Last of the Last

Well here it is...my last night in Trinidad. It has come up so fast, yet has been a long time coming. I've very excited to be moving on to the next phase of my life (which will be working for ConAgra Foods in Council Bluffs, IA) and to be getting back to my family/friends/Brenton, but I will definitely miss Trinidad. Having to start a full time job, I think I will miss making my own schedule most! Unfortunately on this lovely last night I have a cold and I'm planning on going to bed in t-minus 10 minutes, so I'll try to say all I have to say quickly!

A couple lists for you...
Top 5 Things I WON'T miss
5. Guys making the kiss noise at me. The whistling and hey baby's aren't that bad, but there is something about the kiss noise coming from passing car or across the street that I find very derogatory. There has to be a less ick way for them to show their appreciation for my dang good looks!
4. Trini customer service leaves much to be desired and most of the time as a customer you feel like you are asking the employees to go out of their way to do you a favor.
3. Public urination...men think it is ok to unzip and pee anywhere they can turn around, it is disgusting and I don't understand the appeal. (side note: I saw a stray dog peeing on a car today, I thought that was actually pretty funny)
2. The ants!! Ants infest everything, they are everywhere, I hate them.

and the #1 thing that drives me nuts about Trinidad is...
1. Waiting for a maxi to fill up, especially when you are in a hurry. Finding the last 3 people to get into a maxi always seems to take an eternity, and then the driver always takes his sweet time walking around the vehicle to get in and pull out. I've worked very hard on being patient during these times, but I often want to kick someone.

Top 5 things I WILL miss
5. Getting into taxis/maxis everyone says good morning, or good evening, it just snaps you out of your own little world of all the to dos and reminds you to enjoy life a bit.
4. "Pallllance, Pallllance" I'll miss all the music. Most of the songs that come on make you want to sing or bob your head or do a little dance. I stocked up on cds to avoid the withdrawal. Plus I will miss people singing in public, that always makes me smile.
3. Listening to the Trini dialect, I could sit and listen to Trinis banter back and forth or gossip for hours. The sing-song rhythm of it, the phrasing and the new words are so great!
2. The food! Just about everything is delicious, I can't think really of anything I ate that wasn't good. The flavors too...coconut, mango, tamarind yummmm.
1. The scenery...I will miss getting to see the mountains every morning, the beautiful flowers and the ocean just a short drive away. Everything is so beautiful and getting home at the beginning of winter will be a tough transition-green to blah! I'll miss all those morning and evening walks, enjoying the view.

Alright, sorry that is all I got right now, but my head feels like it might explode...I hope this goes away before I get on that plane or tomorrow might be miserable! Trinidad, I will miss you!!

I'll give a home front update soon and add some last pictures.