Submitted by Ashley Cooke on the 2024 Winter NURS program in the British Virgin Islands…
At the beginning of this week, 13 other girls and I arrived in Tortola for our nursing study abroad trip. As we start clinicals next week, this week was more geared towards orienting ourselves to the culture and way of life down here. Our accommodations are just a short walk to the beach, so we have really enjoyed our down time and started to read our suggested book, “Island Queen” as a part of our classwork. Spending a full day out on the boat snorkeling was definitely the highlight of my week this far, and I think many of the girls would agree. Last night, we all tried a local dish, roti, that most of us had never tried before. It was definitely something very different from what I normally eat, but I still enjoyed it. At our debrief meeting a couple days ago, we all talked about something that has surprised us since arriving here. For me, it was how friendly all of the local people are to us. It is normal to greet everyone you pass with a “Good morning!” or “Good afternoon!” This has definitely been an adjustment, as most of us have been taught the idea of “stranger danger” from a young age. However, everyone I have met has been very kind, and word must travel fast around the island as many people will see us and recognize us as “the nursing students.” Seeing how welcoming and genuine the local people and learning how open they are to having conversations with strangers has been a great part of my first week here! (Submitted on January 8, 2024)
