oops.

Hey all-
Sorry its been so very long since my last post. I promised you I would try a blog, but to tell the truth I don't think I will be able to post on here very often/use it a my main communication. I am constantly checking my email, and I am on AIM and Skype for those who would like to keep better in touch. Hopefully I will see more of you on there. I'll still use this for interesting stuff, but my day to day is mainly studying and sleeping, so its not very blog-worthy.
School is going well, we had our first test last week and the second is tomorrow in histology. Did well on my first exam so I hope that I can use that to continually motivate for the rest to come. I've been a little under the weather for the past week or so- I crashed my scooter last saturday and did a number on my knee and body. Its healing slowly, but at least I'm off the crutches. My friends have been pretty amazing this past week taking me out to get meals or picking things up for me, including notes from classes that I've missed so I can rest. The antibiotics have kept me feeling kind of constantly sick and tired so I look forward to being healthy again, maybe another week or so. I will have a pretty cool scar when this is all over...
(for those of you who, like me, enjoy the gross stuff, I can send you pics of the knee ;)

Ok, well I have to get back to studying. Oh Yeah, I almost completely forgot- the day before I got in my accident, we had our white coat ceremony. Thats where we are all presented with RUSVM lab coats and we say the Oath of Geneva and all that- its our official welcoming to the profession of veterinary medicine. It was very cool. Mom, Dad, I got you each a DVD of it. Just for fun. Alright now I will go- Hopefully you are all well, again I apologize if I'm not keeping in touch as much as you would have hoped. Miss you all!
Love, Beck

I know what you do to the cats...

Hello! I know it's been a few days but there really isn't too much new to report down here. The big news is that i am now posting FROM MY APARTMENT!!! That's right. I signed up for the service, and fifteen short days later, BOOM, I have internet. Technology is grand. So now I am happy because I dont have to scurry to the library every time I want to check something online or send an email, I can do it from my kitchen. For those if you who have invested in a webcam, this means live conversations very soon! And since its wireless, I can show you around my apartment, my view, and all that. Yeah!!!
So things are pretty good here. School continues to be a challenge but so far we are all managing pretty well. The dissection we are doing in gross is the best part of classes- I've never had so much fun learning before! I am quite free to be a nerd here.
I put in a picture of Ryan and I on the Catamaran trip from last week. I used to work with Ryan in Farmington CT way back in the day- we ran into each other here- cool huh? And a picture of the shirt I got when I joined the AAFP club, the American Association of Feline Practitioners, ha ha its funny. Oh I just remembered- On sunday I was craving a break from studying so I walked down this little path from campus called the "stairway to the sea". It leads down through the woods to a gazebo type structure that hangs over the rocks on the ocean. If you sit on the edge you can feel the spray from the surf. I think I've found my new zen territory. I will take pix next time I go down.

And finally - the title. Quick explanation- about a month before I left for school, 1st grade teacher Erin Trumble sent me an email asking me if her students could each send me a letter. She had just taught them about vets and was practicing letter writing with them as well. The catch is that all of the students wrote to me as if I was already a vet and I had to write back in the same way. I have already sent my group reply to the class, but these letters and illustrations(not sure where my arms attach on that one) make me smile every time I pick them up, which is quite often. I wanted to share some of my favorites with you...










Hope these brighten your day!

Talk to you all soon and if you're not already, GET. ON. SKYPE.

Scapulas, scalpels and scooters, oh my

Hello from St. Kitts!! A few new things have happened since I last posted…like I STARTED VET SCHOOL! Whoa. Like a ton of bricks man, like a ton of bricks. First though, let me finish up last week. The final day of orientation(Saturday) we took a catamaran trip to Nevis(pronounced Nee-vis), went snorkeling, had lunch on the beach, and generally frolicked in the water. All in all, we were in unshaded sun for pretty much 6 straight hours, and most people looked like lobsters by the end of the day. I put a picture of me and Leslie having a cocktail on the way there. Rebels! Oh and some pics of the fortress we all went to on Friday- awe-inspiring schtuff.

Then classes started on Monday, and we have pretty much been going strong ever since. I have 4 classes: nutrition, histology, physiology, and gross anatomy 1. This Friday in gross we start our semester long dog dissection- I can’t wait to get started. ☺ In combination, the classes are a bit of a killer, but definitely doable. Just don’t have time for much else during the week.
Yesterday when I got home after four hours straight of lectures, I asked my neighbor if it slows down after a while. He simply said, “you get used to it”. So there it is- I’m getting my butt kicked pretty much everyday, and so NEED distractions from home as often as you all can provide. The internet people actually called me today, which mean that I should (should) have it up and running by the end of the week. It’s difficult to set up a time now though since school started, because if they say they’ll be at your house at 930am, you’re lucky if they show up the by the end of the next day. Literally. So we’ll see on that. I have been getting to the library in the mean time to IM with people (thank you schuyler and dyman for keeping me sane). I’m very much looking forward to the first weekend coming up- there is a big party on Friday which should be a good time. Then to the beach on Sat morning and studying again by sat night. I’m told that’s pretty much how it goes around here. Sorry not a lot of pics, haven’t even taken my camera out since Saturday. Also there is this “no photography” rule here in terms of animals/classes and even campus to some extent. I can’t post pictures of a lot of stuff, but I’m sure I’ll continue to get out and see more of the island. Alright, well I must be off home to start the evening studying fun. And see Sala. I got her some toys yesterday (she’s such a niphead) so shes been a little less depressed and been out from under the bed a bit more. I’m hoping she will eventually be alright and not hide from everyone and everything. Ok, I was going. Talk to you soon!


-my orientation group-

Goat Water & Coconut Rum

So I’m still fighting with my internet and am currently on campus at 7am before the orientation stuff starts so that I can post this. Orientation, which ends today, has been really wonderful- they certainly have been thorough and gone well beyond school stuff with all sorts of optional activities like dinners out at favorite spots on the island, trips downtown, to the beach, island tours, etc. In such a strange and different place, it’s been good to get to know a group of people decently well before the semester begins. I am feeling much more comfortable here than I was a few days ago.

I put in a few pictures of my group, which is eight girls and two guys. On monday night we went to dinner at our group leaders favorite restaurant, a beachfront place called, and I am not making this up, Mr. X’s Shiggity Shack.
That’s where the group pic is from and also mom and I under the signs posted outside. Read them- they funny. Then on tues I got my books and supplies for school which means that I now actually own a lab coat and stethescope and scalpels and all that. Beyond the good stuff though, I also picked up at least 50 lbs of really fun looking books with titles like “Veterinary Histology” and “Illustrated Biochemistry”. Good times. Dinner on Tues was a BBQ on campus, and I included a shot from it because you can see a little bit of what the school looks like. It’s a gorgeous campus.
Wednesday night after all the orientation stuff and dinner we all went to a kareoke bar that is apparently frequented by students pretty much every Wed. of the semester. Twas fun. Then yesterday we took an island tour and saw some very cool old plantation structures and estates, as well as botanical gardens and a batik shop. Apparently because of its location, climate and size, St. Kitts historically was the most prominent island in the West Indies for hundreds of years, and the people here are very aware and proud of their heritage. There are influences from French, English, South American, Dutch and of course African cultures and I think its going to be pretty interesting to learn more about. I included a picture of an old bell tower on a manor that actually used to be owned by Samuel Jefferson, Tommy’s great great grandfather. I’ve always loved all that historical stuff. Tomorrow we go see the Brimstone Fortress up on the tallest hill on the island. I think it may be an unexplored volcano. Hmmm - should be interesting.





I through in a couple pix from downtown too, one of what they call the “circus”, which is the center of town, and one of me inside the farmers market that runs on Saturday mornings. You can see the different architectural styles all jumbled together and some of the bright Caribbean colors. Ok, that’s enough out of me- I hope to be in touch with you all individually as soon as I can. All the best from da Caribbean mon!


Oh- goat water is actually goat stew, which I haven’t had the pleasure of trying yet. And the rum here is so cheap to make that its actually less expensive than the mixers at the bars, so the drinks are STRONG!!

oh again – my phone number is 869-663-4209. Dialed just like any long distance # in the US. I don’t know how expensive it is for you to call yet, but just so you all have it…

Dat Island Life

Ok well I’m here- I actually got here on Friday afternoon, but have been completely cut off from communicating with everyone until now. So I apologize to those who have been wondering where I am. For the past couple days I have been running around the island (which is WAY bigger than I anticipated) on a van taxi thing with the rest of my orientation group as sort of a pre-orientation get familiar with the island thing. It’s a very necessary process- it’s hard to explain what its like landing here. My apartment is nice, but its very bare bones, with windows and shades that don’t open, ants in the kitchen, and massive bars on the doors and windows. That said though, its not so bad and is growing on me every day. My view off off my back porch, which I’ve shown here, is absolutely stunning. There are rainstorms every morning before it clears up for a beautiful tropical day. Once I get really moved in and manage to get some stuff up on these concrete walls, I think this will become a place I can begin to call home. Plus I’m the closest to campus of all the apartment complexes, so I'll be able to roll out of bed right before class and walk home for lunch and stuff like that.

The island itself is really interesting. Everything runs on island time, and its hard(or impossible) to get things that I am used to being able to pick up at any Rite Aid or CVS. There are no stop lights on the island (a far cry from Los Angeles) and no one has a real address. Let me give you an example- this is my actual address, used for the housing dept, deliveries, etc: "1st driveway on L pass RU, apt through garage facing main street" And they get better than that, i just dont have copies here. Anyway...Not having a car means I have to bum rides from other students or catch the island "bus" if I need food or pretty much anything. The island buses are these oversized taxi things that run kind of whenever they are around, and are individually owed and say things like "live de life" and "true" and "uncle millie" in huge letters on the front. I actually caught one today and it wasn't as scary as I thought it might be. So the seclusion feeling is slowly abating. Everyone I've met so far is really friendly and helpful and the students are a really diverse group from all over America- everyone's got a story. I'm looking forward to getting to know people better. Plus my next door neighbor’s name happens to be Eric – Haha. Don't worry though Dyman, you're beyond one of a kind.
As for the Sala beans, she had me worried for the first 48 hours but will now come out from under the bed for whole minutes at a time before scurrying back under there. I guess she’s going to take some time getting used to the island life too. My apartment creaks and groans and I think the storms pretty much scare the crap out of her every time they hit. She's better every day though.

Real quick let me run through the pix- so much happened before I could post that I'm gonna have to throw these in without too much explanation. First one is from the plane- it actually came out pretty good- yes I was that girl snapping photos from the plane window...also one of my Sala as drugged as can be during our layover in Miami. We were watching Pirates of the Carribean 2. The next two are of my apartment, one from the front, then one off the back porch. Sunday we went to Turtle beach at the end of the island where there are troops of alcoholic monkeys(i don't fully support this, but they ARE entertaining) who steal drinks. Picture of one finishing a beer. Also a massive pig named Wilbur. Then at the end a couple shots of the island from on top of a big mountain right in the middle. Pretty, aint it? I will have more that include the people I am meeting and the campus soon.




Right now I'm at Brooke, my orientation leader's apartment, which btw, is WAY nicer than mine. Perhaps next semester...
Ok all, more later I'm sure. feel free to email me anytime- my email as of now is still rmfried@hotmail.com. I also have a skype account that you can look me up on. Eventually the plan is to hook up my webcam so I can actually have face to face conversations with you people. More soon! Love you!