Living Away From Home

January 18, 2021

Good morning (or whatever time of day that you're reading this)! I got my COVID test back and I'm finally out of quarantine! On my first day out of my room, January 14, 2021 I went to Brewer's Bay Beach. I really enjoyed breathing some fresh air and getting some sand between my toes. I never really realized how quiet and peaceful just listening to the sound of the waves would be. Classes also started this week and have been easygoing so far. This semester I'm tackling some of my required courses for my major instead of only electives. The classes that I'm taking are Terrestrial Plant Biology, History of the Virgin Islands, Public Speaking, Open Water Diving, and Organic Chemistry and its lab (yikes). I've had a few assignments due this week and this coursework hasn't really been that similar to UofSC to me. It seems to be a bit easier and even if the course load is lighter. I know that I'm going to have to have to work on managing my time to avoid having a rough semester though. The sizes of my classes are also so much smaller. My chemistry class currently only has 3 students opposed to my other chemistry classes that I took at home with over 100 students. I don't know if the size will remain the same after the drop/add deadline, but I'm assuming that it will.

Yesterday, January 17, I got to meet the other exchange students that are here this semester and went out for dinner at The Greenhouse Restaurant and Bar. I really enjoyed meeting them as well as just being outside and getting to experience the island from more than my window view.

However, today was the best day I've had so far. In observance of Martin Luther King Jr. Day, we didn't have classes and had plenty of time to explore and relax. I was invited to go on a sight seeing tour with the friends I met last night. We got to see so much of St. Thomas and even go to Magen's Bay beach for a few hours. We went to Mountain Top and seen so many landmarks that hold so much value to the history of the islands. I got so many pictures and videos that I'm actually thinking about starting a YouTube channel so that I can include everything that I got. All in all, I've really been enjoying myself so far and I can't wait to see what else my exchange has in store for me.