Tropical Storm Chantal

Well, we survived our first Dominican tropical storm of the season. Chantal came through yesterday, and after much hype, ended up being a rather boring storm. But don't get me wrong, I much prefer boring when it comes to storms.

Chantal rolled in Tuesday morning where we were prepped for 60 mph winds and 4-6" of rain. Back home, this may not seem like much, but keep in mind the infrastructure in Dominica. We are especially prone to flooding, landslides, rock falls, etc. To make things more interesting, we got quite a rain storm Monday morning, so there was already some serious flooding.

Ross actually closed campus on Tuesday. That made me think that maybe this storm was going to be a good one. This Indiana girl gets a little edgy during hurricane season. The only one I've experienced before is hurricane Sandy in Freeport. I conveniently skipped out on Isaac that season as well as I was back home when he hit.

Seeing this come on the radar was a little intimidating. Nothing like a huge storm to remind you how tiny of an island we are living on.

But alas, Chantal just brought in some pretty good wind and some rain. Nothing too terrible. The center of the storm passed about 60 miles south of the southern tip of Dominica, and since we are in the north west (not to be confused with Kim and Kanye's baby) corner, we had some good separation between us and the storm. Also, we are on the other side of the mountain, so the storm clouds lighten up a bit once they break over the peaks. The majority of the time anyway.

There were times where it was raining and blowing so hard, we couldn't see too far off in the distance. At times when we could see the ocean, we could see how rough the waters were.

Yea, you can't really tell in the photo. It was worth a try.

We never lost power, which I had been banking on the using generator to charge all of our electronics since that doesn't go toward our electric usage, but I was glad we didn't end up losing it. We did lose internet, though. Apparently our internet provider had a damaged fiber or something, so we were out for the majority of the day. Nothing too terrible, especially since we were anticipating that, we could plan accordingly.

Matt used his hurricane day to study, and I worked. We broke out a puzzle just before dinner and had a fun time working on that. Guess who's half is much more complete than the other's?

By evening, Chantal had passed and we got the all clear. There wasn't so much as a slight breeze in the air. We had our standard Tuesday family dinner, which was good as we were ready to get out a bit.

All in all, Chantal was a bit boring, but I'd be fine if the rest of hurricane season went just like that.

Our Favorite Freeport Moments

We have exactly one week left in Freeport! This week will be filled with things like packing, running last minute errands and of course, Matt studing like crazy. While Freeport has had its fair share of ups and downs, it did serve as a tremendous learning and growing experience for us both. It wasn't exactly how either of us had anticipated spending our first few months as newlyweds, but it has prepared Matt and I for the next step in our journey as we are now preparing for Dominica.

Here's a look at some of the things we will remember about our time here in Freeport.

The gorgeous color of the water.

Favorite place on the island - Gold Rock Beach

Survived our first hurricane.

First seafood meal.

Beautiful roses from the husband.

Many weekends were spent here at Taino Beach.

Matt studying nearly every free minute.

Taino Beach Regatta

Learning to dislike cooking a little less.

Visiting the Freeport Inn where my mother stayed in 1975.

Sunday night grilling dinner with the Womack's

The wildfire!

Seeing all new types of wildlife.

And of course the Conch.

Flying on a turbo prop for the first time.

Getting used to new neighbors.

And of course, our famous lobster.

And the lobster hunters.

Crystal clear water

Gorgeous Taino Beach

Love Banana Bay.

Still love Banana Bay.

And some more love for Banana Bay.

First crab!

Gorgeous views

Awesome blue water.

White sand beaches.

And just have to put some more of Gold Rock Beach in here.

And I know this didn't happen in Freeport, but it's by the far the cutest thing I've ever seen. Or you that you will ever see either. And I got it while I was in Freeport. So it counts. My favorite!

Hurricane Sandy - The Aftermath

We made it through our first hurricane! It was definitely quite the adventure.

Let me take you through it.

Thursday the winds and rain started coming in. Sandy was expected to hit closest to us Friday around mid-day. So Thursday night we hunkered down at our apartment with the Womack's and our other friend Vedant and waited. In Indiana we've got tornadoes. The thing with tornadoes versus hurricanes is that tornadoes last for a very short time. Very short compared to hurricanes.  So we knew we were in for a long haul. And it was nearly a 2.5 day affair.

We lost power around 6:30 a.m. on Friday morning. At that point we still had running water. (I've gained a whole new appreciation for running water.)

That morning, the boys walked down to the Pepperpot Restaurant (who managed to stay open throughout the entire storm) to bring back breakfast. The winds were pretty heavy and there wasn't much rain.

Let me tell you, when there is no power and the weather is bad, there isn't much to do to pass the time. So we spent the day playing the 'time game' where we would try and guess the time. Very exciting stuff.

We also took a break to walk around the apartment to get some exercise and fresh air. Thrilling. We did get a taste of just how windy it was.

Notice the boards that were on the windows of Sunset.

Hurricane Sandy brought a lot of wind at about 75 mph. Surprisingly not a lot of rain - just mainly wind. The wind was hitting us from the side of the apartment by our front door. Our patio gave us some cushion from our back door, so we were able to keep that open to give us a bit of relief from the stuffiness inside.

With the winds hitting the front door, we were a little afraid of the door or windows being blown in. We did have to put a towel down because water was coming in under the door.

We weren't the only people who were getting cabin fever. Being that Sunset is housing for only students, things got a little interesting around here.

Future doctors of America. Here's your warning people.

The storm left Grand Bahama around 1 p.m. on Friday. However, the back end of the storm gave us even higher winds. 

We had to get creative with our food choices since there wasn't power, and it was getting too windy to walk to Pepperpot again, so for lunch we had peanut butter and nutella sandwiches along with fruit snacks and crackers. Jealous?

The power came back on for nearly 15 minutes at some point on Friday. And it went back off just after we closed up the windows and had the AC back on.

We lost water sometime Friday evening. Apparently, the storm caused 8' storm surges by the water company, so they needed to shut it down. The cell phone towers were also down. It's an uneasy feeling to be completely disconnected in all aspects.

That night, the boys used the grill to make us dinner. Sunset's grill was moved in a 'safe' area so we could have some hot food options. Although a good portion of the food blew away on the way back up to the apartment. 

We made it through the night, and by Saturday morning, we could see some blips of sunshine. By that time, we were definitely ready to get out a bit. So we called Tyrone who came and took us to get some breakfast. And by breakfast, we had lunch at Pollo Tropical. It was one of the only places open that didn't have a huge line. The winds were still pretty high, but the weather gave us a taste of Indiana fall weather as a sweatshirt was needed!

We got back to find out that the school was sending a bus by to take us to get some breakfast and then go to the hardware to get more candles and flashlights and other necessities  We didn't need to eat, but it was a chance to get out of the apartment, so we took it. We stocked up on candles, water and a lantern.

Apparently the north side of the island got hit rather hard. There was a lot of flooding, including the airport. The entire airport was underwater, and the cars that were parking in the lot were floating.

By Saturday night, the wind was calming down a bit. We walked down to KFC to grab some dinner as hot food was a must! We got a great view of the sunset and were reminded of the beauty around us.

The power kicked back on for a brief 20 minutes around 8 p.m. Saturday night. You could hear the cheers throughout Sunset. And the groans when it off. But then around 9 p.m. it came back on. And around 11 p.m. the cable started working again.

This morning, we had a trickle of water, so I thought the water was back on, but that's all we ended up getting. So we are still using the buckets of water from the pool to flush. Resourceful!

So now, we just wait until the water is back on fully. Until then, we just have to sit in our own stinkiness. One thing this hurricane has done, is made us get to know each other on a whole new level. 

Stressers

You know what I figured out last night. Only four more weeks in the Bahamas. Which ultimately means roughly 10 weeks until Dominica.

Yikes.

I'm trying not to get too overwhelmed by leaving home again. This time for 16 months. In a country that is developing. Which will have even less 'conveniences' than the Bahamas. I don't want to be too caught up in moving, packing and preparing for Dominica to enjoy our short time at home. So I'm trying to 'control the controllables'  and get started what I can here. Things like getting the information ready to go for our Visas as soon as we get home, booking our flights the minute we get the official word Matt passed, and even getting a very early start on Christmas shopping by doing what we can online now.

Things that are stressing me out besides the obvious?

1. The housing database to reserve an apartment will be open before we gain access to it. Since Matt is in MERP, those who have direct admission to Ross will gain access before us. Hopefully we won't get the short straw and end up in some scary, rat-filled, bat-filled apartment. Otherwise my flight home will be coming much sooner than 16 months. I don't mess around with rats, or bats or anything living in my space that isn't invited.
2. Buying our plane tickets. Not only does my flight anxiety kick in high gear when I even look at the airline website, but we have to book a one-way ticket to Dominica, and then figure out a time to buy another ticket departing Dominica at some point to apply for the Visa. We can't be in Dominica longer than a year at a time. So either we pick a blind date, and then spend the extra money to change the ticket later on, or plan a day trip to a neighboring island like St. Maartin. I will be going to Vegas in April, but that still leaves a year's time after I get back that I'll be in Dominica. 
3. Shipping our belongings. For our trip here, we didn't have to ship anything. We each brought two suitcases and two carry-ons, and we were fine. But because the only flights into Dominica are small planes (trigger flight anxiety), we have luggage restrictions. We can each only bring one suitcase that is 50 lbs. and two carry-ons that are 15 lbs. Most students ship their items in a barrel. But with Indiana being landlocked, we don't have access to barrels that I have found. They advised us to check out the options of shipping a plastic tub through UPS or Fed Ex. We'll see what we can find out.
4. Money. Housing deposits, plane tickets, shipping, Visa apps, doctor's appointments (including chest xrays, vaccines, health tests, etc.) books, and shopping for items we need to take with us is expensive. Incredibly expensive. And we won't get a refund check until we get to Dominica. How we'll pay for that - I have no idea. 

So I look at this list and try to figure out how to make things easier for us. Piecing together little ways to minimalize things, make it more efficient, etc. Any insight would be appreciated.

One thing that's important to remember is what a great opportunity this is, and what all Matt has accomplished to get here. We try to not let the overwhelmed feeling get in the way of being appreciative for all that has been afforded to Matt and me, and to be proud of his hard work and determination.

Now, excuse me while I go prepare for Hurricane Sandy. Bottled water, flash lights, candles, Kindle downloading and cell minutes stocking here I come. 

Hurricane What

TWO more days till I get to go home. Two. However, if you're watching the weather down this way, it may be a fun trip. Mr. Isaac is assuring to make this trip more eventful than I would hope.I know he's still a Tropical Storm right now. But he'll be a a hurricane soon enough.

Here's the most updated forecast at the time of the post. Just so you know, my flight leaves Freeport on Saturday a.m. I fly to Miami and then arrive in Chicago at 12:30 p.m.

So, here's hoping Isaac slows down till I can get my flight out. I don't think my nerves can handle this very well. So prayers for a safe, turbulence free, anxiety free flight would be most appreciated. And maybe a tranquilizer. 

I am so excited to go home, and I will not be fun to deal with if I can't get home. Not that I want to travel in the hurricane just to get home when it's not safe, but you know what I mean.

So, here are a few things I'm looking forward to at home! Friends and family are a given. 

• EMMY!!!!!
• McAlisters. Lets be honest. If you know me at all, you could have easily predicted that to be at the top of the list.
• Any type of Mexican food. There's no real Mexican food here that I have found. And I miss some chips and salsa. 
• Driving. 
• A real fountain Dt. Coke.
• Some Starbucks.
• Being surrounded by people all day!

By looking at the forecast, it's supposed to be 90 degrees at home. Still warm, but I'm sure the humidity will be less. I've managed to fill my suitcase with items that I'm not planning on bringing back - things such as clothes we won't need, souvenirs, etc. That way, I can fill that suitcase with items we will need down here. Don't worry - I've already got a list for that. And I'm trying to figure out how I can smuggle Emmy down.

Matt has specific instructions on what to do while I'm gone. Here's hoping he won't be eating ramen all the time. Or chicken in a bag on that note. 

Funny side story - I had him pick up a few items from the grocery on his way home from campus yesterday. (The grocery is right next to campus so it's quick and easy for him to stop.) I asked him to get a few food items that he could cook in case we lose power for a few days. He shows up with a six pack of coke and a bag of chips. CHIPS and COKE. I guess he's right in that you don't need electricity or refrigeration for those. Oh my - I love my husband. And I hope that Rachel is there to watch out for him while I'm gone... 

So that's all as I probably won't post tomorrow. Unless my flight gets delayed. Then I'm sure you'll hear from me. And it won't be pleasant.