Submitted by Kendall Edwards on the 2019 winter session study abroad program in the Virgin Islands sponsored by the School of Nursing…
My first week in St. Croix, U.S. Virgin Islands, was a bit of a shock. For one, I had no idea how much pride the people of St. Croix had for their island. The first full day that we were on the island we went to a parade down Main Street in Christianstead. This parade was to celebrate their “festival” which is a big celebration of a holiday on the islands. During this parade, everyone danced in the street for a couple hours while listening to Stanley, who is a singer that is backed by a steel drum band. And to my surprise almost everyone was off work for almost the entire first week of January. In addition to this, I was surprised by how nice everyone on the island was. Every single person you walk past would say “hello” to you and say “good morning”, or “good afternoon”. That is completely different from what you would experience in the United States. I was also lucky enough to be able to do some common local sightseeing, such as hiking to the top of Goat Hill, an almost 600 foot vertical climb and relaxing on Issac’s Bay. I can’t wait to really start learning in the hospitals by shadowing the nurses and be able to compare healthcare in the United States versus the islands!
