Smart Girls Have More Fun!

Well 2012 started off pretty well for me! I brought in this year in Istanbul with friends! I also spent the majority if this year living in Israel, which was a great experience for me. February of this year was also pretty amazing! February 10th my really great friend gave birth to my adorable little nephew Jack! That little boy makes my heart smile every time I think of the surprise he was and the joy he brings his family and most of all the miracle that he represents. In addition to the birth of Jack my niece Isabel turned one. A really great memory of February was the emergency change of plans I made to come home to the Bahamas because my mum called to tell me my Grammy (my last remaining grandparent) was in the hospital. I came home and my Grammy was released from the hospital and she's not been readmitted since!!!! February was a month of miracles I'd say. I flew back to Israel and began playing lacrosse, joined the Israeli national team and met some really great peop...

So after I finished my masters in Israel I moved back home to the Bahamas. This is the 1st time I have been back for an extended period of time since I left to go to boarding school as a teenager. Coming home meant I needed to find a job. Finding a job is difficult all over the world right now, but in the Bahamas there is an additional layer of difficulty because sometimes jobs aren't given on merit but simply on the basis of who you know in a particular position in a company. Needless to say I was quite worried if I'd find a job. I applied a few places before returning home, but never got any responses after quite a bit of effort. Soon after I came home I went on a couple of interviews and fortunately enough, I found a job. It wasn't the  job I'd expected, but it was a job and I thought it'd be an experience I'd gain from. I started working at Seahorse Institute as their Outreach Coordinator. Since starting I hadn't really done a lot of the work that my...

I haven't really had a desire to blog that much lately, but tonight I decided to blog. I saw something today on facebook that someone posted, reminding us to tell our friends and family how we feel. Well it's way past my bed time, but I can't go to sleep because I have to tell a very special friend of mine how I feel. My really good friend Lindsey is having surgery tomorrow to place a defibrillator on heart. I met Lindsey I guess 3 or 4 years ago now in Atlanta, through pole dancing, and we became instant friends. She's a blast to be around, always there when you need her, and one of the most quietly inspiring people I've ever met. Lindsey came into my life at the perfect moment, when I needed her most, though I don't think she knows this. I was going through a lot emotionally and she was always there to listen to me, always willing to hang out when I needed cheering up and always there to support me through whatever I was going through and she still is to...

I knew I'd miss Israel, I guess I just didn't know I'd miss it this much. So what do I miss so much? Yes of course I miss my friends, I miss Tel Aviv nightlife, but really I miss how I felt while being there. I felt like more of myself, I felt free, I felt embraced, and I felt sure. Since I've been home I really haven't felt any of this. I've been away from home so long that I don't really have many friends here, so it's kind of like starting over, but not quite. Trying to make friends in a place where people know you, but not really, but they have opinions of you nevertheless, makes things a little weird. Coming back to a place where people have all of these expectations of me and for me makes it hard for me to feel like myself. I felt so sure and hopeful before and being here I've started to doubt myself. Mainly because people keep questioning my decisions. I know this is normal, but sometimes you just don't want to have to defend yourself an...

I sit here writing this feeling absolutely numb, I'm still in denial that these moments are the last few hours of my time here in Tel Aviv. It's unbelievable that the time went by so quickly. I knew this day was coming, but I've avoided thinking about it because I wasn't ready to face reality and I wanted to be present for every moment I had remaining. There aren't enough words to express my feelings right now. This year has been so amazing for me; eye opening, liberating and unbelievably fun! I came here to get my master's and I'm leaving here undoubtedly changed. I will forever have a special place in my heart for Israel and for every experience I've had here and all of the amazing people I was able to share the past year with. I don't even know where to begin. I boarded a flight to Israel last year having never been here, but knowing without a doubt that it was where I was meant to be at this point in my life. This year as been beyond my expec...

“Our power lies in our small daily choices, one after another, to create eternal ripples of a life well lived.”  ―  Mollie Marti Almost a year ago I somewhat blindly and maybe even a bit naively stepped on a plane bound for Israel. I'd never been here before but made the decision to study and live here for a year. I came with an open mind and heart knowing that through this journey my life would be changed. As I sit in reflection now as the time drawers nearer to my departure my foresight about this year here was absolutely right. It has been an amazing year with amazing lessons, growth, experiences and most of all people. I am so grateful for this experience and for the people I met and shared this with. I am grateful for my family and friends who supported my decision, though at first may have been a bit apprehensive of such a move. I am grateful for the friends that came to visit and share in this journey with me. It was so amazing to share this place with my friends fro...

So I know this blog post is a bit delayed, but I got back to Israel after Amsterdam, and went straight into finals and even more lacrosse so I've not had enough free time to blog my experience. I will just start off by saying it was AMAZING! It was a world wind experience, but so much fun, so rewarding and something I am so happy that I got the opportunity to be a part of! I still can't believe it's real sometimes. I was a part of the first EVER Israel Women's Lacrosse team! I mean mere weeks before we were meant to leave for Amsterdam we were questioning would this trip really happen, would we really be able to pull it of?! Well we did way more than that! We had 3 teams in Amsterdam and the men and women's team swept the festival tournament and the men's national team placed 8th in Europe! Israel, FESTIE CHAMPS!!! :) I'd say that's a pretty damn good showing for the first international play by team Israel! So I left for Amsterdam on June 23rd. It ...

So my friend Khushboo blogged her A-Z of happiness yesterday and I loved the idea so much that I'm gonna blog mine too! :) A ndimas - Andimas is my birthday. In college for my birthday an ex gave me 7 days worth of birthday presents and my bestie affectionately labeled it Andimas! Andimas is one of my favorite days of the year. I love birthdays and I think they should be celebrated! B ahamas,  B each, and B reakfast - I am from the Bahamas and I am proud to be a Bahamian. I am also a true island girl, so the beach is one of my happy places. I love breakfast food and no matter how late I wake up I have to have breakfast first. I can eat breakfast any time of the day! C lean sheets/laundry - I hate doing laundry but I love the smell of clean laundry in the dryer. I also love getting into bed on freshly washed sheets! :) D ogs & D irty's - I love my baby loves. My 2 pups are a big part of my life and I miss them so much. Seeing a cute dog always puts a smile on my fac...

I really get a little bit annoyed when people automatically equate pole dancing to stripping. The two are NOT synonymous! I pole dance, I love it, it's great exercise, I have made great friends through it, I have grown as a woman from the experience and it's a form of therapy for me. So I have taken this moment to educate those people that don't know much about my art, but are a little judgmental. Pole dancing has become a new global dance phenomenon. There are pole dancing studios popping up all over the place. For the first time pole dancing was a part of the MTV show America’s Best Dance Crew a few seasons back. However, there is still some stigma about it. When most people hear pole dancing they automatically think of strip clubs and the naked women that work there. Pole fitness should not imply moral indecency, women are not dancing in class in front of each other naked. The majority of women don’t want to see other women naked anyway. Yes we wear minimal clothing...

I leave for Amsterdam in a week! OMG! I'm so excited! I'm excited to compete, excited to meet all my teammates, and excited to experience Amsterdam for the first time. If you're not into lacrosse or playing sports my next comment may seem a bit weird, but this week we got our new sticks in our team colors. I felt like a 5 year old girl again. I'd unwrapped an awesome birthday present or something, but no it was just a blue and white lacrosse stick yet I felt like someone had just given me a pair of Louboutin's! Yea I was really that excited about a lacrosse stick! From the moment I put my new stick together my mood changed, my play changed and I had a perpetual smile on my face! Maybe it was just because it's new, but I think it's more because it was Blue and White and made our upcoming competition so real. We are really going to Amsterdam to represent Israel and we are now getting all of our team gear and feeling like a cohesive unit! A real team!! This...

Being single/dating is an experience. I can't really think of another word to describe it at this moment.I've said this before, but I'll say it again, I rather be single than with the wrong person, but getting to the right person has been quite an eventful process to say the least. I remember seeing somewhere that when you find the person you're meant to be with you will understand why it never worked out with anyone else. After the experiences I have had the past few months I sure hope this is true.  The past few months I have had nothing short of pure comedic experiences. I mean experiences so weird that I have to laugh not to pity myself and cry. I don't know if I am the only single girl feeling this way, but I swear some of my experiences are so strange I wonder if I am the only person that these things happen to. I have had so many "This really just happened to me" moments recently that I am beginning to wonder. I am going to share some of the hig...

Well I've been living here a while now, and mostly I've written quite positive things about my experiences here, but I don't want to be biased. There is definitely a dark and ugly side of life here. A side that gets very little global news coverage, but a burgeoning issue here. I think I've mentioned before that there is a growing African refugee and asylum seeking population here and that they aren't treated very well. Well in recent weeks the news has been flooded with stories regarding this issue. The refugee population is the one that I work with for my internship so it's definitely an issue that I am forced to pay attention to. But not only that, I am a black girl in this city that is not a refugee, but with all of the tension between the refugees and the Israelis, the recent acts of violence, etc it is now a real concern of mine to be accidently caught in a dangerous situation that will only ensue solely because of my skin color. I am in South Tel Aviv a...

HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY!!! Happy Mother's Day to my best friend Tiana, you're such a great mommy to Isabel. I am so proud of you! To all of my other friends that are moms, you guys are amazing, you guys are an inspiration seriously! Lindsey I love you, Happy 1st of many Mother's Day! Jack is a little miracle baby and every day I look at pictures of him and you together makes my heart smile! Happy Mother's Day to my sister in law, you're a great friend, a great big sister, a great mother and we'll forever be close because you've given me 2 of the most beautiful joys of my life. I hope you guys all have the best day! You deserve to be celebrated today and every day for all that you do as mothers. I'd also like to say Happy Mother's Day to 3 of the most important women in my life. Happy Mother's Day to my Grammy Wally, Happy Mother's Day to my Auntie Bridgette, and most importantly Happy Mother's Day to my Mummy, Marion! I love you guys s...

I don't like politics and I rarely make public statements about political/social issues, I usually work on my own personal causes for social matters that I care about more quietly and in my own capacity. But I woke up this morning with this on my brain so I had to let it out. I guess mainly because the past 2 days my Facebook newsfeed has been filled with posts on the topic of gay rights.  I know this is a touchy subject, which is probably why it's on my mind. So I will go ahead and make this disclaimer upfront, this is my blog with my opinions and if you don't like it don't read. However just as you believe that you have the right to spread your judgmental, hateful, and disparaging message I believe I have the right to share my piece too. Now I am not gay, I grew up in a very conservative family, but I try not let what other people believe control my beliefs. Some may find it odd that I am choosing this issue to speak out about given that I'm not gay. I guess ...