Traveling...and renewing the soul

So, I haven't updated this because I have been traveling all over the country for interviews. Really. I went to Albuquerque, Dallas, and Austin in one week. Then I was in Ohio for 2 days, flew to Cali, then flew to Utah, then back to Cali where I am cuurently residing until Jan 10 (wiht interviews in Oakland, Fresno, and LA in the meantime).

Once I can figure out how to connect my computer to my parents' internet I will post photos from NM and TX. Since you are brimming with anticipation, here are some photos (stolen from Karli's blog) of my trip to Utah. Interviewing around the country has been so great because I get to see many of my friends that I haven't seen in quite some time.

Karli is one of my (and Tim's) best friends from high school, and it had been a few years since I had seen her. I flew into Salt Lake a few days before my interview so I could hang out with her, her husband, Chris, and their lab Chase. I had such a great time, and it was so nice to just sit and chat with Karli till the wee hours of the morning (and don't you just love our matching pjs?). Thanks for being such wonderful hosts, and thanks for waiting on me hand and foot!!!!!

Below are some pictures from Temple Square (again, I have more on my computer that I will add later)...it was absolutely gorgeous, all lit up with thousands and thousands of lights! And thanks for pushing me around in a wheelchair like the invalid I am right now!!! Love you guys!!!

Fun Pictures!!

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Uniting in Love

This past weekend Christine (one of my good friends from UC) and Matt tied the knot in WV, so we all ventured out to hicksville (not really. Ok, kinda sorta) to join in the celebration! It was a gorgeous ceremony and a wonderful reception, and man were those programs nice! =) I was so happy and honored to share a special part in the day as a bridesmaid. We had a blast, if you can't tell from the pictures...

It's Reunion Time!

About 2 weeks ago we celebrated our 5th year college reunion--fortunately for Allison, Renee, Megan, and I, we haven't had to wait 5 years to see each other again! I have seen each of them once a year, usually more than that even though we live in different states. It was so nice to see classmates, go back to Millikin, and enjoy a nice weekend with old friends!

Go Big Blue!

Missing Home...

Yes, it happens! As much as I love being in new places and meeting new people, sometimes there is nothing like being with your family! Last weekend my mom and dad went to the mountains with my dad's cousing, Brendan and his wife, Tish. Who knew fall in California could be so pretty? =)

Celebrating Love!

About a month ago (yes, I realize it has been too long since I have posted) two of my classmates and good friends, Mary Carol and Devin, got married! It was such a beautiful and unique service. It was great to see so many of their friends and family together to celebrate their love!! Congrats, you guys!!!

I have been working at the Children's Hospital this month, doing what is called an "Acting Internship" where even though you are a student you are "acting" like an intern and have basically all of the responsibility of one. Except someone still has to co-sign your orders. But it has been a great experience thus far, and I am just so happy being at work now! I am also in the process of scheduling some interviews for residency (and waiting waiting waiting to hear from the rest of the places where I applied), So keep your fingers crossed and pray for me!!

Avast!! It's Talk Like a Pirate Day!!

Ahoy me matey! Celebrate of the best holidays EVER! Arrrrr! Last year on this here very day me cap'n an I were in the operating room, arr, an we were smarlty operating AND talking like pirates, arrrrr!

Here are some definitions for you TLAPD newbies:

Ahoy! - "Hello!"

Avast! - Stop and give attention. It can be used in a sense of surprise, "Whoa! Get a load of that!" which today makes it more of a "Check it out" or "No way!" or "Get off!"

Aye! - "Why yes, I agree most heartily with everything you just said or did."

Aye aye! - "I'll get right on that sir, as soon as my break is over."

Arrr! - This one is often confused with arrrgh, which is of course the sound you make when you sit on a belaying pin. "Arrr!" can mean, variously, "yes," "I agree," "I'm happy," "I'm enjoying this beer," "My team is going to win it all," "I saw that television show, it sucked!" and "That was a clever remark you or I just made." And those are just a few of the myriad possibilities of Arrr!




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Daily Words of Wisdom

I have recently taken up practicing yoga again...it makes me feel so relaxed and centered, and I really missed it last year. So I joined a yoga studio near school and since I am off this month to study for my boards, I can go as much as I please.

In the spirit of yoga and being at one with your feelings and those of others around you, here are a few words of wisdom I thought I would share (forwarded to me by my lovely mother, of course). Ok, so maybe they aren't so yoga-esk, but they are important to keep in mind, nonetheless. Enjoy and happy monday!

* Accept that some days you're the pigeon, and some days you're the statue.
* Always keep your words soft and sweet, just in case you have to eat them.
* Drive carefully. It's not only cars that can be recalled by their maker.
* If you can't be kind, at least have the decency to be vague.
* If you lend someone $20 and never see that person again, it was probably worth it.
* It may be that your sole purpose in life is simply to serve as a warning to others.
* Never put both feet in your mouth at the same time, because then you won't have a leg to stand on.
* Nobody cares if you can't dance well. Just get up and dance.
* Since it's the early worm that gets eaten by the bird, sleep late.
* The second mouse gets the cheese.
* When everything's coming your way, you're in the wrong lane.
* Some mistakes are too much fun to only make once.
* We could learn a lot from crayons... Some are sharp, some are pretty and some are dull. Some have weirdnames, and all are different colors, but they all have to live in the same box.
*A truly happy person is one who can enjoy the scenery on a detour.

Sharing Cinci with more friends...

I just love when people come to visit (it gives me an excuse to eat Graeter's)! But really, we enjoy sharing the things we like about this city with our friends, so when Neysa said she and her boyfriend, Darrin, wanted to come visit I was so excited!






We of course did the requisite trips to Montgomery Inn, Graeter's, and Hofbrauhaus (see previous post), but we also went to King's Island (amusement park), canoeing on the Little Miami River, and to a Reds game. We also got to see a fantastic fireworks show from Mt. Adams (such a great view) and Neysa and Samson got along so well! Such a quick trip, but so good to catch up and hang out together!!

Cincinnati's Bests...

I know it has been a while since I have posted--my apologies! Tim's bud from CA, Matt Curtis, was out this past week for a visit, and we enjoyed sharing with him all of Cincinnati's bests...the BEST ice cream (Graeter's, featured on Oprah, and as per Summer, "tastes like heaven,"), the best ribs (Montgomery Inn), the best place to shop for food (Jungle Jim's--think costco-sized Trader Joe's meets Disneyland, it is amazing!), best place for beer (Hofbrau House) and even took him canoeing and to the distilleries in good ol' Kentucky!

Happy Anniversary!!!

Tim and I celebrated our 4th Anniversary today--and it started last night when he whisked me away to this lovely, quaint, little cabin in the Hocking Hills region of Ohio--somewhere in the east/central area. Samson came along for the ride, and when we got there the "LoveBug" as it is called was all decked out with roses, crackers and cheese, stawberries, wine, and oh yes, homemade truffles! Yummmm--mmmy! The cabin looks tiny, and it is perfect for 2 people (and even fits a human-sized dog).



There was a bed, a sitting area, kitchen, and a great bathroom with a jacuzzi tub (had the most amazing view of the woods)! It was super relaxing and such a nice treat! Unfortunately I have to go back to work tomorrow, but I feel happy and rejuvinated....thanks, babe!

The sun sets...

I have learned so much since starting medical school, but not just about physiology or pharmacology...I have learned about life. And death. I have been able to observe how people deal with life and death differently. There have certainly been some sad moments, times when I need to get away and let a little tear out...but my thoughts on death have certainly changed. I am currently doing a rotation in general medicine at the VA--lots of cute old vets! But the past 2 weeks I have had to discuss end of life issues with three patients who have terminal illnesses, 2 of them who have only known about their disease for a few weeks! It has not been easy, but their outlook on life (and death) has been inspiring. Yes, there are times when death is unexpected and seems unfair. However, more often than not, there truly is a reason for it. The point of this post? My Uncle Bill passed away suddenly a few weeks ago--this was a picture he took of the sunset at the cabin in the Sierras...I have no explanation for what happened, which is certainly unsettling and something that really bothered me at first. But one thing I have learned in medicine is that there isn't always an answer. Sometimes we just don't know WHY things happen. But rather than choose to focus on the unknown, I would rather remember his life and his endearing qualities. I don't know about you, but when I look at this picture, I just feel at peace...

Allison is a married woman!

Allison's wedding was a few weeks ago, and we were lucky to be able to make the trip out to Illinois to join the festivities. It was so good to see the girls from college, and I know Tim and Evan cherished every minute they had together! And yes, I was on crutches from my most recent knee surgery (#4), but I still made my way to the dance floor...and somehow the crutches ended up out there without me! It was also great to see the Estes and Wannamacher families again!

Happy (belated) Father's Day/Birthday!

Cheers!! This is a pic of my Dad in Boston last weekend (while I was in DC and Mom was in Vegas) at Cheers, I think. Poor Dad was alone on his B-Day =(. At least he is coming out here next week to visit for a bit, which I am super excited about! It is hard being away from family for so long (nearly 10 years, if you can believe it!) and visits are always anticipated and treasured. Can't wait to see you, Dad!!!

Dad has been so anxious to be able to start sailing again, and now that he has a bigger boat (less likely to capsize), he and Mom can enjoy some nice days up at the lake...with Georgia, of course.

Samson's Hospital Visit =(

Yes, unfortunately Samson tried to tackle an SUV...he lost. But really, it was oh so scary and unless you are a "dog person" you really can't understand...he is like our child! I never understood this until we got him! We came back from an awesome weekend in Illinois and Allison's wedding, and he was sooooo excited to see us he wanted to run around in the busy street and play. Our neighbors, even ones we have never met, were so incredibly caring and helpful and we were able to get him to an animal hospital where he had to stay the night. Fortunately (and amazingly) he walked away with nothing but some deep cuts and a broken leg! We aren't sure yet if he will require surgery, as he broke both the ulna and radius in his right leg, and hopefully we will know on Friday.

And yes, the car is fine. =)

Karli and Chris go to China!

My good friend Karli (from our lovely HS days) and her husband, Chris, recently returned from their trip to China. They went to visit Karli's parents who are living there for a while, and from what I hear, they had an amazing trip! I just wanted to share this picture of them and The Great Wall, b/c it is really an awesome picture!!!

This weekend Tim and I are headed to Illinois for my friend Allison's wedding--can't wait to hang out with the Wannamacher clan and some peeps from Millikin--pictures galore to come, I promise....

My Gals

I know I haven't posted in a while--my apologies! This past weekend was med school graduation--Congrats to Ruth and Szylvie (and Jodi, my Big, not pictured here)! But sadly, that means two of them are moving away =(, thank goodness Jodi is doing her residency here! These girls have been so incredibly helpful in so many ways during the last three years, I don't know what I would have done without them! (sorry about the small picture, i am working on getting a bigger one)

I have been laid up myself, as I had surgery last week on my knee. To make a long story short, I had some bone from my hip put into my knee to prepare for a third ACL revision in a few months. I DON'T recommend it. Needless to say, it has been very difficult to get around, and Tim has been waiting on me hand and foot.

Tim's last day of school is tomorrow, and he is so excited for a long, restful summer (to include re-finishing the hardwood floors and re-painting the trim upstairs)--sounds fun, right? Only 3 more weeks for me and I get a 2 week vacation, too--yippee!

Hope the beginning of June (gasp!) is treating you all well!!!

Happy Mother's Day!

Happy Mother's Day to not only my mother, but to those wonderful women in my life who have been like mothers to me. Whether it has been as a mother-in-law or a "mom-away-from-home," I have been fortunate to have some fabulous women in my life! Additionally, happy mother's day to my friends who are fantastic mothers, as well.

I have learned so much from my mother, as I am sure we all have, but the older I get I realize this important thing: my mom knows everything! Honestly, she always has an answer to any question or dilemma I may have. Though it may not always be exactly what I want to hear at the time, once removed from the situation I realize that she is right! I can only hope to someone have the wisdom that she has--I love you mom, and Happy Mother's Day!

Georgia got a new look!

Georgia, my parent's Golden Retriever, got her "summer look" the other day--MUCH LESS hair!!!! I am sure she will appreciate it in the hot central cali heat, which we are missing enormously as we have another week of 50 degree-thunderstorming-May weather...yuck!

Fun in Illinois!

Neysa, Lauren, and Betsy




Chillin' in Blue Mound!




Those silly Brown twins!


I know I have been MIA for a while, and I apologize. I am on my psych rotation now, at the Children's Hospital for 3 weeks--I am trying to decide what I want to do for the rest of my life, Peds or Child Psych. Hopefully in 3 weeks I will know the answer!!

Last weekend I traveled to Illinois for my good friend Neysa's Cinco de Mayo party--I got to hang out with some of my bball girls from MU, which was awesome! One of the guys from our scout team was even there, and we all had so much fun together. I was super duper tired when I got home on Sunday, but the trip was definitely worth it!

Gooooooooo Reds!

While Tim was away on the 7th grade field trip (more about that later once i get some pictures) I enjoyed some time with some friends. Cincinnati really does have a lot to offer...the Bengals and Reds stadiums are only 15 min away from our house, and who can beat $4 tickets to the ballpark on a beautiful Friday evening? Granted, I spent most of the game talking to my buds, but it still was a nice game, nonetheless. On Sat I went to the ballet with my friend Kristina (another fellow Californian whose husband is in my class) and we even took a trip to the Banana Republic/Gap/Old Navy clearance center...the only one in the country! Honestly, you guys should come visit me just to go there =). All in all, we had a much needed fun and relaxing weekend.

MMMMmmmmm......Ribs!

Zach chowing down on Uncle Steve's ribs!



That is some sweet hair...how do you DO that?


This is my cousin Beth's little one, Zachary. He is something else, that is for sure, and quite the handful!