That's all she wrote folks!

10 square miles in the Caribbean. That is where I have now spent the past 4 1/2 months of my life. Quite possibly the best 4 1/2 months of my life. As the finish line approaches, which is an 11:35 am flight out of Statia on Saturday, it is now time to look back on all the great experiences I had while here. Week 2 of my journey found me just finishing up my open water scuba diving certification. I had never even snorkeled before and the thought of an extended amount of time below the surface of the water kind of concerned me. The first day of lessons I jokingly said to my instructor Mike that us Minnesotans tend to usually stay above the water! He laughed and said I would have no trouble. And he was right. It was amazing and I got the chance to swim with stingrays, sharks, octopus, seahorses, HUGE turtles, barracudas, and tons of the most beautiful fish you'll ever see. Not to mention amazing coral reefs and many different ship wrecks. Needless to say I will never forget scuba diving in St. Eustatius. I have also now spent over 130 days living in a tent at the base of a volcano. It hasn't been as bad as I thought it would be but I do not intend on camping any time soon! I have luckily had few encounters with spiders, scorpions, crickets, ants, etc. For the first couple months I made it a point to do a thorough nightly inspection for those critters but now I don't even bother. Lately my main concern has been with the pigs. The pig invasion has still not been settled and I'll be interested to find out how they end up dealing with them. All I know is that there must be a "pig nightclub" outside my tent because nearly every night I hear the commotion. And I don't think I've mentioned the joy of hand washing clothes as yet. Let's just say there's about 1 billion jobs in this world that I'd rather do thean washing my clothes by hand. I can't wait for the return of the washer and dryer. And that's not the only luxury that I've been without. This is also 130 plus days of cold showers. I'm not even sure what a hot shower feels like anymore! Not that it really matters as I don't think I've been really clean since the day I left. TV....besides a couple of sports games and the Super Bowl, I haven't seen a lick in quite some time. And actually haven't really missed it. We have had the world's worst refrigerator as well as a sink that seems to be home to more ants and cockroaches than dirty or clean dishes. And don't forget about the unbelievable Botanical Garden road that we get to travel daily on with our banged up trucks. BUT!......the previous is no comparison to the amount of great things that I've experienced. Sitting on the highest peak of the Quill with a cold beer in hand, watching the sun set on the ocean horizon. I've gotten to hike some amazing trails and actually get to call it work...and live in one of the top 100 botanical  gardens in the world. I've gotten to meet and become friends with people from all over the world and become part of a wonderful Caribbean community. I've attend island festivals and even got to see an Elvis impersonator! I've had the chance to spend a day in the local schools here as well as help out with after school snorkel and ranger clubs. But don't get me wrong, we actually had to do a lot of tough work. Maintaining mountain trails and working in the Garden has gotten me in the best shape of my life. And to the absolute astonishment of anyone who knows me, I've actually quit drinking diet pop! No lie! So as I conclude my blog, I must thank all of those helped make this journey possible...and you know who you are. Thank you a million times over! It's a bittersweet feeling leaving the island but it's now time to start the next chapter of my life. And who knows what that will be! I look forward to seeing everyone upon my return! Until next time America!!

17 days.....

Thought I would create a quick entry this afternoon as I have some time. I hope everyone had a wonderful Valentine's Day. It is a glorious day and by far my most favorite holiday of the year.....or something like that. We celebrated by having a Mexican feast. Kyle, a typical 23-year old dude when it comes to cooking, has been testing his hand the past month and spearhead's the Sunday night communal meal every week. Claire and Ella have been assisting Kyle in this endeavor and he has shown a great deal of progress. Let's just say....Kyle did not know how to cook eggs. Yes....any egg. I'm sure glad he showed up though as now I'm not the sole recipient of all the cooking jokes! The past week also saw the arrival of "pig patrol". One of the pigs was "eliminated" on Monday and the hope now is that this sends an alarm to rest of the swine population. Sleep has been a rare commodity at the Garden with the pigs and Foxy's barking. And with the rain we've had the past week the work days have become quite exhausting at times. But things are looking up now.....We continue to make progress on the Garden and, according to Claire, it looks as good as it ever has. It has been nice to see all of our work make a difference. February has also been "project" month at the Garden. Kyle enjoys spending most of his afternoons working on different projects around the Garden and I've joined him in this campaign. One of the most successful projects being worked on right now is the "Chill Out Garden". This is located up above the intern house next to the Fruit Garden and has been the main project worked on by Kyle. It sits in the forest with a gap in the trees giving us a view of St. Kitts. We have also hung a tire swing and a board swing, as well as hung a wicker chair from a tree. There is a small fire pit and a small reclining bench. We have hung solar powered Christmas-type lights and I donated my lantern that hangs down from one of the big gum trees. I am almost finished making a half-circle, reclined back, mini bench that will allow all the volunteers and interns the chance to sit down and enjoy the view of a sunset in the Caribbean. Yesterday actually saw the completion of Cornhole! Or bags as we call it. We played last night and found my stiffest competition will be Mr. Wicks....although with the ability I possess in bags I don't see myself losing any time soon. The volunteer pavillion that Nadio and I have been working on since November is almost complete and we are also nearly finished with an outdoor shower. So things are still going great and hope to fit it as much as I can the last remaining days! Until next time America......

Let the countdown begin!

24 days.....and I will touch down in Minneapolis. Here's a little recap of the past couple weeks on the wonderful island of St. Eustatius. January 17 saw us say good-bye to Joe the trails intern and welcome in Sapphira. Saph hails from the U.K. and seems like she will be a suitable replacement for Joe. Although losing a guy and gaining another girl really upsets the guy/girl ratio now. Kyle and I just toe the line and make sure we don't rock the boat! We also successfully cleared the last remaining trail in the mountains....3rd Ridge. This is quite an accomplishment and Hannah is very pleased with the progress we have made the past 4 months. There is still a lot of signs to be hung on the trails as well as a trail that completes the crater rim. Right now there is only a trail half-way around, Mazinga Trail. The plan is for a trail to be blazed to complete this. Should be interesting....wish I would be around to help! I also got the chance to work with a bunch of University of Puerto Rico students a couple weeks ago. 8 students and 2 professors. They were on island to complete snake and orchid surverys. It was a great time and one instance in which I would have liked to have known Spanish!!Monday this week saw us welcome in 2 new volunteers.....Eve Champagne and Matt Wicks. Eve is French Canadian hailing from Montreal and Matt is another Brit. That now makes 8 of us at the Garden. Speaking of the Garden......the past few weeks we have been victims of the Invasion of the Pigs. Yep....pigs are sneaking in, mostly during the evening, and wreaking havoc on the Garden. And fortunately for us, our wonderful Garden dog Foxy feels the need to bark ALL night long! It has been a tiring last couple of weeks but we are managing. "Pig Patrol" as we call it, is actually coming out next week to remedy the situation. Apparently the pig farmer does not show much concern over the problem so there may be some swine murder happening next week. I suggested they just outfit me with a firearm and let me go to town. I did not get much support in that idea. So we will see.....Last week also saw the closing of one our favorite island bar and restaurants, The Fruit Tree. Great food and great atmostphere.....it will be missed. Other than that, the work week has remained the same and I keep myself busy "off hours" doing a lot of hiking and laying on the beach. It's been a weekly weekend routine for me to get up Saturday and Sunday and hike around the Quill.....Around the Mountain Trail to be precise. Great workout and most of it is out of the sun. But anyways.....gotta run......until next time America!

Life as a 3-month Statian

Around 10 square miles in the Caribbean.....that's where I have now spent the past three months of my life. And now for a little insight into the interesting island life on St. Eustatius. Although it is a very small island, where we have been living seems like a world away sometimes. The Botanical Garden.....roughly a 20 minute drive from town on a far from perfect narrow dirt road. Narrow enough that when you do meet another car on it, which is quite seldom, one of you has to back up to a spot to allow the other car to pass by. Which in some cases is quite a ways. This wonderful road is the main contributor in the wear and tear our 2 trucks receive. 2 trucks by the way, that would make my old white chevy cavalier seem like a rolls royce. we are constantly fixing tires, tying up bumpers, and sitting on wet seats. Yep....the windows do not go up on all the trucks so a nice refreshing rain storm is a bittersweet thing. Which brings me to 3 months of living in a tent up in the hills. Let's just say I don't think I will be signing up for any weekend camping trips when I return. Actually...it hasn't been as bad as I thought it would be. The rain is the only thing that makes it miserable. That and the heat.....7:30 am.....the time when the sun begins hitting my tent and baking all that's inside it. But it is very peaceful and relaxing. I have seen many a great sunrises....ones that rise up just off the coast of St. Kitts right now. The weather right now is about as nice as it gets on Statia. Warm and sunny during the day and relatively cool at night. The population as of 2006 is around 3200....comprised mainly of African/Caribbean descent. As it is a Dutch island, there are also many Dutch citizens on the island as well. The people here are great and very welcoming to STENAPA volunteers. The exemplify the Caribbean nature....laid back and very friendly. Things here run on Statia time...."I'll be there about that time" or "We'll get it done in such and such amount of time". And people always waving! One thing that reminds me of home. I have actually waved so much I've found myself waving to random cows and goats. And that brings me to the livestock we share this island with. Not a day goes by that I do not see a cow, goat, donkey, pig and chicken. It really is amazing.....I have seen more of these animals in the past 3 months then I've seen the past many years. They roam freely and you even see them in town. There have been times where I actually have to get out of the truck, walk up to the goats on the road, and kindly ask them to move. I have met some interesting people on the island, two that come to mind are Heavy and George. Heavy weighs all of about 110 pounds....hence the nickname. George is a bit older with a big grayish beard. 2 guys that have found themselves down on their luck you could say.They are always around town and whenever you run into them you're always asked for a guilder. There are around 9 grocery stores on Statia and about 15 bar/restaurants. 4 Chinese grocery stores and 5 Chinese bar and restaurants....which makes for a little communication problems some times. When you think you've ordered garlic chicken....you may just get something totally different instead! But as you can see, there's no shortage of food here! Some of the bar and restaurants actually look like a small addition to somebody's home.  Although a lot of the time Statia feels about 20 years behind the times, a lot of things are relatively up-to-date. There is internet here, albeit quite slow compared to home. Cell phones are as big a hit here as they are in the States as well. The big grocery store, Duggin's Supermarket, is quite similiar to one you would see back home. And cars/trucks are everywhere as well. Although I may add, I have not gone over about 50 mph since arriving. There is a short stretch of straight flat road by the airport that allows you to actually get into 5th gear! I still have yet to figure out how there are not more fender benders on the island though. It is quite a maze in some parts of town.....one-ways everywhere and blind intersections. And vehicles that are not afraid to drive fast at times. Honking.....never have I honked so many times in my life. Actually it's more of 2 quick "beeps" of the horn. And has the completely opposite meaning that in the States. It's more of a "hello" than "you stupid driver". They also will flash their lights as a sign of hello. Good morning, good afternoon, and good night/evening. These are the three phrases when greeting someone on the street. A little odd, but it seems most everyone uses them. There is a medical school on the island as well. Around 60 students right now I think. So you see some of them out and about at times. Let's just say.....the next new doctor I see, I'm going to ask if they went to medical school in Statia! Well....my time today has about ran out. That is just a sampling of how life on Statia is. More to come another time! Until next time America.....

Goodbye 2010!

Greetings from the year 2011! I hope everyone had a wonderful 2010 and a great New Years weekend. Things here have returned to "normal" following the holiday season. We were all back to work on Monday. Ella and I had a few days off over the past couple weeks due to our extended volunteer stint. I used them mainly to hike, head to the beach, and just relax. We all had a nice New Years weekend and welcomed back Jean on New Years Eve from her trip home to Maine for Christmas. We had Mexican night Friday and all feasted on tacos, burritos, and nachos. A welcome change to the usual peanut butter & jelly, ramen, and tuna! Jean, Kyle and I then ventured out on the town for the Statia New Years festivities. We headed to The Fruit Tree for some good ol' fashioned 80's music. The Dutch owners there also treated us to some Dutch appetizers. Very good! We met up with a bunch of STENAPA people there also. I then had the fortune of heading to Club 318.....Statia's version of a "dance club". I know what you're all thinking.....right up my alley! Well, needless to say I was the one sitting in the corner while the rest of STENAPA danced the night away. It was quite entertaining watching everyone interact. Saturday found us all relaxing at the beach. It was a beautiful day and we all wanted to take advantage of it. Sunday I decided I should find a place to watch the final weekend of the NFL. Largo Heights, one of the local chinese restaurants, had a tv and I made my way there for some afternoon football. And guess what I got.....the Jets vs. Bills. I should've knew it too as the cable tv affiliate here on the island is from New York. Oh well, it was fun to watch some football anyways. I still can't believe the Vikings couldn't find a way to make the playoffs at least. Next year I guess. But, I must be leaving now as I have a date with the beach. Take care ya all and until next time America.....

Christmas in Statia!

Greetings everyone! I hope everyone had a wonderful Christmas and is getting all prepared for the big New Year's Eve festivities! Like Thanksgiving, Christmas was quite a different experience here. No snow and warm sunny weather are two things I'm usually not accustomed to during Christmas in Minnesota. But we all had a wonderful time over the weekend. I'll have to say though, not being able to sit down and eat obscene amounts of lutefisk was quite a disappointment. I mean, how do people celebrate Christmas meals without the joy of the amazing lutefisk? I mean the smell alone is reason enough to be merry. But anyways....I managed to cope without it this year. I'm sure my share was picked up by either Wayne, Jerome or Mark. No question there. Our Statia Christmas began Friday when we all decided to treat ourselves to a great island meal at The Blue Bead Restaurant, arguably Statia's finest in dining. I'm convinced Zagat's would give it top rating. While Ella, Kyle, and Ana all decided on burgers, I went with the pepperoni pizza option. Delicious thin crust style, hand made pizza that could possibly be one of the best pizzas I've ever had. We had a very nice evening and made our way home to the Garden. I had decided earlier that day to purchase some cell phone minutes and was able to call back "home" and talk to the relatives that evening. Sounded like they as well were having a great Christmas Eve. And finally Sunday came, and with that, the highly anticipated Christmas lasagna! This is a family tradion for Ana and her family and we all were excited to partake. And partake we did! It was delicious and we spent the early evening eating vegetarian and meat lasagna, garlic bread, and salad. All topped off with a bottle of wine. A perfect way to end our first, and more than likely, our last Christmas on Statia! Our Christmas vacation did not end there though. We had Sunday and Monday off as well. I'm not sure if I mentioned it earlier or not, but we welcomed in a new intern to the STENAPA team last week. Kyle....from Philly. Big sports fan and obviously has a vested interest in the Eagles this season. And wouldn't ya know....Eagles vs. Vikings on Sunday night football! There are few tvs in Statia but there happens to be one at our favorite Chinese restaurant and Kyle, Ana, and I made our way out on the town Sunday night to watch a little NFL. And....what the heck?! Postponed?! You've got to be kidding me!! Those wimps in Philly. Well our night was cut short Sunday and two days later we found ourselves right back in front of the tv at Largo Heights (the Chinese restaurant). And to both Kyle and my surprise....Vikes win! Great game and with the help of a few fried chicken wontons, we had a great evening. Wednesday was the most miserable day we've had on the island since I've been here. It rained off on on all day and was windy and cool. Ya, ya....I'm sure you all feel sorry for us! I'm sure hoping this doesn't last! Well....better get going. Big New Year's holiday weekend coming up! We'll have to see what Statia has in store for us! Hope you all have a wonderful time and until next time America.....

2 months down....and not quite done yet!

Yes America....you read that correct. For all those anticipating my return today (and I'm sure there are quite a few of you), you are all going to have to postpone that anticipation for a couple more months. Due to the incessant pleading of the STENAPA crew and quite frankly most everyone here, I have given in and decided to remain on the island of St. Eustatius until March 5th. Ok....I might have embellished the incessant pleading part, but nonetheless, my time here is not quite over. I'm sure this comes as devastating news to most of you and I have, quite probably, ruined everyone's Christmas and New Years. But....keep it together and just remember.....it's only a couple more months. And if you're still having difficulties with this, anyone is welcome to come visit!!!!! Really, just hop on a plane and come on down! Having also contributed to this decision was the outstanding weather reports I have been receiving from good ol' Minnesota. I mean really....the Metrodome collapsed?? That's reason enough to stay through winter! I'll have to say though, Christmas just won't be the same. Who's going to eat my share of lutefisk?! And I really will miss showcasing my dancing prowress at George's wedding. And I'm sure those in attendance will miss it too. But having thought it all over....once the holidays are through I'd be left with below zero temperatures and possibly way too much snow. I'm sure Baune will miss my shoveling skills but I'm quite convinced he'll do just fine without me! So......that being said, I will miss you all over the holidays and look forward to seeing everyone in March 2011! Maybe Fatty will even don his leprecaun outfit for St. Patty's Day! Until next time America....