Thinking back to my time in Dominica, I remember the lush greenery, adventurous roads through the mountains, the chilly lakes and waterfalls, climbing over rocks and pushing myself to keep up with Dr. Hains, the frustration incurred in racing snails, and the people we saw. 

         Soon after my return home, I bought a wood-burning kit to decorate the handle of my cutlass. After practicing a bit on scrap wood, I decided that I just didn't have the artistic ability to capture my memories of Dominica and put them into such a small and unique canvas. I was going to have a girl at school do it for me, but it just wouldn't be the same as what I experienced. I might convince my cousin to undertake this mission.
          Our first major hike, the one to Boeri Lake, has come to my mind on many occasions. I know that I am not good at pacing myself, so throughout the entire hike I tried my best to stay close behind Dr. Hains. If there was a certain place where he slipped, I was sure to avoid it; and if he chose one route over another, so did I. At times I found it difficult to keep my breath, but I continued on anyway. I had no time to delay if I wanted to have a guide. When I felt like I was struggling in some of my difficult classes this semester, I remembered how I pushed through the hikes and survived to the top to have the most magnificent experiences seeing wildlife and swimming in chilly waters. Sometimes, like with the hike to Boiling Lake, my reward at the destination was not getting pictures of the lake, but learning that Elvis, our guide, creates websites and was interested in seeing mine. The rewards are small but meaningful. The Valley of Desolation made me appreciate my chemistry classes much more since I saw deposits of pure minerals like I had never seen before.
          Racing the snails, which turned out to be unsuccessful in my opinion, really hit home with idea that some experiments will not turn out the way you expect, but you can learn from that and adapt subsequent experiments. We were dealing with behavioral science, we can take the same idea and apply to human behavior. Some settings and conditions allow for better performance than others, and you just have to use reason and experience to determine how best to help students do better in the classroom and how to help families get along easier.
           It seemed to me that even in the city, most people were innately good. There were a few instances that recur in my mind, like the haggler who tried to get in my picture of the horizon and charge me money for it, but there will be some people like that everywhere. I have learned to stand my ground for what I know is right, taking that instance to remind how to handle people at my jobs in the summer and over winter break. For the most part though, I didn't feel the need to worry about my belongings or safety. 
          Main points:

• Be adventurous and push yourself farther and harder than you ever have before; then you see anything at the destination as a reward, and those little breaks along the way become more magnificent than if the trek was easy.
• Don't be discouraged by something not going the way you expect, just quickly adapt and carry on. Your goals may need to be modified based on conditions. 
• Know your limits. I can push myself in hiking, but I'm not a strong swimmer, so I would not swim in swift water under a rocky waterfall after rain.

There are many places I want to go in the world, but I would love to return to Dominica  for a few more weeks for a fitness vacation.

This is in response to the following assignment: 
        Was the course too long or too short? Was the packing list about right or does it need to be modified?

        I definitely could have stayed a few more days. There is so much to see and do and not nearly enough time. I understand that some groups may get irritated with each other, but our group was so great together; we didn't have any problems other than occasionally waiting on someone, which wasn't that bad.  To have the opportunity to live like the Dominicans, enjoying life with what they have more than most people who have everything in excess, would be amazing.
        The packing list covered pretty much everything.  Here's a few things I did that were helpful but not necessary:
            I bought insect spray for clothing and sprayed most of my outer wear the day before packing. It is supposed to last up to 6 weeks or 6 washings. I had no problem with bugs getting me through or near my clothes. I also used it on my misquito net, because I would have been a bit terrified if I found a ton of misquitoes lingering outside it in the morning.  I don't think that would have happened anyway, but it's nice assurance.
        If someone has a waterproof camera, it is definitely a great idea to bring along. Take pictures underwater, in the spray of a waterfall, and while it's raining.
        Although I brought a beach towel, I ended up using a smaller quick-dry towel from the camping section of Walmart. It took hardly any space in my backpack, dried me off quick, and dried quicker than a regular towel would so it could be ready for the next excursion.
        Some of the banks in the US have partner banks in Dominica. For instance, Bank of America's partner bank is Scotiabank. It's useful to find a partner bank because they won't charge you an ATM fee.
        I brought things I wouldn't mind leaving behind so I could have extra space in my suitcase for souveniers. I left behind about 8 t-shirts that I never wear at home and 3 pairs of shoes. I packed all of my toiletries in travel-size, so I left behind a small bag full of unused shampoo, conditioner, liquid soap, lotion, mouthwash, etc. Not to worry, I used hygeine products everyday; I simply overpacked.  I liked leaving things behind for people who could use them rather than let them sit around in my house or a Goodwill store.