Ashkon's Update (8/19/12)

Ashkon will be writing a few updates throughout his time here in Grenada! If you are not on his email list, you can read his updates here or let either of us know if you would like to be added to his list and get his emails directly! It is a fun way for him to take a break from studying and keep in touch with friends and family! And you can get a little bit of his perspective while we are here! :)
Here is his first update from August 19, 2012!

Hello!! 

I wanted to try and keep close friends and family in the loop so I am going to try and send out a weekly note to all of you updating you on how things are in Grenada! Here is one of hopefully many letters I will send during our stay here in Grenada:

We came in on the night of the 8th and got to our hotel late that night. The weather here is hot, humid, and extremely unpredictable. It rains hard for a good five minutes and then completely clears up. Bekah and I have come to accept the humidity and heat but still are surprised when we go out thinking it was hot the day before and getting a nice reminder that there is no limit to how hot it can get here! 

We moved into our place a little over a week ago and are just beginning to call it home. It is very small and lacks many common amenities but we are blessed to live on campus and to have a roof over our heads. Life here is good. The locals are nice (some of them) and the people on campus are kind as well. Off campus is very different but after a few times off I would say both Bekah and I are very comfortable with going off campus and finding our way around here. One thing that is awful is shopping. Shopping for food specifically.  As a result of being on an island, Grenada has to have a lot of its goods imported which means some things (a lot of things) are super expensive!! I forgot which kind but some name brand cereals were around $45 EC which is $16 USD! As much as I wanted to spend half of our savings on cereal, I decided to buy the generic corn flakes and guess what? They were around $2 USD and they taste GRREEAAAT! Honestly, it is manageable. Life is way different but Bekah and I have definitely adjusted. 

Change of pace, lifestyle, everything is different but we have been able to rely on each other and rely on God during this time. The journey has barely begun but I think we are off to a good start. School starts tomorrow so if you have a minute, both Bekah and I could use some prayer. We really appreciate all of your support and cannot wait to give you new updates on medical school and life on the island! Thanks for your love and prayers! 

Love,

Ashkon