East Coast Living

So the next stage begins. I've been in Philadelphia for two weeks and have so far enjoyed the process. I live in South Philly, in an older, but safe neighborhood and close to the Broad Street SEPTA train, which makes my commute to Hahnemann about 20 minutes door-to-door. One of the things I was not prepared for was the torrential downpour that arrived on the first morning of orientation and then the thunderstorm warning two days later. Also, I moved in with the antics of Drunk Dave pounding on the window of a house a few doors.

I've had a chance to meet people in my class and everyone seems pretty nice. There are a couple of unmatched prelims who think they're hardcore. I'm not sure where they decided this was okay considering the circumstances in which they arrived at HUH. Oh well, they'll learn soon enough.

My original plan was to get here without a car for a couple of months, but having a rotation at an outside hospital makes that a little difficult. So in the end, I shipped one of the cars over to be able to make my trips to Abington during the first month. The other advantage is that I sent my hockey stuff over, so I'll be able to start playing soon. Considering I was looking up hockey leagues in Philadelphia even before I found a place to live, it was probably the best plan I made.

I also have noticed how much I've grown from my bachelor days. Living with two single guys has made me appreciate the importance of cleanliness throughout the home. I'm hoping I can impart some of my habits, but we'll see about that.

Today was BLS/ACLS certification, which was a little nerve-wracking. I was able to get through the course with no major hiccups, but thinking about doing it for real is a scary thought. I'm hoping I won't blank from the adrenaline. Time will tell.