Apparently I became a Caribbean woman??!

 Apparently I became a Caribbean woman

“As a family guardian you’re a parent”. That’s something my co-workers have mentioned multiple times. In my last month at the SJIB it felt like I really became a mother of 12 children. But  I am always so happy when I can drop them off again haha:). These children – even the ones with such bad behavioral problems- are good till the bone, sweet as sugar and innocent as children can be. Nevertheless all they have been true, they are the strongest children I have met. Most have been too tough situation and still they can manage everything. Within 8 days exactly I am done with my internship and within exactly 15 days I will be leaving St Maarten. It feels weird.  I really liked my internship. Everything went great, I loved the children, and I loved networking everyday by actually being in the field.  I have learned so much about family guardianship, I can say I definitely developed myself in ways I couldn’t have done in the Netherlands. I’ve dealt with a language barrier, with a different culture, different surroundings and people. I’ve have experienced the Caribbean vibes from up close, learned about new traditions, small things as preparing food another way than I’m used to, or simple things as a after work beach walk, a good glass of rum punch or just sitting on a bench for a while to see some fun stuff on the streets. I also developed myself as a person and I am proud of who I am becoming.

Apparently I became a Caribbean woman. I just love to hear that when my co-workers mention it haha. It mostly has to do with my eating. I eat when I eat, what I can eat. My salads have been long gone, here people eat Johnny’s cake. My football teammates learned me (unknowingly) some fun St Maarten English accent. It’s easy let me learn y’all. You just skip half of the words you’ re saying. For example. He lazy, he ain’t doin shit ya’ll. So you see piece of cake huh, you just add y'all, or god have mercy, or you just yell really hard.                                                                                                                             I changed some of my clothes, I love my orange bandana, still wear my bright color cloths and I don’t wear make-up no more (Who needs that shit anyways, y’all -there’s the accent again-). Oh yeah not forget to mention apparently I gained some weight since I’ve been here! My co-workers also were so proud of me on that part: ‘Even your weight got Caribbean, I’m so proud’.  Maybe a little too much Johnny’ s cake huh?...

I have had a great time this last month. Weekends here are like a little vacation. I did some fun stuff, like of course the regular beach days and resort days, but I went camping with friends on a uncivilized island next to St Maarten. We went by a little boat and we were picked up the next day. My bed was  litterly a few blankets but luckily we had a mosquito net too! We made bread on the bbq, had some nice other food and the joy of the Ukulele. My bucketlist beach experience has been completed too!  Also I went to Anguilla, to enjoy the beautifull beaches. That felt like I always say ‘Like a little vacation in your sort of vacation’. Yesterday I completed another bucketlist item: we went surfing! The waves were pretty scary sometimes but I managed (we’re kind of poor students so without a lesson) to stand on my board for like 10 times! The last time even without drowning for a little haha. I stood on my board for more than 10 second and I think I get why people love to surf now. Then I got so excited that I turned my head to the others and yelled ‘Oh my god, I’m really surfing!!!’ than I lost my balance and fell again haha. These next two weeks I'm determined to complete my last bucketlist item which is seeing all 46 beached, I still need to see around 10. Also I want one more Calmos cafe live Salsa night :-)

Also I had have a lot of school deadlines these weeks (and they’re not finished yet). I passed everything till now and I hope to finish my end interview with school this Thursday with a good end result too! I have a lot of faith.  

I’m gonna bring lots of my experiences home Y’all (maybe not my eating patterns haha) and I hope to bring the way I live back to the Netherlands. I hope to bring some tranguillo vibes home, the independency and freedom I experienced, I hope to enjoy little things and spend lots of time with my fantastic family and friends. Cause another thing I already knew -but never really listened too- is that family, friends and be able to spend time with them is everything. Having multiple jobs and go to school is necessary, but time is priceless. I’m going to spend so much time with everyone, so you guys better prepare big time!

I made so many new friends. I want to thank everyone for making my insanely great time even more insane! I have had I might think, the best time of my life. I sometimes regret things, but when I think about the decision of doing my internship on St Maarten I regret no single thing of it, best choice ever.

My little adventure here sure isn’t over. To continue the way I have been living here, I’ll be traveling USA starting on the 4th of July, to immediately get the great American experience everybody has been bragging around for.

Lots of Caribi Kissis,

Mirte