First Full day in Jamaica

So we arrived here yesterday around 2, but had to wait in immigration and customs lines for at least an hour. We got lucky in that three huge planes arrived at the airport at the same time. Then we went out the exit we thought we were supposed to, but after like 20 minutes realized it was where all the tourists were going to get on buses. Then we found the right place and our host, Dr. Parrent, drove us back to Falmouth, which took about 25 minutes.

The scenery is beautiful. There are mountains and clear waters. Falmouth is a nice town and we toured it today to look at the historic district. Saw some cool buildings, but didn't take any pictures just yet. They will come later. I didn't want to look too out of place. The field school kids were here when we got here, but took an overnight trip to Kingston, so we have the place to ourselves for the night, which will be nice and help in the settling in process. This afternoon, we hit a private beach at a place called Time and Place. A guy named Tony runs the place and was telling us some good stories.

Foodwise, nothing has been too crazy yet. Dinner last night was fried chicken and french fries, mostly because the field school kids were tired of curried stuff so the nice ladies that cook three meals a day, made them that. When we got here, they made Gareth and I cheese sandwiches since we hadn't eaten all day (I fought the temptation to buy a $7 sandwich on the plane). They were wheat bread, cheddar cheese, and some sort of jelly. Now you may be thinking that is gross, but it was delicious. When we have to cook for ourselves, my diet may consist solely of chesse jelly sandwiches. It wasn't grape jelly though, I will have to find out the secret...Breakfast was good too - I wasn't terribly hungry since I am not a breakfast person, but I did have an awesome blueberry muffin and tea.

I have seen some things so far that I wasn't expecting. Like lots of goats. Just chilling. There were other things too, but now they have slipped my mind. Last night there was a concert in town and when I woke up at 5 (b/c the sun comes up earlier here and hence may lead to me waking up a heck of a lot earlier than I want to) and it was still going strong.

I am glad that we start working tomorrow. Gareth made the good point that we kind of feel purposeless so far just b/c we haven't started doing anything. Work will help me adjust so much since I will have something to keep me busy during the day. I will be learning google sketchup and hopefully by the end of the week, I will be a master. That will be an awesome skill to have now...hint hint employers hint hint.

I have my bed all set up with the mosquito net. It's kind of like a safari minus the continent of Africa, giraffes, etc. I also rigged some stuff up inside my net with a couple pictures I brought, a book light, and a fan so it's a pretty sweet setup. In a few weeks though, I will be moving to a different room since the field school kids will leave and Gareth and I will have free reign of the space. I have scoped out all the possibilities and have narrowed it down to two rooms - one that has the best light and breezes or one that has its own bathroom attached. The best light one has a bathroom right next door so the options really are going to be very tough to choose between.

We are going out to dinner tonight with Ed Chapell from Williamsburg (he's a preservation celebrity) which should be fun and then the work begins in the morning.....as a nerd I am stoked for work...

Me Hongry....

J

--We had neighbors once who never cleaned their house & left dishes in the sink & when there were no more dishes their dad would go out & buy another set of plastic dishes for $9.99 at Ben Franklin & one winter the house caught on fire & there were great piles of melted plastic everywhere & nothing could be saved & they moved to a new town with nothing but the clothes on their back & a new set of plastic dishes the church ladies gave them. Sometimes it doesn't take much to make a new start. --

the journey has begun

I made it to DC last night after going through the Pittsburgh airport, home to two very loud, obnoxious little girls whose favorite word was booty and whose mother, well, thought it was hilarious that her daughters were so loud and rolling on the ground while running into other passengers. Needless to say, mr. xanax made an appearance. I got a taxi all by myself and today, I rode the metro alone and successfully made it to the correct stop. Whoop whoop.

Short meetings this morning, lunch from whole foods, and a rendezvous with Ashley who took me on a driving tour through some neat DC neighborhoods and to Georgetown cupcakes, where I went with the vanilla squared. It was delish. It was great to see her and I get to come back to Charleston as a guest speaker after Jamaica, which will be fan freaking tastic but I am sure I will feel confused being a speaker and not a student.

Just hanging out in the hotel room now until 5:30 when we go to dinner - I could go out walking, but I may try to sneak in a little nap. The others were hitting the mall and we are going to hit as many museums as possible over the next few days. It's great being with a crowd of people who are as excited about museums as I am.

Getting more and more excited for Jamaica - while the others are going to Sweden and Ireland, it makes me feel good when Gareth and I say we are going to Jamaica and everyone goes "oooh." I know this experience will teach me a lot about myself, others, my surroundings, and I know I will grow so much from this. I am just ready to get there and get settled and tack up that mosquito net. Anyone who wants me to send them stuff will be able to find my address on here once I know it. Care packages, postcards, love letters, etc are appreciated and will likely be reciprocated.

Well the travel channel and nap time calls me....

j

---carries a lot of suitcases but all of them are empty because she's expecting to completely fill them with life by the end of this trip & then she'll come home & sort everything out & do it all again---