Too much sunshine :-)

Hmmm...what has happened in my life in the past three weeks?

Reflecting upon it, I feel like a lot has happened, although much of it is rooted in med school routine. In clinical skills, I now know how to do a basic neurological exam, the cranial nerve exam, and the head, eyes, ears, nose, and throat (i.e. head & neck) exam. For many of the sessions in the past few weeks, we have practiced on each other, rather than standardized patients, which means that the classes are much more low key (no professional dress required) and the preceptors are more forgiving of mistakes or the instances where our memory of a 20-point checklist falters a bit. :-)

Last Friday, we learned the musculoskeletal exam and we were given instructions to wear 'loose clothing.' I took full advantage of that statement and chose to wear pajama bottoms to school on Friday. I was definitely the only med student to choose such attire (most chose athletic clothing) and I received a range of interesting looks and remarks as a result. Ah well, I loved the chance (perhaps the only one I will get in medical school) to wear such comfy clothing. I'll just have to get used to scrubs as the new pj's.

Everything is going pretty well overall. Alex likes his new job, which is great. Now, between the two of us, we are busy until about 8pm most nights during the week. So, most of our time together on weekdays is spent vegging out, either by watching Scrubs, Top Chef, or Grimm.

The end of the quarter is fast approaching and I am in a great deal of denial about how much I have to study/review before I take on 6 final exams in mid-March (yowza!). Next quarter will be a welcome shift (fewer class hours and a block, 'organ-based' curriculum). Tick-tock, tick-tock.

Alex and I have made several trips up to Tahoe (with friends) over the past few weeks. One time actually included a good round of skiing (despite there being minimal snow in the mountains) and last weekend we got a little snowshoeing in. This upcoming weekend, I finally have a chance to be in the area for the most part, which is a welcome change of pace.

Planning for the outdoor orientation trip this summer is well underway. With that and my involvement in student committees for the wellness initiative at the medical school, I am certainly keeping myself busy, busy, busy. Oh, and I have taken on a commitment to help lead the Women's Clinic at one of the community free clinics run by Stanford students. That commitment will begin next month and carry through the next year.

On a different note, the weather has been gorgeous. The northwest girl in me still fights just how warm it is on any given February day here (stubbornly wearing a vest or fleece when it is in the mid-60s). Today is one of those days. As I write this, I am sitting on the fourth floor balcony of the med school, enjoying the view and the warm breeze after having overheated over lunch at on outdoor cafe nearby. At least there is shade here. It feels like May to me, certainly not a bad thing, but it takes a little to get used to.

I am still very happy to be here, but I continually wish I was closer (geographically) to the people that ground me most. I am establishing good friendships here, but they have known me for only a few months. Up until my move to Stanford, I have had the privilege of being in close proximity to those that know me in a deeper way. Those connections provide a sense of comfort that I miss. I am fortunate and grateful to have Alex here, but it is still a little hard to imagine the roller coaster I will be riding for the next 3+ years. So, I keep strengthening current friendships, going for long runs (most recently, I joined a CrossFit gym), baking/cooking, and finding other ways to keep me grounded, sane, and well overall.

Sending lots of love to family and friends!