Not in any true order of preference, I would like to share with everyone the simple pleasures of being a "spouse" at Ross Med and living in Dominica.
Friends - It's hard really, moving to a new country. But thank the good lord, everyone else in this community is in a similar situation. With as much as I have relocated and evolved personally over the last decade, I have actually struggled with lonlieness. Growing up I always had a ton of close dependable girl friends, but this hasn't been as constant for me over the last few years. (boo hoo) No, but I've found hope! I have met so many beautiful people here, and I am so thankful for the time I get to spend with my friends. I am grateful for all these sweet mama's that I can call friends. I have already had a few neighbors and hang out buddies come and go, but I still have Amberly! She's my neighbor and has the two most beautiful little girls. I go knock on their door to share a cup of tea and some girl talk... it's tonic for the soul. Banks, Amberly's 3 year old, is another of my favorite people - she just cracks me up with her sweet banter. She loves to compliment me/everyone (why thank you! who doesn't love a good compliment) and just makes you pour over her cuteness. There are so many others that are enhancing this journey, you know who you are and I just love you all!
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| Roseau Day with the Bestest Ladies and Babes |
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| Music Festival with Rikki |
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| Our Crew for Boiling Lake Hike |
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| Banks and Me at Dance Class |
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| RSO Northern Link Trip |
Community - Often I find myself awe struck by the community here. We live together, study together, work together, eat and drink together. Student, family, faculty, and locals alike. It's just so beautiful and comforting. Also, the spiritual maturity of this group is also a great relief. After living off and on in a monastery (no I've never been a nun people), I still constantly feel a strong presence of Spirit within the land and the community.
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| Singing & Dancing at In.Light.In |
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| Yoga Shoot, thanks for helping me friends! |
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| Cook Out at Kootney |
Kittens - My kitten is my other BFF. I love her to pieces, and everyday I tell her how happy I am that she's in my life. True story. Steve is the same with kitten. She's just the cutest, best little companion ever.
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| One of Kittie's Favorite Spots |
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| Another Favorite: in the closet under the clothes |
Husbands - Oh and while we're at it, Steve is my numero uno bestest closest companion. I am so lucky to have such a strong, determined, intelligent, and understanding best friend and partner. He's doing so well in school, I am so proud of him. And on top of school he is loving EMS and the Salybia Mission project. In both activities he plays an active role in applying his book knowledge to health care: EMS in the Ross Community, and Salybia in the Kalinago Territory. He usually studies at home, so I get to see his sweet face often.
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| Birthday Rainbow |
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| After Extreme Dominica |
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| Morning Yoga Asanas |
Dancing - Only my momma knew that I might fall into the position of dance teacher on the island. This has been a great creative outlet for me. Story: funny thing happened when I was cleaning out my closet at my parents house in April. I found a career aptitude test that I had taken in middle school which assessed my highest career potential in the performing arts. I laughed a little cause you see I was sooooo into dance at that time in my life, but now look at me! All these last years I have been fighting to find time for practicing visual arts, but the performing side just lay before me like a red carpet. Anyway, I'm now really looking forward to visiting home and taking some classes at the Houston Metropolitan Dance Academy to brush up on my skills and get some exciting new inspiration to add to classes.
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| Dancin' with the Kiddies |
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| Stretching with Kiddies and Ms Christi |
Yoga - So you've heard me mention yoga. Well what an amazing tool it is in my life. And what a wealth of experience I am gaining. I take classes from a gifted teacher, Trudy, where I learn from the spectrum of Yoga practiced around the world. I practice my own series gifted to me by my teachers in the Sivananda Organization. I teach a class weekly to the Ross Spouse Community. I've taught yachties out on the beach and I've taught a private class at an incredible resort, thank you to Ms Trudy's guidance through Rainbow Yoga. I am humbled by these incredible opportunities. I am working to expand the offering with both Rainbow Yoga and on my own, and look forward to updating everyone more on these developments. OH and in November, I am traveling to the Sivananda Paradise Island Retreat to work towards my Thai Yoga Massage Certification. I A M S O E X C I T E D. Not only to do the course, but just to be in that incredible spiritual place and with my Sivananda family.
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| Posing on De Champs Guest Balcony |
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| Tree Pose while Banks Says Cheeese |
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| Pretty Pose in Pretty Scenery |
Exploring the Island - I have been on some pretty epic adventures around this island, already! We hiked through an active volcano, we repelled and cliff jumped through a canyon, we hiked up to breath taking waterfalls, we met modern indian people, we snorkeled, and sailed, hiked and hitched. (Big sigh) What a place to be!
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| Cliff Jumping at Extreme Dominica |
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| Boeri Lake Hike on My Birthday |
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| Bwa Nef Falls with Christy |
Shopping Days - Hitting up the market in Portsmouth is a real treat when I make it up and alive early on a Saturday morning. I love talking with the older Dominican women. I love their style, their madras head scarves and big toothy smiles. I love their accents, which aren't quite calypso, more island French. I stock waaay waay up on fresh produce, herbs, coconut oil, and anything unique that I want to try. Today I bought chrisophene and made this massive vegetable medly with it, plus Dominican sweet potato and pumpkin - topped with a coconut pepper cream sauce. And I wouldn't want to leave off my epic shopping trips in Roseau, where I stock up on GF offerings, health food from Fresh Vitamins, and stop in for an organic lunch or juice at Organic Lifestyle, where Narissa and her husband treat me like family. What a joy!
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| The Only Picture I've Taken in Roseau |
Cooking & Baking - Well when I'm not practicing Yoga, teaching dance, exploring the island, swimming, or hangin' out with friends, I'm in the kitchen... and I really love it! Who knew. I was never a big cook until pretty recently. I learned to cook at the Yoga Ranch, where as last resort they tossed me into the kitchen and had me cooking for 50. Hah, that's one way to work it out real fast! When I moved back to Brooklyn I cooked less, but now I'm back! Last weekend I did a cooking workshop with Sybil Allen Jones who has really opened my eyes to Caribbean cooking. This week I've made mashed green bananas (as opposed to mashed potatoes), and I've found new ways to incorporate coconut milk, oil, and season peppers. I've made some epic salads/ salsas with all the mangos, avocados, and tomatoes available here. And I'm just so thrilled every day to make fresh smoothies with the best ingredients. I'm feeling super healthy... even with all that local chocolate I've been consuming. Baking wise, I'm perfecting my chocolate chip cookies, I've made mango pie, and tonight my second ever gluten free cake. I've tried new recipes for other kinds of cookies... and I'm pinning many more to my "Get in My Kitchen" board on Pinterest to add to my repertoire. I think I'm going to make a pretty good mom. One day. hehe.
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| Rikki Preparing the Dough |
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| GF Mac n Cheese Specialty |
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| Cookie Ganache Sammies |
Now while it looks like I'm a real perfect lifer here, trust me, I'm purposefully highlighting all the blessings in my life. The difficulties that have come up, while I'm learning to embrace them, and use them as lessons and catapults, I know these hardships are what will make life just that much better and more delightfully complex. I am practicing how to be happy within, and to be happy no matter where I am physically. It's all about what's inside the heart.
Love to All and Peace to All!
