NEW YORK, NEW YORK

Start spreading the news, I'm leaving today...well, tomorrow actually. But I couldn't help say that as I sit here in bed, all packed up, and waiting to wind down, just to rise early tomorrow morning to head to the airport for NY. I can't wait! I've slept like crap the last few nights probably because of my anxiousness. I am excited to see the city, see new family, and spend time with my parents, Chris, and my brother. After all, besides Chris, I don't see any of them very often! It should be a great time. I plan on posting pictures and details when we get back. For now, wish us all safe flying! P.S. I used to have a shirt with the logo above on it...perhaps now I can wear one and really mean it. :)

ANNIVERSARIES...

Thirty years ago today my parents were married - August 12, 1978 - and today they are celebrating! Not only are they still married, they still love each other! :) I am so happy for them and I hope to follow in their footsteps in my marriage to Chris. So congratulations to my mom and dad, Lisa and Phil, and here's wishes for many more years to come!

On another anniversary note, today is also the 2nd anniversary of Dan and Brandi, Chris' little sister and her husband. So congratulations to them as well! Two years down and more to come!

THE GETTY

Saturday Chris and I went to the Ghetty Museum in LA with our good friends Casie and Josh (they live in San Diego). It's a FREE museum (I didn't think anything was free anymore) and it is gorgeous! We had a great time. We didn't make it through all of the exhibits, sadly. And unfortunately we missed my favorites - impressionism - but I guess that means we'll just have to go back. The whole place was beautiful and very family oriented which was nice to see. They were just starting a concert for the kids when we left. A FREE concert. The museum is situated in the LA hills and so we had to be shuttled up to it. The shuttle was once again FREE. They mostly had italian and french art from around the 1500s and then they also had an exhibit of ornate antique furniture and tapestries. The special feature was the Bernini exhibit (sorry, no pictures were allowed). He was such an amazing sculptor and this was my favorite exhibit at the museum. Lastly, we went to the flower gardens, which were beautiful and full of color. Below are pictures from the day and a few of Bernini's work I found on the internet. I can't wait to go back and see the impressionism.

This was the entrance...

More of the entrance
The courtyards - there were tons of fountains and table to sit and relax

Josh and Casie

Casie and I

A view of the gardens and LA - you can see the ocean in the background if you look closely

Chris and I with the gardens behind us

The Gardens

And lots of flowers...

A pomegranate tree - I wish I had my very own

Peeking through the trees at the azalea maze

More flowers...

All of us

A stream through the gardens
So pretty

Here's some of the old furniture...

And some of my favorites pieces of art

Here's some of Bernini's work...

Self-portrait when he was younger (27 I think)

One of my all-time favorite sculptures - on display in Rome

My two favorites that were at the exhibit...

One of Chris' favorites

IT'S FINALLY SINKING IN...

Today I went back to WesternU to see the incoming first year students and to sit on a panel and answer their questions about the program. It was interesting! My class is quite a young class and apparently the staff got fed up with the lack of maturity of some, so they decided that this year they would take older students. The average age of the new incoming class is 30 (our was 26 or something). And let me tell you, they look like they are going to be a much better class! I think they were looking at me and thinking, "What the he** does this 20 something think she knows?" I think I am gonna get that a lot starting next month. I tell Chris that I may have to resort to the old librarian look with the bun and glasses and conservative clothing. Otherwise my patients are gonna see me and ask where their provider is. And when I say I am going to be taking care of them today, they're gonna say, "Like he** you are." I can see it playing out in my head now.

Anyhow, it was crazy to sit there when it feels like just yesterday I was there with my hand up asking questions of the then second years. I really can't believe how fast the time has gone. It took me going back to school and seeing the new first years to finally feel finished. I actually feel like a second year now.

Those poor first years - they looked so scared. I can remember what it felt like sitting there realizing that you don't know what you got yourself into and that your freedom is gone. Your life does a 180 and leaves you thinking, what the heck just happened? But I just tried to be supportive of them and let them know they'll make it - that before they know it, they'll be sitting up there just like me in front of the next class saying the same.

BETTER LATE THAN NEVER...

It's funny how I made this blog in October but have done absolutely nothing with it until now. I am blaming it on grad school. Physician Assistant school is more busy than one might think. And just when you think it can't get busier, it always does. My original plan was to use this blog to update people since my schedule is often opposite that of others. But I never got around to it.

Well, today is my first official day off from school and I decided I would start the first posting.

Friday was our last day of school. We had five finals in five days - which, though it sounds bad, is actually not as many as we usually have. Our final on friday was OB/GYN and was the last official final of my first year of PA school. So technically I am now a "2nd year". That's what we call them at our school. A friend of mine in a PA program in AZ says that I would be called a "Tweener" at his school - no longer in the first year but also not graduated. Either way, it means I don't have to sit in class all day anymore. I don't have to take numerous exams a week. I don't have homework. I have the whole month of August off, thankfully. There is much needed R&R in store for this month. Chris and I, along with my family, will be going to NJ and the end of the month to visit family - namely my soon-to-be 102-year-old great-grandmother (really she's my step-great-grandmother). I have never met her. Apparently she still does very well for herself. I am excited to meet new family. While in NJ, we're planning a trip to NY. The only plan we have is to see Central Park. But I'm sure we'll have the day filled before we know it. I am excited to visit the Big Apple. After NJ/NY, I start my rotations. The 2nd year of PA school consists of 11 one-month rotations in different areas of medicine. My first rotation is in Urgent Care. A little scary to start off there, but it'll force me to dive in and learn. My schedule so far is as follows:

September - Urgent Care
October - General Surgery
November - Internal Medicine/Geriatrics/Long Term Care
December - Orthopedic Surgery
January - Pediatrics
February - Cardiology
March - Emergency Medicine
April - Family Practice
May - OB/GYN

June and July are our last two months of rotations. So far they are unscheduled. One of them will have to be Urgent Care/Family Practice/Emergency Med. For the other one, I'm planning to schedule Neurology or Cardiothoracic Surgery. For now, I am going to enjoy my much needed break and get some things done that have been put on the back burner.

Here's a pic of my great-grandmother on her 100th birthday

















Here's a pic of the Statue of Liberty that my dad took the last time they were there (I didn't get to go) - I hope to get to see this...


Here's a few highlights from my first year of school...

Splinting and Casting Workshop with Katherine


















Another Splinting and Casting pic


Me and fellow classmates Katherine, and Jessica at our "Wine and Game Night" with our boys


Fundraising for our class


Suturing Workshop

Here's a pic of our whole class - I'm in the third row, second from the left.