GSE Dry lands to Islands

I think that I can safely say that we arrived home with mixed emotions. Although we are glad to be home and see our families, we will truly miss our time together as a GSE team and the awesome time that we spent with our Rotarian hosts in Cayman, Nassau, Abaco and Provo. As of June 1st, Mark, Mishay, Wendy, Katie and I became a family and for better or worse would have to see each other and deal with each other everyday. To our delight, there was no dealing with each other and although we sometimes grew physically tired, we looked forward to each and everyday as an adventure that would bring new experiences and new friends. Our experiences included shadowing professionals in our respective career fields, eating conch (fish) prepared in numerous ways as ... read more

Katie checking in for one last blog! Hello All, I hope there are still folks checking out the blog. We all made it back to Arizona last night. It was a long day of traveling (why does it always seem to take longer getting home than getting there?) with us arriving in phoenix around 7pm, our time, last night. We had a great welcoming party! thanks to Marks family for greeting us and welcoming us back with style. ----now to fill you in on our last few days in Turks and Caicos- On saturday we went out with our Hosts for a boat ride to our own private beach (well, there was one other boat there....) it was a beautiful and amazing adventure! followed that night by their Change Over (knew i packed that dress for ... read more

heres some pics from our time on the GSE experience! Hope you enjoy! Wish I could add some picks of TCI but I dont have them off my camera yet!!! I will post once at home so keep checking. ... read more

Wendy & Katie checking in - As sad as we were to end our time on Abaco, Turks & Caicos welcomed us in grand style. We arrived on the beautiful island of Providenciales (Provo to the locals), and we were picked up at the airport and taken to the West Bay Club for our two day break to recharge our batteries for our last week of this life changing experience. We spent most of our break chatting and trying to put into words how this experience has impacted our lives, but found it challenging to express it even to each other. We hope all of you who are following along on the blog are able to get at least a small glimpse of what this exchange has brought into our lives and that we are protraying ... read more

Mishay's Reflections: What an awesome opportunity!! I have enjoyed fellowship with Rotarians in Cayman Islands, New Providence, and now Abaco. Our hosts have afforded me the opportunity to experience their fabulous cuisine, rich culture, religious worship, and schools in the Islands. I promise you, the sights that tourists access do not begin to compare to being immersed in the culture and experiencing the day-to-day life. I have enjoyed dining on island cuisine ranging from Turtle with Pigeon Peas & Rice with Carl and Hazel to Conch and fish prepared in native dishes with our hosts in Nassau and Abaco. I will miss this cuisine when I return home!!! My experience was enhanced tremendously after touring Pedro St. James in Cayman, experiencing a glimpse of the social issues at the Dundas Theatre performance with the Rotarians of ... read more