H E L L O E V E R Y O N E!
I’ve just finished my last exam for this semester and I am so relieved to have completed this first semester back at university. It’s been two years since I was last at school. Well, not really “at school” seeing that I spent the last two years teaching English in France. However, it was the first time in a while that I was back on the other side of the desk.
These last few months have also been the first time in three years that I’ve lived in Trinidad for longer than a summer. Thankfully readjusting was not as difficult as I expected it to be. I suppose that’s the thing about worrying, when you worry, you literally cause yourself to experience the pain twice. And then, if you were wrong, you end up having unnecessarily caused yourself pain. I don’t have to share all of my grievances about life in Trinidad but I will say that they haven’t really changed. Conveniently, I think i’ve managed to adjust my outlook to one of “do this for the next two years, then get out but the only way out is through” and so, I’ve been making it through. Also, I must say that having close ties to three people back in Europe really helped me to feel less submerged and stuck on my little (big) island home. I’m so thankful for you three & I luuuhvvvvv yewwww!
I suppose my family and friends who live here may complain that they didn’t see me very much more than when I was abroad. There’s a pretty good reason for this. Seeing that the purpose of moving back to Trinidad for the next two years is to finish my undergraduate degree, I put the majority of my energy into my school work. Somehow, I think I overstressed about everything. I’d be worried sick then get and “A”. If you remember this old post, you know just how much I seek validation from grades.
Next to school were my efforts towards something resembling independence. For this purpose, I continued a business that I had started last summer: selling fish broth at the Queen’s Park NAMDEVCO Farmers’ Market on Saturdays and at the Macoya NAMDEVCO Farmers’ Market on Sundays. Additionally, I did a private yard job on Monday mornings and a CAPE tutoring job on Monday evenings. As if it wasn’t enough, I spent four hours on my Saturday afternoon’s back at UWI for an advanced French class.
There were a lot of things that I had to cut back on to be able to keep up with that insanely tight schedule. Firstly and sadly, I stopped creating content for my travel blog and its Instagram account. (I’m starting back this very evening and I’ve even created a Pinterest account for it too!) Then, I gave up writing my book (a travel romance based in the Caribbean #comingsoonish). Not at all in alignment with my plans, I didn’t reach to the beach a quarter as often as I had planned to, in fact not even 1/20! All semester long, I only made it to the beach once and even then I strung up my hammock, took out my books and studied. In any case, thank you so much RICHARD!!! During the semester, I somehow found that several weeks had passed since I had exercised, I was particularly unhappy about this sacrifice but towards the end I began pulling it together and doing even a little bit on most days. Now that it’s vacation time, I’m stoked to come off of my little treadmill and smell the flowers, greet the people and kiss the babies. (Well no babies yet, but a considerable number of my friends are getting engaged! Can you imagine?!)
There were some lighter moments though, for example mom’s birthday and making English Youtube video’s for my partner’s students back in France. Oh! Plus I turned 25 and for the third time in my life, I’ve begun wearing glasses again and had a day trip to Grenada where I saw this little lovely who is now taller than I am!? x____x
To be completely honest, I can’t wait for this semester’s grades. I know that in one exam I chose a terrible question and sort of threw the exam away but I have very high hopes for the others, even one that I didn’t finish. On verra! Doing well will be a great reward for the hard work that I’ve put in this semester. There is another reward for my hard work this semester but you’ll have to wait until January to see it. (HINT: It ties in with my other blog *wink*wink*)
Today sees me one step closer towards finishing my degree. This journey started wayyy back in 2013 and there’ve been many twists, turns and loops in the route. Admittedly, I put them all there and I chose to struggle through the jungle rather than use the footpath. What can I say, I’ve found many a strange creature, lots of which I’ve come to love. Speaking of which, I miss my dear Montreal friends so much and they are on my mind daily. I’d love to go spend some time in Canada to catch up with them and my dear aunt who I spent Christmas with three years ago.
Thanks for reading this little update on my life, I hope you’re not getting swamped by the Christmas and end of year preparations! Let me know what’s new in your life and when we should get together!
I hope my happiness spreads through the screen and into you.
Stay in, stay adventurous, stay loving,
Rusharella
Great Perhaps 