The Real Housewives of Dominica

Contrary to what you may expect, life on an island is not always a vacation. The students study 10+ hours a day, which leaves those of us who are here as spouses to come up with our own entertainment. To liken the situation to reality TV, imagine what would happen if The Real Housewives were put on Survivor. That's right, we are:

The Ross Spouses Organization (RSO)

Pagua Bay, First Semester - November 2010

RSO was my saving grace when I got to Dominica.  I was immediately connected with a group of girls who knew what island life was like and who genuinely cared how I was adjusting. Through RSO I went on many island trips, was introduced to volunteer opportunities and was basically given a social group. I appreciate everything those girls did for me during my first semester, and ended up acting as vice president and then president of the group for the following year.

Clare & I : raising money for a local charity

But where does the Survivor aspect come in?

No, we don't have to scavenge off the land (or at least not since a real grocery store opened in Portsmouth). 

Clare, me & Megan - SO excited for a Real grocery store

But I'm sad to say that the matriculation rate for Ross is rumored to be around 33%. That means that 1 out of every 3 students who start at Ross will not graduate. The good news for us is that most of those students are voted off asked to leave during their first two years. Now that Chris has passed the Comp we are on the upside of things. 

{Now, on to the drama!}

The Real Housewives of Dominica

Although it varies from semester to semester, there are generally 40 to 60 "spouses" (wives, husbands, boyfriends, girlfriends, etc.) of students on the island. About half of them are 20-something women who don't have children yet. As with any time you put a group of 20-something women together, you know there is going to be some drama. 

Now picture those women trapped on a small, humid, island.

Thus, The Real Housewives. I think the drama arises from a combination of boredom, different personalities and living in a college-town environment. Without much else to do, girls will talk behind each other's backs and argue over petty things. But don't get me wrong, we have lots of fun together too.

What I've noticed is, that back in the states you have your close friends (best buddies from college or high school) and then you have your acquaintance friends (from work, activities, etc.). Your friends from work or other places don't expect to be invited to every backyard bbq you have and they certainly don't mind if you go to the beach with your best friends on Saturday or have them over for dinner.

That acquaintance level of friendship is missing on the island.

Among the spouses without children, there seems to be this assumption that we are all supposed to be best friends because there are so few of us. But that just doesn't work. People have different personalities, are different ages, and simply get along with some people better than others. That's how the world works! 

All this to say, it's been quite the ride learning to navigate the social climate here. I'm so thankful to have found a few friends along the way who I've really bonded with, and I'll miss so much when I'm gone.