The search is on for good tropical weather hiking clothes. LLBean had some great options, but their sizes run small, so all the stuff I ordered from there has to be sent back. I'm waiting on a package to arrive from REI - hopefully that stuff will fit better. Good thing we decided to order clothes now so we have time to do all the exchanging. The hiking panties and sports bra that I bought fit though, so that's great! (Yes, they do make special panties and sports bras for hiking in tropical climates. Go figure.)
Minus the hiking clothes, I'm good on shirts. I have enough sleeveless, lightweight shirts to last me about a week or so, and I figure I can wear some shirts twice, or wash them in the kitchen sink at our cottage and hang them out to dry during the day while we're gone. Shorts and capris... I need to figure out what I have and what I need to get. Waiting on my bathing suit to get here too. I wanted one that was more "athletic" with the swim shorts instead of just a normal bottom for when we're kayaking, etc. JCPenney had a good option that was on sale, so hopefully it'll fit right and look semi-decent.
Our waterproof camera arrived this week, as did our "neck cool" scarves. You soak them in water for 15 minutes, and then tie them around your neck and it's supposed to help keep you cool all day. We'll see how those work out. They weren't expensive at all, so if they don't work, it's not too much money down the drain.
Not much else has been done as far as the trip is concerned. We need to book our rental car and reserve our "outings". Other than that, I think it's just a matter of going down the checklist and making sure we've bought everything we need, and then packing.
Most of my time lately has been working on finishing up this semester - classes and internship. And also applying for jobs, sending our resumes, etc. I have two interviews scheduled thus far down in Louisiana, and I'm waiting on a job description so I can apply for anothe position that I've been told I'm "perfect" for. Yeah, it's stressful, and it gets even more stressful when I hear of another friend or person in my program/semester getting a job. I haven't even had an interview yet. But I'm trusting God and knowing that He'll provide the right thing for me. His timing is perfect, even when I want His timing to be sooner rather than later!
Monday, February 22, 2010
Saturday, January 30, 2010
Only 3 More Months!!!
Or something like that!
I haven't written an update blog in awhile about our upcoming trip to Dominica. Life has been way too busy! I'm finishing up my last semester of grad school, looking for jobs, and trying to keep up with everything else. I probably haven't written a blog in awhile because we haven't done much regarding our trip in awhile.
I don't remember if I shared this bit of information or not, but I'm going to share it again! For our Boiling Lake hike, I was somehow able to connect with the author of the Dominica travel book, and he is going to be our guide for the hike (as it stands right now anyway!). His name is Paul Crask - www.paulcrask.com - and he lives on the island.
Also, for the hike, my friend Michelle who is living in Dominica while serving in the Peace Corps, is going to be joining us! And maybe our friend Courtney too if she plans her vacation to Dominica the same time that my mom and I will be there! I really need to start working out more because both of them are in phenomenal shape and I don't want them to be pulling me up the side of the volcano!!
I don't think I've been thinking about our vacation too much and getting excited about it yet because I've been so busy and excited thinking about graduation, planning my graduation party, and counting down for that! Seven years of full-time college for my Bachelor's and Master's degrees are almost finished! Wow!
Oh, here's some other news. For Christmas I bought my mom a few things for our trip (and some things for myself), and I also received a great gift for the trip. The things I bought for both my mom and me are more Smartwool socks, a deodorant-like stick to prevent chafing/blisters/etc. when hiking, a compact fast-drying towel, and a thing for women to use to help us pee when we're out in nature (it's this plastic thing with a tube... you get the idea...). And I received one of those "gorilla tripod" things for my camera, which I am very excited to be able to use when we're hiking!
That's it for now! I'll try to write again soon (but I'm going to wait until something happens!). Happy 2010!
I haven't written an update blog in awhile about our upcoming trip to Dominica. Life has been way too busy! I'm finishing up my last semester of grad school, looking for jobs, and trying to keep up with everything else. I probably haven't written a blog in awhile because we haven't done much regarding our trip in awhile.
I don't remember if I shared this bit of information or not, but I'm going to share it again! For our Boiling Lake hike, I was somehow able to connect with the author of the Dominica travel book, and he is going to be our guide for the hike (as it stands right now anyway!). His name is Paul Crask - www.paulcrask.com - and he lives on the island.
Also, for the hike, my friend Michelle who is living in Dominica while serving in the Peace Corps, is going to be joining us! And maybe our friend Courtney too if she plans her vacation to Dominica the same time that my mom and I will be there! I really need to start working out more because both of them are in phenomenal shape and I don't want them to be pulling me up the side of the volcano!!
I don't think I've been thinking about our vacation too much and getting excited about it yet because I've been so busy and excited thinking about graduation, planning my graduation party, and counting down for that! Seven years of full-time college for my Bachelor's and Master's degrees are almost finished! Wow!
Oh, here's some other news. For Christmas I bought my mom a few things for our trip (and some things for myself), and I also received a great gift for the trip. The things I bought for both my mom and me are more Smartwool socks, a deodorant-like stick to prevent chafing/blisters/etc. when hiking, a compact fast-drying towel, and a thing for women to use to help us pee when we're out in nature (it's this plastic thing with a tube... you get the idea...). And I received one of those "gorilla tripod" things for my camera, which I am very excited to be able to use when we're hiking!
That's it for now! I'll try to write again soon (but I'm going to wait until something happens!). Happy 2010!
Saturday, August 29, 2009
Boots? Check! Backpacks? Check!
We have our boots! (Okay, technically only my mom has her boots - mine are on order from Amazon.com) We spent a lot of time at The Outpost in Holland, MI this past Thursday (and a lot of money) and are now able to check things off our "To Buy" list. The sales guy who helped us was phenomenal and worked with us to find just the right size/fit of boots, which kind of socks to get (who knew wool socks were the way to go??), assisted us with finding backpacks (with water bladders of course! Ha ha! Water bladders!), and even hooked us up with our five-fingers toe shoes! We didn't end up buying our boots there - I think my mom's were on sale at Gander Mountain, so she bought hers there. And since I needed wide-width, I ended up ordering my boots online since for some reason I had been told these specific boots didn't come in "wide". Hmm...? The toe shoes feel really weird, but I think I'll get used to them quickly. They'll be great for when we go to the waterfalls and have to climb over rocks to swim in the pools. They'll be great for snorkeling too!
Obviously we haven't bought everything we need for our trip yet. We still need to get a waterproof camera, and essential items like bugspray, sunscreen, and other items that I can't think of at the moment but that I'm sure we're going to need to buy!
This morning I noticed my mom creating a spreadsheet of days/activities for our vacation. Yes, we like to plan, and yes, we're really that meticulous and anal about organization! To some people, vacation is getting away from home, laying on a beach, and doing absolutely nothing. For us, we like trying to cram in as many awesome activities as we can into our vacations! Who knows if/when we'll ever get the opportunity to do these things again in our lives?! Since my final fall semester of grad school starts in a couple of days, and I'm going to be busy until my month off for Christmas break, planning is going to have to happen now. Because honestly, the next break I have is Christmas, and then my graduation is in May, and then a week or so later we hop on the plane for Dominica! When you look at it that way, it seems like our vacation is not so very far away!
So far the "we definitely are going to do this" activities are:
- Boiling Lake hike
- Emerald Pool hike
- Visiting the Carib Indian Territory
- Watching sea turtles come ashore and nest at night (hopefully!)
- Repelling/Canyoning down waterfalls
And of course a whole bunch of other things that look amazingly fun and adventurous!
When I have a chance I'll write more about each of these activities and post some pictures and links so that you can check them out for yourself! Oh, and I'll also post some pictures of our recent purchases (boots, backpacks, toe shoes, etc.)!
Obviously we haven't bought everything we need for our trip yet. We still need to get a waterproof camera, and essential items like bugspray, sunscreen, and other items that I can't think of at the moment but that I'm sure we're going to need to buy!
This morning I noticed my mom creating a spreadsheet of days/activities for our vacation. Yes, we like to plan, and yes, we're really that meticulous and anal about organization! To some people, vacation is getting away from home, laying on a beach, and doing absolutely nothing. For us, we like trying to cram in as many awesome activities as we can into our vacations! Who knows if/when we'll ever get the opportunity to do these things again in our lives?! Since my final fall semester of grad school starts in a couple of days, and I'm going to be busy until my month off for Christmas break, planning is going to have to happen now. Because honestly, the next break I have is Christmas, and then my graduation is in May, and then a week or so later we hop on the plane for Dominica! When you look at it that way, it seems like our vacation is not so very far away!
So far the "we definitely are going to do this" activities are:
- Boiling Lake hike
- Emerald Pool hike
- Visiting the Carib Indian Territory
- Watching sea turtles come ashore and nest at night (hopefully!)
- Repelling/Canyoning down waterfalls
And of course a whole bunch of other things that look amazingly fun and adventurous!
When I have a chance I'll write more about each of these activities and post some pictures and links so that you can check them out for yourself! Oh, and I'll also post some pictures of our recent purchases (boots, backpacks, toe shoes, etc.)!
Monday, August 17, 2009
Things to Buy
So we've started planning our vacation - when to go, where to stay, what to do while there, etc. But we're also starting to think about what we need to buy for the trip - hiking boots, waterproof backpacks, small travel-size first aid kit for when we're hiking and I inevitably skin my knee...
A friend suggested Merrell (sp?) hiking boots, and also recommended a store in Holland - The Outpost - where they can help us find what we need for the type of hiking we're going to be doing, the climate, etc. Another friend of mine has a pair of Fivefingered-Toe shoes that somewhat intrigue me, so I looked up some information on them also (http://www.vibramfivefingers.com/), and found out that they're great for watersports, some hiking, and things like that. (And The
Outpost in Holland has those too!) So as far as footwear goes, I think our first stop is going to be at The Outpost in Holland (I've mentioned them three times - free advertising? If they want to send a few bucks my way for mentioning their store, I wouldn't mind that! lol) If anyone has any suggestions on the kind of footwear we should be looking at for hiking in the Caribbean, let me know!
Waterproof backpacks. They seem to come in all sizes and colors. Some have only two pockets, some have six or seven. These are not difficult to find on Amazon or other sports stores, just finding the right ones for us is going to be the challenge. (Who knows, maybe The Outpost in Holland carries these also? No pun intended with the "carries" and talking about backpacks... yeah... anyway...)
Oh, and another thing we've been looking at are waterproof digital cameras. The two brands that seem to keep popping up in searches and are reasonably priced are Olympus and Fuji. We're thinking the Fuji one is the way to go, along with buying a "float strap" so that if it somehow comes off our wrists it doesn't sink to the bottom of the Atlantic or anything!
A friend suggested Merrell (sp?) hiking boots, and also recommended a store in Holland - The Outpost - where they can help us find what we need for the type of hiking we're going to be doing, the climate, etc. Another friend of mine has a pair of Fivefingered-Toe shoes that somewhat intrigue me, so I looked up some information on them also (http://www.vibramfivefingers.com/), and found out that they're great for watersports, some hiking, and things like that. (And The
Outpost in Holland has those too!) So as far as footwear goes, I think our first stop is going to be at The Outpost in Holland (I've mentioned them three times - free advertising? If they want to send a few bucks my way for mentioning their store, I wouldn't mind that! lol) If anyone has any suggestions on the kind of footwear we should be looking at for hiking in the Caribbean, let me know!
Waterproof backpacks. They seem to come in all sizes and colors. Some have only two pockets, some have six or seven. These are not difficult to find on Amazon or other sports stores, just finding the right ones for us is going to be the challenge. (Who knows, maybe The Outpost in Holland carries these also? No pun intended with the "carries" and talking about backpacks... yeah... anyway...)Small first aid kits? Meh. We can put that together ourselves. Probably don't need to go out and buy one when really we can throw some bandaids and triple-antibiotic ointment in a ziplock bag and go.
Oh, and another thing we've been looking at are waterproof digital cameras. The two brands that seem to keep popping up in searches and are reasonably priced are Olympus and Fuji. We're thinking the Fuji one is the way to go, along with buying a "float strap" so that if it somehow comes off our wrists it doesn't sink to the bottom of the Atlantic or anything!So that's where we are now. I'm sure we'll come up with more things that we need (or at least want) to buy between now and then. Right now I think the main thing is the hiking boots so we can start walking now in them so we don't get blisters from having to break them in once we're in Dominica.
Saturday, August 15, 2009
Welcome!
Welcome and thanks for visiting my blog! I'm assuming you've stopped by either because you're a family member or friend, or found this blog after performing a search on 'Dominica' or some other various key phrase that led you here. No matter how you found my blog, welcome! I'm very interested in your responses to my blog postings. If you have ideas, suggestions, or helpful hints that might help me out, that would be great! If you're correcting any misinformation that I may accidentally include in a post, I welcome that too. Feel free to leave your comments frequently!
Let me give you some background as to why I decided to create this blog in the first place. This past year my mom and I went on a Carnival Cruise that took us to the island of Dominica. Prior to booking the cruise, I had never heard of the island, so was interested in discovering this new tropical paradise. While in port in Roseau, Dominica, my mom and I went on a whale-watching excursion. It was an incredible experience and we're both glad we went! (I tried uploading the video for this post but for some reason it didn't work.)
Unfortunately, having gone on the whale-watching excursion, we were limited on time for exploring the island once we returned back to the mainland. What we were able to see was part of Roseau (the capital), the craft market, and the beautiful mountaineous landscape beyond the city and port. Unlike other islands in the Caribbean, Dominica is much less developed and is not as "touristy" as other tropical destinations. That was probably the main reason both my mom and I decided we would someday return to Dominica on vacation to explore the rest of the island and experience the culture. We're "off the beaten track" kind of girls and love vacations where we can explore, meet the people, really experience the culture, and leave with a greater sense of appreciation for nature, different ways of life, and once-in-a-lifetime experiences that we'll take with us for the rest of our lives.
Well, we're going back!
Next spring my mom and I will be traveling back to Dominica (via Puerto Rico) and will be staying for ten days! I graduate from my master's program the week before we leave for Dominica, so it will be a great way to celebrate my completion of grad school, and a great way to kick-off the beginning of a new chapter of my life. We've already begun planning what we're going to do in Dominica, and have our accommodations reserved. We are planning to rent a car while there. (Any suggestions on that??) Not only will we be exploring the island by car, but also by foot on several hikes around the island, and by water on swimming, tubing, and kayaking trips.
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