Last Weeks in the West

As I slowly wind down my time in Central California, I think about the fond memories of this place. The long, early hours at KMC playing the role of incompetent medical student. It was fun while it lasted, but now it is time to move on. Some of me will miss this place. Mainly, the ice and roller rink. Actually, that just might be the only thing. It will be tough to be in Philly on my own for a few months, but I'll try to make the best of it while I transition into my first real physician role (and first paying job in almost 30 years).

Before I go, there is a trip to Yosemite in the works for this coming weekend. We rented out an awesome house on the water outside the park with 5 bedrooms and a pool table. I'm really looking forward to using it when we get in. It will be nice to have some unadulterated time with my family before I go.

In more current news, my students are wrapping up their finals this weeks, so that means longer, more frantic hours. I've had to sacrifice my time (and one hockey game), but I do like teaching and I feel like I'm helping them out, so it's probably worth it in the long run for both parties. I'm sure they're looking forward to Summer and sleeping in.

EuroTrip

We made it back safe and sound! Two weeks in Europe was an awesome experience. I finally lived my dream of seeing the Colosseum in person. It was breath-taking! The best part was taking the extended tour into the subterranean level and up to the third ring. Seeing the Roman Forum and the Pantheon helped round out the experience. In Turkey, I was blown away by the architecture of the Ottoman empire. The Grand Bazaar was a great places full of color and life. It was a reminder of a magnificent past and a sad reality of how far the Islamic world has fallen from it's once great roots. Turkey is a model country as it blends East and West seamlessly (which makes sense based on it's location), but I think other Islamic countries have a lot to learn from their Turkish counterparts. You could see the mingling of their conservative and liberal citizens with no issues or difficulty.

The final leg in St. Maarten was a nice finish to the trip. There was a lot of relaxing and enjoying the beach. It was an odd sensation going back, but coming as a tourist makes all the difference. Sadly, I never made it back to campus, but maybe that would be a reason to go back in the future. I did make it to Thai Savanh and the crepe place, so there was some major nostalgia going on.

In the end, I am glad to be headed home again. It's crazy to think that I only have 3 more weeks until residency starts. I'm nervous and excited to see what the future will be like. Thankfully, I'm moving to a new location with a dwelling secured (which was the mistake I made moving to St. Maarten); I don't plan on doing that ever again.