Weeks

It has been weeks since my last post. But, to be honest, not much has happened! Halloween was fun and I have my costume pics on here, Erica and Ben came up and I put those pics on here... other than that I have just been going to the gym, going to class, and trying to maintain a social life haha.
 I just got back from Arlington yesterday, where I spent Thanksgiving with Erica, Ben, and their daughter Alexandra who gets cuter every day. It was rough being on Alex's schedule - I do not know how Erica does it every day! The best part of my trip (other than spending time with my cute family of course) was that Erica took me to CAFE RIO and CARIBOU COFFEE!!!!!!!!!!! (I think I am too easily excited about food.) At Cafe Rio, I was positively giddy in line when I ordered and the lady who made my salad ended up being a manager who had to do a ton of training in Salt Lake, Logan, and Provo. She asked if I was from Utah and was also happy that I was getting my pork salad after 5 months. Getting to and from DC was quite the adventure: I rode a Greyhound Bus for the first time in my life! On the way back, we left an hour late because our bus' battery died. Turns out they do not keep jumper cables on the bus (because people will steal them) and the terminal in DC does not allow idling. Recipe for a dead bus battery. But after an hour, we got rolling and I got home in one piece. Yay.
What else is new? I got instagram. You can find a link to my account on the side of my blog. I am not ready for Christmas. Not even close. It is hard to get in the spirit when it doesn't snow and it was 60+ degrees last week. Hopefully the decorations and weather will melt my grinchiness. I guess I am kind of boring right now. School rules my life. Basically. But I love it, so it's ok.  

"Oooh A camera... I want to touch it."

Alex and Ben at Independence Hall

Apparently, We wanted a butt picture. Mine wins.

I will try to be better about posting photos and posts over the next month. Even if it is to count down until I go home for Christmas.
L

Fam, Hair, Rio

Now that our anatomy block is done I can finally breathe! We had family dinner studying last weekend before doomsday. Once Tuesday came, I celebrated being done by hanging out with my friend Lina and then going out with friends. Followed by a very expensive trip to the grocery store on Wednesday, something I had not done in months. I ended up having to call a cab because I bought too many groceries that I couldn't carry them home. Fail.

Followed by BURRITO MAKING!

I have been craving Hector's and Cafe Rio something fierce for weeks. WEEKS. So I finally made some bomb burritos with made-from-scratch spanish quinoa instead of rice. I love using quinoa anywhere I can because it is a complete protein and has no carbs, but it will fill you up like rice and is cheap like rice. Win.

Followed by a weekend of awesomeness!

Went out Thursday, stayed in for movie night Friday, My fam came up from DC Saturday and then I went out with friends late, and stayed in Sunday. The weather here turned awful today.... only 50 degrees and rainy all day. Perfect weather for cooking comfort foods and staying in PJs to watch football. Which is exactly what I did today :)

Enjoy some pictures!

CAFE RIO, HOW I MISS YOU!

Dim Sum Family Dinner at school before the final

COOKIE-BROWNIES!!!

Lastly, I don't usually take pics of myself. But I had a rare exception the other day. I had the best hair day possibly EVER. See for yourself :)

Light at the End of the Tunnel

I am almost done with the anatomy block of my first year of medical school! I am so close that I can taste it and I am so excited!!! But now to update from the past...

Two weeks ago I went to New York City!!! My friend Ryan from the UUSOM was in Brooklyn for 5 weeks for an abroad rotation at King's County Hospital and I got to see him for his last weekend. We spent Friday and Saturday in Brooklyn and Sunday in Manhattan. It was pretty cool, I could live there I think :) I sucked at taking pictures, but I do have a few to share...mainly of the Highline Park.

This is Ryan

This is Me

This is the view from the balcony in Brooklyn

Best Pizza Ever in Chelsea off the Highline. Thanks to my friend Gabi for the recommendation!!!

That's all for now :) pray that I will survive this last week in Anatomy and my final next Tuesday!

L

The Not-Study Game

I don't know what it was about today but I couldn't get a good thing going. My day started by oversleeping and being nearly an hour late for class! It would not have been a big deal except our class had a midterm on Friday so our schedule for this week was a tad different than usual. 

We normally have a one hour "lecture" from 08:00-09:00, then cross-teach, and finally  dissection or self study depending on the day. But today, we had dissection at 08:00 until 11:00, which is when the other half of our group came in for cross-teach until 12:00. I felt terrible about being late and leaving my dissection team a man down. 

After that whole dissection mess (dissection was particularly difficult today and I was unable to get all of my prep done...) I was excited to meet up with a friend to go climbing. Which ended up not happening for various reasons. Bummer. 

But in the end, I decided to stay in, do laundry (something I have never done since moving to Philadelphia), and watch hulu. This plan was aided particularly by the weather: it has been a torrential downpour here in the city for most of the day - lightning, thunder, the whole bit. These rainy Mondays make me want to snuggle in bed with a movie on. 

Which is exactly what I did today aka played the not-study game. And I feel great about it.

L