It has been a long and taxing few weeks here in St Kitts.
It started before mid semester break (which consists of one day tacked onto a weekend, so in essence it is a midsemester 3 day weekend). The particular round of exams just before break seemed harder then usual, but that could just be due to that fact that everyone was tired and ready for a day of non-school related activities.
I hopped on a plane Thursday night (yes I missed class Friday) to head home to NY for the weekend. I was completely psyched to see the family and friends I had left behind nearly 6 months prior.
After a bunch of delays I landed in NY around 3am Friday morning, and my mom came to pick me up. Friday was pretty uneventful. I tooled around the house a bit and ended up meeting up with some good friends for a few drinks at Sullivans. Good times were had by all.
Saturday rolled around and off to NJ for my cousin Kristopher's wedding. It was SPECTACULAR. Gloria (his bride) look beautiful, as did the rest of my family. It was nice to see my cousins (mostly Steve, as Kris was obviously pre-occupied) and reinforce the new bond we are trying to cultivate.
A few hazy hours later it was Sunday. My mom and Dad packed us in the car and we were on the road back to NY.
Upon returning home, I turned on my computer (as all good nerds do) and was signed in to AIM. I was immediately IM'ed by a friend Chas who was still in St Kitts. After some menial small talk he dropped a bomb on me. A friend of mine, Matt, had gotten into a fatal car accident the night before on the main road near school. I all but lost my composure.
Not wanting to believe a word of it, I began packing my things for my flights the next morning back to St Kitts. The rest of my time home passed without much interaction from me.
I boarded my two planes back to the island on Monday morning, and while going to my apartment, I saw my first sign that life would never be the same. Someone had erected a cross where Matt lost his life. It was truly a reality, he was gone.
Ross University was visibly shaken to it's core, as Matt had been a wonderful and integral part of the community. Life however for the veterinary student slows for no one, even the departed. With a histology exam approaching on that Wednesday (the "break" ended Monday, the day I landed) I had no choice but to throw myself into the books and force myself to stare at slides of skin.
In addition to the exams, as a TA (teacher assist, which is basically a tutor) for 2 classes, I had to prepare my notes and exercises for that weeks sessions. On top of TA'ing and my impending exam, being one of the class representatives puts me at the center of people's attention when something goes wrong. not that I am complaining, because I am not... seriously, I'm not. I love the things I do on campus, and I wouldn't change a thing.... but for that moment I felt like my head and heart were going to explode.
Wednesday morning came, and the exam was taken. Wednesday afternoon quickly followed, and with that came Matt's memorial service. The rest of the week was spent mourning, studying and trying to regroup.
It's now the next week, and still, life has not slowed. Exams are always lurking around the corner, tutoring sessions aer always being held. The void that is present is obvious at certain moments, and less at others. Each day things get a little easier. Ross U is rebuilding itself.
Anyway, my point being that life here, as it is anywhere in the world, isn't all peaches and puppies. Matt will be missed forever, as my wonderful memories from the weekend will not be forgotten...
"love the life you lead, lead the life you love"
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