Final Days

10 more days.

20 months later, my days left on the island are now approaching single digits.  How did this all happen?  In one sense, it felt like an eternity and at the same it, it flew by.  Maybe it was the monotony of class-library-home for nearly two years that seems to have made it all go by.  Ask me for details about each day or a particular event and I'd be hard-pressed to recall.  My current mood is relief mixed with hints of apprehension of the future.  In a sense, I've been comfortable knowing my routine.  Now I have to start thinking about studying for Step 1 and preparing myself to enter the hospital as an MS III.  There will be real patients and deal decisions made.  Part of me wonders if I'm ready for this responsibility.

This week, we've been attending a seminar to prepare us for next year.  We'll be asked to write SOAP notes and present patients to residents and attendings.  Am I ready for that kind of reality?  I guess we'll find out soon enough.

I know I will be excited to go home.  Maybe I'm superstitious, but I try not to think about it too much and I'm convinced I'll jinx myself and be stuck on this island forever.  I've been watching too much Lost.  I'll look forward to starting my life again back in California.  I'll be busy re-forging my friendships and picking up where I left off.  I feel like I put my life on pause for the last two years and I have a fair amount to catch up on.

Home Stretch

Less than 30 days left on the island.  Behavioral Science final tomorrow afternoon.  Then two more minor tests and then I'm out of here.  I can't wait to get home.  Thanks to the fiancee, I have a Vado HD waiting for me.  It will be a trip back to my digital media days in high school, although it will be a big upgrade: no more VCR video transfers and horrible audio syncing.  I'll look forward to filming the nieces and nephew, hockey games, LAN parties, and trips in the G.

Listening to Sharks games that start at 11:30pm is pretty brutal.  Leaving me in a 1-1 game before I sleep is just torture.  Speaking of torture, congrats to the Giants on winning the World Series.  A rag-tag bunch pulled it off.  They won in a dominant fashion (4-1) with superior pitching and timely hitting.  I'm looking forward to seeing The Freak pitch next season.  I figure it would be a unique opportunity to see such a dominant pitcher in his prime.

Yikes, why am I up?  Time to get some sleep, so I don't pass out during the exam.

Peace.