This year our family vacation took us to Deep Creek Lake. A beautiful Ski Resort in McHenry, Maryland. We, of course, did not do any snow skiing, however, we could not have picked a better location to go during the steaming summer weather this year. I really can't complain about our high of 89 when everyone else was experiencing highs in the triple digits. I'm sorry and I hope you did everything possible to stay cool.
During our week at the lake we had a chance to really relax. Being off island can truly be appreciated if you can just stop and slow down for a little bit. We spend plenty of time on the water and in the water, hiking the trails, and playing in the sandy beach at the State Park.
Things we saw that were different (No Iguanas here) but we did see several Deer, Chipmunks, and pretty Butterflies. The Ducks and Ducklings came out every morning and this was really neat to share with our little guy.
I would recommend this area to anyone who really wants to have a great summer vacation without the overwhelming heat, not much traffic to deal with, and not many people vacation in the mountains so there was really no waiting in any line anywhere -- that was the best part. WISP resort has a ropes course, a golf course, and a mountain roller coaster you control yourself. Of course I cant forget the go-carts, mini-golf, and arcades in town. A lot to do but still a lot of time to relax.
Week two might not be so relaxing but it will be fun to visit old friends and family before heading back to the rock. I miss my friends in GTMO. See you soon!
Terie
Monday, July 25, 2011
Sunday, July 3, 2011
GTMO Updates- staying connected
Over the past year I have met several families via this blog. Most get here because, like me, they want to know more about this place and usually hit a brick wall on the internet. Most of what you find pertains to the detainees, the camps, and some negative reports from reporters who judge the base solely on one 3 day visit. All I can say is don't believe everything you read and understand that what I "report" here is simply my point of view and experiences. Other's may have a completely different of life on the Naval Station Guantanamo.
That said, I have seen a few more people creating blogs about life here and many of the organizations on the installation have created FaceBook pages to help us stay abreast of events and activities. I will post those links here and hopefully reading about what goes on in GTMO and the opinions of others, those of you transitioning or even thinking about it will become a little more educated.
http://www.facebook.com/NSGuantanamoBay
http://www.facebook.com/pages/FFSC-Guantanamo-Bay/210835152287802
http://www.facebook.com/pages/MWR-GTMO/317983567409
http://www.facebook.com/pages/MWR-GTMO-Sports-Fitness-Liberty-Center/103183395681
When we were moving to GTMO there was nothing out there. I found one FB page which lead me to a couple of people who were stationed here and they answered many of my million questions. I am thankful to have had them in my life, even if only for a short while after I moved here.
Anyway, these links will provide information about sporting events, activities, recreation, entertainment and some news and noteworthy events around the base.
As for me and my updates for this week. Hubby and I just finished our Advanced PADI Dive certification and it was great. The water was just right, the visibility was mostly OK, could have been better but I'm not complaining. We reached depths of up to 100 feet and saw the prettiest fish, a couple of sea turtles, a few lobsters and even managed to eliminate a few Lion Fish in an effort to save the reef. This invasive, non-native species is spreading through the Caribbean. They have no natural enemies here. They are said to be able to eat four times their weight each day. Native reef species don't recognize them as predators so they will swim right up to the lion fish and are quickly eaten. For this reason, many divers here will go prepared to hunt and kill the Lion Fish. But no worries, they can be eaten and they do taste pretty good.
Looking forward to some time off island with family and friends. Here are some photos from under the sea... Enjoy!
That said, I have seen a few more people creating blogs about life here and many of the organizations on the installation have created FaceBook pages to help us stay abreast of events and activities. I will post those links here and hopefully reading about what goes on in GTMO and the opinions of others, those of you transitioning or even thinking about it will become a little more educated.
http://www.facebook.com/NSGuantanamoBay
http://www.facebook.com/pages/FFSC-Guantanamo-Bay/210835152287802
http://www.facebook.com/pages/MWR-GTMO/317983567409
http://www.facebook.com/pages/MWR-GTMO-Sports-Fitness-Liberty-Center/103183395681
When we were moving to GTMO there was nothing out there. I found one FB page which lead me to a couple of people who were stationed here and they answered many of my million questions. I am thankful to have had them in my life, even if only for a short while after I moved here.
Anyway, these links will provide information about sporting events, activities, recreation, entertainment and some news and noteworthy events around the base.
As for me and my updates for this week. Hubby and I just finished our Advanced PADI Dive certification and it was great. The water was just right, the visibility was mostly OK, could have been better but I'm not complaining. We reached depths of up to 100 feet and saw the prettiest fish, a couple of sea turtles, a few lobsters and even managed to eliminate a few Lion Fish in an effort to save the reef. This invasive, non-native species is spreading through the Caribbean. They have no natural enemies here. They are said to be able to eat four times their weight each day. Native reef species don't recognize them as predators so they will swim right up to the lion fish and are quickly eaten. For this reason, many divers here will go prepared to hunt and kill the Lion Fish. But no worries, they can be eaten and they do taste pretty good.
Looking forward to some time off island with family and friends. Here are some photos from under the sea... Enjoy!
Wednesday, June 22, 2011
Hurricane Season or Mosquito Season?
I'm not really sure what's more important in my hurricane kit, batteries or bug repellent? We have lived in hurricane alley (is that what we call it?) The focus of living in an area frequently affected by hurricane weather is to pack, plan, and track. Pack the emergency baskets, plan the evacuation route, and track the weather so you know when to go.
Here in GTMO there aren't many difficult routes. Those of us who live on the bluff or water front homes simply plan in advance, to go to a friends home away from the water or one that is considered hurricane safe or the shelters (schools and gym.) We are encouraged to pack a kit, to which I say how about I just bring lots of food and water to my friend's house at the beginning of the season, we do have to have a road plan, food, water, clothing, etc. But it's really a no-brainer. Most important, however, is what happens during the season. We get a lot of rain, on and off, or worse yet, it stays humid, very humid the majority of the time, day and night and the best part, we get lots of mosquitos. They are big, hungry, and could care less about repellent or thick jeans. They'll sting through clothing as if it wasn't there.
We go through gallons of Off, Skin-so-Soft and alcohol, and a host of other chemicals aimed at keeping us invisible to the bugs. Let's not forget the citronella tiki torches, citronella candles, fans, and special bug lights. It really is a nuisance to have such a great view and not be able to enjoy it or the warm summer breeze because of these naughty bugs.
I generally can see the bright side of any situation and rarely speak negatively about GTMO or any other place but now I'm just tired of the bites. OK I'll have to change the tune now to a more positive note. We have great windows, air conditioner, and our grass is once again green. So for now we'll just have to limit our outdoor time and enjoy the view from inside. Soon the rain will stop and we will go 6-9 months without a drop of rain.
This is life in Guantanamo Bay and we do learn to make sangria out of every bad bottle of wine we're given!
Take Care,
Terie
Here in GTMO there aren't many difficult routes. Those of us who live on the bluff or water front homes simply plan in advance, to go to a friends home away from the water or one that is considered hurricane safe or the shelters (schools and gym.) We are encouraged to pack a kit, to which I say how about I just bring lots of food and water to my friend's house at the beginning of the season, we do have to have a road plan, food, water, clothing, etc. But it's really a no-brainer. Most important, however, is what happens during the season. We get a lot of rain, on and off, or worse yet, it stays humid, very humid the majority of the time, day and night and the best part, we get lots of mosquitos. They are big, hungry, and could care less about repellent or thick jeans. They'll sting through clothing as if it wasn't there.
We go through gallons of Off, Skin-so-Soft and alcohol, and a host of other chemicals aimed at keeping us invisible to the bugs. Let's not forget the citronella tiki torches, citronella candles, fans, and special bug lights. It really is a nuisance to have such a great view and not be able to enjoy it or the warm summer breeze because of these naughty bugs.
I generally can see the bright side of any situation and rarely speak negatively about GTMO or any other place but now I'm just tired of the bites. OK I'll have to change the tune now to a more positive note. We have great windows, air conditioner, and our grass is once again green. So for now we'll just have to limit our outdoor time and enjoy the view from inside. Soon the rain will stop and we will go 6-9 months without a drop of rain.
This is life in Guantanamo Bay and we do learn to make sangria out of every bad bottle of wine we're given!
Take Care,
Terie
Thursday, May 19, 2011
So much is happening, so fast
I finally have a few quiet moments to write an update on our life in GTMO. Our life here is constantly on the go, in demand, and in the midst of it all, maintaining sanity. I've said it before, I really did not expect to have such a full schedule living here, but I do and just about every minute is accounted for, unless I just choose to ignore an event or an appointment or my job. That wouldn't be good.
Speaking of jobs. I have a new job and this one actually pays me with real money, not hugs and kisses. I am now one of three Social Service Assistant and Linguist for the International Organization for Migration (IOM), right here in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. I knew they were here all along but never really researched their purpose. The fact that they are known by the acronym IOM didn't help either. We have so many different company acronyms around here its confusing. My first year hear I chose to not work outside of my fitness job because I wanted the flexibility to be home for my kids, raise my youngest until he was ready for school and because I really wanted to have fun and do everything I could do here.
Now that I finished my degree, have pretty much done everything there is to do and feel more comfortable with either kids home alone or kids in school/day care for part of the day, I feel the time is just right. Still, full time is not what I want. The job was posted in our local Gazette and one of the requirements was that the applicant must speak Spanish fluently. Then I heard my dads voice in my head saying "it's important to know more than one language, you never know when it will come in handy." Well look at that, it did and he was right. I applied, interviewed, and was hired, even after I told them I had scheduled vacations and days off coming up... this is sweet!!
I am now in training, working four hours a day, five days a week. A few evenings a month and on-call once or twice a month over the weekend. That's never difficult since I can't really go very far. The pay is great and the hours are VERY flexible. I really could not have asked for a better way to use my degree (Social Studies/Humanities) and my experience working with people. I have always had the desire to work in an environment where I can truly make a difference in the lives of others, not because some paper or statistics says it, but because I can see it with my own eyes.
Improving lives and making changes, one person at a time. That's what really matters.
Other than my new job, I am still teaching at 6am four days a week, train the teachers once a week, and volunteer at the Assisted Living Community once a week. The kids have four weeks left before school is out. Emily will get a job, hopefully in the Marketing department for the base, Nate will truly LOVE going to the youth center Summer Camp, and Jonathan will continue to split his time between friends and the Child Development Center (CDC) part time.
Michael is finally Dive Certified and we went on our first dive together with another group. It was so much fun. Best way to spend the second half of mother's day. Can't wait to do it again.
The mango tree decided to overproduce all it's fruit in one full swing. I can't even attempt to count how many mangos I have peeled and frozen, cooked, drank, eaten and given away, yet my yard sits littered with a full spectrum of not quite ripe to fully eaten mangos. It's a little overwhelming and sad that I can't give these away because everyone has too many. On the bright side, it's really great to be eating mangos that I get to pick from the tree. They are the sweetest, juiciest, best mangos I've had since I was 7 years old.
Next week my friend Mary is coming to visit for a few days...very excited to have company again!!
Aside from all we have going on, all is well. Hope you are all doing well.
Until next time!
Terie
Speaking of jobs. I have a new job and this one actually pays me with real money, not hugs and kisses. I am now one of three Social Service Assistant and Linguist for the International Organization for Migration (IOM), right here in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. I knew they were here all along but never really researched their purpose. The fact that they are known by the acronym IOM didn't help either. We have so many different company acronyms around here its confusing. My first year hear I chose to not work outside of my fitness job because I wanted the flexibility to be home for my kids, raise my youngest until he was ready for school and because I really wanted to have fun and do everything I could do here.
Now that I finished my degree, have pretty much done everything there is to do and feel more comfortable with either kids home alone or kids in school/day care for part of the day, I feel the time is just right. Still, full time is not what I want. The job was posted in our local Gazette and one of the requirements was that the applicant must speak Spanish fluently. Then I heard my dads voice in my head saying "it's important to know more than one language, you never know when it will come in handy." Well look at that, it did and he was right. I applied, interviewed, and was hired, even after I told them I had scheduled vacations and days off coming up... this is sweet!!
I am now in training, working four hours a day, five days a week. A few evenings a month and on-call once or twice a month over the weekend. That's never difficult since I can't really go very far. The pay is great and the hours are VERY flexible. I really could not have asked for a better way to use my degree (Social Studies/Humanities) and my experience working with people. I have always had the desire to work in an environment where I can truly make a difference in the lives of others, not because some paper or statistics says it, but because I can see it with my own eyes.
Improving lives and making changes, one person at a time. That's what really matters.
Other than my new job, I am still teaching at 6am four days a week, train the teachers once a week, and volunteer at the Assisted Living Community once a week. The kids have four weeks left before school is out. Emily will get a job, hopefully in the Marketing department for the base, Nate will truly LOVE going to the youth center Summer Camp, and Jonathan will continue to split his time between friends and the Child Development Center (CDC) part time.
Michael is finally Dive Certified and we went on our first dive together with another group. It was so much fun. Best way to spend the second half of mother's day. Can't wait to do it again.
The mango tree decided to overproduce all it's fruit in one full swing. I can't even attempt to count how many mangos I have peeled and frozen, cooked, drank, eaten and given away, yet my yard sits littered with a full spectrum of not quite ripe to fully eaten mangos. It's a little overwhelming and sad that I can't give these away because everyone has too many. On the bright side, it's really great to be eating mangos that I get to pick from the tree. They are the sweetest, juiciest, best mangos I've had since I was 7 years old.
Next week my friend Mary is coming to visit for a few days...very excited to have company again!!
Aside from all we have going on, all is well. Hope you are all doing well.
Until next time!
Terie
Saturday, April 30, 2011
Fun days in Guantanamo Bay
It is officially Mango season in the Caribbean. Yay for us. I happen to be one of few fortunate GiTMO residents with a huge Mango tree in my back yard and it is loaded with this delicious, silky, sweet, juicy fruit. I am in a battle right now with the Banana Rats and the birds. The Banana Rats apparently love the fruit, ripe or not. Those darn things are just nasty, messy, and rude. The other day I left a few Mangos on a table outside, overnight, and they chewed threw every mango, peed and pooped and left a mess. Seriously, if you're going to eat my food, take it all and don't leave a mess for me to clean up. UGH... nasty.
The birds, well, I can't fight them. They have wings. They wait for the Mangos to ripen on the tree, then they begin to feast on them until the mango falls to the ground. Everyday I find at least 3-5 Mangos with deep holes in them, partially eaten. However, I can easily bring in the same number of Mangos ready to eat, so I guess you can say we're sharing. The tree has plenty, no worries. I'm just excited I can eat fruit fresh from my back yard. No pesticides, no preservatives, just like I did as a child growing in the Dominican Republic.
The rope swing. I had one as a kid and truly had forgotten how fun it was to just swing around, look at the sky, the tree holding me up, the birds above me (and hope they didn't poop on my head) and feel the breeze hug me like a blanket. We have one here and usually the kids go out and with a running start they go for a ride on this old rope. On this day, I just could not resist. I didn't do the running start thing because I would just hurt myself in many places. It was warm out but I have to tell you... the few minutes I was on the swing were really reminiscent of fun, childhood days.
Day at the Bay. What a fun day this was. MWR (Morale, Welfare, and Recreation) put together a super day for all the families. There was a reptile show, free T-shirts, free food and drinks.
They corded off a swim area, set up life guards in several areas (we don't usually have life guards at the beach), set the kids up with kayaks, canoes, paddle boats, some favorites like the banana boat and the iceberg (seen below). We also had life vests, beach balls, beach toys, and water shooting toys available for all the kids.
Jonathan above was happy floating around with his little life vest, playing with other kids his age.
This is Nat climbing the iceberg. The kid would stay on that thing all day if I didn't call her in to drink water and eat something. It's amazing how many times she'll climb that thing.
To add to the best beach day in Cuba, our amazing service members gave us a mini air show. We had a fly over by a C-12 earlier (missed that shot) but he was kind enough to dip his wings and let us know he was watching. Later the search and rescue helicopter flew by close enough for me to get this shot. You have to understand, around here we don't have airplanes flying over our roofs or helicopters flying around. It's not something we see everyday, if ever, unless we go to the airport on the other side of the bay.
Finally the band. We have a band in town, not sure of the name (sorry) but they do tributes to Jimmy Buffet so what better than Jimmy Buffet music when you're sitting a the bay, seriously, they were great!
My kudos go out to MWR for coordinating such a great day for everyone. I know they had to work hard to put together the event and they should know, it was well received, the kids had a great time, the parents enjoyed everything without worrying about kids getting into trouble in the water, it was a really fun day in Guantanamo Bay! Thank YOU!!!
Photos by: Terie
Saturday, April 2, 2011
Still like where I live
A little over a year ago I wondered around this base meeting up with friends, going to the pool, the beaches, collecting seaglass, kayaking, boating, welcoming newcomers and sadly saying goodbye to good friends. Whew! This could easily happen in one week. I thought coming here I would have more time to get crafty, read, and do nothing. NOT! No regrets, no regrets. I like where I live.
Most people arrive here and are welcomed by their new neighbors, the spouses club, and a plethora of amazing people too happy to have coffee and share some of the wonderful things we can do here in Guantanamo Bay. To this most newcomers respond with "everyone is so wonderful, so sweet, so giving" and "I just love it here and all the great people." We all say that when we arrive.
We are people, all with our own standards, morals, values and belief systems. Eventually we begin to weed through the masses and we find those who are more like us. It's natural to do so. I am generally surrounded by positive, happy, energetic people. I believe I attract this personality because that's who I am. Now don't get me wrong. I don't purposely go out separating people into groups, mine and theirs, I simply leave it up to the other person to decide if they can handle my energy and optimistic mentality. Plus, I sometimes put my filters down and together with my friends we get into the unspeakable dirty talk... that usually generates a lot of laughter, exactly the result I want when I'm with my friends.
Fast forward a year. My huge group of friends has shrunk, changed, and now we know more about each other (maybe that's why it shrunk.) Oh well. I am happy to be surrounded by this select group. I am fortunate to have these women on my side. I didn't pick them, they picked me and that makes me happy. In a period of 4 months we accomplish what takes most in the civilian sector years to reach... close, personal friends who can be trusted, who will cry with you, laugh with you, and look super silly with you.
Truth be told, I have had a few moments of "I really want to leave now" revelations. My hubby responds with ... well with nothing because we really don't have a choice. We're here another 18 months so I have to make a choice between being miserable and being happy. I chose the latter.
I hope I can continue to give my friends everything they continually give me: friendship, patience, laughter, happiness, hugs, time to vent, time to recover from fun night out :-) and so much more.
Yup. I still like where I live.
Most people arrive here and are welcomed by their new neighbors, the spouses club, and a plethora of amazing people too happy to have coffee and share some of the wonderful things we can do here in Guantanamo Bay. To this most newcomers respond with "everyone is so wonderful, so sweet, so giving" and "I just love it here and all the great people." We all say that when we arrive.
We are people, all with our own standards, morals, values and belief systems. Eventually we begin to weed through the masses and we find those who are more like us. It's natural to do so. I am generally surrounded by positive, happy, energetic people. I believe I attract this personality because that's who I am. Now don't get me wrong. I don't purposely go out separating people into groups, mine and theirs, I simply leave it up to the other person to decide if they can handle my energy and optimistic mentality. Plus, I sometimes put my filters down and together with my friends we get into the unspeakable dirty talk... that usually generates a lot of laughter, exactly the result I want when I'm with my friends.
Fast forward a year. My huge group of friends has shrunk, changed, and now we know more about each other (maybe that's why it shrunk.) Oh well. I am happy to be surrounded by this select group. I am fortunate to have these women on my side. I didn't pick them, they picked me and that makes me happy. In a period of 4 months we accomplish what takes most in the civilian sector years to reach... close, personal friends who can be trusted, who will cry with you, laugh with you, and look super silly with you.
Truth be told, I have had a few moments of "I really want to leave now" revelations. My hubby responds with ... well with nothing because we really don't have a choice. We're here another 18 months so I have to make a choice between being miserable and being happy. I chose the latter.
I hope I can continue to give my friends everything they continually give me: friendship, patience, laughter, happiness, hugs, time to vent, time to recover from fun night out :-) and so much more.
Yup. I still like where I live.
Saturday, March 19, 2011
Family in Guantanamo - Beach Days, Seaglass & Farewell
WOW what a week it has been! Exciting! Oh, wait, that was only three days? OK. It felt more like a week. We have done a lot in such a small place and now showing off the next 2 days before departure. It's time to head to the beach, yet again, except this time we are going Seaglass hunting.
It's Monday and today we visit Glass Beach. Some say that a bar was located on the bluff just above the waters. Prior to environmental concerns the liquor and beer bottles were tossed over the edge. These now wash up on the shorelines of Glass Beach. One will never really know the true origin of a piece unless it has a distinct label, either way, they are pretty and fun to collect.
We enjoyed our time on the beach with several other friends. The evening was complete with more settlers of Catan, Zumba and Tennis. Oh and I can't forget to mention the ride up JPJ (John Paul Jones) where we stood just under the wind turbines to watch the city lights, ours and the Cubans.
Tuesday we visited Girl Scout Beach. Another seaglass hunters dream beaches here in Cuba. Like Glass Beach, this beach is littered with seaglass and other artifacts. Here we found bigger pieces of coke bottle green and a few blues. We spent two hours digging in the rocks before rushing back for our lunch date with the kids.
At home we did a quick changeover, picked up the kids from school and met Emily, Michelle and Giovanni for lunch at the Windjammer Restaurant. The food wasn't bad. My Cuban Sandwich was delicious. A quick trip to the library, drop off the kids at school and we're off to another sightseeing afternoon.
At 0600 on Wednesday I dropped Helen and Toots off at Ferry Landing; the Fery was already there. The flight, scheduled to leave at 0800 appeared to be on time. While it was a long day for the travelers, they will have ample opportunities to rest once they're home.
I hope the experience was memorable. I hope I captured all the highlights of what we did, at least enough to help us remember our week with Family in Guantanamo! I loved it!
Anyone else ready for a vacation in Guantanamo Bay? See you soon!
Terie
It's Monday and today we visit Glass Beach. Some say that a bar was located on the bluff just above the waters. Prior to environmental concerns the liquor and beer bottles were tossed over the edge. These now wash up on the shorelines of Glass Beach. One will never really know the true origin of a piece unless it has a distinct label, either way, they are pretty and fun to collect.
We enjoyed our time on the beach with several other friends. The evening was complete with more settlers of Catan, Zumba and Tennis. Oh and I can't forget to mention the ride up JPJ (John Paul Jones) where we stood just under the wind turbines to watch the city lights, ours and the Cubans.
Tuesday we visited Girl Scout Beach. Another seaglass hunters dream beaches here in Cuba. Like Glass Beach, this beach is littered with seaglass and other artifacts. Here we found bigger pieces of coke bottle green and a few blues. We spent two hours digging in the rocks before rushing back for our lunch date with the kids.
At home we did a quick changeover, picked up the kids from school and met Emily, Michelle and Giovanni for lunch at the Windjammer Restaurant. The food wasn't bad. My Cuban Sandwich was delicious. A quick trip to the library, drop off the kids at school and we're off to another sightseeing afternoon.
We stopped by the Golf Club and driving range which looks a little dry. We like to call it "challenging" because only the holes are green, everything in between is dry and rocky. However, it's what we have and it gets used plenty.
Our last afternoon together we they spent playing ... you guessed it, Settlers of Catan. After two exhausting games we walked with Honey to the Jerk House to pick up dinner. I'm told the food is spicy but delicious. I have burgers as my back up plan. It was a nice walk and after the week we've had, it was well deserved.
Michael, Mom and Aunt Helen went to see "The Fighter" at the Lyceum, I stayed behind and fell asleep on the couch. I must have been really tired....nah! That's me every night (with or without company :-)
At 0600 on Wednesday I dropped Helen and Toots off at Ferry Landing; the Fery was already there. The flight, scheduled to leave at 0800 appeared to be on time. While it was a long day for the travelers, they will have ample opportunities to rest once they're home.
I hope the experience was memorable. I hope I captured all the highlights of what we did, at least enough to help us remember our week with Family in Guantanamo! I loved it!
Anyone else ready for a vacation in Guantanamo Bay? See you soon!
Terie
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