Can't I just pack my family up and take them with me?!

Wow. It has been a crazy few weeks. I always love returning to Missouri and seeing my family and friends. When I am in town I get to watch Kinsey, my niece, most of the time I am here. It is so nice to spend time with her because she seems to grow so much while I'm away. And the things she says! Oh she is so funny. Just today she was watching Toy Story. She kept calling Buzz Ligthyear, Bud Light. I tried to correct her but she swears she is right. We have done a lot together this Christmas vacation. I think I'm going to take her to the Fun Run, which is like a building of bouncy toys and stuff. I think she will enjoy it!

This time in I was able to visit with a friend, Brooke, who was in Iraq when I left for Alaska. She has a two year old daughter now and it was so much fun catching up. I took Kinsey with me so the girls could play and they had a good time. I think Brooke and her daughter will be going with us to the Fun Run. It will give Brooke and me some more time to catch up.
As far as Christmas goes, this has been a really good year. It was relatively easy getting around to all the many Christmas parties. It's been nice seeing everyone but hard answering the many questions I've been asked. I think the best part of being around for Christmas is seeing all of my family. I went out to the farm last week and spent the day with my grandparents. We moved wood, took the tractor and fixed the cows' fence. It's always nice to be out in the country getting grounded again.(Five generations of women. Baby Avery-age 5 weeks, Jamie-cousin, Aunt Tammie, Grandma, Great Grandma-age 95)

As far as Christmas presents go, I got some cool things. My dad and step mom got me a Happy Lamp. It's a lamp that makes your body believe it is getting enough sunlight and therefore keeps you from getting depressed. I will be able t0 use this in Alaska during the lack of sun in the winter. It also helps with jet lag and sleep. I'm anxious to use it. I also got a watch from my mom which takes my heart rate while I'm working out. I needed a watch! But never have I had one that I needed to put in my birthday, weight, and height. I'm stoked about it! I got a lot of other nice things too but overall, I just love being around all the family.

I love giving gifts too! It's hard for me to buy gifts too early because I want to give them away early as well!(Matt and Linzy with their Cruzan rum and ornament. haha)

Christmas night my brother, Matt, brought his Xbox Kinect to my moms house and we all tried it out. I don't think I have ever laughed so hard. It's a game similar to the Wii except your body is the remote. The best part about the game is that while you are playing, the Kinect records your movements and plays them back at the end. It's comical! And a good workout too! lol
Next up! New years! Now that I have been stuffed full of Christmas home cooking, it's time to make that same old resolution to work it all off again. I have music to work on for church on the 2nd and then it's just a count down to flying back to Juneau.
It's going by too fast!

I'll be home for Christmas!

I have been back in Missouri since Friday. It was a bit of a struggle getting home due to some delays. but I am here. The cold is a bit hard to get used too. I forgot to bring winter clothes with me from Alaska, so I only have summer clothes and one pair of jeans. haha. But I am liking the snow anyways.
This past weekend I got to do a "ride along" with my brother. That was really cool. And just yesterday I talked to the ray county Kiwanis club about my adventures. I thought it went well. Now I am just trying to finish up some last minute Christmas shopping. I still have to prepare a song for church. I'm supposed to sing the weekend before I leave.
As of right now, I am just relaxing and enjoying being home.

“Follow effective action with quiet reflection. From the quiet reflection will come even more effective action.”

When you sign up to go on exchange and are researching schools there are things that you never get told. For example, no one told me that the mosquitoes in St. Thomas (in the VI in general) can carry Dengue fever, which gives flu like symptoms but can kill you rather quickly if not treated. They never told me that the power never stays on for a full day. I didn't know that housing provided by the school does not have air conditioning. -Now I am not one of those "girly girls" who can't get dirt under her nails. However, when it is 110 degrees outside and you have to walk up and down several flights of stairs to get to classes, it sucks to come home to a sauna for a bedroom. - There are also the tarantulas. Did anyone else know they have those down here? I missed that memo.
I have had to deal with being a minority. I knew it would be different from what I was used to but I didn't think it would change my life. Teachers taught how horrible white people were in all of my classes. I had to remind myself that slavery in the Virgin Islands lasted longer then in the United States. I thought that the food here would be amazing. But I was completely wrong about that. See, the majority of the island is poor (considered third world). The cafeteria food reflects this.
I could go on and on about my expectations and how horribly the island missed the mark. But in all reality I have have changed so much from this environment. I have grown more independent and more self confident. I have been in the shoes of a minority now and while I have never treated other races differently, I have grown a new respect for them. I can't imagine living my whole life with people constantly watching me and judging me because of my skin color. I have learned about friendship, even if it is short lived before we all return to our homes. Most importantly I have learned that change is always good. Good for the mind and soul even though it may mean making huge adjustments in ones life.
As finals begin and my flight home rapidly approaches I have found myself becoming sad. The weather here has been 70-80 degrees with what the locals call Christmas Breezes blowing steadily. This is the start of St. Thomas' main tourism season and I can see why people enjoy this time of the year. The sun is still ripe and hot enough to tan but the ocean water temperature has dropped enough to actually cool you off when you hop in. I will miss the white sandy beaches. The island is a direct extension of the beauty of God's hands. And while I have found some of the locals to be less then welcoming, I found a group of friends who share the beauty and the pain.
The return to Missouri is going to be a time of transition. It is December 4th and the sound of Christmas songs still seems foreign to me. However, it will be nice to have family nearby and a sense of security. Part of me misses Alaska too but part of me is dreading going back. I return in the middle of winter to a semester of tough classes and a great lack of sun. It is funny to think that this time next year I will be job searching. Having all this time in the VI to think, I have decided that I will most likely not be teaching in AK. While the pay is great, I have too many other places I want to see. I think that is another reason I am sad to leave. While the VI has been tough, I have had this sense of discovering new things. I feel like I should spend the holidays with family and then head on to my next adventure. Unfortunately, I have to finish school first. (what a bore! lol). On the grand scheme of things does that mean I will return to Missouri after graduation? Uh..No. What about the east coast? or West! or any of the vast amount of land in between! One thing I know for sure is that the location will have at least one thunderstorm a year and will, of course, have basketball!

10 Days and Counting

When I left off a few weeks ago my schedule was pretty crazy and, well, it hasn't much changed. I have been a busy bee turning in projects and finalizing papers. Also, my two Ohio friends left which I thought would leave me to spend the rest of my time in my room bored to death. However, school has not let me do so. The work is pretty easy, there is just a lot of it.
This week I have three finals, Volleyball, Table Tennis, and Health. I am not worried about a single one of these classes and will be in shock if I transfer anything other then an A in these back to UAS. I am a little worried about my Education class because my final is more of an oral final. My social science class, which should be the easiest class ever, is stressing me out. I have learned nothing in this class and think I am one of maybe four people actually passing. I don't want to just pass though. I want an A and I don't think that will happen. I will be lucky to get B because my final is cumulative. Lastly, my art class final....well that class is a joke. The hardest part of that final is just getting myself to do it. So, yeah...just wrapping things up here.
I am still working on my Missouri speech and I have not even thought about a song to sing when I return. I will deal with that later. I am stressing about Christmas gifts though. I am such a typical poor college student. It makes it hard during the holiday season. I have a few small things and a couple ideas but I'm not to sure about going through customs and all that at the airport. I don't want anything breaking in my luggage on the way home either. Hmmmm....
On a more fun note, I was able to go two weeks ago to Paradise Jam (mens). This is when schools come from the mainland and play here at UVI. It was great. I was able to watch Clemson, Xavier, UVI and Puerto Rico. The next week was the Paradise Jam tournament for women. I was given a free ticket and checked to see who was playing.Go figure, Missouri was here. It was great to watch them play! I also watched Georgetown, Georgia Tech, Tennessee, and Iowa State. I realized how much I miss playing and coaching. But it was fun to sit so close and watch some good games. Probably the best part of the night was when the power kept shutting off on the whole island and the generator would kick on but we had to sit and wait for the gym lights to re-heat back up. During this time the DJ played the Cha Cha Slide and electric slide and I laughed as Tennessee players and the referees danced in the dim light. It was a blast. However, by fifth time the power shut off everyone was tired of the dancing and just wanted the game to end. What a fun time though and a great break from school.
Well, this time next week I will be packing up my bags and preparing to leave. A week from Friday I will be flying into Kansas City.

(Thought the refs were funny looking here)

(The guy in the hat is the coaches husband)

(YAY MIZZOU)

(Tennessee/Georgia Tech game- Dancing when the power went off)