30 May 15: 4 weeks down, 98,475 to go!

Happy Saturday, everybody! In an effort to keep up with my own life via blog, I'm gonna write short posts as frequently as I can. Here's a recap of this week:

I had my first vet school exams this week. Number one, microanatomy (the microscopic study of tissues and cells) was on Monday. I studied all weekend, walked in feeling prepared and it payed off-got an A! The post-good grade high lasted about 30 seconds before the Gross-Anatomy-is-sucking-my-soul fog set in. This was the feeling for most of the week:

Despite only being in school for three weeks, the gross anatomy exam covered a ridiculous amount of material. Did you know that the dog has about 33 muscles in it's front leg? I do. Not only was I responsible for IDing all the muscles, but I had to know their origins/insertions, actions, related tendons, bursas, ligaments, bones, and clinically relevant information. Let's not stop at dogs though! Why not throw in horse and cow legs to spice things up? Top off that nervous breakdown sundae with some xrays and you've got one helluva week. I took the test at 7:50 yesterday morning and came out of it feeling confident that I at least passed. Drained of all my brainpower/will to live, I napped for four hours and slept through my afternoon classes. :)

In a moment of stress-induced brilliance, I realized that I could move my desk right on up to my bed, allowing me to wake up and get right to studying. Why waste time moving to a chair? This happened:

I got a little crazy with the scalpel this week and sustained my first vet school injury:

Scalpel cut to my thumb knuckle crack = ouch.

The most remarkable thing that happened this week wasn't almost cutting off my own thumb or getting elected Vice-President of the Surgery Club (Nobody else ran for the position! YAY!!!!), it was this:

What you see here is a ballpoint pen that has run out of ink. This was my favorite pen. I started using this pen on Monday and I managed to run it out of ink by Friday night. What is so remarkable about a dead pen? DO YOU REALIZE HOW MUCH WRITING IT TAKES TO USE ALL THE INK IN A BALLPOINT PEN? Needless to say, my hand has permanently molded into a pen-holding claw. Bandaid and all.

Guess what?? I can receive packages here! They are almost guaranteed to arrive, it costs about $100 less than sending a package to Africa, and they get here in a week! If you feel inclined, here's the address:

If it's hard to see in the pic:

Sarah Stewart

Ross University

PO Box 334

Basseterre, St Kitts, West Indies

(Sending USPS is the best. If you send FedEx, leave off the PO BOX. Everything should be out of the original boxes or I'll have to pay customs taxes.)

If you feel like sending me a long, nosy letter, I'd love to have something to read that isn't a textbook. You can send it to the same address and I'll write you back! Letters, cards, bills, whatever!

Conclusion: This week was hard. Really hard. I won't get my anatomy grade until next week but I have a feeling that it's an A. The stress of vet school is worth it when I see my hard work pay off in the form of grades that I can be proud of. I might complain a lot (the first thing out of my mouth when I wake up is a string of cuss words) but I'm doing well. I live in paradise. I'm finally learning all of the things I've always wanted to know. Everything I've done in my life has led up to this point and I wouldn't want to be anywhere else. 

Stay tuned for scenes from next week's episode: two more exams, a beach trip (FINALLY), and tickling cows on Monday at "Bovine Safety, Handling, and Restraint" class. :)

23 May 2015: Sarah's 3% an animal doctor!

After this week, I'm 3% a doctor.

I'm gonna have to keep this short and sweet because I've got...umm...16 hours of studying that needs to be done today. I thought I'd give y'all an idea of what I'm doing now!

This is where the Atlantic Ocean meets the Caribbean Sea.
 Gorgeous

If you're new to my life, I'm in school now to become a Veterinarian. I live on the tiny island of St. Kitts & Nevis (Nevis is the sister island) in a dorm (for now.). The school is Ross University, an awesome AVMA-accredited veterinary medical school. IT'S REALLY HOT HERE. So hot. I keep a thin layer of sweat all day, which becomes a thin layer of dog cadaver smell after I spend 2-4 hours in the anatomy lab. I have 7 classes, including gross anatomy, histology, infectious disease, and physiology, and they are thoroughly kicking my butt.

This is where I eat my lunch (when I'm not spending lunch in a meeting or seminar.)
Isn't it gorgeous??

Some cool stuff:
The school has a "toxic plant garden" to help students recognize dangerous plants in toxicology class.

How cool is this? My friend said "I hear the restaurant there makes a killer salad!" Bahahaha

I've joined the surgery club and I'm running for vice-president/fundraising chair. We have some exciting things planned for the semester including an anastamosis training (how to sew up intenstines!)

I've also joined the Zoos Exotics Wildlife (ZEW) club. I'm not sure exactly what I want to do career-wise so I'm trying to get all the experience I can. I'm going to a training today at noon to learn how to take care of the turtles that live in our turtle pond. I volunteered to feed them for a week in June. When I walk up to the pond, the turtles swim right up to greet me expecting a snack. This club plans that greatest things and I signed up for all of them: Ecotour to see Leatherback sea turtles, monkey dissection, Wildlife Rehabilitation Certification, and...get this...a dolphin physical exam! During breaks, I'll have the opportunity to go on externships to the Belize Zoo and/or to South Africa to work with wildlife vets.

I've already arranged for housing beginning next semester (August.) For the next year, I'm going to live at the Mariott Residences. The apartments are clean and fully-furnished. The most amazing perk is that I get full use of all the Mariott Resort facilities: three pools, private beach, gym, and spa!! Go ahead and book your ticket to come visit me.

Fancy dancy! That couch folds out into a bed...hint hint.

One of three pools!

Moving to St. Kitts and starting all over again has been...exciting, stressful, exhausting, thrilling,etc. I was in orientation for a week when I first arrived on the island, which allowed me to make some new friends. I now have about 6 girls that have become my support system. We study together, complain together, talk about our meltdowns together, and go to the beach together (about once a month when we give ourselves permission not to study for a whole afternoon.) Being in a new place with new people forces you to examine your character, something I've been doing for years now. I was looking for a document this week and stumbled upon this picture below...

Let me tell you a story.

About a year ago, I agreed to participate in a Girls Leading Our World Camp. I signed up to talk about puberty, teen pregnancy, STIs, and other unpleasantries. Did you know that menstruation is the number one reason that girls miss school in Africa? Sometimes they don't have the supplies they need. Often they are too embarrassed and ashamed to go to school when they're on their period. Thus, Mighty Maxine was born.

Mighty Maxine is a character I created for the camp. She proudly wears an "M" on her shirt because she is not ashamed of her body! She is always prepared with her tool belt of tampons, pads, birth control pills, and male and female condoms. She teaches girls that they are in control of their lives and that being on your period is nothing to be embarrassed about. As you can imagine, Mighty Maxine was well-received. After the camp, we asked the girls what they had learned. Because many of them spoke little English, we had to do a post-test to determine our efficacy as educators. The girls said "I don't have to be ashamed! I can menstruate with pride!" They GOT it!

Mighty Maxine is always prepared. Look at that sweet tool belt!

Me and Ashley showing off our dance moves.

Moral of the story: It's been 7 months since I left Africa and I'm finally in a place to be able to reflect on my Peace Corps experience in a positive way. I can be kind to myself about the things that I did and did not accomplish there and about my own personal attributes. Having up and moved a second time and made another group of friends, I am learning to accept that I'm always going to be the eccentric, “crazy” person that I am. I'd love to be a quiet, sensitive woman but that just isn't me. Some days I feel like I must be the most annoying, loud, inappropriate human in the world (we all feel insecure sometimes right?) but then I see pictures like this, think about the young people I taught in Botswana and how effective I was at teaching kids as my plain ol’ “crazy” self. I think I’ll keep me.

My people!!!

Stay tuned for more stories of the life and times of a vet in training! This picture, I just love it. It reminds me of my life. You can't tell where the tracks are going but you know it's gonna be beautiful and wild! :)