By Caity Mallett:
Hi Everyone,
It’s officially been a week since I arrived in the beautiful Turks and Caicos Islands. I’m living on the island Providenciales (or Provo locally), which is the third largest in area and most populated of the islands. Safe to say it’s been a whirlwind since I arrived. I flew out from Toronto on May 11, arriving to a very warm and sunny day. I was met at the airport by two members of the rugby club Brogan and LJ, from there they took me to the grocery store and dropped me off at my apartment where I met my roommates Keira and Nick. That night I was brought to the rugby field for my first U19 practice where I got a feel of where they were at and watched practice.
View from the apartment
Thursday I had my first day of work, in the office where I brainstormed a few ideas for the rugby club based on the new Turks and Caicos Islands Sport Strategy. Thursday nights are Tag Rugby in TCI, so after work we headed to the field for a few games and beers after. It was my first game of rugby in a few years but I think I did alright.
The next couple days I was given to relax as my supervisor had to go off island. The rugby van which I will be driving has been getting fixed so I was kind of stranded at the apartment which wasn’t so great. But Friday, we all hung out and had a pizza night at Brogan’s.Saturday is youth rugby, and as the individual in-charge of youth rugby was also off island it was a little overwhelming to say the least. Looking forward to the coming weeks getting to know the kids and helping them out on Saturday’s and for the upcoming Saturday youth tag league.
My first TCI sunset
Sunday and Monday were relaxing days by the pool and beach, also my first chance at snorkelling on the island. I still can’t get over how clear the water is and with this heat it’s definitely refreshing. Can’t wait to explore more of the island and the reefs surrounding it. Luckily the beach is only a short walk down the road from where I am staying, and it’s so hot that you just want to jump right in the water when you get there.
Just a short walk from the apartment
Here’s where it gets a little rough: Tuesday of this week was supposed to be my first official day of work. It didn’t work out that way, flash forward a few hours, and a hospital visit later, I ended up spending the rest of the day in bed as the doctor told me to and also taking the next couple days easy. I’m feeling a lot better now and excited to actually get to work.
It’s been a rough week adjusting and trying to figure out what I got myself into but I’m excited for the challenge that the next three months bring. Tomorrow I’m off to explore Middle and North Caicos with a few friends and enjoy more of what these beautiful islands have to offer.
Talk more soon,
Caity