Visit a Smithie

A smithie visted me - Hurray!

2012-01-19T21:15:00.002-05:00

This past weekend a Smithie visited me. This is the first time this has happened since I've left UNH, and reminded me what a magical place Smith Hall was. Thanks for making my weekend JC. Hopefully, we'll have many more visits in the future - I am so excited to watch as you take on the world, national security, Florida and grad school.

Pura Vida

2011-07-26T11:23:00.002-04:00

In the wee hours of July 5th, 2011 I departed Mérida, Mexico (where I am currently living and working for a student travel company called Explorica) and headed for San José, Costa Rica, on my way to participate in our “Sun & Service” tour with 35 high school students and teachers. A few months back, when I was given the chance to travel on one of our tours, Costa Rica was a very easy choice for a few reasons. This is one of the only tours we currently offer that has a focus on international service, something I am always interested in doing more of, especially after having such a positive experience volunteering with the Smithies in 2010 at the Fondes Amandes Community Reforestation Project in Trinidad. And perhaps even a greater factor in my easy decision, the chance to visit (and drink copious amounts of delicious coffee) with one of my favorite Smithies currently living abroad, John Foss himself. John began his Peace Corps service in October 2010 in a rural community called Grano de Oro, located on the edge of an indigenous reservation and “close” to the city of Turrialba. (I learned that this is a very relative term in Costa Rica, a country of very short distances but very long journeys. Spewing volcanoes, mountainous terrain, overflowing rivers, unpaved roads and landslides tend to slow travel down a little bit.)

After my 10 days of sun, service, and visiting most of Costa Rica’s most popular tourist attractions were through, I was anxious to finally reconnect with John. After buying a ticket for the equivalent of $1.80 US dollars, I boarded the bus in Liberia, a small city in northwestern Costa Rica in the Guanacaste region. The 4-hour bus ride was more like 5.5 (sorry John!) due to a bridge reconstruction and a couple of drunk guys getting kicked off the bus for unruly behavior on the way to San José, but none of that mattered once I saw John’s smiling face at the Pulmitán bus terminal. After some huge hugs and his initial shock at “the beast” I carried with me (this is how he referred to my blue suitcase for the duration of the weekend, although in my defense, it’s not THAT big… Note to self: get a big backpack for traveling!), we set off to enjoy San José. First stop on the agenda was an impromptu visit to La Embajada, the Embassy. No, not the U.S. mission in Costa Rica— more like a smoky, predominantly-male drinking “institution” in downtown San José. Nevertheless, it was a great place to get a few Imperiales (the local beer) exchange travel stories, and get a first-hand account of the life of Peace Corps volunteers in Costa Rica. Also, in an interesting encounter with Costa Rican cuisine, I had the pleasure of watching John and his most entertaining fellow Peace Corps volunteer down a few turtle eggs. See picture below! For the record, I am always game to try the local cuisine but this is a treat I politely declined (Andrew Zimmern would be disappointed, but I just couldn’t do it!).

The next day, anxious to see “a day in the life” of John Foss but without enough time to go all the way to Grano de Oro, we decided to check out the village of Tarbaca. Tarbaca is a town about an hour south of San José where John lived with a charming host family during his first 3 months in Costa Rica, known as In-Service Training. When we got off the bus in Tarbaca, one pit stop was in order before hiking it up the muddy hill to visit John’s host family—coffee. We stopped in at a log cabin-esque café located on the side of the main road with an incredible view of the mountains draped in morning fog for some of the most delicious coffee we’d had in a while. John went with the classic cappuccino and I went all out with the miel de abeja (honey bee) latte. Yum. Enveloped by the fragrant aromas of the café, we were transported back to our Dimond Library days, where we once spent countless hours reading, bouncing ideas off each other, and of course, drinking coffee while contemplating Zeke’s paper map-of-the-world coffee cups wondering just where the 2 of us might be in a year or two’s time. Little did we know we’d be meeting up for just another one of many shared cups of coffee in Tarbaca, Costa Rica.

With or caffeine fix met, we were ready to drop in on John’s host family. Everyone, including the dog, was delighted to see John and we sat in the living room to catch up on the last few months since they’d seen each other. After some good conversation, it was time to eat. John’s host-mom, Rita, had prepared a delicious meal of potatoes, rice, a salad with the greenest avocados and reddest tomatoes you’ve ever seen, and chicken right from the patio. John’s host-father also insisted on us joining him with a shot of the local sugar cane rum, some of the most potent stuff I’ve ever tried! And of course, no Costa Rican meal is complete without some more coffee. This time I got to observe the use of the chorreador to make coffee, a typical method used in Costa Rica. The chorreador is a basically a stand with a wooden loop in which you put a sock-like filter and some coffee. Water is heated on the stove and then poured through the coffee filter into a metal pot. Check out the picture below of John preparing some coffee like a true Tico. The coffee was good, but the sharp taste of the goat’s milk which I dumped into it was a little off-putting. I guess it’s a taste I’ve yet to acquire…

Back in San José, after the obligatory siesta and some random youtube videos (one word, John: wink!), we were ready to venture out again. We didn’t let a little rain get in our way, equipped with some umbrellas and a certain “plastic fantastic” poncho I was sporting much to John’s amusement. Hey, it kept me (relatively) dry! We opted for sushi for our last night in San José, 1) because it was close and 2) because we were pretty sick of gallo pinto, the Costa Rican staple that can be served at any time of the day or night. “Gallo pinto” is the name for rice & beans and although it is delicious the first few times you eat it, after 2 weeks of having it at almost every meal, I was ready for something (anything!) different. I can only imagine how John feels about the stuff… apparently there is a Peace Corps gallo pinto curve in which you love it, you hate it, you accept it, and you enjoy it again for the next 2 years. Anyway, we had a nice and non-traditional dinner, but we added a few Imperiales to the mix for that Costa Rican touch. Tired, happy and full, we headed back to the hostel for a good night’s sleep.

The next morning, after fully enjoying the luxury of HOT showers, we met up with a few of John’s PC friends who were just back in town after a trip to Nicaragua. It was great to be introduced to more of John’s peers, hear about their recent trip, and learn more about their experiences in diverse regions of Costa Rica working in areas such as cultural tourism, youth and community development, and teaching English. While I watched them dig in to some gallo pinto, I opted for a strawberry smoothie, my last taste of Costa Rica. Before too long, it was time for me to say goodbye to John and his friends and catch a cab to the airport.

Our few days together in Costa Rica were short but we definitely took advantage of our limited time to catch up on the last year and a half of our lives, reminisce about IFL and Hump Nights, and drink some good coffee. It was refreshing to be reminded of just how strong those Smithie ties are. We can go months and years without seeing each other but when our paths happen to cross, wherever in the world we might be, we just pick up right where we left off. Time goes by and we have new experiences that shape who we are, what we believe, and what we want for our futures. But the shared experience of being a Smithie is a truly unique and special bond that will unite us forever, wherever our lives may take us. Happy travels & pura vida.

-Jordan Caley

Home in Disbelief

2011-03-20T13:49:00.002-04:00

Climbed more stairs than I could count? Check.

Obtained a reasonable grasp of the Underground system? Check.

Consumed soda and candy made with actual sugar? Double Check.

Saw and experienced more breathtaking sights, beautiful museums, calming parks, intriguing foods, fulfilling hard work, and exhilarating company than I could ever have dreamed to ask for? Well, I think that one just goes without saying.

Next stop? Who knows. But if it's anything like this trip across the sea (and down memory lane) then I can't wait. My thirst for traveling has been shaken alive these past two years, and I look forward to seeing where it drives me to go.

Pic Spam!

2011-03-18T16:26:00.008-04:00

We're on your escalators, touring your attractions.

Zombies in front of the London Eye

Taking over Regent's Park

Destructive Monkies enjoy the flames

The Amazing Climbing Fairchildren

Time never slows

2011-03-18T14:29:00.002-04:00

Is it really Friday???

So yesterday at Dorking turned out to be a wonderfully fulfilling day. Putting up posts for a fence followed by chopping down a small grove of pine trees, the work was a little tough but very invigorating. Our hosts Graham and Ruby were really welcoming and I could really sense how much they cared about their organization and the work we were helping with. Leith Hill Tower was beautiful and I was really glad Ruby let us clamber to the top to see the amazing views of the countryside. The grounds around the tower were also amazing, filled with good climbing trees, well-placed benches, and enough views to consume an entire day. I was almost a little sad to be pulling out of the Dorking station, though it was slightly entertaining to be separated from part of the group. It felt good to know that we were still able to find our way back to the flat without guidance from Taras.

So far today has been extremely active and quite tiring. This morning a small group of us set out in search of Abbey Road, and after several wrong turns and plenty of walking we finally found it. The small studio was slightly underwhelming but it was still pretty cool to just be there and try to picture the Beatles being there. This is where the group split, and Connor and I set off, jumping on a double-decker bus (sitting in the upper seats of course) to the next tube station and headed to the Tower Bridge. The tour of the upper levels was really awesome, and we even got to go down the engine rooms and see the original equipment. For an extra 50p we also got tickets to go see the Monument (built after the London fires) so after exiting the Tower Bridge we headed down to the London Bridge so that we could once again cross the Thames. This short walk proved to be quite interesting, with random sights of an interesting boat sculpture, a hug from a man in a large fuzzy smiley-face mask, and a quick game of human-bowling (people in bowling-pin suits getting knocked down by swinging balls tether-ball style). Climbing the 311 steps of the Monument wasn't as tiring as I expected. Thank you St. Paul's for preparing me for this. From the monument we headed to Queensway, where I visited my old haunts that I had been to with my family 8 years ago. I found our hotel and our favorite Italian restaurant, where Connor and I had lunch. The garlic bread and pasta were just as good as I remember.

Then, we entered Hyde Park. Well over an hour later we stumbled out, cold, exhausted, and overwhelmed. This park may at first glance simply look like large grass fields, but it is filled with little (and large) surprises, such as the pond filled with birds (so many swans), the statue of "potential energy," the daunting and exquisitely detailed Albert Monument, the unique Princess Diana Fountain, hilarious squirrels, the odd large steel sculpture, a small river, a small set of four fountains, and so much more. As we headed back to the flat we made two more stops: a quick search for Lancaster Gate (which was sadly just a street) and a quick peak at the Marble Arches, as well as a rather large statue or a horse head.

Now, here we sit, recuperating in the flat before heading out to find some dinner. We'll head back once we find some food to eat with the group, but after having pasta for lunch I just don't feel like eating the pasta that people are planning to cook up in the kitchen any minute. After dinner it sounds like we'll be doing crepes and a well-suggested pub, but who knows. I still can't believe we're flying out tomorrow...but let's not talk about that just yet.

A pile of ashes...

2011-03-18T14:05:00.002-04:00

Here is a short video of the bonfire we made with all the pine trees we cut down. It's amazing how quickly an entire hillside of trees burn down into a pile of ash.

More group shots.

2011-03-18T13:54:00.005-04:00

On top of Leith Hill Tower after a hard days work.

Jumping for joy in front in front of St.Pauls

In front of Buckingham Palace

Working hard...

2011-03-18T13:34:00.006-04:00

The top photo is after we took down all the little pine trees on this hillside. The below photo is the before. We cut down a bunch of trees - we have now restored habitats in England and Trinidad - pretty cool.

Here are a few photos of the students putting in fence posts - we put in 40 in about an hour. Needless to say the volunteer coordinator had to scramble to find us more work to do - so we chopped down a hillsides worth of pine trees.

Burning all the trees we cut down.

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

2011-03-17T19:38:00.002-04:00

Despite what you all may be thinking, we did not spend our day hopping from pub to pub in celebration of St. Patrick's Day! No, instead we headed off early this morning to the town of Dorking (go ahead and laugh at the name, we did). Today was our community service day, and we helped out at Leith Hill, a beautiful area owned by the National Trust. Leith Hill operates similar to how a national park would in the US, there are over 800 acres of land with hiking trails, camping and picnicking areas and of course Leith Tower, which offers a brilliant view of the surrounding countryside. We took the train into Dorking and upon arrival were met by a van that took us over to the hill. There we met Rose, who works for the National Trust and she was our guide/supervisor for the day. We started by putting in fence posts, which was really an interesting process. A few people ran ahead and laid out the posts, followed by a team of people aligning the posts and others using a metal rammer thing to force the posts in. It went really quickly with 11 of us and we were done by late morning. Then we had a tea and biscuit break! Even in the wilderness the Brits have to have their tea. Rose was nice enough to bring tea for all of us and a bagful of delicious shortbread cookies and these awesome marshmallow and chocolate things! They were so good! Rose also brought along her dog, a German Shepherd named Rex. He was so adorable and very playful, his favorite thing to do was to grab our hands (luckily we had work gloves on) and just tug on us until we either pushed him away or Rose called him off. But basically the whole day he followed us around and kept going after our hands. He really was cute and clearly liked all the attention. So after the tea/play with Rex break we headed over to another piece of land to cut down small trees to stop them from encroaching on the land. We broke for lunch for a bit and then burned the trees in a brush pile. The trees were on a pretty steep hill so after a few times of lugging trees down the hill and climbing all the way back up we finally figured out it would be more efficient if two people worked together. So we had people meeting in the middle of hill, one person collected the trees at the top and the other person threw them into the pile. Our legs definitely thanked us for figuring that one out.
After all the work was done we toured the Leith Hill Tower, and despite the cloud cover the view was still spectacular! There was beautiful green countryside everywhere you looked. On a clear day you are supposed to be able to see the ocean from the tower but we had no such luck today. The grounds around the tower were very pretty as well, with lots of good climbing trees! We took a pretty epic group photo of all of us in a tree, that will hopefully get posted later! We left the hill around 4 and were back to the train station before 5. It was really a great way to spend the day, it was nice to get to see some of the countryside and get away from the city and touristy attractions for a day. Tomorrow is already Friday, I cant believe how fast this week had gone by! Its our free day tomorrow, so a few of us are hitting the Natural History Museum and then who knows! Stayed tuned for the details!
-Amy

On the move

2011-03-16T05:12:00.002-04:00

As has been outlined by Amy before (I think...) yesterday was a blur of quick visits. After a semi-late start to the morning we set out towards Westminster Abby for a real tour. Adrian and Dorian joined us and acted as a wonderful tour guide-duo, with Adrian filling our brains with fun little facts about all the royals and more buried in the Abby, and Dorian paving a path for us through the crowds with his imposing stroller.

After the Abby we took over a small deli for lunch, with the thirteen of us using up all but one of the small tables available for dining. I still think Adrian took full advantage of having ten nannies around so that he could eat peacefully while we all kept an eye on little Dorian. But lunch was quick, and we soon set off down the street to the Churchill War Bunkers. It was really quite unreal to be underground and see the tiny rooms where so many people lived and worked, always under the threat of being bombed. The Churchill Museum that was in the middle of the tour was ridiculously amazing, with endless displays and tons of little electronics that we could play with. Stepping out into the sun afterward was refreshing, but the experience was worth it.

We left the bunkers and headed through scenic St. James' Park, where soon we could begin to see glimpses of a strangely large building, peeking through the trees in the distance. Then all it took was rounding one more corner and there it was: Buckingham Palace. After a quick ten minutes of pictures and gawking-a-plenty, we were off again, down the street and through the Admiralty Arches to Trafalgar Square. What a site to see the square without the massive crowds of drunk people and cheezy green outfits. Again we took a quick ten minutes to clamber all over the large lions, taking pictures everything from people riding on the back, and one of me with my head in a lion's mouth. After such pleasantries were exchanged with the large felines, we set off again, this time towards Piccadilly Circus. Though this collision of streets bore a slight resemblance to Time's Square, we were mostly overwhelmed by the construction everywhere the eye could see. Hooray visiting a country that will soon be hosting the Olympics?

We attempted and eventually gave up trying to buy potential theater tickets, and just headed back to the flat where we split up into smaller groups and wandered the streets of our lovely home-neighborhood to find dinner. My group went a couple blocks down and found a cute little Italian restaurant, before heading back to the amazing crepe place for another experience of, well, amazing crepes.

Today we have hesitant plans of "Museum Day" starting with the Tate, then the British Museum, and perhaps a Jack the Ripper tour tonight. We'll soon find out, sprinting out the door now!

Giant Pelicans

2011-03-15T20:40:00.003-04:00

The ones that Amy didn't get a picture of.

-Sam

3 Days Gone Already!

2011-03-15T18:02:00.003-04:00

Its day 3 in London and already we've hit many of the major sights to see. With the Tower of London, St.Paul's Cathedral, The London Eye, and Parliament under our belts (to name a few) we ventured over to Westminster Abbey to begin the day. On Sunday we attended an organ concert at the Abbey but today we went into the belly of the beast and got to see the tombs of the many famous Britons buried there. Besides the many Kings and Queens buried there, you'll also find the likes of Issac Newton, Charles Darwin, Winston Churchill, Jane Austen, William Shakespeare, and Charles Dickens laid to rest there. It was quite spectacular (and a little creepy) to be able to walk along and look down and see the tombstones of all these famous people!

Outside the abbey was a spectacular garden! (Proof for all the folks back home that spring has come a lot earlier in London!)

Next we headed over to the Winston Churchill Museum and War Rooms. For all the history buffs our there it's a fascinating look into war time Britain and well worth the money if you're ever in London. You get to explore the actual bunker that was used by Churchill and his cabinet during WWII, with everything set up just as it was back then.

Upon exiting the War Rooms into the gift shop, this piece of British propaganda was on a poster and is now officially my new motto!

After debating whether or not to buy said awesome poster, the gang made its way over to...wait for it...Buckingham Palace!! The palace to end all palaces! To get there we strolled through the beautiful St.James Park, and laid eyes upon the largest and scariest pelicans I have ever seen. I regret not having any pictures of them but let me assure you they were large enough that now I really question what they put in the water in London...On a more pleasant note, there were some adorable baby ducklings also out enjoying the day!

But, now back to Buckingham Palace. What is there to say really? It was big, it was grand, it was palace-like, and there were lots of bobbies roaming around! We watched the guards stomp around for a bit and took lots of pictures! It would have been cool to see the changing of the guard but it was happening this morning at 11:30, and so far mornings have not been our strong point!

So to make this long-winded blog a bit shorter, we roamed around the city a bit more, hitting Trafalgar Square, and Piccadilly Circus (the "times square of London", which is not nearly as impressive as it sounds). Then we all went our own ways for dinner, enjoying a variety of food including Indian, Italian and Greek. For dessert, a few of us enjoyed delicious crepes from an itty bitty crepe stand and now I will never be able to eat crepes in the US again. They were that good!

Going to bed now so I can be ready for another busy day in London! Tomorrow we plan on hitting some museums and doing the Jack the Ripper walking tour! Bye for now.
-Amy

Group shots

2011-03-14T19:46:00.008-04:00

1. Us in the London Eye Pod # 24
2.Us in front of Tower Bridge
3. Us behind St. Paul's
4. Us in front of St. Paul's

Saw some really amazing stuff today from the views on top of St. Paul's Cathedral to the world's largest clear diamond. London at night is best seen from the London Eye - Fact!

Giving in to Tourism

2011-03-14T19:27:00.003-04:00

Today was a day of big-shots - St. Paul's Cathedral, the Tower of London, the Tower Bridge, the London Eye (plus new-fangled 4-D experience!), and a pub.

As I'm sure many others will be describing this day, I'll try to keep my ramblings brief. St. Paul's was amazing, especially the long climb to the very top. The Whispering Gallery was spooky but majestic and rendered interesting views of inside the Cathedral that couldn't be properly seen from floor level. Leaving the Cathedral and looking back up at the dome from the ground made it all the more breath-taking, simply knowing that I really had clambered that far up.

The Tower was an interesting combination of fuzzy memories from my childhood trip colliding with my now clear-minded experiences. Some highlights include the huge gold punch bowl (which is literally called the Grand Punch Bowl) used for the coronation "after-party," and the world's tallest suit of armour on display, standing at a daunting 8ft 6in, with an equally large sword to match. The funniest experience there goes to a couple of men who walked by me and Taras as we were walking towards the Tower. One was calmly explaining to the other that "After this we'll go to some of the bigger sites" which left the two of us laughing, wondering if maybe we had accidentally gone to the wrong tower...Sadly the exhibition for the Tower Bridge closed just as we arrived, so there was no walking through the amazing upper-level (which is now on my to-do list for Friday) but it was still kind of cool just being on that bridge that I have seen in so many movies.

The London Eye was equally as awesome, and the whole time I was mentally sticking my tongue out to my family who had opted out of this awesome experience when we visited so long ago. I'm especially glad we went at night, London is truly beautiful at night when fully lit up. Too bad my cheapie digital camera wasn't able to truly capture that view. Oh well.

So I tried to keep the blabbering down, but today was truly eventful and believe me when I say I left a lot out. Just look at Taras' pictures and you'll understand. Next stop: sleep.

Off To A Great Start

2011-03-14T16:43:00.006-04:00

This morning dawned bright and gorgeous and full of excellent potential. The sun was shining, as you can see above in the lovely backyard of our hosts, breakfast was made by the lovely Katie and Emily:

And everyone was much improved after a good night's sleep and no longer imitating the walking dead.
That alone made today's excursions much more exuberant and memorable, though the sun in the morning did help. First we were off to St. Paul's Cathedral, which gave the best views and low-impact cardio workout in London.

And the place had a wonderful serene atmosphere, as most old churches do, that you can appreciate no matter what your religion. My favorite part was the three galleries on the upper floors which were essentially huge rings around the outside of the central dome on varying levels.

The Whispering gallery was the first and the lowest (only up 257 steps), looking down on the central worship area, and is named because you can hear someone whisper from clear across the open space in the middle. The second was the Stone Gallery (another 119 steps), and was a balcony circling the base of the dome. The view was spectacular, and there was plenty of room to walk around and enjoy the wonderful breeze. The third was the Golden Gallery, 152 more steps up several tiny spiral staircases, to reach this small, amazing, HIGH circular balcony where the view was SPECTACULAR. Unless you don't like heights. Sean. Anyway, it was the best view in London, hands down.

Next was the Tower of London where there were the Crown Jewels, a spectacular armor display, and ridiculous amounts of sheer history. It was also where my camera died.... But that just meant I could photobomb everyone else's pictures! :D

After we got our fill of the Tower, off to the Tower Bridge, more walking, lots of hot chocolate, and the obligatory London Eye ride which kept reminding me of that Doctor Who episode and the skyline shots from Sherlock (BBC). Despite the cold, it was an amazing night, and the city looks so surreal at night with Big Ben and Parliament all lit. In the face of the cold, the dark, and the barking dogs, we headed back to the Home Base to recoup before heading to the Flask.

Checked off "Having a pint in a British pub" from my London to do list, and now it's time to crash for real.

Oh, and Happy Pi day!

-Sam

Slow start this morning...

2011-03-14T04:55:00.005-04:00

As you probably read in Jess's post we had a long and full day yesterday. This morning we are having a bit of a slow start but are planning on going to the Tower of London and St.Pauls. To add a bit of the visual here are a few photos from yesterday:
1. Donut cart in Camdentown.
2. At Regent's Park
3. A short recording of the Organ concert at Westminster Abbey (it's all black because cameras aren't allowed, so I just recorded the sound).

Sluggish but still excited

2011-03-13T15:57:00.002-04:00

So as Taras said before, we made it through customs relatively easily, and after setting up a homestead in Taras' sister's home (we owe her so much or letting us invade for these seven days) we were out the door. Today was far more eventful than I ever could have predicted, we just kept going! It started with a leisurely stroll through Camden Town, checking out the endless alleys filled with food vendors and antique shops and local artists, I could have stayed there for weeks. But alas, the boys of the group couldn't stomach the massive amounts of shopping like we girls could, so after some time we changed course and headed towards Regent's Park. Even though the day started out with some light rain, by the time we got to the park the rain had stopped and the sun was almost shining through the thin cloud-cover. As a group we dominated the entirety of the Broad Walk through the park, strolling easily as we took in the scenery of grass, trees, old buildings, and many many soccer (oops, futball) players peppering the fields. It was around this time that my body from the waist down was really beginning to scream, but I ignored it, pushing onward because damned if I was going to let jet-lag bring me down while in London.
After strolling through the beautiful Queen's Park we left Regent's Park, and this is where my memory gets fuzzy. There was a lot of walking, a lot of quick decisions and changing-of-minds, and there was a good portion of time where I honestly had no clue where we were going or why, and I was simply concentrating entirely on hobbling along with the group, doing everything in my power to keep my aching body in motion. At some point we ended up at Trafalgar Square (where an early St. Patrick's Day celebration was in full swing, very confusing), got food and admired Big Ben ad the Thames for a bit, then went to Westminster Abby for an organ recital. This recital, while very beautiful and enjoyable simply due to its location, was very successful in putting us all to sleep. Oops.
So now here we are, trying to stay awake as late as possible, but even as I type people are dropping like flies. Soon I will be joining them. Today had its hardships to be sure, but I'm really looking forward to gaining better consciousness and really diving into this trip after having just a taste of what's to come. But, for now, I will simply concentrate on getting some much needed rest. Good. Night.

We made it...

2011-03-13T05:03:00.003-04:00

We are sitting in my sister's living room enjoying some breakfast and trying our best to stay awake. The flight was uneventful, long line for customs and then a long subway ride got us here. Once we muster up some energy we'll head out and start taking in London. Stay tuned.

A few days to go...

2011-03-09T08:35:00.002-05:00

Look at this happy bunch - do they seem excited or what? Sam unfortunately couldn't be in the photo because she was busy working hard to be able to pay for admission to the Doctor Who museum. I'm sure she'll make an appearance at some point. In the photo: (back row)Jess, Ben, Emily, Katie, Amy & Jack; (front row) Taras, Sean, Connor and Andy (Floody).

More to come - stay tuned.

Big Ben Awaits!

2011-03-07T15:07:00.002-05:00

So, one very fast year later and we're back on the trail. Though this time instead of hopping Southbound we're skipping our way East to beautiful London. What will we be greeted with? Tourists from around the world, souvenirs with the words "I Heart London" stamped on everything from mugs to t-shirts to fanny-packs, amazing Indian food (so I'm told...), castles and cathedrals as far as the eye can see, and last but not least, rain. I think it's going to be quite the adventure. :D

Going into this trip I can't help but feel excited on a slightly different level than usual, simply because I've actually been there before! Yes, my head is spinning with fuzzy memories from when I was twelve and my family took a two-week vacation to London and surrounding areas. Dragged down by jet-lag, time difference, and homework received ahead of time from my teachers (because I'm a good student like that) I spent a large portion of that trip wandering around slightly bleary-eyed, trying to figure out why there were castles everywhere and why that phone booth smelled so horrible...But now is my chance! I have a small personal goal of really experiencing everything possible this time, setting these memories into stone so that I may never lose them. On Friday, our planned "free day" I have hesitant hopes of traveling back to the hotel where I stayed with my family eight long years ago, and retracing my steps that I have long since forgotten. It could be an interesting ride...

Until then, I am joining the rest of this campus in the mad week-before-spring-break rush of quizzes, exams, and homework...oh my. I haven't even started packing yet, and only yesterday stumbled upon the thought of "Wait, by this time next week I'll be in London...woah." The time has come, and I don't think any of us could have known that it would arrive this fast.

London Preparations à la Sam

2011-02-23T15:58:00.005-05:00

Hello All!

It's T-minus 17 days until we leave for London on the 12th of March, and I am très excitée! And kinda busy. So far I've secured my passport and my ISIC card, put flags on my debit and credit cards for a week in the UK and done disgusting amounts of research into a new camera for under $100 and what it takes to make cell phone calls internationally.

Despite the fact that I definitely should have been studying for various midterms, it was worthwhile, because I found a decent camera and learned a bunch about cell phones that I otherwise would never have found relevant.

The story goes that my Verizon Alias 2 will be useless because (a) it uses CDMA, a USA based messaging system, while most of the world uses GSM frequences to transmit cell signals and (b) Verizon phones do not use SIM cards, which, if I had a phone that could even access GSM bands, I could replace and be happy as a clam. Well, after I unlocked it, because most phones purchased through service providers are locked into just that providors bands/SIM card. And, if my phone could access the bands commonly used in the UK (900 or 1800MHz). Ugh.

So! In order to have a usable cell phone in the UK and to call the US with it, the best option is to get an unlocked, dual band phone and a SIM card with a service plan that includes international calling for a rate that is less that the price of several organs or a good night in Vegas. After disgusting amounts of searching, I embarrassingly found out that the cheapest and best way to do this was to use the damn voucher I got with my ISIC card (yes, the one I mentioned last night) and pay $30 for the most basic phone offered with it (available elsewhere for $50+).

Now I don't plan on spending hours on the phone while in London ($1.49/min to other cell phones? Yikes![free incoming calls though....]), but I've discovered that I fit snugly into the modern cultural stereotype of feeling naked without one, even if I don't have it surgically attached to my thumbs or ear. It's my safety net. It's worth $60 to have a phone for a week, especially since it will be MINE and available for possible subsequent international adventures. It's coming with me to London.

Other preparations include watching far too much BBC, researching British slang and the history of Leith Hill (where we'll be volunteering), and drooling over the Doctor Who Exhibition scheduled to be at Olympia in Kensington while we're there. Why yes, I am a dork. :)

Ta for now,
Sam Jacobus

Visited a Smithie

2010-03-21T20:22:00.003-04:00

Reunited with Niki Lee after almost 2 years. I couldn't have asked for more - this trip was a huge success. Read the comments of the folks below and you will get a glimpse into what I mean. Once again it rang true - "Once a Smithie, Always a Smithie..." For an entire week 12 current residents of Smith Hall got to experience first hand the power of that simple phrase. For a week 12 current residents of Smith Hall were kings and queens of a small tropical island thanks to someone who came before them in Smith Hall. For a lifetime 12 current residents will always have a family and a place in Trinidad.
This trip was about experiencing a new culture and doing some service - but more importantly it was to experience the power of a "sense of place" that extends well beyond Smith Hall and Durham, NH.
Plans are already starting to form for the next "Visit".
I hope that folks continue to post to this blog whether it's a trip across the world or across the hall.
If any current or former smithies would like access to this blog to be able to post just shoot me an email and I'm happy to add you. The more smithies the better.

About 9000 words

2010-03-21T20:06:00.004-04:00

We made it into the paper...

2010-03-21T12:21:00.003-04:00

A short story about our trip appeared in the Trinidad Guardian:

http://guardian.co.tt/features/life/2010/03/19/mas-again-may

about half way down the page.

Is It Really That Time?

2010-03-20T03:24:00.002-04:00

So here I sit, less than an hour away from being carted down to the airport and the airplane that will take me away from this beautiful place we have all discovered together in just six short days. Of course, I'm all packed and ready to go, have been for over an hour now, so all that is left to do is sit and watch as the rest of the gang slowly wakes up and prepares for departure as well.

Friday was a nice day, and a good end to the trip. Starting with a fun presentation to Nikki's class, followed by a quick bus tour of Port of Spain and then some walking around and touristy shopping with our Trinidad-Parents the Lee's, the day was non-stop work and play. Also, today of all days, my body decided it no longer wanted to be well-acclimated to the sweltering heat, so sweat-a-plenty and no cure in sight. It didn't help that this change in body temperature regulation occurred on the day we did most of our city street walking, out in the sun, with few breaks, and very little wind. But what ho, I survived, and still was able to find some awesome jewelry and gifts for people back home. Friday night we went on our last outing to the Queen's Park Savannah for doubles and other delicious foods, accompanied by the whole Lee family along with plenty of extended family as well. It seemed fitting to have our last dinner in the same place where we all shared our first dinner on this island. Dinner was followed by limin' and laughter, and now here we sit. None of us able to really sleep thanks to our 4 AM departure to the airport, but all of us too exhausted to really chit-chat about the little things in life. I myself am at that stage of feeling awake and fully alert, but I know if I were to sit still for longer than five minutes my eyes would begin to droop and my head would start up with the bobbing up-and-down action that has become all too familiar throughout this trip of constant motion and little sleep.

I'm excited to go home of course, see all my friends (outside of this quirky travel group that is), tell stories, laugh, reminisce. I'm also a bit sad, which is to be expected, to leave this beautiful island that has shown me nothing but beauty and kindness for the entirety of our trip (even the food has been gentle enough on my wimpy stomach). Will I ever return? Will I ever see the amazing Lee family again? Are these the last glimpses I'll ever catch of the houses on the hillsides, the crazy-narrow roads, the beaches and ocean views everywhere one turns? It's easy to avoid being homesick because I always know that I will soon return to that place which I call home, but could I possibly avoid being, in so many words, Trinidad-sick? These are questions better left unanswered for now, because it's all too possible that I won't like what the answer is to them all. For now I'll just continue to write down as many memories as possible in my journal while I await our final departure, and the end to a simply wonderful adventure.

Don't think this is the end of me yet, but for now I'll simply sign off with the final hope that all goes well with our flights this time around... :D

Trinidad trip coming to an end

2010-03-19T19:40:00.003-04:00

I can't believe that we are leaving Trinidad in 12 hours from now. This week has just been a blur. I have been so spoiled between being in the nice hot weather, constantly being greeted by Trinidadian natives and being taken care of by the Lee family. When I was talking to Aaron, Nicky's fiancee, today about what my expectations were about Trinidad, I told him that I was surprised of how beneficial the Trinidad economy is for the Americans. I was also surprised of how Americanized the country is, for example, there is a lot of American music that is played on the radio and a lot of the billboards are Americanized. Even the schooling in Trinidad is excellent. They have to take examinations to pass secondary school to go to primary school. They do not have that in the states. Plus, from what I have noticed, a lot of the Trinidadians are bi-lingual, something you do not see often from Americans. They speak English, Spanish and French. Americans would be lucky if they spoke broken Spanish, but that is my opinion and I am unfortunately one of those people.
Even though we did not do as much hiking or volunteering as much as we discussed before we came here, my goals were to see the sites of Trinidad and to see Nicky Lee and her family. The long, extraneous delay to Trinidad messed up all of our plans, so we had to make adjustments and I have to say, everything worked out to what we wanted. We went to the gorgeous Maracus Bay, sailed across the Carribean Sea and swam afterwards, we went to Nicky's school to present a lession about the environment, so it was more of a vacation which is fine and dandy for me.
Tonight will be our last night in Trinidad, but we are going to make the best of it no matter what happens. We are going to eat doubles "Doubs" again and we may possibly go out to the streets and see what happens. Either way, I am planning to stay up all night because we have to leave the villa at 4 a.m. to catch our 7 a.m. flight. I don't see the point to sleep for four hours and then go. I function better when I don't sleep while traveling than having little sleep. When we leave tomorrow, not only is spring break on the verge of ending but we are leaving paradise. Then we have to get back to the old grind of the United States. Yuck.

Life

2010-03-19T18:55:00.005-04:00

So I haven't posted in a few days because i have been deep in thought about everything, but I think its about time to let the words in my brain spill out onto the page.

A very common phrase everywhere you will go is "the grass is always greener on the other side." Throughout this week, I have been bombarded by this idea many MANY times during this trip. People from Trini say "America must be so nice! All that snow! All those big houses!" People from America will say "Trinida is Amazing!! People are so nice! The weather is always warm!" People from Trini will say "America has so many things to do! There are so many famous people!" People from America will say "Trinidad has beaches and the sea and so many tropical thinsg to do!" People from Trini say America is safer. People from America say that Trinidad is safer. The list goes on and on. There are so many differnt messages coming at me from so many idffernt angles that its hard sometimes to decide what you truly believe about American or Trinidad or anywhere in the world.

Here is what I know, what I have learned, and what I think.

-Trinidad is a hidden tropical paradise that not many people know about.

-America is alot bigger and therefor has more things to do and more to see.

-The two places are very different from each other.

-They are both safe and both dangerous, depending on where you go and what you're doing.

-I like Trinidad and will be sad to go back home tomorrow.

For me, the fast pace, materialistic life that many americans follow is not something i particularly enjoy. I could live without a TV or a phone or a car or air conditioning and be perfectly fine. I might even be happier. As long as i have food and good people, that is really all i need. That is exactly what i have had this week. I have been surrounded by 12 amazing people who live in my dorm. I have been taken in as part of the Lee family. Every person i have encountered here (Jennifer and her kids grandkids and friend, The kids and teachers at Holy Name, Our bus drivers, Our tour guides, People who served us food, and the random people in the grocery store and neighborhood) has been more than nice, more then generous, and more then anything i expected. I have never met strangest this nice before. They were so willing to look out for us and help us. And the food!? Amazing. Absolutely amazing.

This trip has been one of the most amazing experiences of my life, and the best spring break ever. I can only hope that everyone has had a good experience like me and will continue to have good experiences as they travel the world. I Love Trinidad, and I so want to be a part of an amazing culture like this someday.

THANK YOU LEE FAMILY!

Andrew-you are so funny, and very outgoing for a high schooler.

David- you were a wonderful tour guide and fabulous friend. Thanks for putting up with us and our shenanigans.

Nicky- You make me proud to be a Smithie and a UNH student. Thanks for being our Smithie to visit.

Mama and Papa Lee- Words cannot describe how much i (we) appreciate what you have done for us, giving up your weeks, driving us around, and buying us load and loads of food.... everything has been wonderful. I will always think of you as part of my family. Thank you!!

I miss you all and Love you all!

-Libby

When SPF 80 isn't enough...

2010-03-18T19:25:00.002-04:00

Let me start off by saying this: I am a redhead. Very much so. As such, I am accosted daily on this tropical island by mother nature and all her sun-soaked fury. Don't get me wrong- I love the sun. I especially love fun in the sun involving "liming" and boats and pelicans and whatnot. However, after nearly a week of battle with this primal tropical heat, mammy nature has finally won and for the first time in trinidad, I was baked like a lobstah. I have to say though- I was surprised to have come this far. With sunburns and myself, its usually not a matter of if, but when.
I don't mean to give the wrong impression though- a simple sunburn couldn't possibly come close to dampening our trini-time. Over the course of a week, we have been receiving a full course of extremely potent trinidad injections, and I think its safe to say that we are all addicts now. We spent today cruising around the smaller islands off of Trinidad on what can only be classified as a party barge. A large, well-worn, powder-blue boat puttered from island to island with trini-rythms blastin' so loud the residents of each island could likely hear us coming literally a mile away. Fortunately for us, our music was extremely popular among the residents, much like one David Matthews is in Bro-co. Us smithies were like kids in a candy store today... as is to be expected for college kids in the Caribbean, frankly, but irregahdless! If you weren't busy sunning yourself on the griddle that was the upper deck of our boat, you were likely distracted by the respective flora, fauna, architectural specimens, gorgeous landscape or even just the people...you know- the ones you see on a boat. You know what I'm talking about: you wave at everyone because they're on a boat too, and therefore your friend...dare I say- boat buddies?! I'm not being cynical. They are your boat buddy.
I digress.
The things we saw today wouldn't be inappropriately accompanied by a David Attenborough narration. Pelicans swooped and dove around us, jelly fish....kinda- bobbed I guess. Jellyfish bobbed around us, and I think in the back of all our brains, we quietly feared the black pearl appearing around the next island. The one from the first one mind you- when it was manned by indestructible bad guys.
Once we found a quiet cove, we dropped anchor and dove in. The water was refreshing and cool, and you could see every detail of the bottom... much to the distain of those who are squeamish about seaweed. Smithies popped off the boat like molten grease out of a hot frying pan filled with bacon, eager to attain utmost refreshment. Perusal of the beach yielded sea glass, and exploration resulted in our discovery of a mysterious (some would say ominous, given the noose-like rope hanging in front of it...but no one listens to me...*grumble*) cave that we soon discovered was only accessible at low tide. We galavanted about for a considerable amount of time, and yes- there was indeed horseplay and also ballyhoo.
When we were at last satiated...or in some cases, merely exhausted, we weighed anchor (hehe- "weigh anchor") and headed back to shore. Of course, the rest of the day was filled with equal wonder, and also ice-cream and puppies, but I've been writing for a while now and its best to share the nice things- like our one computer.

Good day-
El Muchador
(Conor)

Limin'

2010-03-18T19:17:00.003-04:00

First off, let me just say that I think i'll have "Alive" (NOT the Celine Dion version, the Silver Star pan band version, mind you) stuck in my head for the rest of the trip. Yes, we did get to see a live pan band play for us last night and they were wicked awesome!!!!

haha but...

Today, David introduced me to the word "liming," which in Trinidad means hanging out...and boy did we do some liming. After a fantastic day yesterday of clearing brush, planting passion fruit, hiking, swimming, and how could i forget, the amazing dinner at the Lee's (picture the biggest spread of every Trinidadian delight), we were all in the mood to sit back and lime:)

We cruised around Trinidad to the outlying islands and enjoyed picture perfect views from every direction. We even stopped off the coast of one island to swim, although we were tentative at first due to the scattered jellyfish floating around. That didn't stop anyone, though, and for the next few hours most everyone was in the water. Afterwards, the sun poured over us while we lay out on top of the boat and talked. Needless to say, we got our fill of vitamin D, and it felt SPECTACULAR.

In the beginning of this adventure, we said this wouldn't be a trip about just going to the beach and "liming", and after the description above, it may sound like we have failed in this aspect. But to me, today was not just liming with friends. We were able to experience the culture of Trinidad and reconnect with Nikki and her family, which is what we came here to do. Although we have only done one day of service work, I believe that we have all experienced, as well as learned about the culture of Trinidad immensely, which is just as valuable.

Today was a day to catch up with everyone, learn some Trinidadian lingo, and apparently develop nick names such as El Fruto and El Muchador...aka Terrence and Conor. oh bonding experiences. So among the many things that we have learned limin, el fruto, and el muchador are coming back to the states with us :)

an amazing day "down the islands"

2010-03-18T18:59:00.004-04:00

Today we went "down the islands," as the Trinis say. This means that we went to the north-western tip of Trinidad where we got on a boat to cruise around for the day to check out some smaller islands. I LOVE being out on the water and this day was absolutely amazing!! The natural beauty of Trinidad could never cease to amaze me. Even though it's the dry season and Trinidad is experiencing a pretty significant drought, the scenery is still incredibly beautiful. As Jess put it, we probably had our laziest day thus far but we thoroughly enjoyed ourselves. Sunbathing surrounded by good company (including relentless entertainment provided by "el fruto" and "el muchador"), floating across a crystal blue ocean inhabited by graceful pelicans and flying fish (along with TONS of jellyfish!!), and observing the mountains and colorful cottages all around us while the popular local soca music blared from the deck below made for an unforgettable day. There were several moments when I just sat back, took in the beauty and positive energy all around me, and thought that this was the most care-free I've felt in a LONG time. If I could spend the afternoon like that for the rest of my life, I'd be a very happy woman (and probably a very sunburned one too...). After a fabulous day "down the islands," we are sporting some serious tan lines (or should I say, burn lines) but even that couldn't possibly put a damper on such a fun day! Oh, and to top it off, stopping to get some local ice cream on the way home was a great treat. I can definitely recommend the cherry vanilla/orange pineapple combination :)

The amazing Silver Stars

2010-03-18T08:28:00.004-04:00

All this followed a wonderful dinner in he home of the Lee family...

Tonight thanks to insider info from Nikki Lee's fiancé's mother we were able to see one of the most famous steel drum bands (The Silver Stars) in all of Trinidad practice. A completely sublime experience. After the practice was done we stayed back and met some of the musicians and even tried our hand at drumming. One musician named "Spider" who is a professional and drums with the Trinidad Steel Drum Orchestra and another young man had a little friendly drum duel.

What an Experience!

2010-03-18T01:28:00.002-04:00

Since we've been here, we have swam at the beach, visited Hindi temples, witnessed a cremation ceremony, toured a swamp, sampled local food, volunteered on a mountain, and so much more. The highlight of the trip so far, at least for me, however, came tonight when we were able to go and see a steel pan drum practice. I was pretty excited heading into it, but I could never have prepared myself for the fantastic experience I was about to have.

From the road, the rehearsal area looked like nothing more than an unassuming alley, but as we entered it, we were greeted by a wall of instruments and musicians. The ensemble was so large we could not see the people in the back, and consisted of countless instruments I had never seen before. This alone was pretty impressive, but then they began to play, and the music they made transcended anything I had ever heard before. The conductor danced around, using every part of his body to direct his players, and never stayed in one place for too long. The players danced along with their music, their faced beaming. I was overwhelmed with emotion as I watched and listened to this fantastic whirlwind of movement and sound. The musicians played with a passion and ease that no amount of years of formal training could ever produce. The music they made seemed to flow through ever part of their bodies, encompassing them to their very cores and radiating out in the form of pure joy. They weren't just playing music. They were living it. And at that moment, as they played that beautiful music, nothing else in the world mattered.

I can only hope to someday achieve that same level of total ease and passion for something I love.

Pumped about dining with the Lees

2010-03-17T19:17:00.002-04:00

In a short while, all of the Smithies will be picked up from the Villa by the Lee family and we will be dining at their residence tonight. I am so excited because I have a strong feeling that not only are we going to have a good time, but we are going to eat some amazing Trinidadian food. From talking to them, I noticed of how passionate the Lees are about their food. We very much share that interest. When Nicky was at UNH I remembered how much she loved to eat. She would be so pumped about eating at the dining halls, even if the dishes at Stillings, Holloway Commons or even Philbrook had a mundane menu, she would always be fun to go to dinner with. Now I get to experience that with the whole family. I am also looking forward to see what their house looks like. I am sure it is a comfortable and loving home. Bring it on the Lee family.

Love "Mother Earth"!

2010-03-17T17:54:00.002-04:00

A quick video clip of the group planting four passionfruit plants. We hope to return some day and see these wonderful folks enjoying them.

A Quick Hello Before Passing Out...

2010-03-17T17:00:00.004-04:00

So we returned a little while ago from the Fondes Amandes Community Re-Forestation Project (FACRP) and are now a group of very silent, mostly exhausted college students. Kaitlyn seems to be the exception, but no surprise there.

We started off the morning by driving up, meeting our group leader Akilah Jaramogi and having her give us a short demonstration/lecture on what the program is all about, their goals, methods, etc. Then after a very tasty breakfast we headed up the hill to our first adventure of the day: Work. We split off into small groups doings tasks like clearing leaves out of water trenches, raking leaves off hillsides so that they would no longer be fire hazards, and helping to feed some goats being kept in a pen on the hill-side. This part went by very quickly and even in the sun and heat it didn't feel like too much work. The man, Henry, who helped Megan and I rake leaves was very friendly and talkative and seemed very concerned about our safety even though we had just barely met. I was touched by his words of caution and wisdom, and by how earnestly he offered such words. We then as a group planted four passion fruit trees that will eventually grow up and over a bamboo-frame and become a starting canopy of sorts for that part of the hill. I would love it if in four years or so I could somehow return to that spot and see the "fruits of our labor."

The rest of the afternoon was filled with a very strenuous hike (at least for me it was a bit tough, but I pulled through OK), lunch, siesta (we were all pretty beat after that hike!), and an awesome walk down to the river. One thing I must say is that I can now truly appreciate authentic hiking gear, and how easy it is to switch from walking to jumping into a natural pool. We swam for a bit in our shorts and respective underwear, then wandered back down the river, some of us still jumping in and out of the water while others stayed mostly to the side, scaling the deep ravine walls that surround the river. I did a bit of both. I haven't gone rock-jumping (what I used to call it as a youngin') in years and had a blast. Finally, we made it back and our lovely bus was there to take us home. After a final goodbye to Akilah and the group, we drove back. And here we are. I think I'll go sleep for a few years now, or at least until the next adventure tonight.

One thing I have realized thanks to this awesome opportunity to get out there and do some hard work: I need to get out there and do some hard work more often...

Im all out of star wars!

2010-03-17T15:53:00.003-04:00

Hey Yall

Yesterday and today both have been so cool. Yesterday we saw the hindu temple and hanuman statue as well as the national bird of trinidad and today we were working at the Fondes Amandes Comunity Re-Forestation Project. Seeing the rare birds in the swamp yesterday and finding the awesome swimming hole after working in the morning was indescribable. Everyone else enjoyed the sight seeing win the swamp yesterday but i had a bit of a harder time finding things (color bling!)

Another fine ending

2010-03-17T00:33:00.002-04:00

After getting back from a full day of sightseeing and adventure we went out to dinner with Nikki's family. I have now consumed all the favorite Trini dishes that our first Maxi driver recommended: doubles, roti, bake 'n' shark, crab stuffed dumplings, and accra salt fish. Trinidad is worth visiting just for the food.

So far, still

2010-03-17T00:28:00.003-04:00

So far, so good for Trinidad. It is a hot and beautiful place, although it is very poor and rural. The island has such a bad drought with rain, there are several forest fires everyday but nowhere near us. The people are very friendly here, but we think it is because we are the only white people in the island. Their food is absolutely incredible, probably the best food I have ever had. The best food that I had so far is called the Bake & Shark, pretty self explanatory. I'm sure that its ancestor, Jaws, is very upset with us when we ate him/her. Yesterday we went the Maracus Bay beach. It was beautiful and the water was very warm. Today, we went to a couple of Hindu temples and they were really cool. We also went on a swamp tour and we saw some snakes and birds. It was somewhat unsatisfying because I wanted to see crocodiles, but I took what I could get. I can't get over how cheap this place is. The most money that I have spent in one situation thus far has been $20 and that was for a meal at a restaurant we ate at tonight. Nicky Lee, the girl we are visiting, is very nice and her family has been amazing so far. All they care about is making sure we have fun and that we eat enough, two of my favorite things to do. There is so much to tell, but it would take too long to read. I did have a diarrhea scare this morning, but thanks to the Pepto Bismal, my butt was clean and ready to go. It is time to go to sleep. Got a big day volunteering tomorrow so I need to rest.

Day 2

2010-03-16T19:49:00.004-04:00

This is my favorite picture of the day - I'm not really sure why I connect with it so much. This was some sort of Hindu idol that had been placed in the water around the Waterloo Temple. During low tide it is visible and when the water rises it disappears under the water. The idol is completely covered in barnacles - but still it seems to long to continue out into the wast space ahead. At the risk of the obvious cliche - I get great hope from the juxtaposition of struggle and possibility.
Kumar teaching us a bit about breathing and Yoga at the base of the Hanuman Murti (Hindu Monkey god - son of the wind god). A truly wonderful and educational experience. He explained to us that by practicing this type of breathing every morning our health will greatly improve.
A new friend we made today - the wood boa of the Caroni Swamp - among other exotic wildlife including the national bird of Trinidad - the Scarlet Ibis - it was elusive to photograph so you need to trust that they are exquisite.

trinidad is... part 2

2010-03-15T22:53:00.002-04:00

ok so that was an amazing night with Nikki and her family. They are the nicest funniest people i've met, and you can tell the family is so close. They took us to a little line of stands in the Savannah ( a very large grassy field) where the food and smells made all your mouths water. They had fruit juice, BBQ, soups, and everyone's favorite: Doubles. I actually partook in the consumption of chicken feet sauce. It is exactly as it sounds. Then we went on a walk around the Savannah and had coconut milk and jelly.

Today was a wonderful day.

But back to what i was saying before. The bad. I really had no idea what this trip would be. I was surprised. REALLY surprised. I honestly thought this was going to be a service trip, not an explore Trinidad trip. I guess in all my non planning methods, i completely forgot about the real reason for this trip: to visit a Smithie. And today we did just that plus so much more. We visited her country, her family, her friends, her culture, and her home. For the rest of the week we will continue to visit her native land and learn all that we can learn in our own individual ways. I may have had a rude wake up this morning when i arrived here, but i am now completely ok (completely WONDERFUL, actually) with this not-just-service-trip. All the components of this trip will make it the wonderful adventure it has the absolute potential to be.

Trinidad is...

2010-03-15T19:13:00.003-04:00

... not at all what i expected. At all. This is both good and and bad. Let me 'splain...

I purposefully did not do any research on Trinidad before i came here because i did not want to get myself psyched us for something during midterms week. I also have a horrible tendency to get really amped up about something, think about it extensively and exclusively, the become severely disappointed when the even in my mind was better then the real life event.

I also thought Trinidad was going to be (please don't take offense all you amazing Trinidadians!) alot worse off of a country the it actually is. I was expecting homeless, people living in one room shacks with dirt floors, and stray dogs running around everywhere. I was QUITE wrong. Trini reminds me of an older, more beat up california, kinda like what jess was saying. The hills are so close to the ocean, and on the side of even the steepest ones are hundreds of houses. There are palm trees and colorful flowers everywhere. Th GEORGOUS ere is so much traffic because 600,000 of 1.3 mill Trinis have a car. Our villa we are staying at iswith cable, wireless internet, a refrigerator, and multiple showers.

Overall, the country is very well off, something i did not expect. In my mind, because i have never really heard of Trinidad as a big resort island ( oh ignorance....) therefore it was not a touristy place and it was less than equal with St. Lucia or any of the other florida keys. It is, very much so. What i really like about the island is it is its own. Yes, it has its KFC and Papa Johns pizza, but that just for the Americans with weak constitutions. They are not trying to be America the island. They are trying and succeeding in being Trinidad, a small island nation of the coast of Venezuela that has a lower, middle, and upper class that ia a HUGE melting pot of several cultures all living together is a space smaller than the Sea Coast Region.

Ok, now for the "bad"... wait, Nikki just came. I'll be back soon!

Sand between our toes!

2010-03-15T19:05:00.003-04:00

How do I begin to describe our day at Maracas Bay? Our drive was more of a picture slideshow of breathtaking views from the tip top of the island all the way to our sandy destination. The somewhat silent drive was not a representation of boredom, distaste, or aggravation, it was just the fact that we were all in awe by every site we saw along the way.

When we arrived at the beach, Dennis our bus driver told us specifically to enjoy lunch at Richard's Bake N' Shark...although this was on the to do list, seeing the waves frothe at the sandy shore could not have been more of an invitation to go swimming. We all made sure to lather up the SPF, again, and dove in enthusiastically. The locals may have questioned why we were so excited to go swimming, but who couldn't be? The ocean seemed like bath water minus the rubber ducky.

Building up an appetite, we did go to Richard's Bake N' Shark, even though there were around seven others to choose from. Shark is DELICIOUS, especially with homemade mango chutney (wicked spicy). It was a day of rest and relaxation, as well as discovery.

This discovery I found (beyond trying shark for the first time), was not on the pristine shore of Maracas Bay, but back at our homey B&B. Jen, the host of the B&B, shared several stories of her life in Trinidad, as well as her family who lives in Canada. She spoke about how the way of life in Trinidad is personable and relaxing, rather than what she has heard of from her family members. Trinidad has a "slow down and take a look closer" aspect to it. There is no pressure to get somewhere immediately, and if something does go wrong, Jen describes that you have to look at what you have and appreciate it. The sincerity in her stories made me contemplate the last few days. We ran into a few problems, but we made it to Trinidad and spent the day at a gorgeous beach. Even if we had not made it to Trinidad, we still would have gone home more connected than we had been before the trip. I'm definitely going to try and continue this "slow down and take a closer look" mantra...but now we're off with Nicki to dinner now!! mmm yay :D be back later

Beach!

2010-03-15T18:43:00.002-04:00

Today we went to Maracas beach. All the smithies are in awe because of the amazing scenery and how kind all the Trinidadians are. Nikki Lee's parents have already taken care of us so much by making sure we had food and drinks, buying us potato pies at Richards Bake 'N Shark, and offering to pay for the bathrooms. We also met Nikki Lee's parents' friends at one of the local grocery stores. They want all the smithies to come over for dinner at their house. The land lady also wants to cook us a Trinidadian dinner.

The driving is insane. Everyone drives on the left hand side and the roads are curve around mountains with only a foot away from the edge. Our first driver was a hilarious man named Sam. He joked in his Jamaican-like accent about how he was a minority in the van compared to us. Our second driver barely spoke to us, but he did stop at the top of the mountain so we could look down hundreds of feet below us and take pictures.

We are now about to leave for dinner with Nikki Lee. It will be the first time most of us meet her. I can tell by meeting her parents and brother that, she too, will be very kind and enthusiastic. I am so excited to see even more of Trinidad and the culture. Getting stuck in Terminal 4 for 28 hours or so was totally worth it.

A much deserved de-stresser

2010-03-15T18:26:00.002-04:00

We got here at 7:30 this morning and by 1:30 we were at Maracas Beach putting the last two days behind us. What a wonderful day. Swimming in perfect water, slathering on sunscreen, eating the famous Shark-n-Bake - DEEEELICIOUS!!!!! Now we are back at the villa taking showers, and getting ready to go out to eat and hang with Nikki Lee - Finally we get to reunite after 2 years.

hello sunshine!

2010-03-15T10:48:00.002-04:00

Success! We've made it to Trinidad and the weather couldn't be better-85 and sunny:) With picturesque views and amazing accommodations to match, the trip is already starting to look up from a somewhat interesting start. We've decided to take advantage of this wonderful weather and hit the beach, but before we leave, some of us are taking an excursion around the area. I'm excited to see what lies beyond our cute B&B!

Feeling Strangely At Home

2010-03-15T10:37:00.003-04:00

So as all the horror stories before me have told, our trip here was quite interesting, and is also finally over. The excitement has brought us all back to life despite extreme lack of sleep and sudden (but well expected) heat. One thing in particular has really caught my attention, and I can't help but laugh every time I see it: so many things here remind me of home.

For those who don't know, I'm a bit unique in this group because I am originally from Santa Barbara, California. So my travels in college have constantly led me to new environments (like these things called "seasons") and new people (still working on deciphering the many dialects of New Englanders). Yet, as our plane was coming in to land, I felt as if I were flying into my tiny airport back home. The view of the ocean lazily breaking against a relatively flat but green coast, followed rather quickly by a sudden mountain range, confused me and excited me all at once. Then, while driving to our amazing villa, we passed large intricate buildings nestled into the hillside, and as we circled down the mountain leading to Port of Spain, we could see the neighborhoods hidden in the hills overlooking the city by the sea. As our driver talked, I continued to note similarities in climate as well: A drought that has been causing endless brush-fires, mountain sides that are sad and brown (as opposed to their usual year-round green glory) and even the constant threat of earthquakes was a familiar notion. I'm basically in shock, and can't help but laugh. Plus, palm trees. There are palm trees everywhere.

One of the main reasons I chose to join this trip was to expand my horizons, continue to find new places. Now, while I have found many new things here as well, I find myself in comfortable familiar surroundings, and perhaps this will help me truly grasp how small this world really is. I can't wait.

We"re Here! :D

2010-03-15T10:26:00.002-04:00

After 2 cancelled flights, a rainy drive to New York in a crowded van, and over 24 hours in the famed Terminal 4, we have, at last, made it safe and sound to Trinidad. The weather is great, our guest house is beautiful, and all the challenges of the past 2 days seem to have evaporated in the island heat.

We successfully made complete messes of our rooms within the first 15 minutes of being here, we're raiding the kitchen and making some long-awaited non-airport food, and life is great.

Next stop: THE BEACH!

Finally here

2010-03-15T09:58:00.002-04:00

After nearly two full days of traveling, we have finally arrived in Trinidad and Tobago. We did not leave JFK until 2:30 a.m. this morning and we landed in Trinidad at around 7 a.m. All I have to say is, there will be no place like Terminal 4 in JFK. It stinks that we lost a day, but we are going to try to make the best of it. We have been for less than two hours and we already think this place is gorgeous. Although, it is extremely hot, so we are going to have to nurse our skin 24/7. Right now we are currently in Manuelita VIlla, where we are staying and it is such a cool place. It looks like a little house and it will be for the 13 of us. It is also really hot in there, so we are going to have to drink a ton of water. We are just going to relax for a little while and then go to the beach. Now I feel like I'm in spring break!

Episode 6 Return of the Jaded

2010-03-15T09:50:00.002-04:00

We are finally in Trinidad! i can not believe the crazy things that we have gone through to get here but we are here finally. This has already been a memorable trip but i have high expectations for it to become even more memorable. the sunrise on the plane was like the lamp beside the golden door noted in this famous poem.

Give me your tired, your poor,

Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free,

The wretched refuse of your teeming shore.

Send these, the homeless, tempest-tost to me,

I lift my lamp beside the golden door!

We've Arrived!

2010-03-15T07:44:00.002-04:00

A most welcome sight.
The crew has finally landed in Trinidad-Tobago, and is currently waiting in line at customs...yay!

sick of sitting and ready for sun... trinidad or bust!!

2010-03-14T16:34:00.004-04:00

I really think I am beginning to lose feeling to my lower body... cement floors were not made for a good night's sleep and hours of leisurely reading, although the ultra thin blankets and gauzy pillows provided by Delta do provide a little bit of relief at times. It's been interesting to see how creative people can get with so few resources to work with. Last night when we were still in Terminal 3, I saw a desperate Spanish family construct their own beds out of two silver rolling carts (normally used to carry luggage) and the Delta provisions. The Smithies are also quite ingenious when it comes to the construction of beds and lounging areas, as well as cuddling for body heat. Nothing says group bonding like that!

I didn't sleep at all last night but finally drifted off around 7:00 this morning. I woke up around 9:00 am due to cement floor induced discomfort, but after using my beach towel for extra padding, I was able to get in another two hours of shut-eye. For some reason, I'm really not that tired (and I'm an 8-hours-a-night kind of girl!) but it probably has to do with excitement. That 1:00 am flight to Trinidad is getting closer and closer (just about 8 hours away now... woo hoo!) The second I feel that 90 degree balmy air, all of the crazy experiences we've had thus far will be nothing more than a story to entertain friends and family with when we get back to the US.

T Minus several hours until we leave

2010-03-14T14:41:00.002-04:00

In all of my experiences of traveling throughout my life this has been the longest, most frustrating two days in my life. So far, we have had two flights cancelled in Logan Airport, one of the cancelled flights that was going to Laguardia airport, the airport closed. We did drive to JFK airport last night and ended up finding out that our 1 a.m. flight out of JFK was also cancelled. Our next flight out of JFK is at 1 a.m., Monday morning. We ended up sleeping in the terminal last night and we have been here since 11:30 p.m. last night. So far, our day has been based on complaining, blogging, not getting enough sleep, reading, eating expensive food, etc. Sometimes when people walk by us they stare at us like we are bums. There is optimism that our flight could leave earlier but I am not so sure on that. RIght now, we have more than 10 hours left before our flight leaves. Hooray...not really.

ohhhhhh JFK.....

2010-03-14T14:13:00.003-04:00

So JFK has never been a nice airport. All the times i have had an encounter with it, I have been less than impressed. Once, I had a connecting flight in Washington DC and because if some security breach at JFK, our flight was delayed by 3 hours. Yeah.... the airport and i are hitting a rough patch in our relationship.

It is my firm belief that everything in life happens for something to impact you or another life around you. I think that this excruciatingly long layover at JFK has brought out new thoughts in people. Some don't mind, some are a but upset. Some can sleep on tile floors just as comfortably as a bed, and others can not. All i know is that this airport adventure has given me new incite on travel and on the personalities of people both on the trip with us and the other thousands people in this airport. Isn't it funny how all these hundreds and hundreds of people who have walked by us... well, we will probably never see them again. Who knows where they came from or where they are going.

Now, with t- 101/2 hours to go till our Trinidadian flight leaves, I have an experience of sleeping at an airport under my belt, and some new ideas to ponder over. And Trinidad is going to be that much better now that we have survived this.

Boston, La Guardia, JFK, oh my

2010-03-14T13:29:00.005-04:00

Oh what adventures. I believe we have experienced every emotion in the past 48 hours possible. With camp set up by Peets coffee, we appear as though we are staying in JFK for the entire trip. And what a well rounded trip it's been, to say the least. Through the several changes in plans, we managed to fit in some exercise by taking laps around the entire terminal, seen many variations of New York t-shirts and countless trinkets, felt like celebrities as passerbyers stare in awe at our spread and light hearted demeanor (for the most part), and dined on many a Delta ginger snap (they're actually really good). Although this was not the original itinerary, we've bonded, laughed, gotten extremely angry at the New England weather, snuggled, drawn on each other, played many games, and slept. a lot. In all, this is only going to make being in Trinidad that much better and much more appreciated. We are currently awaiting the hopeful flight (the one and only 1am flight, to be exact), and everyone is more than ready for some hot weather... CANT WAIT. :D

Adventure #5: JFK

2010-03-14T12:25:00.002-04:00

We have now spent more than 14 hours in JFK airport. There is a large nest of luggage and airplane blankets next to Peet's Coffee. About 5 people have taken pictures/videos of us and I heard three comments complete strangers saying, "This country is ridiculous," "Can I join you guys?" and "Where are you headed to?"

Along with our nest, many other people had to camp out in JFK last night. Looking around, I thought I was in the movie "28 Days Later" or "The Happening". There were sleeping bodies everywhere, sprawled out on the cold airport floor.

Last night, several of us stayed up until 3:30am laughing at everything because we were so overtired. We made jokes about how we were lined up for the Victoria Secret opening for the new sale of the 3D Imax bra. We also joked about how we are going to catch a turtle to Trinidad instead of a plane.

After all of these delays, cancellations, and obstructions in out trip, I am READY TO GO TO TRINIDAD! I haven't let down hope yet. The amount of days we will actually spend in Trinidad have decreased by 1, but we are still determined to get there, even if we have to resort to turtles.

episode 5 The Airport Struck Back

2010-03-14T12:12:00.002-04:00

so apparently in order to get to trinidad you have to get into a car and drive to logan airport, check in, go through security, get your first flight of the day canceled, rebook to a later flight to a different airport in the same city, get that flight canceled, drive a van to New York, almost get blown off a bridge, survive a hurricane, see if your flight is still going( it wont be),sleep in the only terminal that is open 24hrs, and wait until 1 am the day after you were supposed to get there. oh i forgot the endless waiting there will be lots of waiting!

Automobiles, trains and hopefully a plane...

2010-03-14T11:39:00.004-04:00

So after my last post the adventure continued in full force. After realizing that no flight was getting out of Logan to JFK yesterday, and in consultation with some of the Delts folks we made a decision to rent a big van and drive to JFK with plenty of time to make our 1 am departure. The drive wasn't that bad considering the rain and high winds - the only sppoky part came when crossing the Whitestone bridge, you could really feel the wind. Much to our chagrin when we arrived at JFK we encountered thousands of stranded people whose flights were cancelled - and then promptly discovered ours was also. After 2.5 hours of waiting in line and onther 1 hour working with a very helpful agent (she really went above and beyond) we were reissued tickets for the next days 1 am flight. Now we had to decide what to do with 23 (thanks to daylight savings) hours. We headed over to Terminal 4 (open 24 hours) found ourselves a campsite, finally ate something and proceeded, to varying degrees of success, to try and get some sleep. After discovering that WiFi was not free here at JFk I bit the bullet and bought a 24 hour subscription so I could update the blog and offer the students an opportunity to do the same. It's almost noon now and according to the delta website our flight is "On Time" so probably in the next few hours we'll make our way back to Terminal 3 to check-in and hope for the best.
Losing a day potentially puts a kink in our itinerary so we will have reevaluate once we get to Port of Spain and decide on our priorities, etc.
On a personal note I am very proud of the way all the Smithies are handling our little adventure - they are for the most part in good spirits and making the most of it. They are suporting one another and taking care of each other.
My computer seems to be on the fritz as far as importing photos so I will try uploading from Kevin's computer.
Send good travel vibes our way!

GT at Logan

2010-03-13T14:04:00.002-05:00

Good times at Logan... Silver lining - at least our layover at JFK will now be shorter. We have been booked on a shuttle flight to La Guardia. I've booked a few vans to take us from La Guardia to JFK. Luckily that flight isn't leaving until 1 am so we have some cushion. Ah the joys of travel during a Nor'easter.

Stay tuned...

episode 4 a new hope to new york

2010-03-13T13:39:00.002-05:00

we have a new flight to La Guadia in New York all we have to do is get from there to JFK!

episode 3 revenge of the smith

2010-03-13T12:21:00.005-05:00

Hello all we have all made it to Logan airport and are through security there. Along our way we met up with another group of UNH students that are traveling to Nicaragua. Everyone is excited to be on our way. but the long layover in NY at JFK will be a real test. i have to retract that statement. our first flight has been canceled so let the international travel begin.

Just So You know

2010-03-12T14:05:00.002-05:00

Hey boys and girls!

So I know that i many not be the most social Smithie ever, but i want all to know how much i look forward to getting to know you all on this trip. I Love people and Love making new friends, and you all seem wonderful. I know we will make so many memories through the adventurs we will share in the next week. I also know that alot of you guys are best freinds with eachother, and i hope you can find some way to squeeze me in to your group.

Adventure awaits.... see you all tomorrow!

-Libby

Last minute details...

2010-03-12T10:28:00.001-05:00

We leave tomorrow. And I am running around like a chicken without a head trying to make sure I have dotted every i and crossed every t. There is a certain bit of stress that comes from being the "first" to do something like this. I am incredibly reassured by the support that awaits us in Trinidad in the form of the Lee family. I don't usually make lists - but I actually sat down and made one today, to make sure I don't miss anything super important. As usual with this sort of trip there are things coming up that might require some changes - like historically hot weather in Trinidad - but it seems like the group is going to be ok going with the flow. I have a few more hours of work to do today and then I can actually concentrate 100% on packing and making sure I have everything I need. I think I should be all set - luckily stores are open until 9 or 10 tonight so last minute shopping is still a possibility. I'm excited to start taking photos and making posts from Trinidad.
Ciao for now!

It's here!

2010-03-12T08:18:00.005-05:00

After months of planning, tomorrow is the big day!!!!! I must say it seems surreal. This whole week we've been counting down and with the final papers passed in and exams taken, the excitement is bubbling over Smith Hall. I feel especially lucky to be going on this trip after talking with my friends who are in awe by the fact that we're traveling all the way to Trinidad. I cannot wait to experience the culture, explore the island, and of course bring back tons of stories. Now all I have to do is pack! Here we go...:)
Besides that, my mind is clear and I am absolutely ready for this trip. Adios, Durham! :)

episode 2 attack of the smithies

2010-03-10T23:51:00.002-05:00

I'm so ready to go! I have my bags packed and Logan Airport is calling. The packing list have check-marks next to all of the items on it. I am looking forward to some warmer weather. It has been a comfortable 50 degrees here in durham and 90 sounds great. see you all at the airport!

The Trini side of things...

2010-03-09T21:05:00.002-05:00

Sooo here goes........

I think I'm naturally an excited, hyper person...... this trip has me SUPER Excited!! :) Everyday my parents ask me if there have been any updates to the group flying in on Sunday morning..... We continuously brainstorm to figure out whether there are any additional details we might have overlooked or simply not thought of..... we keep on thinking of what the UNH Smithies might like to experience here.....

One word of caution..... beware........IT IS HOTTT!!! (Temperature-wise) The grasses all over look ugly, dry and brown..... we're hoping it rains a bit before ya'll come so that it looks like it usually does.... lush and GREEN!! :)

Oh, Unnecessary Stress...

2010-03-09T19:50:00.003-05:00

With the long-awaited flight now only four short days away, I'm really beginning to feel it. Not to be grotesque, but I feel like a beheaded chicken running around in circles, so frantically is my mind going through check-lists and ideas and planning stages. I haven't even started packing, and that's a whole new ball game. There's a first-aid kit to booster, new clothes to buy, a certain shot/vaccine that is apparently far more important than any of us initially anticipated (I have an appointment to get mine on Thursday!). Basically, I just want to apologize ahead of time to any people who happen to run into me during a bad moment in the next three and a half days: It's not me snapping at you, it's the stress. Part of me wants to write all this down now so that I can laugh at myself at a later, calmer date. I know that two weeks from now I'll be sitting right in this chair wondering, "Wait, did it really already pass by? What happened?!?!?" Until that time though, I'll sit here and continue to make those lists and plan those plans.

I can't wait to finally be sitting "comfortably" (with my knees up to my throat most likely) in that airline seat, talking excitedly to the wonderful group of people that I've been given the chance to travel with. It's going to be awesome.

Ouch!

2010-03-08T16:02:00.004-05:00

Just came back from the doctor's office where I was lanced twice - once with yellow fever vaccine and the second time with typhoid vaccine. Thanks to these two shots and the variety of immunizations I got a few years ago - I should be good to go. I did find out a fun fact. It turns out that when you travel to places with yellow fever, the US immigration folks will kindly ask for proof of immunization upon your return. Sometimes, they might even choose to quarantine you if you can't produce proof of vaccination.

Other than that preparations seem to be on track. Went shopping to EMS to pick up a few last minute items and some super high strength bug repellent.

I have been in touch with Nikki and her folks a lot lately trying to figure out last minute details. Looks like it's going to be super hot in Trini while we're there. It has been nice here in NH the past few days (high 40's) but I don't know if I'm quite ready for a 50 degree jump.

Planned Itinerary

2010-03-04T09:51:00.002-05:00

3/13: Leave Logan airport 1:45 pm long layover at JFK depart at 1 am.
3/14: Arrive 7:01 am - Spend day with Nikki Lee and visiit Maracas Bay
3/15: Carapichaima and Waterloo (Visiting the Caribbean Indian Museum and Temple in the Sea)
3/16: Nariva Swamp and Bush Bush Island (Hoping to see an Anaconda)
3/17: Volunteering at Fondes Amandes (http://www.facrp.org/index.htm)
3/18: Volunteering at Fondes Amandes
3/19: Visit to Nikki's school and explore Port of Spain.
3/20: Depart 7:15 am arrive Logan airport around 7pm.

Group Photo #1

2010-03-03T22:45:00.004-05:00

We all met as a group tonight and took our first (i'm sure of many) group shots. As you can see there is a lot of enthusiasm in the group. Back Row (left to right): Leah, KLarge, Jordan, Ben, Terrence, Juice, Taylor, Megan, Jess, Me (Taras). Kneeling: Kaitlyn. Lying down: Conor and Liberator.

We spent some time talking about group expectations. In our group we have some seasoned travelers and a couple of folks who have never left New England. Kaitlyn said something really cool. She articulated that one of her hopes is that this trip will make us all "bffl's" (best friends for life) - so that in 20 years when I need a traveling buddy to go to India, I can just call on one of you and you'll be ready to go.

episode 1 the phantom trip

2010-03-03T12:07:00.003-05:00

I am so excited about this trip right now that i haven't come to fully comprehend or rather accept that it is really only a week away. We have a meeting tonight to do some group work and talk about the final information about flight and itinerary.

Visit a Smithie

2010-03-02T14:17:00.001-05:00

"Perhaps travel cannot prevent bigotry, but by demonstrating that all peoples cry, laugh, eat, worry, and die, it can introduce the idea that if we try and understand each other, we may even become friends" - Maya Angelou

Hello all,

In 1908 a residence hall was built at the University of New Hampshire. It was the first residence hall on the campus of UNH, and was built with the express purpose of providing housing for female students. Since 1908, it has undergone several renovations and additions. In 1983 it became the home of UNH's international student community. In 2008 we celebrated 100 years of Smith Hall. Residents of Smith Hall refer to themselves as Smithies and have adopted the phrase: Once a Smithie, Always a Smithie... As of today there are over 100 years of alumni of Smith Hall - all over the world.
In the fall semester of 2009 the hall director of Smith Hall, put into action a plan to begin organized student trips to visit Smithies all over the world. The hope is that these trips will educate through service and interaction with new cultures and natural environments. The trips are meant to extend the ethos of Smith Hall beyond Durham, NH.
On March 13, 2010 a group of 12 current Smithies and the hall director will travel from Durham, NH to Port of Spain, Trinidad to visit Nicole "Nikki" Lee. Nikki, a native of Trinidad, was a 4-year resident of Smith Hall and graduated in 2008. Nikki now works as an elementary school teacher. The group will spend a week in Trinidad, visiting cultural sites, volunteering in Trinidad's reforestation efforts, doing a presentation at Nikki's school, and enjoying the natural beauty of Trinidad. We will document our trip on this blog.
We are already starting to plan a trip for Spring Break 2011. We are starting to reach out to Smithies that would like to invite us to visit their country.
Finally, we hope that this blog will become a place where all Smithies can share their own experiences visiting folks they met through Smith Hall.
We look forward to hearing from you.

Cheers,
Taras Ferencevych
Smith Hall RHD