society for his high grades and his hundreds of hours of community service.

Now, as all of this comes to a close– the honors, the volunteering, the prayers, the TA commitments, and tutoring, the hours and hours of studying and the late nights in the books– it’s easy to look ahead and be overwhelmed by everything that is still to come. After all, he has the comprehensive exam, and then we move back to Arizona. In June he has to take his first licensing exam. Then we’ll get assigned to clinical rotations somewhere in the United States and have to start over again somewhere new. After two more years of student loans and loads of work, there’s two or three more big exams and finally, finally he’ll graduate and become a medical doctor.

I think it’s better, though, to look backwards for just a moment and appreciate how far we’ve come. There’s been a lot to overcome, and making it this far is not guaranteed. Yet here we are! I’m so thankful for the time we’ve had here. I’m thankful for the friends we have made, the people who have supported us, the hard work that Ben’s put in, and the grace God has given us to not only make it, but have an awesome experience while we’re at it. I’m thankful that we have thrived and not just survived. It hasn’t been easy, but it’s been fantastic.

The best kinds of evening are the ones when I can look back on the day and say, wow, that was a productive day, and it was a fun one, too. That’s how I feel about our time here. As the sun sets on this season of life, I can look back and appreciate everything that has happened. It’s been a blast, and it’s also been worthwhile. If we could do it all over again, I wouldn’t change a thing.

How to Find the Guana Bay Hike

American University of the Caribbean, AUC, Caribbean, Expats, Expats and TCKs, International Travel, Nature, Saint Martin/ Sint Maarten, Spouses Organization, Uncategorized

The Guana Bay hike is a popular hike on the Caribbean island of Saint Martin, but it can be pretty hard to find if you’ve never done it before. To avoid driving endlessly around or scrambling up a frightening hillside of loose rocks, follow these directions and enjoy one of the most beautiful hikes of your life! Here’s how to find the Guana Bay hike in Sint Maarten.

To Find the Guana Bay Hike:

To get the hike, drive north (counter-clockwise) from Philipsburg. If you’re on Pondfill Road, drive toward the east coast of the island and go north (left) at the freed slave roundabout. Keep driving until you see the sign that says “Guana Bay” on your right. It’s kind of small, so keep your eye out. You’ll turn right at the next right after you spot the sign. The road will take you up a hill, then down and to the coast. You’ll see the beach on your left and the parking lot on your right.

Now, it’s probably good to know that the name “Guana Bay Hike” is a misnomer. The beach on your left is Guana Bay, and the hike does NOT start here. We thought it did the first time we went, because getting lost is apparently just part of hiking for us. It was still fun, but it’s not the trail.

If you’re here, you’re in the wrong place

When you see the beach and the parking lot (aka dirt patch), keep going. You’ll get to the end of the road at a while abandoned house. The trail starts here, going directly toward the coast.

Full-Day Jet Ski Tour in St Martin

The Trail Head:

Like I said, the trail begins at the end of the road. It goes directly down toward the water, dipping down and passing this weird old garden thing before heading up. This is the path, and you can keep going until the end.

This is actually the very first Saint Martin activity that Ben and I did when we first moved here, over a year and a half ago! Our friends Austin and Stephanie took us here to give us a taste of the island life. Here’s a picture of Ben and I way back before we got our Caribbean tans. It’s hard to believe that this island adventure is almost over.

The Path

The Guana Bay path isn’t the kind of thing you want to do in flip-flops or even Chocos, really, although I have done it in Chacos. I also wouldn’t recommend taking little kids past the first couple bays, unless they’re seasoned hikers. I have taken kids to the rocky area and the first bay you reach. That part isn’t too bad.

After the first part, though, you get some narrow trails, steep drops, and straight-up hillsides. The end result, however, is worth it. It takes about an hour to get to the end.

By the way, “X” does not mark the spot when it comes to the Guana Bay Hike in Sint Maarten. Stay away from the old, disintegrated paths marked with a red “X.”

Very steep!

Fly Zone Extreme Adventure at Loterie Farm

Along the Way

Don’t forget to enjoy the treasures you find along the trail! One of my favorite stops is at the boulders. This is fairly early on in the hike. You’ll see all the big, black rocks. Climb down there and explore the tide pools and rocks. This is a great pace for viewing the cays and islands off the coast. The biggest one is St. Barth’s, and the closet cay is Guana Cay.

Another cool place is Geneve Bay, where you can often find pelicans swooping to the waves in search of fish. This is also a great place to hunt for conch shells.

There are also a whole bunch of goats on the path! When I take my dog, Kito, on this hike, she loves to chase them. There’s nothing I can do about it, so I just keep going and she eventually comes back. The first time she went racing after the goats, she was covered in cactus spikes from head to toe when she came limping back. Now she knows about the cactus and stays away.

St-Martin and St Maarten: Sightseeing Tour of the French and Dutch Sides of the Island

The End

The end of the Guana Bay Hike is the very best part! Here, you’ll find a deep natural pool that is protected from the waves. You can swim here, but beware of the urchins! My friend Jay was stung by one pretty badly. Just stay away from the walls and you’ll be fine. This is also a great place for sunbathing.

Beyond the Tide Pool

The Guana Bay Hike is already a pretty long hike if you go all the way to the pools, but if you’re up for more, the path continues. I’ve never been myself, but I believe the trail comes out at Point Blanche.

If you want to find more hikes in Saint Martin, check out my SXM Activities Page or read these posts on the Lovers Beach Hike, the Wilderness Hike, and the Pic Paradis Hike. Subscribe or like the 3rd Culture Wife Facebook Page for more posts on Saint Martin hikes!

Photo creds: Alyssa F. and Austin W

Breana Johnson

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