Initially, it was my intention to write once a week. Then life happened and I got caught up in the routine. Since my last post I have had three exams, a volcano on a nearby island had a partial dome collapse, Sarah and I explored the capital city, and I hiked to the boiling lake.
Academically speaking my life is stuck in drive. In the last four weeks I’ve had one written test and two lab practicals, one in histology and one in gross anatomy. I am now gearing up for the second major written exam of the semester which is a week from today. In the months leading up to this adventure I was craving mental stimulation. I got my wish. Every day is full of material and new things to think about. I am officially half way through my first semester here! Each day seems slightly shorter than the day before.
Friday, February 12th I woke up covered in a thin layer of what I thought was dust from the construction zone across the street. I walked to campus where I sat for my histology lab practical. Periodically throughout the examination I noticed things floating in front of the projector and it was after that I realized a volcano in Montserrat had a partial dome collapse.
In the midst of all the school work, Sarah and I have tried to take some time to appreciate Dominica. We took the bus to Roseau, the capital of Dominica, and walked around enjoying the pre-Carnival festivities. Carnival is a two day, island wide celebration of the feast of Calypso. We also hiked to the boiling lake last Saturday. It took us three hours and twenty-one minutes to complete the challenging climb up to the lake and I think I can definitively say that neither of us will be making a repeat visit. 
That is my life for now. I’ll leave you with a few arbitrary thoughts: Last week, I noticed wings sticking out of my keyboard and immediately bought a can of compressed air and removed all of the dust, ash, and bugs. I have learned that unshielded electrical appliances when, in close proximity to my laptop, have the ability to take control of my curser making it nearly impossible to get anything done. As a direct result of this ‘lesson’ I would not be surprised if I one day develop a brain tumor.
Until then-
Shannon
