From Sea to Shining Sea

Vote!

2011-03-04T13:05:00.002-05:00

Okay...so nobody voted on the poll last month. I'll give you another month to vote and then you can also comment on which character you would want to be/which costume you want to put on. It can be anything from a professional sports mascot or local sports mascot or a fictional character (like one from Sesame Street). My vote would be number 3. Put the costume on and dance like I've never danced before. Nobody would know who I am and I could make a fool of myself without the total embarrassment of people knowing who I am or seeing my face. :) What would you do?

God knows...

2011-02-15T21:59:00.003-05:00

At church this last week I learned that a family at my church will be moving to Texas very soon. I met this couple very early during my time in Boston and the wife/mom is a Physical Therapist. It was so nice to have her to talk to and go to for encouragement throughout school. Although I didn't meet with her regularly, it was nice to know that someone at church who is a PT and someone I could talk to who understands very well what I'm going through and then someone I could look to for Godly advice in the world of PT. It was just nice to know I had that option available if needed. So, I am excited for their move to Texas, but a little sad to see them go.

However, while I was in service just an hour or two later, I sat in front of a girl who I met for the first time who, SURPRISE, is a physical therapist! She graduated from Northeastern (in Boston) last year and is now working at one of the hospitals nearby. So, even though my other friend is moving far away soon, God put this other woman in my life who is a young therapist, but another PT close-by to talk to with regard to school and jobs and being a PT. Thank you Lord!

It's COLD!!!

2011-01-23T20:59:00.011-05:00

And, yes, COLD does need to be capitalized!!! There is a windchill advisory in the weather forecast tonight. Don't know what a windchill advisory is? Neither did I until I read this description on theweatherchannel.com:

A WIND CHILL ADVISORY IS ISSUED WHEN THE WIND CHILL INDEX IS LIKELY TO REACH -15 TO -24 DEGREES FOR AT LEAST 3 HOURS. FROSTBITE CAN DEVELOP IN JUST 30 MINUTES WITH A WIND CHILL INDEX OF -20. IF YOU ARE HEADING OUTDOORS... DRESS IN LAYERS AND WEAR A HAT AND GLOVES.

Frostbite?! I don't think I've ever had to seriously consider frostbite anywhere at anytime before. I may have complained about being cold and getting frostbite or hypothermia or something in the past due to the cold, but those were just exaggerations. The high for tomorrow is lucky number 13 degrees Fahrenheit. Yes, my friends, the high temperature. That means, it won't go above 13 degrees! 13 degrees is the warmest it will be tomorrow. Who thought "13 degrees" and "warm" would be used in the same sentence/go together? Okay...I know there are many other places that are much, much colder than this, so I'll stop my ranting now. My friend told me that her school has been cancelled in the past in Chicago because it was too cold (at -50 degrees). I'm thankful for our 13 degree weather! The cold can be very refreshing when experienced in small doses! Thankfully I'll be in class all day tomorrow to make up for snow days and holidays over the past two weeks.

This semester, one of my classes meets on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays. Because of snow days and MLK Jr. day, we have met 3 out of the 6 classes we were supposed to have. That means we will have make up classes in the weeks to come! That means my afternoons that were free will no longer be free as we make up this material. It's definitely better than extending school an extra week, starting our clinicals a week later, and foregoing our "spring break" in May though.

Last Friday was our second snow day in two weeks and it was nice to sleep in. (Last week was the longest 3-day week ever!) I suppose adjusting back into school mode hasn't been as easy or as quick as I thought it would be. My roommates and I did not make a friend for Raphael, but we did clean the apartment and relax a bit before going to game night! Some catch phrase, taboo, and hanging out with friends was a great way to spend a Friday evening on our snow day. There wasn't as much snow as the week prior, but there was still some snow, making it more of a snow day than last year's snow day, again. And, there's talk of another storm (nor'easter) coming through this week (on Wednesday again). As nice it would be to stay home and enjoy the snow, I suppose having class during the normally scheduled time would be beneficial too. Oh, snow....how I don't know so much about you....

Here are a couple pictures from my birthday celebration last weekend....enjoy! :)

my roommates surprised me by blowing up and covering my bed with balloons. then, they hid a gift among the balloons....a t-shirt and jewelry box! They're great! (my roommates and the gifts are all great)

most of the crew at dinner, starting at the L: Vanessa, Jenna, Emily, Brian (head between Jenna and Emily), Neil, Jonathan, Erin, Theo, and me (missing Trisha, Hannah, and Shirin who were at this end of the table)

some of the girls at Hard Rock Cafe for my Boston birthday dinner

bottom: Erin, me, Trisha

top: Shirin, Hannah (roommates)

everyone at the bowling alley! (we went bowling after dinner)

from L to R: Neil, Jonathan, Shirin (above), Erin, me, Erin, Jenna, Trisha, Hannah

the scores of game 1

the scores of game 2 (some didn't play a second game)

Here are a few pictures from Friday, the snow day! I was just playing around with my camera a little bit. Enjoy some pictures of snow, and the view from my bedroom, which I think is a pretty good one! :)

the view out one window...one person walking down the alley

view of the rooftops across the street from the same window

view out of another window of "Brookline Village Corner/Center"

closer view of the clock tower in the picture above

closer view of the same streetlight and lamp on the corner in the above picture

These next few are from this weekend. My pastor turned 40 and his wife threw him a surprise birthday party, 80's themed. So, some people dressed up and these are a few pictures of my friends and me from that night!

Karoline, me, and Jillian

me, Karoline, and Janna

this picture has a dual purpose: to get a full appreciation of my outfit (arm warmers and all!) and also to see a bit of my room...the color my quilt adds to my bed/room (also can be seen in the picture with the balloons on my bed) and the balloon on the wall (I moved all the balloons from my bed to my walls)

Pictures and Snow Day

2011-01-12T23:10:00.005-05:00

Well, today was much, much more of a snow day than our "snow day" last year!!! Below are some pictures from today! :)

one view from my bedrooom window of the street lights

this is a house down the street from us and I liked it, so I took a picture of it

the park down the street where we went to play

and we made this! Meet our new friend, Raphael

and, Hannah made a great snow angel! :)

It was a fun day with lots of beautiful snow, though I'm not sure that's what some people were thinking as they were shoveling their driveways and cleaning the streets. Now, here are a couple pictures of my Christmastime projects (and my birthday).

the quilt I made

my sister (my teacher) and I in the huge quilt I made

the soldier I made for my mom, who had her friend's soldiers to copy from

me with my birthday balloons and birthday flowers my mom came home with on my birthday!

Thanks mom! :)

New Poll

2011-01-11T23:05:00.004-05:00

I posted a new poll! After you answer, I would love to read your reasoning as to why what you chose is your favorite season! Comment on this post to explain why! :) Thanks!

It's a New Year and it's January 11, 2011 (1-11-11)

2011-01-11T22:33:00.002-05:00

Wow! Where has the time gone?! Thanksgiving was great as I spent some time with my friend, Katelyn, who came up from Rhode Island and we went to my pastor's house, where there were lots of people and food and it was nice and relaxing. It seems as if families on the east coast eat an early Thanksgiving dinner (1 or 2 pm) and so they have time to eat another meal (or appetizers or a snack or something) later in the evening or night. Then, for the weekend after, I was able to spend a few days in Maine with a couple families I met over the summer and spent time visiting and more time relaxing and away from school and the craziness of city life in Boston (which isn't all that crazy all the time...just, constant noise and people around).

Well, another semester of PT school has come and gone, and I think it was our worst schedule as we were at school what seemed like all the time. However, we made it through and learned a lot and, now, I've forgotten a lot! (But, I have remembered some of it too.) I left Boston the evening after my last final in the morning, which is new for me. I am usually the one to stay a few days and take my time packing and cleaning and getting ready to leave. However, not this time! I packed in maybe an hour by throwing a bunch of things in my bag and hoped it was enough for my time at home and then went to off to the airport. :) It worked out just fine. Surprisingly, I did not get stuck anywhere this trip! Praise God! We ended up leaving Boston and hour late because it was snowing and they had to prepare the plane so the snow didn't turn to ice at 30,000 feet. However, we only got into Dallas/Fort Worth a half an hour later than scheduled. I had an hour layover, which quickly turned into a half an hour and thankfully my departing gate wasn't too far from my arriving gate. So, I made it to my plane to San Francisco with a little bit of time to spare (more time than I thought since the mechanics had to do things to the plane before we could leave). I arrived in San Francisco and walked out to my family waiting for me and my sister taking a bazillion pictures of me, half asleep.

Christmas and my time at home was great as I got to spend a lot of time with my family and enjoy that time together. Got to see everyone multiple times and Cari and I did a lot of sewing. She taught me how to make a rag quilt as she made a quilt of her own too. We also had some quality, fun competition in Wii games in between times of sewing and sports games on the television. I will post pictures of my projects over Christmas break as soon as I put them on my computer from my camera! :)

My birthday was also recently. I turned 25, which is kind of a milestone birthday, I suppose. I was able to spend time with my parents and my younger brother on my birthday. We saw Country Strong and then went out to dinner. Then, the next morning, I was able to have breakfast with my grandparents, my brother, dad, and uncle which made for a delightful morning after my birthday. :) My older brother and sister-in-law came over that afternoon/evening for a yummy home-mom-cooked meal and to hang out before I left that night to return to Boston. Now, I am hoping and planning on celebrating my birthday with my friends in Boston by going to the Hard Rock Cafe (weather permitting). If not tomorrow, then Friday! :)

My flight back to Boston was also, surprisingly, on time and no delays! It's almost like a first. Although, I was hoping for an overbooked flight in which I could volunteer and get another voucher towards another flight and keep getting free flights. Unfortunately, or fortunately, however you may look at it, that did not happen and I arrived in Chicago and left Chicago and arrived in Boston all on time.

Now, school has started for our 7 week semester of class and it's already going by so quickly! :) After two days of class, there is a blizzard warning and school is closed tomorrow, so we get a day off. Since being in Boston, I have had 2 snow days now and the first one, there was no actual snow. I'll find out when I wake up whether the blizzard actually comes through Boston or not! :) I am hoping to wake up to a fresh blanket of snow covering the ground that I can go play in and have a snowball fight and build and snowman and enjoy the day!

Well, I couldn't resist posting on such a monumental day with a date of 1-11-11!!! The only other time there will be more 1's will be on Veteran's Day of this year! :) Okay....I guess there were more ones on November 11, 1111. But, that was a really long time ago and not in our lifetime, so enjoy the ones!!! :) And, now, I am finishing this post at 11:01. How fitting. Maybe I should write for ten more minutes. Nah...I'll head to bed so I can wake up early and be greeted by the snow (hopefully). :)

Weather

2010-11-03T20:17:00.002-04:00

According to weather websites, it is in the 80s in Clayton and 50s in Boston. In the 80s at home?!?! It's like summer never ended, but school began. Though I'm thankful it isn't freezing here quite yet, the 30 degree difference makes me miss the CA weather. However, I suppose the foliage here in New England makes up for it. :) I suppose winter is upon us, but I'm not ready to admit that quite yet. Thank you Jesus for the crisp, cool air and the warm blankets I can cuddle up in. Now, to continue studying for my midterm tomorrow morning! Last midterm of this 2-week long testing time! Then, I can really cuddle up and get warm and relax a bit before I continue to study the new material. Thank you Jesus for this opportunity to learn and further my academic education!

10-10-10

2010-10-10T22:56:00.003-04:00

Yes, that is today's date. October 10, 2010....10-10-10. Could we say today is "10 cubed"? Just felt the need to bring attention to today's date since it will only happen TODAY, once next year and once the year after and then we will have to wait 91 years or something like that until it happens again, which will likely not be in any of our lifetimes. So, enjoy it while we can!!! :)

Poll

2010-10-02T16:35:00.002-04:00

Well, the story behind the September poll is that I moved into a new apartment at the beginning of September and I think it took about 2 weeks before we could get our internet set up and running in our apartment due to the previous tenants failing to cancel their internet service. We contacted the internet company and they said that we couldn't start service because there was already another account open for this address. Therefore, we had to mail our lease in and then they could cancel the previous account and start service for us. However, the town I live in has an hour of free internet for computer users while in this town. It is an hour free everyday, but once you begin using the internet, the hour countdown begins. It doesn't keep track of how long you are actually using the internet. It doesn't matter if you close your browser or even disconnect from the internet. Once you start, you can't stop or pause or anything. Therefore, we had one hour of internet at home for the first two or two and a half weeks we lived here. It was manageable, especially once school started and we were able to use the internet at school while we were there. We had to plan our hour of internet use; I ended up writing a list of what I needed to get done using the internet and after I had a list of a few things, I would begin my hour and get the most out of that one hour I had. Now, I have unlimited use the internet. Oh, how I rely so much on technology....

July

2010-09-27T20:37:00.003-04:00

So, my summer in Maine was quite the unforgettable experience. I had always dreamed of, or wished, to have the opportunity to live in Maine while I was growing up just because Maine was so far away and nobody ever really talked about it. It was like one of the "forgotten states" (kinda like some of the states in the middle of the country). However, I think I want to at least visit those as well. Anyhow, my dream/wish came true and after moving to Maine, I was not prepared at all for how rural it is. At the beginning of July, I was able to take a small little break from Waterboro, ME and spend the weekend of the 4th of July with my parents in Boston, which was fabulous! On the fourth, we went to church in the morning and then met my friends on the esplanade to take part in those fun Boston festivities. Then, we made our way back to Maine on Monday, spending some time in northern Mass and New Hampshire. Having my parents in Maine that week was helpful with my adjustment to Maine because they gave me something very familiar to come home to after work and people I could interact with that didn't have anything to do except to spend time with me. :) (It also helped that they took me out to dinner and spoiled me rotten while they were here.) Then, before they left, they came by the clinic and met the people I was working with this summer, which was also good. It makes it so much easier for me to talk to someone about where I am and what I've been doing when that person has seen where I am and have met the people I interact with on a daily basis. Then, they left and I continued living and working in Maine, adjusting more and more everyday and gaining more of an appreciation and liking for that state that was once oh so far away and "forgotten".

The next weekend, the family I was living with took me to Fort Williams park to see the Portland Headlight on Cape Elizabeth. It was a pretty area with a lighthouse and a view of other light houses. The kids had a fun time showing me all the cool places to explore and hide out in and rocks to climb and all the different paths to take. And, I had a fun time being introduced to such a fun area too. The next day, they took me to Kancamagus highway in New Hampshire where there are a lot of pull outs on the side of the highway with a bunch of different short hikes to take and waterfalls and lakes to see and water to play in and all kinds of fun exploring and nature to see. It was such a nice day (it reminded me of a CA summer day) and it was the perfect day to be in the warm sun and near water. Needless to say, I enjoyed that weekend and it ended up being one of many good weekends. :)

The next week, I had the wonderful (scary) opportunity to experience my first real life tornadoes! I suppose they weren't the real big tornadoes, but they were classified as touch-down tornadoes. I don't know much about this natural disaster, but I did know that I wasn't about to drive in the heavy rain and wind that I met after leaving the clinic that night. Therefore, I ran back inside, soaking wet, to wait it out with the girl who was closing that night. After about an hour, the wind and the rain let up a bit and I was able to safely drive home. It is a storm I will never forget and am so thankful that everyone I knew was okay. I didn't hear of anyone getting hurt in it, but I did hear (and see) trees uprooted and blocking the roads all over. One of the physical therapists at the clinic I was working at was unable to come to work the next day because the trees were blocking his road so much. His pigs had gotten out, other people's outdoor furniture was destroyed and taken to other people's yards (and these people have acres of land...the neighbor's yard isn't necessarily right next door). That was an eventful evening and I'm so thankful it wasn't too bad.

That weekend, I went into Portland, ME and spent the afternoon with my fellow student at the clinic, and friend, in "the city" exploring a little bit and walking around the quaint downtown area. Portland is a cute little city with small shops and cobblestone roads and water and an enjoyable atmosphere. The next day, we went for a little hike to overlook a town nearby and go to see a pretty view of the treetops and some lakes in the distance. It was a nice hike and a good way to spend the afternoon. Let me tell you...the tops of trees can be very different. They are not all the same. If someone can explain to me the majesty and excitement in these differences, I would be more than happy to listen because I can't tell you. :) Honestly, though, it was a good way to get outside and do something and enjoy the nature that one can't enjoy everywhere because there are people and houses and businesses that have cut down the forests and open space. There is a lot of beauty (and trees) in the state of Maine.

That last week in July, my CI (Clinical Instructor) and I went to do an ergonomic assessment for some business one afternoon. It was a good experience to see another aspect of what a physical therapist can do. It's not something I would want to do full time, but it's necessary to do from time to time from the business perspective, but also what needs to be considered with my future patients who will be working at a computer with a desk job for 8 hours a day. So, that was a good one-time experience to have and be a part of. I also received my first gift from a patient that week, which was exciting. I was given a can of those Pirouline cookies...oh, they are so yummy! The hazelnut flavored ones are my favorite, but the chocolate ones were tasty too. :)

I saw The Sorcerer's Apprentice with my CI and his family. I usually don't enjoy movies with Nicholas Cage, but this one wasn't too bad. I usually don't go to see movies in general, but I suppose I'll go every once in a great while and this was one of those great whiles. It was fun to meet his family too. Family time is something that I generally enjoy, whether or not it is my own family. (Although, I will say that family time with my family is by far the best family time. I am a little biased though.)

To finish July off, my friends came to visit me in Maine! Shirin, Hannah, and Trisha took a bus from Boston to Portland for the day. I picked them up and we went to eat at DiMillo's (a floating restaurant) for lunch. By floating restaurant, it was more just a restaurant on a boat that was docked and it didn't feel like we were even on the water because it was such a large boat that it didn't move. It was still fun though and we were outside on a nice day, eating lobster club sandwiches--YUM!!! :) After lunch, we took a ferry over to Peak's Island. There are so many islands off the coast of Maine and people can visit, or live on, many of them! When we got to Peak's Island, we got ice cream from a place that gave gigantic scoops and it was oh so good! Some were rather messy as it melted and got all over our hands (Shirin's was extra melty), but it was a tasty treat! We walked around the island for a short while and then took the ferry back to Old Port (Portland) and walked around downtown and in the shops too. We finished up their time visiting by going to the Popcorn store where they have all kinds of crazy flavored popcorn. There are so many unique flavors and then they mix and match their flavors to make new flavors. The sky is the limit with this popcorn company! Go look at their website to browse some of their creative creations!

If you thought July was busy, just wait until you read about what I did in August! Some crazy things and some true "Maine experiences". The best is yet to come! :)

I'm Famous

2010-09-23T22:50:00.004-04:00

Yeah, right! I am hardly famous. However, I just found out recently that my face is featured on two different websites, one of which has probably been there for almost a year, completely unbeknownst to me. It is on my church's website when we took pictures with our community group last fall (October or November). I have no idea how long it's been there, but probably since soon after it was taken and will be replaced with another picture from community groups this year, which begin in October. Check it out and see if you can find me here!

Secondly, while I was in Maine this summer, the clinic I was working at had someone redesign/revamp their website. They took more updated pictures during this process and a picture was taken of me and used on the home page. Can you find me?

Also, in case you didn't realize, there is a new poll question and is only there until the end of the month! I'll write about the story behind the question and why it is relevant to my life after the voting has ended. :)

Blog Poll!

2010-08-16T21:58:00.002-04:00

So, to make this a little bit more interactive, I have decided to put in a little poll to see what people think. Right now, I plan on having a new poll every month, but it could change to more often, depending on how many people are voting/if you all want to give your opinion on things more often. Just let me know! And, if nobody votes...well, then, I suppose nobody reads my blog then, which is completely fine too! :) Happy voting!

The second half of June

2010-08-16T21:27:00.002-04:00

I returned to Boston later than I had expected due to airplane issues...surprise, surprise, right? I was supposed to leave SFO Tuesday night sometime, maybe 11 pm? Well, the plane I had boarded was overbooked and they asked for volunteers to come off and leave on a later plane. Well, that later plane was 6 am Wednesday morning. So, I (so kindly) volunteered to get off the plane and the airline put me up in some hotel for the night...well, it was really only 4 hours maybe, considering I had to be back at the airport at 5 or so the next morning and I think I finally got to the hotel at 12 or 1 am? Anyhow....I got a free (or almost free) flight out of it...as long as I know where I put my voucher. Hmmm......I hope I find it when I move! :) So, I returned to Boston Wednesday night and had a little bit of roommate time. Then, Thursday night, I had the opportunity to go to the Foundation of Physical Therapy dinner. It was quite the event and a bit extravagant for my taste. It was a very nice evening. However, I did feel like nobody was really paying attention to what was going on when the MC was going through all they had planned out for the night. Also, it was the same night as the NBA Championship finals, which people were all caught up in. After all, Boston was playing the Lakers. I left the dinner a bit earlier than most people and came home to watch Boston lose....sorry Boston fans!

Then, that weekend, we had some fun roommate tennis attempts, which worked out not too bad! We were all equally as terrible, so it was a perfect match! :) I also had a whole car fiasco weekend, which continues today, BUT I have a car for which I am thankful for and trusting the Lord as the pieces continue to unfold. I eventually made it up to Maine and began my clinical experience Tuesday, June 22. I spent one week in the clinic and then my parents came to Boston that second week. While my parents went frolicking and flittering around Boston seeing all that there is to see and experiencing the fun sights of Boston, I was (stuck) in Maine, unable to see them after work/clinic. But, alas, thankfully I have Fridays off this summer and Thursday night came when I drove down to Boston after clinic. I was once again reunited with my parents this summer. Except, this time, we were on the east coast. Well, that Thursday was July 1, so I suppose this post is now complete.

Stay tuned for the fun adventures and happenings of my life in July! :) And, maybe I'll post some pictures one of these days too....

The first half of June...my time in CA

2010-08-15T22:29:00.002-04:00

May was a busy month, but so was June! After our classes ended and the wedding festivities, my roommates went off to work in the clinic and I had 3 weeks to wait for my turn to start in the clinic. So, I took a trip up to Maine to move a few things before moving for the summer. Then, I got to go home to CA for two and a half weeks, which was SO good, but left me wishing for more of a CA (real) summer, especially when I got back to the east coast. Time at home was short, but fun. I got to take a trip to downtown Palo Alto (which we were so pleasantly surprised with the food at University Cafe) for lunch and then we walked around Stanford for a bit. And the best part about it, we started at Walnut Creek bart and took bart and caltrain down on our little adventure, giving us the chance to talk and catch up the whole ride, without having to worry about what the next turn was or where to get off the freeway...just as long as we knew when to get off caltrain (bart we took to the end of the line). Then, my mom, Stephen, Cari, and I took a day to explore the city (of San Francisco). We were originally going to go to the Walt Disney Museum, but when we got there, we found out that it is closed on Tuesdays, which was unfortunate for us because we went on a Tuesday. Anyhow, we drove down and walked around the Golden Gate bridge and then we drove through Golden Gate park, which is a really nice park (I had no idea!). We also drove up and around west of the Golden Gate and around the super nice neighborhoods and homes and whatnot, getting a beautiful view of the bridge from the ocean side. So, our Walt Disney Museum trip was not successful, but our San Francisco trip most definitely was and it was really nice to do something other than go to Pier 39. Oh, and we ended at Ghirardelli Square with some yummy ice cream too-it was SO creamy!!! (I had forgotten!)

During my time at home, I also had a special opportunity to spend some time with my dear friend Julie, which was so good catching up and having some face-to-face time together. We went to BJ's for dinner, and of course had to have a pazookie! Then, we had a little sleepover with some more chit-chatting and some slumbering...she did have to work in the morning. :) When she left for work, I left for home. However, she lives five minutes from my grandparents, so I just couldn't pass up the opportunity to stop by for a bit to spend some time just my grandparents and me. They weren't home when I got there, so I just waited for a bit on their back deck and spent the morning-afternoon with them, which was so special as well! It makes me wish I could see them more often and spend that quality time face-to-face with them more than twice a year, but I suppose I'll take advantage of what I can get and enjoy the time I have with them to the fullest! To finish up my time at home for the summer, we had a family dinner with everyone (except Cari...) and homemade ice cream--so delicious! Went on a little shopping spree with my mom (thanks for the clothes and shoes...I use them all the time!) and we also went on a little hike up and around Mt. Diablo, which was a lot of fun! :)

The Month of May

2010-08-01T22:33:00.001-04:00

After returning from Finland, I went to see my last play as part of my season pass. It was titled, August: Osage County. I don't recommend it. It was a strange play and the family had some issues going on that I didn't find all that engaging nor entertaining. Then, I had two weeks of classes learning about learning (and teaching) and some different exercises that we could use while out on clinic. The first week was a four-day week and then I took a trip up to Maine to look for housing on that Friday. Saw a few different places, some I would never want anyone to live in and I was able to choose the best option for me at that time! Had a second full week of class, during which both my Grandpa and Grandma celebrated their birthdays!!! (Happy Birthday you two!!!) Then, that last week of May, I had a day of review and then a day of testing for my classes. I was able to take my test on the first day of testing (out of the three needed for everyone in my class to be tested) and then I took a bus down to New York that Wednesday, the day after I took my final. Vilma, another Finnish cousin, had spent the prior five months maybe (?) in CA doing a study abroad program and she was able to meet my whole family, except for me. Before returning to Finland, she and her friend Aliisa stopped in New York for about a week to explore and be in NYC. So, I took a bus down there and was able to meet up with both of them and explore some of New York with them. How fun was it to meet Vilma, someone I had only heard about from my parents and family who had been spending time with her! I was able to stay with a childhood friend, Christina, who has been living in NYC for the last year (and has just recently moved back to CA). So, it was good to see Christina again, meet Vilma, and see NYC all in one trip! It was a good time and definitely worth the trip! To finish out May, I went to my friend's wedding the day after I got back from New York! What a beautiful bride Emily was and such a fun group of people to celebrate with them! :) It was a very special day and I am so excited for her! She is a classmate and a friend, and I can't wait to see her again in September!

Finland

2010-07-11T20:47:00.007-04:00

What?! A post two days in a row?! Yes, it's true.

I was in Finland for two weeks, which was quite the trip. It had been one of my dreams to have the opportunity to go to Finland with my Mummi to see where she was born, raised, and to meet some of her relatives with her. My mom has been twice, my sister once, and my aunts have been as well. I really wanted to go sometime in my life, but wasn't sure if I would have the chance to go with Mummi. When I found out that she and Scott were going for an extended period of time, I found the dates they would be there and looked at my schedule to find that I had a two-week break between semesters, while they were in Finland. So, my last final was Monday, April 26, in the morning and I left that night, at 9:30 pm. I flew from Boston to London Heathrow and then Heathrow to Helsinki, Finland. I was warmly welcomed with open arms in Helsinki by Mummi and Scott, and Mummi's cousin and her husband. We had dinner at their home in Helsinki and then we (Mummi, Scott, and I) took the night train from Helsinki to Rovaniemi. After maybe 10 hours of plane travel and 12 hours in the train, we met some relatives in Rovaniemi and borrowed one of their cars to make the 2 hour drive to Kongas, the village where Mummi grew up. We got to spend a few days there and I saw the house she was born in, the bed she was born in, the school she went to, Ounasjoki (a river through the village), I met other relatives, saw our cousin's reindeer farm, went bowling, ate food, relaxed a bit from all the traveling and finals I had just finished, and spent precious time with my grandmother in her homeland.

the night train from Helsinki

we arrived in Rovaniemi the next morning!

Riita took us to her home

welcome to Kongas!

we made it to Kongas, where we met Elsa (Mummi's aunt) and Terho (Elsa's son, Mummi's cousin) and stayed with them

Mummi's birth bed, in Elsa's home

Jari, Katariina, and me after bowling (Inkeri-Katariina's mom-was also there)

feeding some reindeer

Siltila (sp?) today, where Mummi grew up

After spending a few relaxing days in Kongas, we began our trek back down south. We stopped in Rovaniemi for a few hours and went to the Arctic Circle, where I met Santa Claus, in his workshop. We spent the time with Riita and did a few other errands (post office and driving tour of the city) before getting on the train to Kokkola to spend a couple days with Mummi's sister, Anna-Liisa and her husband, Lasse. There was quite a gathering at their home with people from nearby in Kokkola and others a bit further away in Pietarsaari. I had the opportunity to meet many more relatives and see them all together, which was a lot of fun. There were babies, little kids, parents, and grandparents alike; it was so enjoyable and so neat to meet relatives that I had only heard about and seen a couple pictures of a few times! :) Anna-Liisa is a very talented artist and she gave me one of the beautiful ceramic plates that she had painted. It was very interesting communicating with people who speak a completely different language; easier with some people than with others, but regardless, fun everytime!

I was on top of the world at the Arctic Circle

After a couple nights in Kokkola, we got back on the train and went to Hameenlinna to spend some time with Paivi and Paula and their families, which was a grand time! :) Lots of fun and lots of laughter being around those two! They spoke English, which made it easier to communicate with them and get to know them better as well. It was a great time to meet them and their families, see their homes, see their town, and spend time with all of them! After a night stay in Hameenlinna, we said good-bye and boarded the train once again to return to Helsinki!

The train ride from Hameenlinna to Helsinki was a rather short ride (only an hour and a half or two hours, I think), compared to the previous train rides. We arrived in Helsinki, which was the end of the line, and took a taxi to Minna's home, who is Mummi's cousin. It was so wonderful to meet Minna and her two children, Paulinna and Oskari. They are darling little ones! We were able to spend some time with them and then the next day, we (Mummi, Scott, and I) went on a tour bus to tour Helsinki. It was a rainy day, so not the best day to see the city, but still fun nonetheless. Helsinki is not a very large town and I think on our 2 hour(?) tour, we drove by the same places multiple times. I think we drove by the library 3 times. I definitely recognized places (again) the second time we drove past the same buildings. Either way, I got to see the city of Helsinki (multiple times) and it was a nice audio tour and a great way to see it on a rainy day! :) And, Mummi lived in Helsinki for some time before coming to the states, so she would tell me some of her stories of the apartment she lived in and how she would walk all around the city, from one end to the other in 45 minutes or so, when she lived there. She showed me where her apartment was (just don't ask me to take you back to it because I don't remember where it was). Then, later that evening, there was another gathering with relatives closer to Helsinki. Everyone who came that night spoke English, which made it MUCH easier for me to communicate with them. The further south we came, the more people spoke English. I think we counted 18 people who came that evening, and what a fun gathering and send off party it was! I left very early the next morning. Said good-bye to Minna, Mummi, and Scott, and took a taxi to the airport.

I found my way and got on a plane from Helsinki to London Heathrow, which took off without a problem. Then, when I got to Heathrow, I waited through my layover and boarded the plane a bit late and then waited on the plane for a couple hours before we could take off. You see, it was during the time the volcano in Iceland was erupting and all the planes were being re-routed to an alternate route. Fortunately, we were able to take off after some time of waiting and I didn't get stuck overnight in Heathrow. And, because of the new route, the flight that normally takes 6 hours took 7 and a half hours. When all was said and done, I was back in Boston the day I was expecting to be (May 8th), just 3 hours later than originally expected, which I was okay with. Instead of getting back at 1:30 in the afternoon, I got back at 4:30 pm, which is still a very decent time to return from a long trip.

The day after was Mother's Day (Happy Mother's Day to my mom, my grandmoms, and all the other moms out there!!!) and I was able to talk to my mom (and the rest of my family) for the first time in a couple weeks, which was extremely nice and refreshing! :)

That's about it for Finland; well, not all of it, but a small glimpse of my time there. I took so many pictures to help me remember my time there and the people I met. It is such a beautiful country and loved seeing and experiencing God's creation in that part of the world. It was so amazing and such a blessing to meet relatives face-to-face and get a little taste of Finland and Finnish culture and to learn more about my grandmother and my own family heritage and culture. Thanks Mummi and Scott and everyone for such a wonderful and memorable trip to and experience in Finland!!! I hope I can return again one day; maybe with my mom and sister and aunt(s)....maybe some of the boys and some of my first cousins too?!?! It's another dream at this point in my life...some dreams do come true though (like this first trip with Mummi!)!!!

Next time: the rest of my busy month of May.......

so, I have tried adding more pictures a couple times, but blogger has not let me. Maybe I have reached the max number of pictures for one post....is there such a thing? More pictures of Finland to come soon...

It's Been a While

2010-07-10T22:01:00.002-04:00

For those who check in regularly, there's been nothing new in over 3 months! Oopsies! It's not that I don't want you to be "in the know" about my life, I promise. I wish I could remember all the exciting things from April 1, but I'll try to hit the highlights. Let's start with EASTER! April 4 was Easter, when we celebrated Christ's resurrection! He is Risen; He is Risen, indeed! I went to church in the morning, and then I went with Hannah and Shirin (roommates) to our friend and classmate's (Vanessa) home and had Easter dinner and afternoon with her family. It was so wonderful to get out of Boston for a bit and spend some time in a home with a family. It was a wonderful afternoon, and included some (not so wonderful) mosquitoes.

NEXT: BERKLEE SHOWCASE (April 15, 2010)

Berklee is a music college in Boston and at the end of the year, there is a showcase with maybe 10 of the top musicians at the school where they have the opportunity to showcase some of what they have been working on recently. One of my friend's (and classmates: Cecilia) friend works at the box office at Berklee and he was able to get cheap tickets for us to this showcase. We sat in the 2nd or 3rd row and it was a very fun evening. We went out to dinner beforehand and then the show was very enjoyable and we saw some very talented vocalists (and musicians).

NEXT: FINALS WEEK (April 21-26, 2010)

Don't really remember too much about this week, except there was a lot of studying going on and I passed everything. One more semester down, one less to go, and one more closer to graduation/taking the boards/and becoming a licensed physical therapist. That's all about that!

NEXT: YOUNG FRANKENSTEIN (April 23, 2010)

As part of my "Broadway across America" package deal, Young Frankenstein was one of the plays I went to with my friends. Suzie, who I have been going to all the plays with, was out of town this Friday night, so she saw the play a few days before me and Neil (roommate and other play goer) didn't want to attend this play, so he gave his ticket to Shirin (other roommate). It was HILARIOUS! Maybe it was because it was towards the end of finals and there were songs like "The Brain" that we can relate our nerdiness/learning to, but there were many parts of this play that made us laugh. I wasn't expecting much from this play, but was pleasantly surprised when I enjoyed it. :)

NEXT: FINLAND (April 26-May 8, 2010)

WOW!!! What a 2-week trip this was! And, there is SO much to say about it! It definitely deserves a post of its own.

That's it for April! I'll do one month at a time and catch the blogging world up on my life soon enough! :)

Dreams and April Fool's

2010-04-01T18:06:00.003-04:00

The other night I had a dream that there were fish swimming outside my window. I wasn't living in an aquarium...I was in my bedroom and I saw fish swimming around the flowers and in the trees and it wasn't a body of water out there. Maybe all this rain is affecting more than I thought it would. Fortunately I am not personally experiencing the effects of the flooding that is occurring on the east coast (or maybe I am psychologically?). Also, the rain has stopped and the sun is now shining and it is supposed to be a nice weekend; great weather for Easter! And, no, this is not an April Fool's joke. No April Fool's pranks this year. Did you do anything to trick someone else, or were you tricked yourself?

I'm Going...

2010-03-23T23:55:00.002-04:00

yes, yes, I am going to Finland! After my parents looked long and hard through my entire room at home this past weekend, I found my passport with me, here in my room in Boston. Sorry mom and dad!!! Thanks for looking though...I owe you! :) I had put it safely inside one of my journals with a snap close to be sure it did not get lost when I moved in September (shows how often I use that journal). Well, I had looked in the drawer that the journal was in a number of times before I decided to go through every single item in my room on Sunday. So, there it was, waiting to be found Sunday night, right with my immunization records card. So, it's good that I found both of them and since I can actually leave the US and come back now, I decided, why not?! So, I booked my ticket last night to go to Finland and am so excited! When will this semester be over? But, at the same time, I have SO much to do before it finishes and before I leave. I leave Monday night, after all my finals are done, on April 26 and then I come back on May 8, which will be just enough time to rest up some and get ready for school to begin once again on Monday, May 10. That's my exciting news this week and I am thoroughly looking forward to meeting family and being with Mummi in her country of birth. :)

Finland

2010-03-14T15:58:00.003-04:00

I was talking to my dad the other day and he mentioned to me that my Mummi (my mom's mom) will be going to Finland for 2-3 months. It has been a desire of mine (more so in recent years) to have the opportunity to go to Finland with my Mummi. With that, I do have a two week break from school at the end of April to the beginning of May, which is during the time she will be there. I began looking at flights, and am playing with the idea of going. hmmm......If I knew exactly where my passport went, that would be helpful if I do end up going. I wonder where it went...I briefly looked for it here, but was not able to find it. I wonder if it's in my sock drawer at home. Or maybe in my shelves somewhere. A prize to someone who finds it first! :) Maybe Stephen will look for it this week while he's home for his spring break?! If I am able to locate my passport soon, I will definitely be looking at flights more seriously. Anyone know of a good deal for a plane ticket to Finland?

Down Jacket

2010-03-14T15:26:00.002-04:00

This morning, I woke up to rain and a little bit of cold in the air. I actually fell asleep to rain too. So, it has been raining for quite some time now, and it doesn't look like it will be stopping anytime soon. While I was getting ready to go to church, I decided to wear my down jacket because it's "waterproof" and would keep me warm. Well, I learned that it isn't waterproof and my jacket was SOAKED after being outside for just five minutes. I got to church and everything was okay. I was a bit wet and my clothes weren't visibly wet, but they were sticking to me a little bit. Then, after church, I had to face the storm again. I was meeting Hannah and Shirin to go shopping, but by the time I got to the store, I was soaked through and through and my coat was dripping wet! (even after standing in the store for 15-20 minutes) After deciding I didn't want to be trying clothes on with my own clothes being wet and gross, I decided to return home and get dry. When I got home and took off my jacket, I found my shirt was now visibly wet and my jeans were soaked as well. My shoes kept my feet pretty dry, which was fabulous. Only if my jacket was able to keep the rest of me dry. Oh well. I suppose down jackets are supposed to be used for a lot of cold and maybe a little wet rather than for a lot of wet and a little cold. We will probably have had at least a foot of rain by the time it finally ceases, but we shall see...

Mail Time

2010-03-13T23:14:00.002-05:00

Some of you know that receiving personal mail is one of my favorite things (aka brown paper packages tied up with strings). :) Speaking of which, I watched The Sound of Music the other night and fully enjoyed it. In the past month, I have received two wonderful packages sent with a lot of love. The first one was a Valentine's Day package from my parentals. There were all kinds of items inside this box and as I was unwrapping and unveiling the goods, I realized that most of these wonderful gifts were things that were taken from my room at home. However, they were just as enjoyable, if not more so, to receive in a care package. I was able to enjoy these things all over again and gain a new appreciation for my old items. Just goes to show how I don't need anything new and exciting to enjoy care packages; I just need the love from the care packages to enjoy the special packages I receive in the mail. Thanks Mom and Dad!!! :)

Another lovely package I received in the mail was from my grandparentals. I was only expecting socks, but I sure was surprised to find some extra goodies inside the box. :) Since I'm not able to go shopping at Grandma's anymore because I live 3,000 miles away, she was still able to help me and shop for me a bit! :) Thanks Grandma and Grandpa! (and Uncle Tom for sending the box of goods!) Also, the Valentine's Day card was so lovely and such a delight to receive and read! :)

I love mail. :) And I love those who send me mail (or have sent me mail).

Daylight Savings Time!

2010-03-13T21:06:00.002-05:00

Remember to set your clocks forward one hour tonight!!! Looking forward to the sunlight (when it's here) lasting later in the day! :) It's been awfully wet and rainy the last couple days, but sun is in the forecast for Tuesday, so hopefully that stays true...Tuesday is a long ways away for the weather to be correctly predicted. :) It was sunny at the beginning of the week; what a gorgeous way to begin our spring break! :)

Spring Break...

2010-03-13T20:51:00.002-05:00

...where did it go?! My, oh my, how time flies! This year, spring break for me was just a week without classes, which was really nice to have. However, in years past, because Cal Poly is on the quarter system, spring break meant a week of total relaxation without any classes or studying to think about because they were done! This year, spring break was a week of some relaxation, some studying, and some organizing my classes. You'd think I'd have them organized half way through the semester, but that was hardly the case. I somehow managed to pack my week full before it had even started, leaving only a little time to relax. Monday was enjoyable as I went to a friend's place for breakfast with a few other girls from school. She made the most delicious french toast and had eggs and fruit for us. After eating the scrumptious meal, we hung out, attempted a 1000 piece puzzle and got the border done and a little bit of the middle before we left. Then, I went to the gym and did some homework that evening. Tuesday, I went to clinic in the morning to make up for a previous week when I was sick. Then, Bible study Tuesday night for a Taco night, which was so good! Wednesday morning, I went to meet with a teacher, then studied that afternoon before going to another Bible study that night. Thursday morning, Shirin, Hannah, and I went and looked at apartments to live in next year. Didn't find anything, but it was a good start to the search. Then, Thursday night, I went to the Boston Orchestra Symphony with a friend, and what a performance! It was beautiful and we sat next to the nicest couple who have been going to symphony performances for years and years. Yesterday, I couldn't believe it was already Friday! The week flew by so fast! Yesterday and today I was able to rest a bit and organize all my papers and get ready for the last stretch of this semester, which was enjoyable. I felt so crazy all week long that I was so thankful I didn't have any plans for the last couple days of spring break. I was able to cook tonight, which I feel like I have not been able to do for quite some time, so it will be nice to have some leftovers too! :) I made a crustless quiche; I hope it turns out tasty! And, I also got stuff to make lasagna in my crockpot tomorrow! YUM!!! More leftovers for this coming week. :) Well, that's the overview of my spring break that I thought was going to be a little bit more relaxing and doing more "Boston exploring" but that's the way it goes and now, daylight savings time is here, and school starts again on Monday.

Killington, VT and Valentine's Day

2010-02-16T21:45:00.002-05:00

So, last Wednesday was the snowday in which school was cancelled because of all the expected snow. However, no snow actually came. Therefore, it was a snowday with no snow. I'm not complaining though! It sure was nice to have the unexpected day off. However, now we will be having class this Friday to make up for it. There goes our Friday off! Anyhow, after our test last Friday, which went alright, my roommates and I had a dinner party that night. We had all kinds of food and fun and friends as we talked, hung out, and watched the opening ceremonies for the winter olympics. It was a lot of fun, but I had started to get a little sick the day or two before and had a hoarse voice, making it a bit difficult to talk to people, but it was still fun. :)

The next morning, we (Shirin and I) woke up at 4:30 am so go up to Killington, Vermont to go skiing. We went with a few of our friends/classmates and although it was an early morning, it was worth it and we had a lot of fun. We took our third lesson and I felt like I was able to learn more this time as we got more skiing in during the morning lesson. There was a total of six of us who went and we had a really nice time. We came back and I didn't feel any better or worse than before we went, so I thought that going while sick didn't make much of a difference. I did bundle up!

We had Monday off from school since it was President's Day, which was nice and relaxing. My throat was hurting more that day, so I didn't do too much but stay around the house resting and studying a little bit. I did start to lose my voice Monday, and now, I can't talk much louder than a whisper. My voice isn't necessarily the loudest to begin with, so talking only at a whisper makes it really hard for people to hear me. Oh well...hopefully it'll come back soon!

Oh yes...Valentine's Day!!! I had two valentines this year...Shirin and Hannah! :) We had a very nice dinner at a restaurant down the street from us called Tasca. There was a three course meal and I had a lobster bisque appetizer with a prime rib entree and a chocolate and caramel cheesecake dessert. It was quite the meal! And, the cheesecake was even pretty good. Most of you know that I don't care for cheesecake all that much, but this one was lighter and fluffier than normal cheesecakes, so it was easier to eat and rather tasty! It was a very enjoyable Valentine's dinner date and so scrumptious! :) What did you do for Valentine's day?

Now...back to studying for my test on Thursday!

Snow Day!!!

2010-02-10T10:48:00.003-05:00

Today is our first snow day, and my first snow day ever! :) School is closed, so that means I got to sleep in a bit today and can stay at home and study instead of go to class all day. Praise the Lord! I've been feeling a bit sick the last few days, so I'm especially thankful for the day off.

I went to the Women's Retreat through church last weekend, which was pretty good. The theme was walking in God's Beauty, which was a good reminder of how beautiful God is in a majestic way, but also in a pleasing, delightful, and joy-to-be-around way. It was only Friday night and Saturday, but so good to "get away" for a night and be refreshed in the Lord. But, I'm pretty sure that is where I became sick, so that's a bit unfortunate. (But it was worth it.)

Tests are starting to come up (Neuroscience this Friday) and then one a week for the next four weeks, and then we get a week off for spring break! Oh, right....something I wanted to share with you...schools here have a "ski week" in which they get a week off of school in February to go skiing (or I suppose do whatever they want). New to me! Why doesn't California give a hiking week, or a surfing week (because as we all know, everyone in California surfs), or some other kind of week? Maybe it's because there are no real seasons and we can do anything pretty much year round. Maybe schools near Tahoe get a ski week.

Dreamgirls last week was really good. The cast did a tremendous job and each person had such a strong voice, making the vocals incredible! It made the show really enjoyable, and it was much better than the movie, so it was a good night. :) Alright, that's all for now; time to go study!!!

January

2010-02-03T23:56:00.002-05:00

Wow January flew by rather quickly! After a fun New Year's celebration in southern California when the younger people fell asleep first, we returned to "the north" and, for the first time in maybe four or five years, I celebrated my birthday at home. :) A couple birthday/good-bye dinners and time with family and some friends was most enjoyable. I was just thinking the other day that I should maybe start thinking of myself as an adult. It's much harder to convince myself that I'm still a child now that in my mid-20s. 24, really?! I sure don't feel like a 24-year-old. Maybe that's how I'll feel the rest of my life...I don't feel x years old.

Anyway...after my birthday, I flew back to Boston to begin our Spring semester of school. That flight was COMPLETELY different from going to California. I flew from San Francisco to Milwaukee and then Milwaukee to Boston. Both flights were on time and half empty. I had a whole row of three seats to myself during both flights, so I was able to spread out and lay down and do whatever I wanted without feeling confined to just one seat. It was such a luxurious flight...I'd say better than first class! (Not that I have ever flown first class to compare this too, but I can imagine.)

School started and during the first week, I had a show to attend with my Broadway buddies! We saw In the Heights, which was pretty good. The choreography was incredible and it was so much fun to watch the cast dance! The story line was alright (a bit typical in a coming of age story) but the dancing was what made the show for me. :) And, speaking of Broadway shows, I have another one to go to tomorrow night! We are going to see Dreamgirls. I watched the movie last year, and was a bit disappointed because I had heard it was good. But, I'm hoping the play is better than the movie (which was my same experience with Mamma Mia). So, it should be fun tomorrow night...we'll see. :)

Then, that first weekend back, after our first week of school, was Martin Luther King, Jr. weekend. So, we had that Monday off from school, which was nice. A group of people from my class and I went to Vermont for the weekend and went snowboarding and skiing. I skied and it was a lot of fun. There was a group of about 20 of us and we rented a cabin down the road from the ski resort. We drove up Friday night and came back Monday morning. It was fun to be with everyone and learning to ski was great too. I took lessons and after skiing Saturday, there was a deal to get two more lessons (with 2 lift tickets) plus 3 more days of skiing at another, smaller resort down the road, which included rentals! It was such a great deal and I couldn't pass it up. So, the beginners took another lesson Sunday morning and skied a bit in the afternoon. And, now, we have one more lesson to go back for plus three more days of skiing on our own! :)

Then, it was Stephen's birthday! Happy (belated) Birthday Stephen! There are no more teenagers in my family now...weird, huh?! I called him on his birthday, so I'm not really wishing him a belated birthday, but I suppose it's belated on the blog.

Last Saturday, I went to Portsmouth, New Hampshire with my Bible study group from church for brunch at this cute, YUMMY, breakfast place called The Friendly Toast. The food was delicious and so filling. I think that was the only thing I ate that entire day because I was so full afterwards. After eating, a few of us walked around the town for a little bit and browsed through some of the shops. We went to the edge of the river and across the river, we could see Maine, so that was kind of fun. Still have yet to go to Maine though. Then, we just walked down the main street and into some shops, but didn't buy anything. We took pictures as our souvenirs. I haven't put them on my camera yet though, so they will be coming soon...

As I have written this, I have realized that January was a "big traveling" month for me. haha! Started in CA, made a brief stop in WI, returned to MA, went to VT for the weekend, and went to NH for the day. So many states! haha! Just as a side note... :)

And, now, it's February!!! Time sure flies when you're having fun! But, it was also my grandparents wedding anniversary today too!!! Happy Anniversary Grandma and Grandpa! Love you both so much!!! I have been so blessed by your marriage, as so many people have. Thank you for demonstrating Christ's love to so many people and for being Godly examples in my life. It was so great to see you and spend time with you while I was home...Happy Anniversary! :)

From Boston to California...

2010-01-24T19:43:00.004-05:00

Some of you know this whole story, but for those I haven't seen or talked to...I got to Logan Airport the Monday before Christmas, the day after the beautiful snowstorm, all ready to fly home to California and be home. Unfortunately, my plane was delayed an hour out of Boston. Because of this delay, I missed my connecting flight in Atlanta, GA since my layover was only a half hour. So, I flew to Atlanta and had the pleasure of staying there for the night. I decided to go to a hotel to get out of the crazy airport and be able to take a shower and sleep in a bed and take a breather from all the craziness of the Christmas travel. AirTran was the airline I was flying with and they only have two flights a day from Atlanta to San Francisco. So, I was trying to fly standby the next morning, but that flight was already overbooked. So, I hung around the Atlanta airport all day until I took my flight at 9:00 that night. I saw some interesting things, people, and wrote a few posts. :) So, if you were wondering why I posted five blogs in one day, I had some extra time on my hands.

A little bit about my time in the Atlanta airport now....

1. It's a rather large airport. It's been some time, but I believe I kept on hearing that it is the busiest airport in the world. That sounds a bit extreme, so maybe it's the busiest airport in the nation....but, I'm not entirely sure. Because it's so big, there is a train that runs to each terminal and the baggage claim. I walked from my terminal to baggage claim and beyond to catch the shuttle to the hotel. I did not pick my bag up, since it went on to SFO without me, but I had to go by baggage claim to get the shuttle.

2. There were many military people going through the airport as I sat there the whole day. It was the most military people I have seen in the course of one day ever.

3. They have these trash cans that will sometimes make a noise when someone throws something away. It makes it very entertaining to see people's reactions when the unexpected noise surprises them...kind of reminded me of candid camera. I think the noise may have something to do with recycling since you throw everything into one bin and apparently it separates the garbage and recycling on its own.

4. Some people miss their planes because they don't pay attention. Seriously...pay attention when you're at the airport and make sure you're at the correct gate more than two minutes before you're supposed to take off. Especially if you've been at the airport for two hours, waiting for your flight. If you haven't boarded and nothing has been said about your flight, double check for a gate change or something so you can get on the plane you're supposed to get on. But, if for some reason that does happen, don't blame it on the airline...it was your fault for not checking the gate a half hour ago. Yes, I witnessed that happen with this couple who were going to San Francisco, so I was around them at the airport all day, since they missed their flight.

5. I did make a friend, who is going to school in Georgia and is from Sacramento area. She got to the airport super early and we kind of hung out throughout the day. She was knitting a hat for herself and was almost done by the time we landed in San Francisco. About an hour before we were to board, I asked her what seat she was in and you can imagine my surprise when she told me she was in the seat right next to me! Once we boarded, we kept waiting for the third person in our row, but nobody ever came. So, I moved over and gave ourselves some extra room, which was really nice, since I think it was maybe the only empty seat on the plane. Also, the people who had missed their flight that morning were sitting in the row behind us. We just couldn't be split up! :)

Once we took off, it was a smooth flight and I arrived in San Francisco only 24 hours later than I had planned on. I think it was worth it for the snowstorm. :) Thankfully I didn't get stuck anywhere for too, too long and I was home for Christmas. My first experience of traveling with snow to consider...overall, it wasn't too bad.

Here are some pictures:

Sunset from my bedroom window.

A view out my window of the snow after the storm.

The branch outside my window.

My first hotel room all to myself. A king size bed just for me!

First Weekend of Christmas Break

2009-12-22T18:54:00.002-05:00

...and I did nothing! It was glorious and so enjoyable to lay back and relax and not do anything. And, the best part about it was that I didn't have to feel guilty about it!!! :) Shirin left Friday morning, Neil left Saturday morning, and Hannah and I both left Monday. So, Saturday and Sunday, it was just me and Hannah...doing nothing but relaxing and enjoying our time NOT in class and NOT studying. :) Oh, Friday night, man was that a cold night. We went ice skating...Hannah, Neil, and I, with our friends and classmates Erin and Trisha. We went to the outdoor rink and it was ridiculously cold. I think it was about 10 degrees out and my toes felt like they were going to fall off. It was so cold, so painful, but we really wanted to go ice skating. Ha! What a story it makes, but I don't think I'll go ice skating again when it's that cold out. Yikes. Saturday morning I went to a women's breakfast at church, which was nice. It was a small group of about 12 or so women, but it was nice to meet more women at church. I came home and for the rest of the day, Hannah and I lounged, watched television, watched a movie, baked a loaf of bread (which was so good! herb and garlic from Avila Valley Barn in SLO). It was a perfect day to relax and do nothing, which is something we haven't done in who knows how long....maybe in 3 and a half months (since September pretty much).

The weather report said it was supposed to snow Saturday night, beginning at about midnight and there was a storm watch. I was so excited about the snow and I wanted to see it come so badly. I kept looking out the window to see if it was snowing yet and it started maybe around one o'clock in the morning. I was so thrilled and like a little kid for the snow to come. :) Sunday morning, I woke up and it was amazingly beautiful outside!!! I opened my blinds while I was getting ready for church and caught myself getting distracted multiple times looking outside at the snow on the branches and on the ground and falling from the sky. I tried to go to church Sunday morning, but the train didn't want to work properly, so I didn't make it to church. Instead, I went back home and watched the snow fall from my room. It was so pretty; I still can't get over the beauty of God through nature and specifically now, through the snow. I think it snowed almost a foot, if not a full foot, when it finally stopped snowing at around four o'clock that afternoon. So, I ended up going to church that night, to the six o'clock service, which was the same as the morning and still good, just a smaller service. Sunday was a little bit of a cleaning day. We didn't do too, too much cleaning, but we did a little bit. My flight left Monday at 5:00 and Hannah's left at 7:30, so we had all morning Monday to get things straightened and cleaned before leaving. Sunday was our last night in Boston in 2009, and for the next three weeks and it was quite nice, but a little sad. Then, Monday morning came and the weekend was over and little did I know what was in store for me for the next 48 hours...

Mamma Mia

2009-12-22T18:15:00.003-05:00

After a crazy week of finals and constant studying, I had the pleasure of going to see Mamma Mia on Friday night. It is part of the ten-play package. It was a great end-of-finals, beginning-of-break/good-bye Boston event. The only downside was that I had to go by myself because my friend, Suzie, who also got the season ticket package deal left to go home on Thursday, so she went by herself on Wednesday night. I have seen the movie version of this musical and was not impressed. But, the play was so great! It was a lot of fun to go to and people were singing along and having fun. It was so much more enjoyable than the movie and during the curtain call, people were up and out of their seats dancing and singing along. I, however, was not because I was by myself and everyone around me remained seated as well. But, I was hoping that someone was with me so I could be up and dancing around. Oh well, it was still fun and such a great play!!! :)

December 11, 2009...

2009-12-22T17:53:00.002-05:00

After two reading days, it was time for our first final. It was also my mom's birthday...Happy Birthday Mom!!! (Pretend it's December 11.) The reading days were new for me. We actually had two days of absolutely no class to being preparing for our finals. The first day, I studied a bit, but I also decided it was time to really prepare for a New England winter and buy some warm clothes. So, that first day, I chose coats and sweaters and fleeces and shoes and boots to buy and received them all during finals week. What an exciting time and uplifting gifts in the midst of finals! And, now, I am all prepared for the snowy winter that will come soon enough. Then, the second reading day, I decided that I needed to study, study, study. So, that's exactly what I did and got all ready for my final. Friday came and I took my first final. That evening, I went to church for our Christmas "Eve" service, which was pretty fun! I was a part of the choir at this service and I had an enjoyable time. I met a few new people, got to know a couple others better, and learn some new songs and some old songs better. My roommates, Shirin and Hannah, came to the service, which was fun for me to have them there and exciting they wanted to come. After the service, we returned home and made a birthday call to my mom. Yes, I did talk to her on her birthday and no, this is not the first time I'm wishing her a happy birthday. :) Then, it was a weekend full of more studying for the five finals I had the next week.

Christmas Tree Lighting

2009-12-22T17:23:00.003-05:00

There are several trees around the Boston area that need to be lit up every year. This year, I went to the Christmas Tree Lighting in Faneuil Hall, which is an area in Boston that has many different shops and restaurants that isn't as nice as Newbury Street, but is still nice. It's closer to downtown and a good place to spend some time. So, it's nothing too, too big and not much to say about it, but I met up with a friend/classmate, one of her friends, her fiance, and his roommate and watched the lights on the tree come on. There was a stage and some singers that were not too spectacular and a lot of people. After the lights came on, we all cheered, and there was confetti shooting up. It was a fun time and fun to spend time with my friend outside of class. After the tree was lit, we met up with a few other classmates and then we kind of split ways. I ended up going to dinner with three of my roommates and another friend to a Mexican place. It was alright, for Mexican food in Boston. Here's a picture of the tree with the confetti flying all around and also a picture of Faneuil Hall with lights on all the trees that line the shops and walkway.

Mannheim Steamroller

2009-12-22T15:16:00.002-05:00

Have you heard of them? You may have, but if not, it is a group of five extremely talented musicians with an orchestra consisting of a trumpet, french horn, a few violins and violas, a clarinet, an oboe, and maybe a few others. But, the main five musicians play an incredible amount of other instruments. Percussion, which consists of probably ten instruments, piano, electric keyboard, recorder, four or five different kinds of guitars, violin, electric violin, and some other instruments I don't know the names of. Well, I went to see them perform their Christmas concert on December 5. Before going, I didn't really know what to expect, but came out of the concert amazed and so glad I had gone. A friend of mine and I bought season tickets to Broadway across America and this was one of the ten shows we will be seeing. We have already seen Fiddler on the Roof, which was good, and Avenue Q, which wasn't the best show.

Anyway, I went to dinner with a few roommates and friends that night and then after dinner, one friend and I went to the concert while the other girls went to a holiday party with some people from school. Mannheim Steamroller was so entertaining and such an enjoyable performance. There was a screen behind the musicians and there were some scenes projected on the screen to which the music went along with and it made the concert feel much more than a concert, and added more of an active performance element. Also, there were times when the musicians were dancing along while playing and incorporated some movement during their pieces. The show was so fun and so enjoyable; I recommend it to anyone who is even remotely considering seeing them perform, whenever you have the opportunity.

I thought I had a picture of us girls at dinner before the show, but I can't find it right now. So, that can be something to look forward to. :) And, it snowed that night! It was gorgeous to be eating dinner and watch the snow fall out the window. We went to a restaurant called Cafeteria Boston on Newbury Street, which is a well-known street with fancier, more expensive shops and is a street with beautiful brick buildings. It was a very enjoyable dinner, show, and whole evening. After the concert, I was able to stop by the holiday party for a little bit and spend the evening with some classmates, which is pretty much always a fun time. :)

Wow, it's been a long time...(Thanksgiving)

2009-12-22T14:55:00.003-05:00

I didn't realize how long it had been since I posted a little something about my life. Sometimes I get so caught up in what's going on that I don't take the time to update you all back at home (or elsewhere) about what I have gotten caught up in. So, I suppose the last time I blogged was just before Thanksgiving. Now, I'm going to take it one step at a time to avoid one massive post. For Thanksgiving, I was not able to go home, but I was able to go to my Aunt Tanya and Uncle Al's home in Pittsburgh, PA. It was a different Thanksgiving as I'm pretty sure it was the first one I spent away from home. I was pretty sick the weekend before Thanksgiving, so I wasn't even sure I would be able to go. But, I woke up Tuesday morning with no fever, still feeling pretty awful though. So, I stayed home from school and rested and left that afternoon to drive to Pittsburgh. So, I was thankful that I was able to go and spend the weekend with family, but it wasn't home. We ended up going to their neighbor's home for Thanksgiving dinner and there were a lot of people there, but I only knew four of them. Nevertheless, it was a pretty good weekend, I was able to spend time with the Champagnes, which doesn't happen too often, and I go to see a little bit of Pittsburgh! :) And, by the time I got back to school on Sunday night, I was feeling MUCH better, but still a little icky. Here are a few pictures of Pittsburgh; I didn't take any of Thanksgiving or with my cousins...silly me!

Reflexes

2009-11-15T22:41:00.002-05:00

So, a couple weeks ago we learned about deep tendon reflexes and had the opportunity to practice finding them on each other in lab. Just like when the doctor hits you just below your kneecap with the reflex hammer and your leg kicks out. We tested it on a number of different muscles and I learned that I am hyper-reflexive. Yes, my reflexes are out of control and kinda go a bit crazy with the slightest stimulus. What can I say? I'm very sensitive....well, at least my tendons are.

It's a Small World After All...

2009-11-10T00:13:00.004-05:00

Boy, isn't it?! Today, I was in the lunch room at school and I saw a girl with a T-shirt on that read Cal Poly Mustangs and had a large mustang in the middle. When I saw it, I thought to myself, "no way..." So, I proceeded and asked her, "Did you go to Cal Poly?!" I had to ask her twice because she didn't hear me the first time, but she answered, "Yes!" I told her I did too and we had a little reminiscing time and we actually lived in the same dorm. Good ole Muir. Though, she was a year ahead of me, so I didn't know her (I act as if I knew every single person I lived in the dormitory with). She is originally from San Jose, majored in Biology, and graduated in 2007. Now, she's in the nursing program at MGH Institute of Health Professions and she's my new nursing, Cal Poly friend. I hope I'll see her around more! :)

Has it really been a month?

2009-11-07T21:26:00.002-05:00

Really....a month since I last posted?!?! I knew it had been a while....but I didn't know it had been THAT long! I'm sorry for not updating you on my life! My, did a lot happen in the past month! First, Cari came to visit a month ago! It was Columbus Day weekend, so I had Monday off of school, which was great. She came in Friday morning and after meeting her at the airport, I went to class and she found her way back to my apartment to get ready for the day and relax a bit. Then, she came to the Navy Yard and met me at school while I was finishing up studying for the day. We went to Old Ironsides and took a tour, before going on the ferry to go to dinner in the North End, which has all kinds of delicious Italian food. What a weekend we had! We went on a duck tour, toured Fenway Park, went up on the Skywalk at the top of the Prudential building to get a full 360 degree view of Boston, went to Harvard and went on the Hahvahd Tour, went to MIT, walked across the Harvard bridge, went to the Public Garden and Boston Common, church, went apple picking, and walked and walked a lot. Every night we came home and I had worn her out. I don't realize how much walking I do everyday, but it really is a lot more than I need to do at home because I have the luxury and convenience of a car. So, yes...we walked a lot, but we did a lot too! Oh, and on Tuesday, while I was in class, Cari went on the Freedom Trail and she really enjoyed that, which was great!!! She also so graciously took me to eat at so many places and we ate so much seafood that weekend! Probably more seafood than I have eaten all year combined. When we ate at Legal Seafood, we ate at the bar to avoid the hour long wait and it was fun! I don't think I've eaten at a bar at a restaurant, but our waiter person was so nice and friendly! And...he was from Africa. It was definitely a fun-filled weekend and I'm really glad she was able to come see Boston and where I live (and seeing her was good too). :)

Wednesday morning, she headed back to California and I headed back to class and to my studies. I met with one of my teachers Wednesday evening and I went to talk to her about my first test and I had a few questions, but instead, it turned into a little emotional time. I think it was a mixture of many things including stress of school and the upcoming tests, homesickness (I did just get to spend the weekend with Cari, but that may have made me longed for home even more....not sure). Also, feeling inadequate to be in PT school and feeling like I should be doing something else and pursuing another career. There was nothing in particular, but a combination of everything and that night was an emotional one for me and I had a test the next morning. Thursday morning came and I didn't really know what was going on during the test because of everything else I was thinking of and, only by the grace of God, I ended passing my test. And, that was only the beginning of the craziest week of my semester. The next Monday we had a couple assignments due, Tuesday we had a practical and another written exam, and Friday we had another exam and the first part of our pharmacology presentations due, which (being the procrastinator that I am) I left to do until the very end. No more of that! I'm working on doing things ahead of time and hopefully that will reduce some stress a bit and help me learn the information better.

So, I had my crazy emotional week, and then my crazy academic week. The next week was a lot quieter having only one assignment and a quiz. My roommate (and friend), Hannah, and I met with one of our professors and talked with him about some work he does with the homeless, which was really interesting. In San Luis Obispo, there is quite a large homeless community and since freshman year of college, I have had some desire to work with the homeless in some capacity, but have yet to act on that desire. So, talking to DJ was a great opportunity to see how he began working with the homeless and what it looks like for him. I think it may be something I would like to eventually become involved in, but not right now. Or, if I were to do something right now, I could serve food and have that level of interaction with that community. We'll see what happens in the coming months. Other than talking to him about the homeless community, I really enjoyed just talking to our professor outside of class. And, church came up while we were talking and as far as we can tell, he is a Christian, which is really encouraging to me to just know that we have a professor who knows what it's like to be a Christian in PT and at our school. Sometimes it is just encouraging to know that someone is there who is a believer and can understand the spiritual aspect of my life as well as the school part of life, and has lived through it.

Then, it was Halloween. I am not a huge fan of the Halloween holiday. I think it is a holiday geared towards children and I think kids do have a lot of fun getting to dress up as their favorite character or sports player or whoever they decide to be. But, as I have gotten older, it's not as enjoyable of a holiday for me. But, this year was a bit different. I still wasn't super excited to dress up, but our apartment decided to have a Halloween party with some people from our class and one can't be part of the hosting group and not have a costume. So, I decided to be an Etch-A-Sketch. It was kind of a fun costume, but kind of large, making it difficult to maneuver around the apartment, especially through other people. The party was fun and everyone dressed up, so it was fun to see what they came as.

And now....we just finished our tenth week of the semester! Time sure is flying by! I had two more exams this last week...one on Monday and another one on Thursday. But, Tuesday night was a fun night because I went to see Fiddler on the Roof! Topol (the one who played in the movie) was supposed to be performing, but something happened and David Brummel (who apparently has played a judge in Law and Order) played the main character instead. I was looking forward to seeing Topol perform since that was the role that made him famous and it is his farewell tour, but I haven't seen the movie, so I didn't have anything to compare David's performance to and it was still really enjoyable. I bought a season pass with my friend to see ten different shows as a part of the Broadway across America series, so I'll be going to more plays as time goes on. I'm really excited for them to come! Fiddler on the Roof was the first one, so this is only the beginning!

Today, I went to the American Physical Therapy Association (APTA), Massachusetts chapter conference. It was a really good conference and pretty interesting. There were a number of different sessions we could choose to attend in the morning and afternoon. I went to one on imaging...x-rays, MRIs, CT scans, and the like. Then, I left that one a bit early to go to a prosthetic presentation and in the afternoon, I went to an ASTYM (a-stim) presentation. ASTYM is a technique using tools to help break up scar tissue and increase movement and decrease pain, making life more enjoyable and people to be more functional. So...it was a really interesting day and I learned quite a bit. There were quite a few exhibitors giving away a bunch of free pens and couple goniometers and measuring tapes and other items, some PT related and others not. Some of the stuff may be useful, but most of it is useless. Nevertheless, I got it and brought it home! We had a piece of paper to fill up with stickers while we went to different exhibitors. I filled it up and turned it in and they drew three papers and I was one of them! So, that means I won a free registration for next years conference. I'm kind of already looking forward to it (and not only because it's free)! And to think I thought I needed to pursue another career...

So, that's a long update on my life. Oh! How could I forget! The weekend after Cari was here...that Sunday, October 18, it snowed! And boy, did it snow! The snowflakes were huge and white and beautiful! I'm told October snow is really unusual (like the summer rain) and we haven't have snow since and I'm okay with that. :) But, the snow will be beautiful and I'm looking forward to waking up in the morning after a fresh snowfall with the sparkling white snow with no footprints. (I can definitely wait though.) I better get some warm sweaters and a jacket and some warm socks and boots. Hmmmm......'bout that.

Oh yeah...my wrist. Haha. It's been hurting for a little more than a month and after pain for two weeks, this thing kind of popped up when I bent my wrist down. I had some of my teachers look at it and it's either a ganglionic cyst or a dislocated bone. Nothing to freak out about, but just something to rest up and I'm told it will likely go away after a few weeks. It's been maybe a month since it first appeared, so I'm just trying to rest it as much as I can. The only problem is that it's my right wrist and I'm right-handed. Maybe it'll go away soon.

Okay...that's really all for now. Sorry for the extended post and I'll do my best to put pictures up soon so you can see some things I've just told you about! :) I hope you are doing well!!!

A tidbit of advice

2009-10-07T21:47:00.002-04:00

So, before I get to the advice part, I almost forgot to tell you I went to a Tyrone Wells concert last Friday! Now, I'm not one to go to many concerts, but I really enjoyed this one. Both Tyrone as a person and his music were really enjoyable. (If you are a Grey's Anatomy fan, or have seen commercials for it, you've heard at least part of one of his songs.) He is a Christian, but doesn't sing "Christian" songs. However, he does sing about Jesus, but he just never says Jesus' name. After the concert, there was a little meet and greet and signing session, which was pretty neat. I went with my roommate, Shirin, but we went because our classmate, Kristina, told us about the concert. Kristina and her boyfriend, Jonathan, were supposed to go too, but they didn't buy their tickets beforehand and the concert was sold out so they couldn't buy the tickets at the door. :( So, after the concert, Shirin and I were talking to Tyrone and we told him the story and then had him sign a picture of himself, addressed to Kristina and Jonathan. He is such a quality guy with some quality music. Needless to say, it was a really enjoyable night! :)

Now....advice about the T, if you are ever to ride it (or any other mode of public transportation). Pay attention to what stop you need to get off at and get off there! It's really annoying to be on the T full of people and doing something and then look up to see the station you are supposed to get off at going by the windows, after the doors have already closed. Not only did that happen to me this morning, but then it almost happened to me again tonight when I was on my way home. Usually, the little announcer man will come on the speaker and announce which stop we are at. This morning, that announcer voice never came on and this evening, it did, and I quickly gathered my things and ran off the T. Two stops before I'm supposed to get off I was aware and thought, 'oh, I have two stops left and then I get off.' Then, I got to reading the little metro newspaper and apparently it was really interesting. I think I was reading about some movie, Whig It or something, or about the Red Sox and Angel rivalry and what's to come this weekend during their series. Regardless, I was not paying attention at my stop and the doors opened and I just sat there. Then, I heard the announcer voice say, "Dean Road" and I threw the newspaper on the seat next to me, picked up my backpack (which was not small), grabbed my jacket, grabbed the vacuum I had just bought (without a box because it was the display), and grabbed another little bag that I had as well and ran off the T, before the doors closed. Then, I proceeded to walk home with all my belongings hanging from me in some way. People probably thought I was a crazy mess and that I was a space cadet. It may be true, especially since I almost missed my stop TWICE today (I actually did miss it completely this morning). Oh dear....maybe I'll be more aware tomorrow and get to school and home without any glitches. We shall see.

Cari comes on FRIDAY!!! :)

A Little Update...

2009-10-07T00:50:00.006-04:00

I've been wanting to update you all for the past week or so, but have not made the time to do so. But, now, it's a bit late and I need to go to bed, so it'll be a quick one. Honestly, this last week has been a rough one. I had a couple tests and a practical last week and they were difficult. But, what was I expecting? Them to be easy?! Studying is not as enticing now as it was this summer. Being in seven classes is very different than being in two. Time management has been such a struggle and so often I have so much to do and I don't even know where to start, so I just don't start! But now, things are beginning to pick up more, making it more crucial that I stay on top of my studies and learn the information, since it will become my career someday, I hope. :) So, studying is going slowly and not as productive as this summer, but I intend for that to change drastically in the coming days and weeks.

With that said, haha, Cari's coming to visit this weekend!!! And, I will definitely take the time to go around Boston with her and do some crazy fun things. I'm really excited for her to come and I think it's a great time--with regards to my state of mind as well as the weather and my class schedule. :) Living in/near to the city, especially Boston, allows for so many things to do when one comes to visit! It's so different from living in Clayton or San Luis Obispo. As much as I love those two places and consider them both home, living in Boston makes it much easier to answer the question "What are we going to do when someone comes to visit?" :) There is much more than the beach, the farm, Farmer's Market, bowling, going to a park, and watching a movie or playing games. As we do have a few of those previously mentioned entertaining activities, there are plenty more that I can easily come up with. I don't want to spoil any surprises I may have for Cari, so you'll just have to wait until after she comes until I share some exciting Boston activities. Then, maybe you'll all get to come experience it for yourself with me someday as well!

I have decided to make Hope Fellowship Church home for me in Boston. It's actually in Cambridge and pretty close to where I lived this summer. It's a smaller church that's pretty new, as it has been around for about six years. I really enjoy the pastor and the fact that it is a smaller church and being able to feel more known there. I have joined a community group (Bible study) that meets on Monday nights, which I enjoy greatly. The attendees of the church are about my age...some a bit older and some a few years younger, and I found that to be true of most churches in the Boston area. There are some young families, but even so, I'd guess that the oldest person I've seen at church is maybe in their early, maybe mid-, forties. I couldn't tell you why, but that's what I have experienced. So, I enjoy the church and there are many opportunities to get to know people in smaller settings, which has been great so far, and I've only gone to two weeks of community group. Well, they did have lunch after church for three weeks that I went to as well and met some people. One week was a potluck (which I didn't know about so I didn't bring any food). The next week was a newcomer's lunch. And, then the week after that was a college student lunch. So, going to the lunches three weeks in a row gave me opportunities to meet people and talk with them as well. I've been able to meet and talk with one of the pastors on a number of occasions and meeting other people...so great! Oh yes...and, one of the women in my community group is a physical therapist, so I have someone to encourage me and be able to personally relate to what I'm going through right now too, which is comforting. And, I could potentially ask her PT questions too, if I need to. So, that's fun.

I think that's about all for now. Hmmm....oh! I got a crock-pot last week. So, that will be exciting to cook something in there. Just need some good crock-pot worthy recipes now! Anyone??? My mom said she would give me some if I got a crock-pot. So, I got a crock-pot, now it's her turn to act, but I would gladly take recipes from anyone as I know some phenomenal cooks do read my blog every once in a while. :)

Oh, yes...I have decided to research Gabapentin for my pharmacology project. So, thank you for that suggestion. :)

It's beginning to look like fall, which is really exciting! The leaves are beginning to change colors, which is fantastic! Every morning as we're walking to the T, or are just outside, and we see a tree with fall-colored leaves, we gaze up at the beauty of it and I imagine all the trees looking like that. Hard to imagine right now. I've seen leaves change color, but it's only a few that do...I'm used to seeing a number of trees that stay green. I've been told that if we have some more cold days, the leaves will change faster. I suppose it's the coldness that enhances the color change, and I'm embracing and enjoying the crisp and cool air along with the beautiful colors. I think I'm adapting to colder weather and still wearing jeans with a light jacket and sandals when it's 50, maybe 60, degrees outside. I don't anticipate that happening when it gets much colder than that though. I'll keep you posted.

Alright, I think that has to be all for now as I do need to get some rest tonight. Thanks for reading and we'll be in touch!!!

Pharmacology Poll!

2009-09-28T23:13:00.002-04:00

So, for my pharmacology class, I will be doing a project on a medication. It can be any medication I want, but I need ideas! If you or someone you know is taking any medications or drugs, or you have heard of a medication and you want to know more detailed information about it, let me know and I'll use it for my project topic! The project would be more interesting for me if I could relate it to someone in my life, and then I'll be more informed and then I can inform you as well! :) Thanks!

The Past Couple of Weekends

2009-09-27T20:21:00.005-04:00

Has it really been two weeks since I wrote last?! Wow, time sure flies! It seems as if so much has happened, but really, not many interesting things. Maybe it's just that I'm in class most of the time and I've learned so much that I think a lot is going on, when really, what's going on is all in my head. And, as I don't want to bore you with the details of what I'm learning, I'll give you a overview of what's been going on. We have begun our clinical experiences, in which we go to an acute care setting once every other week for half a day. I am at Massachusetts General Hospital and my clinical instructor, Kate, (the PT I follow, learn from, and am with) is so great! I'm really excited to learn from her and to see how she treats patients and to be able to not only see what it's like to work with patients, but be able to get a taste of working with real patients myself, of course with Kate's supervision. On the off weeks, we have a session at school with one of our professors doing different things that we'll be seeing in the hospital. It's like a practice run/preview of what's to come, which has been helpful to me in the past few weeks to know what to expect more and feel more confident in what we're doing. That's probably the most interesting class to talk about right now, but I am learning other things that are good and interesting as well. :) Other than that though, it's the T rides to school and the walk from North Station (where we get off the T) to school and then the walk and T ride home. On the T, I have been reading The Hiding Place by Corrie ten Boom and what a fantastic book it is! If you don't know, it is about Corrie's life and how God was faithful to her and her family during the Holocaust. They hid Jews in their home and eventually were caught and taken to a concentration camp. Her life and what she went through is heart-wrenching, but to see God's faithfulness through it all is incredible. Corrie and her sister, Betsie, spent the longest time in the concentration camp and to see how the Lord provided for them throughout their time, in the midst of evil and torture is so amazing. I'm not quite done with it, but it is such a God-glorifying and encouraging book, seeing the Lord work in such a tumultuous time and I definitely recommend it if you have not read it. Back to...the walk! It is so nice and when we get out of school in the evening, the sunsets are gorgeous! Here's a few pictures I took one night on our way to North Station:

Boston at dusk with sailboats in the foreground

The Zakim Bridge at sunset

The Zakim Bridge with cars

This is one from a morning walk; Bunker Hill Monument

Let me see...other than school. Last weekend, one of our classmates so graciously lent Hannah, Shirin, and I her car so we could make one more trip to Ikea. What we wanted to take half the day ended up taking the whole day, but it was filled with fun! We got to Ikea and got a coffee table, side table, television stand, and a few other odds and ends. So, our living room is complete now!!! It's rather exciting to see things come together and have our space usable and functional. I also got some picture frames from Ikea, which I'm really excited about. I ordered some prints last week and they should be here hopefully by Tuesday or Wednesday. Yay!!! I'm really excited to put the pictures in the frames and then hang them up on my walls. I just hope it looks as good as I am imaging it to be. :) After Ikea, we made a stop at Target for three things. I got a microwave, Hannah got a space heater, and Shirin got a dust buster. Haha...Target drew us in and we came out with just a few more things. They were things we needed, but didn't exactly go to Target to get them. But, that's okay. It was a very enjoyable day and great to spend time with the girls. :)

This weekend, I finally did laundry and really excited to have clean clothes! Sometimes, when I wait quite a long time to do laundry, I forget about some of the clothes I have because they've been sitting at the bottom of the hamper for quite a while. So, now, I have more clothes to choose from and it's wonderful. I studied a bit yesterday and then cleaned the stove last night. What a chore that was! the stove itself has probably been cleaned semi-recently, but the pans underneath the (electric) burners were disgusting and probably hadn't been cleaned in a very, very long time. So, that took a while, but we now have a clean stove and it makes me happy when I look at it. (haha...I haven't cooked on it yet, but I'll be extra happy when I actually use it.) This afternoon, I continued my cleaning and cleaned my blinds. They were gross as well and probably haven't been cleaned in at least two, probably five, years. Thankfully, one of my blinds needed replacing, so I only had to clean one and then I took down the other disgusting one and put up the brand-new, nice, and clean blinds. Thanks mom for making us clean the blinds when we were growing up! Have you started your teaching kids how to clean business yet? :) I think I might have issues when I clean because once I start, I can't stop! I just continue to inspect more closely and then see more and more things that are dirty and what was going to be just cleaning the top of the stove (the pans and such) turned into wiping the walls down, cleaning the dials for the stove and underneath them, wiping the outside of the oven, cleaning the counters, and it almost turned into cleaning the outside of the refrigerator, the inside of the oven, the heater strip in the kitchen, more kitchen walls. I just kept eyeing dirt everywhere! Once I start, I can't stop (as long as I'm in the cleaning mood)...isn't that a commercial jingle for something? Pringles maybe? Once you pop, you can't stop? I don't know. :)

How could I almost forget! Friday night was a lot of fun too. I went out with a few classmates, which was really enjoyable and then went to my friend's housewarming party. This friend is a friend from high school and we haven't seen or talked to each other since, but now we are both living here in Boston. Crazy, huh?! It's about a twenty minute T ride to her place, which is so cute! It was great to see her and catch up/reconnect a bit and I anticipate seeing more of her as time goes on. Kinda fun! Then, as I was on my way home, from the house warming party, I was on the T and sat next to some girl, or so I thought it was some girl. After a few minutes, she turns to me and says questioningly, "Janelle?!" I turned and looked at here and in disbelief saw Christina Stellini sitting next to me on the T at 11:30 at night in Boston. For those of you who don't know, Christina's dad was my high school basketball coach and she was an assistant coach my senior year as well. Ha! She was out here for four or five days visiting her boyfriend and job hunting. That was a crazy and unbelievable moment! Oh, right, and her boyfriend lives maybe two or two and a half blocks away from me! So, we got off at the same stop. What a surprise that T ride was; and a fun surprise it was!

I had the chance to talk to my mom, sister, Stephen, Grandma, and Grandpa this weekend, which gave me some good family time! And, only twelve more days until Cari is here to visit!!! I am so excited for that weekend, but first, I must get through the week ahead of me. I have one exam on Tuesday and a practical on Thursday. But, I don't have anything on Wednesday, which will be such a rare treat!!! :) It will be a good day to get quite a bit done!

Recent Weather and More

2009-09-11T00:30:00.004-04:00

So, I wanted to make mention of what the weather has been like recently. I have been sure to make note of how much it has rained over the summer months, but now it has been so nice and beautiful for the past couple weeks. It hasn't rained since I've been back after summer. Well, maybe it rained once or twice right when I got back, but I don't remember. Although it hasn't been super hot, like I've heard it's been in California, and I've been wearing jeans most days, I am thoroughly enjoying the sunny weather. And, with that said....I believe it's supposed to rain tomorrow and this weekend. There is a storm that's supposed to be coming through soon, but we shall see.

One of my roommate's friends came and visited last weekend, which was pretty fun! Hannah and her friend walked around and did some sight seeing and Sunday we tried to go on the Duck Tour, but it was sold out. Once again, my attempt to go on a Duck Tour failed. So, instead we went to the top of the Prudential Center to go on the AirWalk tour. What an incredible view of the city! Oh my goodness...you could see everything and there was a little audio piece that would tell us what we were looking at through each window. It was a beautiful day and we saw all kinds of things. Different areas of Boston, the ocean and the islands, Fenway Park from above, and so much more! I also learned little tidbits about the city from the narrating man, who made a few comments about the Boston-New York rivalry. I new, obviously, it existed, but it's pretty intense. What a gorgeous view and so worth the $12 I paid to go to the top of the building. I'm excited to go back again in the fall when the trees change colors...it will be even more incredible. Cari...get ready, that is a trip we must take. And, hopefully the trees will be all different colors at that time too!

Today, in class, we learned and practiced a few different massage techniques, which are pretty incredible. It's quite fun to go to class and massage each other for an hour or more. And, there is so much to discover under the skin; it's rather exciting. Today was practicing our Swedish massage techniques that we probably won't be using a lot, but it's kinda fun to know and it gives us practice to feel everything under the skin as well.

Our furniture came today!!! I am very excited about my new desk, except that it's humungous! It is so large and takes up so much room, but it does give me a nice large area to spread out for studying purposes, which will be great for me. My dresser also came today. However, the directions to put it all together seem to be missing. Therefore, I was unable to assemble it tonight because I don't know what to do at all. I know what it's supposed to look like at the end, but without the step-by-step guide, I don't think I can make it look like the pictures I have seen. Fortunately, I was talking with one of my classmates today and it turns out that she got the same dresser as I did and she assembled it the other night. So, she's bringing me her directions tomorrow, meaning I'll have a dresser tomorrow night and I can get everything situated! I am so excited and then, I will be delving into my books this weekend. Such an exciting few days ahead of me. The rain will make it easier to study for sure. So, I'm kind of hoping it does rain this weekend. Oh yes...more furniture. Our couches came as well, so we have seating in our living room, which is so great. So much more comfortable than the hardwood floor and the rug we got is so soft! We are almost done with furniture. We need a small coffee table of some sort and a television stand and some more shelving or storage of some sort for the kitchen. Oh yeah, and a dining table and maybe some chairs to go with that. Other than that, I think we're pretty much all set to go!

Alright...that is all for now and it's off to bed I go...after moving all the pieces of my dresser off my bed. So sad...silly missing directions.

Random Recent Events

2009-09-09T23:57:00.005-04:00

WARNING: This post is quite the random post. I just wrote as it came and I suppose there was no organization in my mind at all. It may be because my room is unorganized and I had a rough/unorganized first week of school. You have been warned, but I hope you are still able to enjoy my unorganized ramblings!

To start with...just in case you didn't know, today is 9-9-09...barely since the day is almost over, but I made it! I started school again last week and with the beginning of school came many other beginnings as well. I moved to another apartment, but for some reason people in Boston who rent apartments begin the lease on September 1 and the lease ends August 31...every year. No overlaps or different dates or anything. And, our school has orientation on September 1. One may think that if half the city is moving on September 1, maybe orientation could be on the second because it's most likely that students will be moving as well. But, no, that was not the case. Therefore, we all went to orientation and had a school-wide BBQ and all, which was actually quite tasty and then instead of going on the Duck Tour that the school would have paid for, I went to the U-haul place to pick up a truck to move all my stuff across town. Yes, the U-haul was essential and I was so thankful that there was one available when I called just a few days before we needed it. Brian, one of my classmates and roommates, drove the truck around town. First, to my old apartment where we loaded up all of Shirin and my belongings as well as Hannah's and some of Brian's since they stayed with us for the last week or so because they had no place to go. Then, Brian and Neil went to pick up Neil's belongings and then went to another classmate's apartment to pick up the remainder of Brian and Danielle's belongings. While all that went on, Hannah, Shirin, and I came to the apartment. We all met at our new place and the unloading began. After just a short while and quite a few trips from the truck to the apartment, we were done! Living on the first floor makes moving so much easier and quicker; it was wonderful! Then, we had pizza for dinner and chose rooms and started taking our bags to our new rooms. Brian and I went to return the truck late that night since we didn't want to have to take care of it in the morning before school and after getting lost maybe two or three times, we found the U-haul place and successfully dropped the truck off, thankfully. It was a late night and a busy day, but we moved! Then, it was to the air mattress for a few days until my bed came on Saturday, which has been wonderful. Such a comfortable bed and it makes me happy to sleep. :) It's a bit high, but that just adds to its loveliness. I have been unpacking and trying to get organized in my room all week while also trying to figure out my school schedule as well and stay tuned in on my classes so I know what is going on. I do my best and am SO looking forward to my desk and dresser that I purchased at Ikea last weekend. They come tomorrow and I can't wait to build them! I got a bookshelf and a chair yesterday and built them last night. The bookshelf is great and I was able to at least get my books in order so I can see them and know what books I have. Needless to say, this last week has consisted of multiple trips to Bed Bath and Beyond, Staples, and especially the hardware store (I think of my dad often!). Oh, yes...my shelf (from the hardware store) that I put on the floor of my closet for my shoes works wonders. It has taken some time and patience, but my room is beginning to come together and is almost at the functional level I have been hoping for. We also purchased couches and maybe a few other things for the living room at Ikea, so we will soon have a more livable living room, and apartment in general, after it all comes!

The first week of school has not been too intense, which has been good for the move-in and having to shop for furniture and other helpful organizational items. Alright...enough about the apartment for now. I went on a jog today and ended up at a small little body of water called the Chestnut Hill Reservoir. I was there at about sunset and it was gorgeous. So peaceful and a nice little jog/walk around the water was a really good way to begin my evening. There were so many people out running or walking around the reservoir and it was a nice get away. Plus, I was exercising more than just the normal walking around I do daily, which was a first in who knows how long. Then, I came home and made some dinner, which was sufficient and then studied a tiny bit of medical terminology in preparation for my test on Friday.

While I was at home over summer, I got my hair cut. Maybe you know this, maybe you don't, but I had Sharon (hair person) cut eleven inches off. Well, I think she cut off ten to begin with in order to donate my hair, which I wasn't able to mail in before I left, so I believe my hair is in a plastic bag on my desk at home still. Then, Sharon cut off some more to style and do whatever else with my hair. She was really excited about it because she loves the cut and had given it to her daughter the previous evening. I definitely had to take some time to get used to the bangs and the shortness of it, but after a week or two, it has finally grown on me and I like my haircut. But, I must say I like it best after I blow dry it, but that doesn't happen too often. (I have actually only blow dried my hair once since I got it cut, but it was my favorite day of my haircut!)

I received a phone call the other day...Monday, to be exact. And on the other end of the phone was my sister with some very exciting news that pretty much made my month! Can you guess what it is?!?! She's coming to visit me!!!!!! October 9 through the 14. Friday through Wednesday with Cari! I am so excited and can't wait! Amongst other activities, I was thinking I would take her on a Duck Tour and then I can experience it with her, since I missed out last week. And, after she made plans and bought the ticket and everything, I took a look at my calendar and decided that the weekend she is coming is probably the best one for her to come. Not only do I think the weather will be a real fall with leaves changing colors and all (at least I hope it's like that) but more so, I don't have class that Friday afternoon, nor Monday (due to Columbus Day), nor Wednesday morning. :) Worst case would have been Friday class until 4, school Monday and Tuesday, and class Wednesday morning at 10. Then, I would have only really gotten to spend Saturday and Sunday with her (plus the other evenings). But, it's the best case that will occur, which makes me even more excited because that means we can do more and spend more time together!!! Oh the plans I am thinking of! :)

I'm sure there is more to say, but as this is already just bits and pieces of my mind as I think of things, I'm not sure what else there is to write about at this moment. And, with that, I am going to go to bed so I can wake up and do a cross fit workout with a few of my roommates in the morning. We don't have class until noon, so we are going to try this crazy work out my roommate has. We'll see how it goes in the morning!

Vacation is Over

2009-09-01T09:52:00.005-04:00

Vacation, vacation, vacation. It was so nice to be on vacation. And, apparently, when I go on vacation from school, I go on vacation from everything! Well, maybe not everything, but at least blogging. Being at home and in California was really nice. Family time, boating, friends, wedding, more friends, birthday, eating food I didn't have to prepare or pay for...thanks mom and dad!!! :) I got home on my dad's BIRTHDAY and my grandparents came over that night for a birthday dinner, which was delicious and they brought slides from back in the day while my dad was growing up, which was fun to see! We saw pictures of him as a wee little one and the different homes they lived in and the one they built in the different stages of building. It was fun for me and Stephen, and my mom, to learn a bit about my dad's younger years and fun for my grandparents, and probably my dad too, to reminisce a bit. After some time down memory lane, or learning lane, some family friends came over and semi-surprised my dad for birthday dessert. I'm not sure if he was surprised at all...I think he may have known, or at least suspected, people were coming. And, then there was dessert...home-made ice cream without, what was it mom? sugar? Yes...I believe it was sugarless home-made ice cream. Not as yummy as I was anticipating and then I left without a second batch of ice cream being made. Maybe in December. Home-made ice cream for Christmas?! Maybe we can put red food coloring in it and have red vanilla ice cream.

The next day was my roommate's WEDDING!!! Katie and Doster were married in the Heather Farm Rose garden and it was gorgeous! It was a warm evening, but everybody and the setting was incredible. It was so good to see my roommates and have some crazy roommate wedding fun! But then, the night came to an end too quickly and they all had to go back to San Luis. So fun, but way too short. Oh yes...I caught the bouquet at the wedding reception too. Hmmm....I wonder.

A couple days of relaxing, soaking up the sun and warm weather....it was pretty great and felt like what summer is supposed to be. Then, a couple days later, it was off to Angel's Camp! My family and a few friends have gone a few times and all I've experienced of these summer trips are the stories they come back with. I've been in summer school when they have gone before, but not this time! It was so fun to be with everyone and experience the Angel's Camp trip. Twelve families, plus Cari came!!! It was a crowd of people, but a great crowd! Boating, SUN, water, warm weather, friends, family, sun, it was such a great and relaxing weekend. And, it was so nice to be able to go on vacation without homework. It is so much more relaxing than when I have homework to think about.

We came back from Angel's Camp on Sunday, and then Stephen packed up all his belongings and on Tuesday, it was off to Chico! We went up and helped him move into his apartment and to see where he's living this year and all that jazz. It was a great couple, last days with Stephen and my parents before leaving him for his second year of college. Then, it was off to home, once again, to spend one final week in Clayton before returning to Boston. The end of the week consisted of one wonderful afternoon with Julie shopping at Target and Barnes and Noble and spending time with each other, catching up and an exciting afternoon with Jessica baking fancy rose-colored and -flavored fancy cupcakes with edible flowers and raspberries on top. Except...the edible flowers weren't really edible, but we ate them anyway. We're still alive! I suppose they were just sugar-coasted rose petals. Jessica and I enjoyed them, but I can't say the same for my parents. Hmmm....oh well; they were pretty! After eating a scrumptious hamburger at Fuddrucker's, we parted ways and I went home.

Oh yes...that week, Uncle Tom, Aunt Stephanie, and cousin Amy stayed with us, which was great fun! Fun for them to be around, especially since I would have been the only child around if they weren't there. :) I love my parents, but I also love the hustle and bustle of a household full of people! They cleaned Amy's new house and moved her all in that week and left Monday. Then, it was just my parents and me for the final two days before I flew across the country. We packed a lunch and went to watch and listen to a friend, Kevin Toqe, play outside for a bit, which was really enjoyable. After the lunch and outdoor, sunny concert, we saw Julie and Julia, which was alright. It was cute, but not my favorite movie. I'd say it's a rental. :) I was able to see my grandparents one more time before I left too, which was a really special time to talk and see their fun, meaningful items in their home that they have had for many, many years and hearing the stories as to how these items were obtained. So interesting!

Then, I had to pack all my belongings up and head to the airport Wednesday, the 26th of August. Definitely a ton easier leaving this time, but it was hard to leave the warm sunshine. Okay, I suppose it might have been sad to leave my parents too. Well, now I'm back in Boston and for the last week, I have been able to hang out a bit, but have spent quite the time packing up and moving and starting school and buying a bed and who knows what else. It's been interesting, yet fun. And although I'm not totally ready to begin this fall semester, I am looking forward to the semester and all that we will be learning. It will be difficult, but the New England fall weather is what I am looking forward to most during the next couple months!!! :)

Weather

2009-08-07T09:28:00.003-04:00

Oh, the weather. How quickly it changes! One day is hot and humid, the next is beautiful and sunny, and still, the next is wet. Last Friday was a wet day. Very, very wet. I went to study in Harvard Square and not having been around Harvard Square at all, I didn't know where any good place to study was. So, I was walking around with a friend trying to find a place to set our packs down and open the books. We went into a tea shop and it was okay, but didn't stay. We went into a coffee shop, which would have been nice if it weren't for all the people. Not finding a single free seat inside, we left to go on to find another place. Third time's a charm! Or, not. We sat down and were getting ready to pull our books out and then the waitress comes to tell us that the fire marshals are coming to check the sprinklers upstairs to make sure they work so everyone has to go downstairs. Well then, we go downstairs and it was too crowded. So, no more room and we left. We left to another cafe-type place that was super crowded and super loud. Keep in mind that it was pouring rain while we were going from place to place. We waited for Shirin at the fourth place and once she met up with us, we went on to the fifth potential study place for the day. We ended up at Peet's, which was a great choice and it ended up to be a pretty good study session. We were soaking wet, but we made it. I really wanted to go to a local place, but nothing was working out for us, so Peet's ended up being the best choice. Oh yes, it was also Green Friday in the middle of Harvard Square. This means that people were at a stand trying to hand out free green items. There was green jell-o, limeade, and some kind of tart/pastry thing with kiwi and honeydew on top. The jell-o was not very good, the limeade was very tart, and the fruit thing was good, but a bit crumbly. While we were studying, there were times when the rain just came gushing down in a downpour. I have never had as wet of a summer as I did this year. But, I have also been in California every summer until this year. Since Friday, it hasn't rained (a whole week without rain--rather exciting!) and it's supposed to be nice for a few more days as well. But, I'm going home tomorrow morning anyway. We've had a few humid days this last week, but for the most part, it's been really nice weather this week and today is BEAUTIFUL! What a day for my last day in Boston!

Although it's been nice this last week, I haven't been able to enjoy it much since I was inside studying for the entire week. I had my final tests this last week and I think I did pretty well. No more human cadaver lab, which is sad. We had our last day with them Thursday during our practical and I definitely took one last deep breath as I walked into the room. They served us well and I'm really thankful to those people for donating their bodies so I could have the opportunity to learn. I was able to see some pretty interesting things and it was a very valuable learning experience. Now, it's time to go off and finish up some laundry, have some fun in Boston, and pack a few things so I can go to the airport to fly to California early tomorrow morning! So excited to go home and see many of you and have some real summer weather and to be able to enjoy it! :)

Last week of Gross Anatomy

2009-08-03T01:20:00.002-04:00

Wow! Time sure has flown by. The last eight weeks have been intense and so much information has gone through my head. I have learned so much about the body, yet there is still so much to learn, and I'm sure I will be relearning/refreshing on what I have learned this summer. Last week we had our last day of anatomy lecture and lab in which we talked about the forearm and hand. We were able to see a carpal tunnel and appreciate all the muscles in the forearm and the arteries of the entire arm! My oh my. Much different than I had expected. There are so many more muscles in your forearm than your upper arm and all the blood supply and nerves that weave their way around all the bones and muscles and spaces throughout--it's rather amazing and so interesting! As this next week begins, I think and realize in amazement that I only have four days of school left and on Saturday, I fly home to California!!! So exciting!!! But, first, I must get through this week. I have a review session and practice test on Monday, a test for my other class (on learning how to be a professional) on Tuesday morning, a skills check on Wednesday to make sure I am able to use/adjust/instruct a patient on proper use of assistive devices such as crutches and walkers of different types. Then, Thursday is the BIG day! I have my written exam and then the practical afterwards. I should be done with anatomy and my first term of grad school on Thursday at about three or four in the afternoon maybe.

Saturday morning is another BIG day!!! I fly home! Many of my classmates and I have been talking for about a week now about how excited we are all to go to our respective homes for a couple weeks during our break. Some people have plans to hang out with friends or go places or do crazy things, but we are all excited to go home to our mothers' cooking (and to see our families of course)! :) In addition to seeing my family and a few friends and eating mom's food, I'm excited to spend time relaxing and being in the dry heat and warm sun. I'm really looking forward to not having to study constantly, although I am enjoying the material. Plus, on top of all that, it's my dad's birthday Saturday when I land, and Sunday is my friends' wedding! I am so excited for Katie and Doster and am looking forward to their wedding immensely! Because they are getting married, I get to see all my roommates from my last quarter at Cal Poly, which is going to be incredible!!! My first weekend at home is going to be BUSY, but so much fun!!! And, I won't have to think about having to study at all or if I'm falling behind! How lovely that will be! Then, the second weekend I'm home is family vacation time with multiple families, which I am really looking forward to as well! I'll get to spend the weekend with a few great families I really enjoy and my sister is coming up for it too, which will make it even better! Oh my, so, so much I am looking forward too! But first, I must get through my tests this week, so it's off to bed I go to get some rest!

Jazz Brunch

2009-07-30T22:48:00.003-04:00

I totally forgot to write about the Jazz Brunch Shirin and I went to last Saturday morning! We went to Johnny D's in Davis Square, which is just one stop away on the train from our place. Every Saturday and Sunday morning, there is a Jazz Brunch, when there is Jazz music performed live in the restaurant. The restaurant itself is a really neat place and the guy playing some jazz added to the ambience. However, we went at maybe 11:30, and the man who was playing music didn't play between noon and one. We figured we probably shouldn't go during lunch hour if we really wanted to hear the live jazz music. But, we did get a taste of it and it was quite fun! Also, the restaurant serves grits so we shared a small bowl of cheesy grits to taste. And, they were definitely gritty! Tasteless without the cheese, but we tried them! Definitely wouldn't want them on a regular basis...I prefer Cream of Wheat, even if the bottom burns and sticks to the pan. :) After Johnny D's, we went to study at Diesel Cafe, which was so great! It's a rather large cafe with quite a few tables. It was a popular place with many little trinkets to look at from time to time, during a study break. :) After a long afternoon of studying, Shirin and I went over to Neil's place for dinner. Neil is a friend, future roommate, and classmate. (He is the lone non-California one in the apartment-from Florida.)

Finally Summer...

2009-07-27T22:32:00.002-04:00

Yep! Summer has come upon us here on the east coast. Or, at least I'm told this is more of a typical summer. Yesterday morning, I woke up hot and sticky. Yes...the humidity has set in. And, the heat. So, I took a shower, but I was just as sweaty after as I was before, so I'm not sure if it was worth it. Then, I went to church at Hope Fellowship Church yesterday morning, which was pretty good. I enjoyed the service and the preaching and it seems as if they are pretty involved in the community and are looking for ways to continually reach out to those around them, which is encouraging. Kind of a smaller church and I absolutely loved the building! :) (an added bonus) I met up with two of my friends from Cal Poly, Ruth and Lissa, at church and it was so much fun to see them on the opposite coast! And, I found out that I will be living close to Ruth next year while Lissa moves back to California to go to Fuller Seminary in Pasadena. Both Ruth and Lissa have lived here for the past year and I am looking forward to seeing Ruth more in the coming year! We went to lunch together after church and towards the end of lunch, it randomly started pouring and maybe ten minutes later, it stopped just as abruptly as it began. When the rain has stopped, we decided to take advantage of the dry sky and travel home. I went to study at Breugger's which is a great coffee shop place with excellent music. Shirin met me there and we studied until they closed. We had a coupon we were going to use to buy a dozen bagels, but when we went to go buy them, they had already closed the registers and had partial bags of bagels, so the workers gave us a bunch of bagels for free! It was so nice of them and so great for us! We were given six pumpernickel, five or six wheat, and maybe four multi-bagels. Whatever they were, they were free and gave us reason to smile and something to eat! :)

Last night, while I was laying in bed, all of a sudden there was a flash outside my window followed by claps of thunder. A bit confused, I laid in my bed, listening and waiting. There was more thunder and lightening and maybe two minutes later, the rain finally came. And, when the rain came, it came all at once...in a downpour. Right before this happened, I was thinking that summer had finally come and I was experiencing the hot and humid summer as I was expecting. And, then the rain came and thought I had thought too soon. However, I was talking with a fellow classmate this morning and she informed me that these thunderstorms are typical and normal in the summer. Whereas I think winter when I think thunderstorm, these people over here think summer when they think thunderstorm. Interesting difference. So, I suppose I was correct in thinking that I am finally experiencing a more typical east coast summer. So much to get used too...can't wait until I learn about and experience a New England winter! I think I'm in for a surprise! :) And today, again, was hot and humid. I am so thankful for the window air conditioning unit in my room and that my room is on the second floor and not the third. Shirin and Laura (my two roommates who both have rooms upstairs) are so warm in their rooms-I feel bad for them. So, I really have not too much, if anything, to complain about!

Random thought/observation:

I noticed this a while ago...on my way back to Boston from California from the wedding...but it's useless to have automatic flushing toilets in the bathrooms if they do not work properly. Sometimes the automatic flusher flushes way too early--before I even sit down! Then, I have to get another seat cover and start over. Or, there are the toilets that the automatic flusher doesn't flush automatically, so I have to manually push the button anyway to flush it. What's the point of that? I don't see one, but maybe I need to be enlightened. However, we have automatic flushing toilets at school and they work wonderfully...flushing at the right time and everything! When the automatic flusher works like it's supposed to, automatic flushing toilets can be great! However, when they work like they are not supposed to, automatic flushing toilets are useless and more frustrating because it does not function as expected.

A Few Exciting Things (and a couple pictures)

2009-07-26T00:32:00.009-04:00

So, I totally neglected to share a few exciting pieces of mail I received since moving to Boston! Mail time is my favorite part of the day, although I rarely find something in the mailbox for me. Somehow, just the excitement of getting the mail and the possibility of there being something for me inside makes me happy. Usually, there is nothing for me, but then I can see who did receive something in the mail and I can be excited for them because who doesn't like to receive real mail? Right...nobody...EVERYONE likes to receive some real mail, even if it's just a letter from the dentist's office. Okay, it's not so personal, but at least they take the time to mail a pre-printed, pre-signed happy birthday card. Growing up, some days I would race my dad to the mailbox to be able to get the mail first. Then, even if he won, I would still have to look through the mail myself after he told me I didn't get anything or giving me what was addressed to me. Then, there were those days that he would beat me to the mailbox and still let me take the mail out. What a great dad! I said there were those days, but they still occur. :) When I was home for Nathan and Erin's wedding, my dad made a special point to ask me if I wanted to get the mail one day and I said OF COURSE! Then I went and got the mail because he told me it had arrived. :)

Okay...back to my story. I have received a few wonderful letters and appreciate them so much. Thank you to those who have sent me mail-I absolutely love it and it pretty much makes my day!!! :) When I got back to my place after coming back to Boston from the wedding last month, there was a note on my bedroom door that said that I have a package downstairs, to the laundry. A bit confused, I opened the door that goes downstairs to go to the laundry in the basement, and what do I see?! A HUMUNGOUS box addressed to ME!!!! I was SO excited and a bit confused too. I later found out that my downstairs neighbor brought the box in and put it in the stairwell to get it off the front porch, which was really nice of him. When I brought it up to my room, I looked at it and saw that my sister had sent it to me. Then, I was a little confused as to what was inside. It was such a big box and I had no idea what she had sent me. I opened it and to my surprise, it was the most amazing care package I have ever received. There was a huge card that said Welcome to Boston along with all kinds of goodies and trinkets and things to decorate and play with! :) THANK YOU CARI!!!! That was the ultimate home-coming and Boston-welcoming gift! I was so excited and still can't help but smile and get excited when I think about it or look at anything that came in it. :)

I was so excited! Such a large card and a large basket with so many goodies!!!

All the contents in the care package. It's so much!!! :)

Then, maybe it was the next week or sometime later, I received another box in the mail, but this time it was from my mom and dad! It was significantly smaller than the previous box, but just as exciting nonetheless. :) I opened it and this time, I found all my spices and a few snacks and food items! Spices are expensive to buy, so I was just going to wait until later to bring them from home because I didn't want to buy new ones when I already had some at home and could bring later. So, now we can use the spices when we cook, which is actually not as often as we should or want to. But, we have them available when we want to use them! Thank you mom!!! and dad too!!! :)

SKIP THE NEXT PARAGRAPH IF YOU DO NOT WANT TO READ ABOUT MY CADAVER LAB.

Some of you know about what I missed in the cadaver lab by going to Nathan and Erin's wedding. For those of you who don't know...our class is broken into two groups for dissecting. That Thursday I left for California, my normal group was going second. In order to make sure I had plenty of time to get to the airport and checked in so I wouldn't be late for my plane, I switched with a girl in the first group that day and went to lab early. Thursday night, right before I boarded my plane, I found out that the second group (my normal group) cut one of the legs off the cadaver that afternoon. If I didn't have to go to the airport to catch a plane, I would have been there. Keep in mind that my group had primarily done skinning and getting through all the fat of our body while the other group cut through the ribs and took out the rib cage and took out the organs (they did leave the heart for us to take out, which was nice). So, I felt like I was missing out on the "exciting" stuff, but really, skinning is pretty exciting because we find so many cutaneous nerves, arteries, veins, and other neat things as we dissect. Anyway, I had the opportunity to cut the clavicles out last week, which I was thankful for the opportunity to do so. It allowed me to have a more complete dissection lab experience. It wasn't anything like the leg, but it was something. And, we started dissecting the face and to look at the tempomandibular joint (TMJ) we chiseled through the mandible a bit. Dad...we definitely use tools in lab, but for a very different reason than you ever have.

And now, here are a couple pictures to go with the last post:

Shirin and I in our white coats after the white coat ceremony.

Neil, Kristina, and Erin in front of one of the tall ships that came through Boston Harbor.

My Half Birthday...

2009-07-16T22:35:00.002-04:00

...was a week and a half ago on July 7. Just in case you were wondering. However, that was a pretty eventful day and I have been rather busy recently and have decided to take some time to write about last week a bit. After studying all weekend long, I had my first gross anatomy test on that Tuesday. It was pretty intense, but my study habits have significantly changed from undergrad, so I felt rather comfortable and calm and somewhat confident going into the test. And, I came out of it feeling pretty good about it. After the test, some of my classmates and I went to celebrate and then about ten of us left the larger celebration to go to the A's game! Well, everyone else said it was the Red Sox game, but Oakland was in town. Although the A's scored the first run, they ended up losing when the ninth inning came around. The A's had won 6-0 Monday night and I realize I was being rather hopeful in wanting them to win two in a row. Needless to say, I really enjoyed the game and it was fun to be in Fenway Park, which is a lot smaller of a field than I was expecting it to be. I did not get a Fenway Frank though...I suppose I'll just have to go again.

Wednesday was our White Coat Ceremony for school. Nothing big nor fancy, but just a small ceremony in our classroom in which the third year DPT students coated us with our white coats and then pinned us with our MGH Institute of Health Professions pin. There were only a few families there...mom and dad--you didn't miss much! I can re-enact it for you in August if you so desire. It's kind of fun to have a white coat, which we will be wearing when we go to our clinical observations and practicums. It looks rather professional and medical. I have my first clinical observation on Monday at Massachusetts General Hospital, so I will be wearing my white coat for the first time on Monday. I'm excited for it, so hopefully it goes well! After the ceremony, I went apartment searching with my future roommates and it was a successful trip--the realtor called us yesterday and told us that he has a lease for us to sign! I will be living with five other people and we are all pretty excited. It's almost a California exclusive house; there is one guy from Florida, but the rest of us are from California. It most definitely is CA dominant (and northern CA to be more specific). One girl from Los Angeles area (Cerritos), one girl from San Ramon (Shirin-current roommate), one girl from San Jose, one guy from Petaluma, and me! We'll all be learning how to manage in the cold winter together when the time comes. :)

Last Friday morning I went into school to practice my transfers. It was great! haha... But, really, it was good practice and becoming more comfortable in transferring people from a bed to a wheelchair and back again and moving them around to different positions while they are in the bed. It will be necessary for me, especially if I am working in the hospital or rehab setting. After practicing those important skills, I went with a couple friends to wander around the tall ships. I suppose once every five or six years or so these "tall ships" come into the Boston Harbor from all over the world for a weekend for people to visit and explore and learn a bit. We didn't go on any of the ships because there were so many people and families around. But, since our school is right in the navy yard, right on the water/harbor, we walked around and explored the festivities. It was a beautiful day outside and seeing the tall ships was fun and a good study break (between transfer practicing and anatomy studying). After eating lunch in the festivities, I went inside for the rest of the day and missed the gorgeous weather in the harbor to study. Then, we went to Indian food for dinner and the dish I got was a bit too spicy for my liking, but I was able to try other not so spicy dishes that were rather tasty. It was a pretty good first impression of Indian food.

Saturday morning, we went to Haymarket, which has an outdoor farmer's market every Friday and Saturday all day. It was nothing like Thursday nights in San Luis, but we were able to get a bunch of fruit and vegetables and some cheese and bread for pretty cheap. Then, we came home and guess what we did?!?! Yep, you're right...we studied. Then, I had a mini baking session that night in which I baked brownies and it was great.

Sunday morning, I went to Park Street Church which is celebrating their 200th anniversary and part of their celebration is having a few featured guest speakers throughout the year. One of the guest speakers, Joni Eareckson Tada, came last week and spoke about the goodness of God in all situations and circumstances. It was neat to hear from her and how she has experienced God's goodness in her life after becoming a quadriplegic following a diving accident after high school. She has been a quadriplegic for 42 years and she shared what's real to her, but was able to remind people that everyone experiences brokenness. She broke her neck, but others have broken hearts and broken families, and we need God and his mercy and goodness to experience freedom from the brokenness we experience. After church, I went to Harvard Med to study a bit and look at the cadavers some. During that time, I realized how much I don't know and how much studying I had before me. Now, I still have a lot to study, but am getting through...a little bit at a time.

Tuesday, I had a test in my Professional Socialization class and I think/hope I did alright. This class is not as intense as anatomy and I'm sure I did alright. We were told to not stress over it and my teacher is aware of how demanding our anatomy class, so now, I'm just waiting and studying for anatomy. That night, I was so tired and exhausted, but had bought a ticket to a Greg Laswell concert in town. It was a nice setting--small venue, pretty low key. However, I was so tired, I almost fell asleep during the concert. It was a pretty good show and I enjoyed the music for the most part, but I was so ready to be in bed!

Nothing else really exciting, except one thing. But, I will wait to write about that until next time. This is already a pretty long post, so if you read this whole thing, I'm impressed and honored! So, the exciting stuff for a later time. However, I will warn you that I will not be writing until after Tuesday. If you can't guess, I have a test on Tuesday! Yay anatomy! Actually, there's quite a few exciting things that have been going on recently. Although, most of them have been in the cadaver lab, so I'm sure many people won't find them as exciting as I do, but that's okay! I'll still share! :) That may deter a few people from reading the happenings in my life, but oh well! It'll only be a few more weeks before I'm done in the cadaver lab...which is crazy! It has gone by so fast! Ok....off to sleep so I can study well all day tomorrow! :)

Fourth of July...Boston Style

2009-07-12T22:05:00.014-04:00

The fourth of July this year was different than any other year. There has been years at the singing flag, others at barbeques, others at the Clayton parade, one on the top of our roof, one at the Clayton Community Park...many different places to spend Independence Day and in different ways and with different people. 2006 was in East Asia. I remember throwing up that morning and it was probably the one time I was thankful to vomit. I think we had been there a few days, maybe a week, and I was still feeling sick from the plane ride, and after that morning and resting a bit, I felt much, much better. 2009 will also be a memorable one. I slept in a bit and went to study for a few hours before going to the Esplanade right along the Charles River to meet up with a few friends. Thankfully the day was GORGEOUS! It had been gloomy and rainy for who knows how long before (pretty much the whole month of June) and it was forecasted to rain on the fourth, but God had a great surprise for us and it was so nice out all day long! Not a rain cloud in the sky (there were clouds) and the sky was nice and clear--perfect to see the fireworks! I found my friends in the sea of people spread out all along the waterfront. They had a few blankets out and books and flashcards and we studied a bit more while a few boyfriends/husbands who were there did a bit of trivia on their own. We were quizzing each other on the thoracic and abdominal cavities while the significant others were quizzing each other on random trivia or movie or sports trivia. It was rather enjoyable. Then, the sun started to go down and the Boston Pops concert started, but since we couldn't see it, we listened to it over the speakers set up. It was the CBS televised fourth of July celebration and it was fun to be a part of it. It was somewhat similar to the Singing Flag celebration except there were maybe a hundred times more people and one was unable to watch the musical performance and the fireworks both. So, we opted for the fireworks show. It was a great show and there were many people out on their boats in the river, which is where I would have preferred to be, but it's kinda hard to be on a boat in the water when I don't have a boat (or access to one at all). After the fireworks were done, it was like a crazy madhouse leaving and the T was PACKED full of people. It was free that night though, which helped the non-Bostonians who don't know how to ride the T get through faster and out of our way for those of us who knew where we were going. :) Just kidding. :) There were so many people though; it was crazy! Just look at some of the pictures below.

Lots of people on the Esplanade on the gorgeous day!

The Oval Platform where the Boston Pops performed from.

People everywhere!

So many boats in the water--beautiful day along the Charles River.

Sunset along the Charles River with a lot of people walking about.

A few classmates and friends I celebrated the 4th with! (L to R: Cathy, Erin, Shirin (roommate), Hannah, Brian, Kristina, Neil, Thomas, and me)

Friends/significant others/non-PT students :)

Crowded T station

Crowded T platform...I have never seen this many people in the T station at once, before the 4th of July.

If you'd like to watch, here's a little sample of the fireworks show we saw (I think this was the finale):

No longer MIA

2009-07-08T12:26:00.006-04:00

I realize it's been about two weeks since I have written a little somethin' somethin', and I know some people have noticed and have been wondering about my life. Well, at least I hope some people have. :) It has been quite the two weeks though. And, there's a lot I could write about, but I'll give the very abbreviated version right now. I forget what I did the week after Father's Day...it was kind of a long time ago and I probably just studied since I left Thursday night to go home to California. So, Thursday night came, and I was CA bound. Friday morning, my mom treated me to a pedicure and manicure...thanks mom! Cari came with us (yay!) and got a manicure. :) The pedicure will come later...no matter what she says. One day, she will enjoy people touching her feet and legs. :) So, then we went home, packed an overnight bag and went to the rehearsal dinner for my brother's WEDDING! Such a great weekend to be with family and friends. Thanks to everyone who came--it was great to celebrate with you all! Saturday was the wedding--woke up at 4:45 am, went to Erin's house, did hair and make-up and got dressed, took the limo to the chapel, had the BEAUTIFUL ceremony, took a bunch of fun pictures (which I'm really excited to see), went to the reception, and had a bunch of fun and danced with my cousins and friends! The whole wedding was so great and such a testament of Nathan and Erin's love for one another and their love for God and their desire to serve God through their marriage. Thank you so much for allowing me to be a part of it and to witness such a neat, God-glorifying celebration! Love you guys! Then, Sunday was the day after the wedding brunch which was another great time to spend time with and see family who had come from out of town and who I don't get to see too often. (Nathan and Erin had some out of town friends come too, but I don't really know them, so I stuck with my cousins!) Sunday night, mom and dad took Nathan, Erin, and I to SFO and while the newlyweds went off to the Cayman Islands, I headed back to Boston. As I was waiting to board the plane, an announcement was made that they had overbooked the flight and were looking for volunteers to go on a different flight. Had I been a volunteer, I would have flown to Chicago first class and landed in Boston at 9:43 am (instead of 7:03 am) plus I would have received a free roundtrip plane ticket to anywhere within the 48 contiguous states. If only I didn't have class at 9:00 Monday morning.

So, I landed at Boston Logan Monday morning after maybe three hours of sleep and was met so wonderfully by one of my friends and classmates, Kristina, who took me back to her place and we hung out for a bit before class. Monday afternoon I went and spent some time in lab studying for anatomy. I have accepted that my clothes are going to smell like the cadaver room and it will not come out, no matter how many times I wash them. That's the end of those clothes! Tuesday, we studied all day and then came home to a home-cooked meal made by Mahsa, Shirin's friend from Californai! It was so great--thanks so much Mahsa!!! (even though she will probably never read this) Mahsa was visiting for the week and we were able to do a few fun things with her. After class on Wednesday, it was raining (surprise, surprise) and we went to the USS Constitution for a bit and talked to a few sailors, including our new sailor friend John, before going to a restaurant right down the street from school called Tavern on the Water. Since it was raining super hard and we trampled through puddles (the deep ones not on purpose), we were super wet and decided to go buy raincoats. Of course, it didn't rain the whole rest of the week, but we were prepared had it rained! And, I'm sure the rain is not over, so I will get a good use out of that raincoat (now or next year). The rain and puddles were fun, until we got home and opened our backpacks and found a bunch of our stuff wet! I had to open up books and cards and all kinds of wet items to dry overnight. What a sad evening that was. I lost my calculator to the rain! It turns on, but the numbers don't appear correctly on the screen. I had that calculator since sixth grade and I had personalized it with stickers and all. Granted it wasn't a super calculator or anything, but there was definitely a lot of sentimental value to it. :( Bummer for me. After class on Thursday, some of our classmates went to a karaoke bar (Hong Kong) and one of the girls sang (not me). A few of us left the karaoke bar not too long after we got there and decided to go to the original (or inspirational, rather) Cheers bar! I bought a mug with "Cheers" on it and it was kind of fun! Now, I know where it is too so when people (you) come visit me, I can take you there if you want! Friday morning we went to Harvard Medical School for our practice practical to help us study for the test, which was really helpful. Then, I stayed there all day and studied with a couple other classmates and enjoyed another evening out at Boston Beer Works with some classmates. Lots of fun times, but well deserved after the amount of studying!

Well, this is definitely NOT the really abbreviated version as promised in the beginning, but there's just so much going on in Boston and surrounding areas! I'm definitely keeping busy with school and extra stuff, but it's all so great. More on the fourth of July and this week later. If you're lucky, I'll include some pictures as well! :)

Whew! Busy weekend...and Father's Day!

2009-06-21T23:38:00.012-04:00

This was quite the weekend! Rather busy, but productive as well! Thursday night, we went to a concert at the House of Blues in Boston, which was pretty fun. A small group of my classmates went and although I didn't know who was performing, it was fun to be there and hang out with new friends. The act we went to see was Matt and Kim, which was pretty good. They are a rock group I suppose with just a drummer (Kim) and piano and vocals (Matt). They are on youtube if you so desire to check them out. The House of Blues is right across the street from Fenway Park, so I got a few pictures of the outside of the park as well. Someday, I will go inside for a game. The game that night was called early due to rain, and I believe the Red Sox lost after a six game winning streak, or something like that. (WARNING: There are quite a few pictures in this post...I hope you are able to enjoy them!)

House of Blues in Boston just opened in February or March of this year

Part of Fenway Park

Fenway Park on the right, House of Blues on the left

Friday, Shirin and I slept in just a bit and then went to study for a few hours before going to Relay for Life that night. We stayed up the whole night and walked off and on throughout the whole time. There were five people from our class there as well as maybe ten or so second DPT students. One of our classmates picked us up and we drove over to the high school together. Traffic was really bad for her from her house to our house and then we got lost on our way from our house to the high school, so we ended up getting there a bit late so we missed the opening ceremonies and such, but it was a fun night and a neat experience and something I had not done before. Cancer survivors were there with a sash around them distinguishing they were a survivor and there was a survivor lap during the opening ceremonies, which we missed out on. There was also other entertainment (music mostly) and other special laps throughout the night. As a team, we were able to raise just about $2,000 for the American Cancer Society, which is really exciting! If you wanted to donate, but didn't have the chance or forgot, donations are being accepted through August 31! Click here to donate! Here are some pictures from the event! :)

HOPE spelled out with candles shined throughout the night

The a cappella group that performed Friday evening

Me, Thomas, and Kristina eating cookies while walking

Thomas, Kristina, and Shirin during the backwards lap

Most of our team after winning the "keep the beach ball in the air all the way around the track" lap...the bucket of goodies had brownies, glow sticks, and bubbles

Our campsite...we played a bit of catch phrase during the night

Me, Kristina, and Thomas participated in the three-legged race as a three-man, four-legged team at three a.m. and we won! The prize was a $25 gift certificate to Stop & Shop

We were walking at 5:30 am and it was rather bright outside...it started to get bright at around 4:15 or 4:30. I suppose that's what happens on the eastern side of a time zone

A few laps in the fog early in the morning with my roommate and the sleeping bag Jessie and Charlie left for me! It was a bit chilly.

The seagull was looking for food in the bags with the candles that spelled HOPE in the morning and attacked three of the bags before giving up and leaving.

There was a little morning dance and yoga session Saturday before the closing ceremonies.

After coming home from Relay for Life Saturday morning at about 9:00, I took a shower and slept for a few hours before studying some more. Shirin and I studied all Saturday evening and then this morning, I had the treat of going to church with one of my wonderful roommates from SLO! :) It was wonderful to see her and go to church with her. We went to City Life and she was able to introduce me to a few of her friends there this morning. After church, we went to the Prudential Center (a mall) for lunch at the food court and then we went to see UP, which is a pretty cute movie! Enjoyed it lots, and even more so because I was with Jessie! :) After the movie, talked to my dad...HAPPY FATHER'S DAY DAD!!! Then, went to see The Color Purple with a group of people from school, which I enjoyed a lot. It was at the Wang Theater in Boston, which was so pretty inside! I'll put up pictures of it later...my camera battery died, so I need to get pictures from Shirin. The end of a busy, but great weekend has come and now the second week of classes begins in the morning! Then, off to California on Thursday night and I don't think Thursday evening can come fast enough for me!

Father's are such a crucial part of a child's life. Nobody can replace the role of a father and I am so grateful and thankful for the father the Lord has blessed me with. Dad, it is such a privilege to be your daughter and I love the time we have spent together throughout my life, no matter what we are doing. I have learned so much from you and you have inspired me and encouraged me to work hard and reach for my goals. Thank you for the man you are and for always supporting me and cheering me on. I appreciate the advice and truth you have shared with me, whether I want to hear it or not. Thank you for taking the time to invest in me and my life and for being an example of what it looks like to be a great father. I love you and am excited to see you soon!!! :) To all the fathers out there, young and old, Happy Father's Day!

First Day of Anatomy Lab

2009-06-16T18:24:00.004-04:00

Today was the day we met our cadavers. My group has a woman and we cut open the thorax (chest) today. The other members of our group came in half way into the lab time and should have opened up the thoracic cavity after we left. I'll find out Thursday! Pretty interesting day, although a little bit different than what I expected. I won't go into too much detail, but I think I will enjoy lab, especially as I get more used to being there and more comfortable with the dissection.

After lab, many of us mentioned that we were rather hungry. I'm told the formaldehyde will do that to people. So, on the way home, Shirin and I stopped at Christopher's Bar and Grill in Porter Square and had a bowl of Clam Chowdah. It was SO tasty and definitely met my expectations. We were both pleased with the choice and decided we'd go back to that restaurant for more of a meal some time. :) We sat outside and the umbrellas over the tables had Sierra Nevada Brewing Company logos on them! Thought of you, Stephen!

I definitely was enjoying the chowdah!

Shirin giving her chowdah a thumbs up!

Here's to you little bro!

Walking home from school

2009-06-16T17:46:00.004-04:00

I think the last time I walked home from school was a couple years ago while living in the Mill St. house in San Luis Obispo. And before that, maybe once or twice in high school? (although I can't remember any certain time) and a couple times in middle school and everyday in elementary school. Yesterday, Shirin and I decided to walk, instead of take the shuttle, to North Station (to take the T) with a fellow classmate. When we arrived at North Station, we decided we wanted to keep walking. So, we walked to the hospital to get on the T. When we were on the platform about to get into the train, we decided that the train was too crowded and we didn't want to get on the crowded train right then. So, instead, we decided to walk to the next T stop thinking we'd get a less crowded train there (which would not be true since it's the same line and same route. So, while were were leaving the T station, we looked at each other and decided to walk all the way home! It was a pleasant walk and the weather was pretty nice outside! So, after three hours of walking and almost five and a half miles, we arrived home from school with a great experience, quite a few pictures, and a pair of lab goggles. And, we didn't have to break out the map even! We just walked and found our way back home! It was a lovely walk and although I wouldn't do it everyday, I'd definitely do it again! :) Below are some pictures of our walk! However, we missed pictures from the first part of the trip and it begins on the bridge after we decided to walk all the way home.

Random thoughts/observations:

More people say San "Louie" Obispo than I thought. When I've heard it over the past two weeks from people who have visited or know someone who went to school there, they say "Louie." I feel like telling them it's Luis, pronounced with the "s" but I always hold my tongue. It's kind of like me saying "Waltham" with a separation...Walt-ham or "Worcester" (wuhster) differently...war-ces-ter or "Gloucester" (gloss-ter) like it looks...glou-ces-ter. Maybe their learn one day.

Some time a while ago, I was cleaning my blinds on my windows and they were really dirty. Mom, you would be proud.

The other day I was talking with a couple classmates about where I am from. He is a bit familiar with the east bay considering he has family there, so when I told him Walnut Creek, he knew about where it was! I continued talking about Walnut Creek and once, I unexpectedly said Walnut Crick. After that came from my mouth, I had to stop and question myself...where did that come from? I've never said Walnut Crick before...Grandpa says it, but I haven't. I took a small moment to think about that after I caught myself. Thinking about you Grandma and Grandpa!

The Charles River with walking and bike paths right next to it.

Shirin and I on the bridge crossing over the Charles River.

One of the trains we could have taken home and the one we normally take home too.

A building at MIT, although I'm not sure what it is used for.

The Cambridge City Hall and Municipal Buildings.

A building at Harvard with really pretty doorways.

Shirin and I with Mr. John Harvard.

Sitting on one of the rock chairs in the outdoor classroom at Harvard.

Our patriotic neighbor's front yard and house.

Shirin welcoming us to our street!

Second Sunday in Boston

2009-06-14T19:22:00.007-04:00

After spending some good bonding time with a few classmates last night, I decided to go to City Life Church this morning, which is just a couple blocks away from the Boston Common. I was maybe going to go to Park Street Church, which is also right next to the Boston Common. However, when I was trying to look at the websites last night for directions and service times, the Park Street website was not working (it is now though) so that made the decision easy, since I knew when City Life was and not Park Street. Church was good this morning. I felt so welcome and had the opportunity to talk to a few people/families at the church. After the service, there was a group of newcomers and visitors that went to lunch with a couple people who have been going to the church for quite some time. We went to PF Chang's and it was fun to meet the others and get to know some people outside of school as well. There was actually one guy who just moved to Boston three weeks ago who graduated from The Master's College and we found out that we have some mutual friends! It is a small world! A bit of home and familiarity here in Boston. And, this same guy is working as a digital media person for Harvard Medical School and is working in the same building where my anatomy class/lab is being held.

On my way back to the T (train station) there were a lot of people in the park (Boston Common) on one of the grass sections and I was wondering what the group was doing and what they were all about. As I got closer to this group, I heard worship music. So, then, I proceeded to look around and found one of the canopies they had set up had a piece of paper that said "Ask Us" on it. So, I went and asked them. Low and behold, it was Park Street's annual service and celebration in the park! It reminded me of Grace Church in San Luis Obispo and their Fall kickoff in Mitchell park across the street! And, as Grace celebrated their 75th anniversary a few years ago, Park Street is having their bicentennial celebration this year! Wow!!! Everything is so much older on this side of the country. It was kinda cool. Today was a combined effort of four different churches in the area and they were having a party in the park all afternoon long, ending the day with an afternoon service. So, I stopped and got some information from the table and now, I know when they meet so I can go next week and see what a more regular Sunday looks like at Park Street. Interesting...City Life was meeting in a different room today as well. It was the Sunday of differences!

Speaking of differences...I had a different/interesting(?) interaction with a guy today. Oh my. After checking out the Park Street celebration, I walked around the Boston Common a bit and looked at all the children playing and everyone walking about. It was so different now than when my mom and I were there in February when there was snow and not many people out. After taking a few pictures, I started walking (for real this time) to the T and I was stopped again. By Dan is his name. It was a bit awkward because he just came up to me and started talking and told me I was pretty and pretty much said he wanted to take me out on a date. WHAT?!?! Do guys really do that?! Shirin suggested that it might be because we are more in a city and there are more people around that guys are more willing to put themselves out there. I don't know...city guys vs. small town guys? I'm not sure. Whatever the case, he was rather forward, took me by surprise, and I didn't know how to respond or what to say. After talking him for too long, I finally was able to leave and continue to the T to go home.

Random thoughts/observations:

Quite a few churches in Boston, or in the area, meet in hotels, which is something new and different for me...kinda cool. :)

A few pictures from today....

Park Street in the park celebration

The empty frog pond that people were ice skating on last time I was here.

(With frog statues at the end)

So many uses for the pond--ice skating, reflecting, and wading!

Depending on the time of year...multi-purpose pond.

Children playing on the Tadpole Playground

(right across from the frog pond)

Relay for Life

2009-06-13T11:37:00.002-04:00

There is a group of DPT students, from different classes, at the MGH Institute of Health Professions who are participating in the American Cancer Society's Boston Relay for Life. It is an overnight event that will be held at a high school track next weekend (Friday afternoon to Saturday morning) in which we spend the whole time walking around the track as a team. While we each will not be walking the entire time, there will be at least one representative from our team on the track for the duration of the event. There will be themed laps, activities, and other events going on throughout our time there. This event is designed to celebrate the lives of those who have fought and are battling cancer and to remember those we have lost to cancer. It is also a fundraiser to raise money to fund cancer research as more is learned and discovered to end cancer. If you would like to donate any amount to Relay for Life under my name, or my team, you can go to our team's Relay for Life website and click on my name. Thanks so much and I'm looking forward to sharing with you how it all goes!

First Weekend of Grad School

2009-06-12T11:21:00.002-04:00

First day of gross anatomy was yesterday. Not too bad--had a little introduction time, went through the syllabus, lecture about the skin and embyology, went to the lab and found our dissecting groups and our bone boxes. Oh yes, got our lockers as well. Have a bit of reading to do this weekend, but other than that, nothing special planned. I like not having class on Fridays...it will definitely be helpful in studying and being able to keep up on everything (although compared to the Fall schedule, summer is not nearly as full). So, maybe these free Fridays will give me the opportunity to explore the city and area a bit more.

Went grocery shopping yesterday (at Shaw's again...I'm told there's a Market Basket nearby too, so I'll have to check it out soon--next time). I decided I kind of miss cooking and real food, so I am looking forward to actually making real food this weekend! And, then the best part is that I'll have leftovers! :) I've had Anna's Tacqueria twice in the past two weeks, which is a burrito place that is pretty good and not too expensive. I'm definitely a fan!

It rained yesterday for a bit and quite a bit last night. Falling asleep to the sound of rain is something I really enjoy....during the winter. But, raining a significant amount in June? I don't know if it's normal for the Boston area, but I hope it doesn't continue. I am definitely missing the California summer sunshine. Maybe the nice (or at least the sunny) weather will come back soon. Today is overcast again...but I don't know if it's warm or cold since I haven't been outside yet.

Homesickness...yes, it does exist. For me, it comes and goes. For the most part, the transition has been alright. I've cried myself to sleep twice in the past two weeks and the emotions will come in waves. Thank you all for your prayers and encouragement through phone calls, emails, or other notes. It has definitely helped to meet a few other fellow classmate believers and I think it will help even more when I find a church and meet more people there. One might think that talking to family and friends from home would help with the homesickness, but that is not always the case. When I don't think about home too much, I'm okay because I am keeping myself busy and not missing home. But, when I have time to think about it or am talking to people that I can't be near, but want to see, that brings up something that is not feasible, so it makes me miss home even more and that is when the emotions come. Thankfully, Nathan and Erin are getting married in just two weeks, when I can come home and see people! I am so excited for them to get married, but I'm excited for their wedding for selfish reasons as well, because it means I get to come home and visit family and friends. Thanks for planning it for now you two! :)

Orientation is Over

2009-06-10T22:48:00.004-04:00

Well, our three days of orientation are through and we are now oriented to the school. (kind of) Yesterday was the fun day. After a session in the morning about IT services and all our different usernames and passwords and what we use each one for, a couple second year PT students talked to us about the different opportunities available for us to get involved in as PT students, namely, the PT club. About the usernames...we have three different usernames: email, class information online, and online student account information. You'd think they'd be able to do something about that so we could use the same one for all three functions. At least they could just have two. But no, I don't think Massachusetts is quite up to the same caliber of technology as the west coast yet. (See random thoughts below.)

Moving on....the anatomy teachers then came in and talked to us a bit about the class and a little bit about what to expect tomorrow. I'm excited for anatomy! But, I am not excited about the size of our class and that there will be eight people to one cadaver and that we'll be broken up into two different groups--early afternoon and late afternoon. The faculty told us that they would only accept 50 students into the program and no...they decide to bring 67 DPT students now, and they didn't tell us until this week. Fifty was already big and now 67?! That's ridiculous and what none of us were expecting at all. Surprise to us! Maybe some people will drop out...as much as I don't want that to happen to anyone, it would reduce the size of the class, which would be nice. Oh well, it is what it is and we're going with 67.

Alright...the fun of the day was this scavenger hunt/amazing race type activity around Boston. We started at school and went to the Bunker Hill Monument, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston Common, Fenway Park, the North End (which has a lot of restaurants), Paul Revere's grave, and we ended at The Four's, which is a bar kind of by school, where we were able to hang out with our class as well as some of the second and third years, although I didn't meet many of them, which was part of the goal of this social event. It was a pretty fun day...A LOT of walking, and speed walking or jogging at that, but it was fun to go around town and see some places I haven't seen and do a little bit more exploring. I definitely want to go to a Red Sox game, or at least be in the Fenway area before a game--I hear it can get pretty crazy! :) Boston fans sure are true and loyal fans!

Today, we went to school and talked about what it means to be a professional for about three hours or so. It was a good topic to promote a comfortable discussion time among us as a class and was relevant to our future profession. Nothing astonishing or mind-blowing, but informative nonetheless. Then, we paid for and collected our anatomy course materials while also paying for our lab coats and medical supply kit. I also joined the APTA (American Physical Therapy Association) today, which was strongly recommended (pretty much required). Tuition is so much money and then we have all these fees for all these other smaller things as well. Why, why, why?!?! So much money that I will have to be paying back--yikes! Maybe God has something amazing planned for me when I am done with school and a job all lined up that will have a loan forgiveness program in which they will pay back ALL my school loans if I work for them for a few years. If not, I know He'll provide the funds in another, maybe more creative, way. Somehow, someway, I will be able to make those loan repayments someday, sometime. But, I will choose to not think about that too much right now. I need to finish school first! :)

Well, tomorrow is the first day of anatomy lab and we start at one in the afternoon rather than nine in the morning, which will be nice to sleep in a bit and have the morning to not go to school. My anatomy teachers seem to be great and I think I will really like this class, except that there are only eight cadavers for 67 students....

Random thoughts/observations:

Many places around town have signs that say "Cash Only". Really? Who carries much cash around these days? Why can't they take plastic? My goodness.

The milk jugs don't have the screw-on caps. They have the caps that you just put on and take off, like what we had in CA as I was growing up in my younger years (since I kind of am still growing up).

There are still real garbage men who stop the truck at each house, get out of the truck, manually put the trash from the cans (normal cans with a lid that is not attached) into the truck. Except, I only saw one garbage man on our route last week, so I think he does it by himself even! The driving and the dumping...he's working a lot harder than the garbage men in the Clayton neighborhoods!

Okay...that's all I have for now...I'm sure there will be more fun/random thoughts later. :)

First Day of School

2009-06-09T00:03:00.003-04:00

Well, I'm sure you are all curious how my first day of grad school went. It was pretty good. Nothing amazing, but a good, slow introduction to the program and all that it entails. Shirin and I left our house at 8 am and got to school at 9:15. Yes, mom, we did take first day of school pictures. Once we were at school, we checked in and received a little packet with some program information and the schedule for the week. There was a welcome session, then a what it means to be a graduate student session in which we discussed grad school and what it looks like to be a grad student and how it differs from undergraduate studies or even from working, which many students were doing before coming to school. Then, we had a roundtable discussion time with current second and third year physical therapy students where we were able to ask them questions that we didn't want to ask the faculty and whatever else came up that we wanted to talk to the current students about.

Then, the Office of Student Affairs provided lunch for us which was a pasta mix with chicken and broccoli (which was rather tasty) and lasagna and bread and cake with a cream and strawberry filling for dessert. During lunch, we had the opportunity to meet faculty and staff at the Institute when they introduced themselves and shared a short blurb about who they are. There were only a few faculty there to introduce themselves since this week all but the few who stayed behind, are at a pretty large APTA (American Physical Therapy Association) conference somewhere not near here. So, we will really get to meet them next week. After those who were there (the ones who stayed behind), each one of us (all 67) did the same as we went around the room. There is a wide range of experiences and ages of students in my class, and I am really excited to see how the summer pans out while I have the chance to meet them all--there are so many of us! After lunch, some more people talked about logistical information and where to find things and get our questions answered. Then, safety and security in the Navy Yard were discussed and then we did our lab coat fitting. After all that was done, we were taken on a short tour of the campus and surrounding areas before heading home!

Overall, it was a good day. I had the opportunity to meet a few people and talk to them a bit more than others, which was good. I have forgotten that friendships take time to form. Coming from SLO, where I had such close friends, I forgot what it was like my freshman year, five years ago. I didn't know anyone and making friends was a whole process, just like it is now. I was imagining that I would have fast friends and be good friends with at least one person right away. However, that is not the case. Oh, how much easier it would be! But, I am reminded that friendships take time to grow and I can't give up on people quite yet.

With that, it will be an even earlier day tomorrow and a longer one as well. It is supposed to rain and we are having a social event, which they didn't tell us what it is, but I think it might be a scavenger hunt type thing around the city where we end up at a bar where the social activity will continue with second and third year students. I'll find out tomorrow! All they told us was to wear comfortable shoes and that we would be active and whatever we bring, make it something that we could easily carry around all day tomorrow. I'm on the red team (meaning I gotta wear red). We'll be wet and it'll be fun! Thank you for all of your prayers, emails, texts, notes, phone calls, and support you all have given me especially this last week. I definitely appreciate it and know that I would not be able to make this transition without the Lord or without you and knowing that you are loving me and caring for me across the country. Thanks so much; it means the world to me! Good night!

A bit around Somerville

2009-06-07T19:36:00.002-04:00

This morning, I went to Cornerstone Church, which is in Cambridge and about a twenty minute walk from my house. It was a good service and good teaching. Different from what I am used to, but still good. The sermon today was on Psalm 73 and feeling doubts and uncertainty of our faith and of God at times, which is okay and Godly men have felt that way (as written about in Psalm 73). The church is comprised of mostly college-aged, young families with a few "older" people there. I'll try somewhere else out next week, but I may go back (at least once) to Cornerstone.

This evening, Shirin and I took a little walk down to Davis Square, which was maybe a twenty minute (or more) walk in a different direction from church. Davis Square is bigger and has more restaurants and cafes to go to than Porter Square, which is closer to us. But, it was good to walk down there and do a little exploring and see what kind of restaurants we could go to and try out in the future! Then, a bit of grocery shopping on our way home! We also saw this super cute house that has a great porch, with a little rotunda type structure at one of the ends of the house. And, it has multiple entrances from the outside to different parts of the house (for different apartments). Maybe one of them is empty??? We can only hope! :) Orientation for school starts tomorrow and goes from 9 to 5 with a few different sessions throughout the day. I'm excited to meet other classmates and professors and learn more of what I will be doing for the next three years. Three days of orientation and then we begin our anatomy class on Thursday!

Random thoughts/observations:

There are no blue markers in the middle of the street to mark a fire hydrant in MA. (at least I have not seen any)

Sometimes there is not a button to push on the light post at an intersection...how do the signals know I want to cross? There must be a sensor in the street or something. But, sometimes, there is a button, so at each intersection, I have to play hide-and-go-seek.

Somerville (I suppose Boston area) is rather active. Every time I walk down the street, there are always a lot of people riding their bikes or running or just being out. I suppose they do it while they can, since the scene will be drastically different once the snow comes, I'm sure.

New Friends!

2009-06-06T21:11:00.002-04:00

Today, I ventured to Hull, which is "down the cape". Don't really know what that exactly means because I haven't looked at a map yet to find out where I went, but I'm assuming down the coast, kind of towards Cape Cod. I met a couple of my classmates at school (after an hour commute) and one of them drove us to another classmate's beach house. The beach we went to was very different from California (well, more specifically southern CA and SLO) beaches. It was cold and the beach was rather rocky. No warm sand to sink my feet into nor warm sun to soak up. People did say it was a chilly day, so there might be a slight bit of hope for at least a warmer beach. There were maybe fifteen of us there, so a good group to be familiar with when we start orientation on Monday. It was fun! And, one of my classmates said that he has outlined 200 pages of one of our textbooks already! Wowsa!!! Us others said, man, I read the introduction and I thought that was good! :) Kind of a far drive, but great to start to meet my new classmates. Most, maybe half, of them today are from the Boston area, and the rest of us are from all over....Dallas, Portland, Ohio, Los Angeles, San Francisco (me--haha), Maine, and that's all I remember right now. Then, I came home and Shirin and I had a Chicago style pizza in Porter Square at Uno's Pizzeria, which was super yummy.

Some more random thoughts:

My favorite part of the ride on the red line is going over the Charles River and seeing the water, and especially seeing all the sailboats when they are out--there are lots of boats when they're out--maybe 15-20 sailboats and windsurfers, and then there are also motorized boats anchored down as well. I just like to see the water and go across it. :) I actually saw an advertisement on the train for sailing lessons, which looked enticing. (I'm really glad I still live next to water.)

I want to go on a duck tour--land and water!

I'm really excited that I'll be in Boston for the fourth of July.

I want to go to the New England Aquarium.

I'm really excited to experience different seasons this year! :)

An hour plus commute to school (and back) everyday does not sound like fun or enjoyable.

I can't believe I'm starting PT school so soon, but excited for all that I am going to learn in such a short time!

Getting to know Boston

2009-06-05T22:43:00.000-04:00

Well, it has been quite the three days. Wednesday, I slept in a bit...and woke up at noon...I blame it on the time change, but I'm not sure if it actually was that or not. I like to think and tell myself it is, and that I won't wake up at that time once I get used to the time change, but you never know. After that, I went into Boston to check out the Apple store and talk to people more about a new computer and kind of finalize my decision and what I was going to get. Then, I relaxed the rest of the afternoon and took a break from cleaning and organizing. It was good to have a first taste of the T (the subway/train system) and a bit fun as well!

Yesterday, my roommate came!!! Her name is Shirin and she's pretty great! She is in the same physical therapy program as I am, so I am excited to experience many new things with her from school to life to the new city! She's originally from Wales and moved to San Ramon, CA (and lives just down the street from the hospital where Nathan works). After all her bags got up to the apartment and she got a bit refreshed from the traveling, we decided to embark on a little excursion. We went to Harvard Medical School to obtain our identification cards. It was graduation day, which made the area a bit busy, but fun to see all the graduates in their fancy robes and such. After we were done there, we went to the Apple store and I purchased my new computer. I have had the same computer for five years and about half that time, the hinges have been broken and I've had to prop the screen up against a wall, a stack of books, or a heavy water bottle, or something so that the screen doesn't fall straight back to the table. And, since the last few months, it didn't always turn on when I pressed the power button. I would press the power button and if it didn't turn on, I'd have to wait 20 or 30 minutes until it turned on. So, now my laptop is more portable and better for me to use, which will make using it easier. My old computer definitely taught me patience.

Today, Shirin and I took a trip to the Institute (the school we're going to) to get our school identification cards. Haha...what a story that is. We took the train to the North Station (the station we were supposed to go to). Then, from there, we walked down the street and around some corners for maybe 15-20 minutes. We found the shuttle we were supposed to take to get from the train to the Institute. However, once the shuttle started moving, it went along the exact same route we had walked from North Station. Come to find out, the shuttle stops RIGHT across the street from North Station and continues on to the Institute. So silly that we walked all that way to the shuttle. But, at least we got to see Massachusetts General Hospital, since that's where we actually got onto the shuttle and we also were able to make mistakes and take the long way to school this time without any problems since we weren't on a tight time schedule. And, now, we know the right way to get to school! Then, once we finally got to the place to get our ID cards, the man who does it was out sick today! So, we ended up not getting our identification cards, but we did get the chance to see the West End (during our walk).

Some of my random thoughts/observations:

The train system is like BART, but bigger and cooler, yet a bit more confusing and more to pay attention to and more transfers and whatnot.

There is a lot more diversity in Boston than in Clayton or SLO. (Quite a few Asians and when I see a Chinese gentleman, I wonder if that is what my grandfather--Papa--was like when he came to the states and what he was experiencing.)

This whole time change thing and thinking about calling my parents at 5:00, but I can't because, right, they are still in school since it is 2:00 in CA.

The hip straps on backpacks are amazing as they really do take quite a bit of weight off the shoulders and back, making a heavy load more easily manageable to transport.

What is that blue flag that is hanging next to the American and white flags? I know the white flag is the Massachusetts state flag, but don't know what the blue one is yet.

Many apartments and homes are three stories high along my walk from home to the T.

I still feel like I haven't left California yet, despite the time change, the Massachusetts license plates I see everywhere, the Massachusetts state flag I see flying, the super old and super cool buildings around me, and the people around me talking differently.

That is all I have for now. I'm sure there will be more later. I'll let you know when they come.

I made it!

2009-06-02T23:36:00.002-04:00

Wow! What a week it has been! Last Monday, a family (and Jessica) bike ride to downtown Danville. Wednesday, last day of volunteering at the hospital. Thursday, studying for and taking my Lifespan Psychology final. Friday, went to San Francisco and then had some great brother-sister bonding time with BOTH my brothers! Saturday, went to Fresno for India's bridal shower, which was so great! Sunday, drove home from Fresno, met my family at church, my grandparents came over for a bit, had a family dinner (with Erin too! but minus Cari) and began packing. Monday, bought a new backpack (my first one since sixth grade, so it was a mighty exciting outing) and finished packing all day long, had one very last (part) family dinner before going to the airport. Oh my...what a whirlwind, but so great last week for me!

And now, I am in Boston. Well, actually Somerville, MA, but close enough to Boston. I left Oakland last night at 10:45 and leaving was a lot harder than I thought it would be. After tears fell all around, I said one last good-bye for now to my parents and Stephen and went to go through the security checkpoint where the security guards were very encouraging to me as I came to them in tears. Then, with one last wave to my parents and Stephen, I turned around and went to gate 10 to wait to board the plane. While waiting, I saw a flight of people coming out of the next gate from New Mexico (I think) and as they were walking towards baggage claim, I thought, can I go with you? But, I did not and stayed to board the Boston-bound plane that was waiting for me. While in line, I stood behind a boy who was heading back home for a bit after finishing the school year at Cal, and then I sat with a girl who was going to spend the summer with her mom after finishing her school year at Chico State. I don't know whether it was the fact that I was just talking to someone, or if it was that the person I was talking with were at schools I'm familiar with that was comforting, but it made the beginning of the trip a little bit easier. On the plane, I watched He's just not that into you, but maybe half, or two-thirds, of the way through the movie, my personal television screen stopped working, though I could still hear the movie. Thankfully, the girl from Chico was watching the same movie, so I looked on her screen for the remainder of the film. After the movie and a two-hour (I think) nap/sleep, we arrived in Boston a half hour earlier than expected. Then, I waited for my landlord for two and a half or three hours and he took me around town a bit, pointing fun things out to me on our way to my new home. We got to the home, which I'm pretty sure I'm going to thoroughly enjoy for the next three months, if not longer. I chose a room, we (my landlord) brought my bags up--so kind of him, especially since one of my bags was SUPER heavy. I felt bad, but ever so grateful, while he was hauling my bags up the stairs. He showed me around, gave me the rundown on the house and then had to run off to meet someone. He is one busy man, that's for sure, but so willing to help when I need it.

After he left, I made my bed and then laid down on it to see how it felt. I ended up falling asleep for another two hours, which was magnificent. Then, I unpacked a little bit, went to the store to get a bit of food and cleaning supplies. There is a grocery store that is maybe a three minute walk from my house...so perfect! But, my "roommate" (for the week) told me that there is a cheaper grocery store that is a 10 or 15 minute walk the other way. Hmmm....I'll have to check it out and see if it's worth it.

After some dinner, I did some cleaning, then walked down to Porter Square. On my walk, I was thinking about where I am and what I'm doing and learning what it's like to live in a city, although I'm not even in the city. However, I can walk, or take public transportation very easily, to many different places that have a lot of things happening--restaurants, stores, and people! The number of people I saw out and about today walking, riding a bike, driving, going to and from the train was a very different experience than anything Clayton or San Luis Obispo has to offer. And, not only are there more people, not all of them are college students, which is nice to have a bit more of a variety of ages of people around me. Then, it was back home to do some more cleaning and organizing and to turn my computer on and find out that I can get on the internet! So, that means, people will know this blog exists now because I will tell them when I'm done with this post.

All in all, my first day (has it really only been one day?!) in Massachusetts was great and my room is looking kind of put together. Still lots of cleaning and organizing to do, but I've got time. Thankfully school doesn't start until next Monday, so I have all week to get this place together and ready to be lived in! I'll post some pictures when I get a chance (to finish putting things away and the place doesn't look like a disaster). Thanks again Jessie and Charlie for everything you left me! I wasn't expecting a sleeping bag!!! How fun!!! You probably told me, but I forgot, so it was a nice surprise! :) Well, it's midnight and if I was to adjust to the time on the east coast (so weird I'm living on the east coast--it doesn't seem like it yet) I should get going and get ready for bed. I promise I won't be so detailed in the future--today was a big day, and my first of many, in Massachusetts. Off to bed!

One Week...well, kind of

2009-05-26T19:23:00.000-04:00

So, technically, it's six days, but close enough to one week. Next Monday, June 1, I leave Oakland at 10:45 pm. June 2, I land in Boston at 7:20 am. So, one week from today I will be in Boston beginning the next chapter of my life. Have I begun packing? No...I've made a list of what I need, does that count for anything? Have I ordered my books for summer session? No. Have I finished my project? No. (That probably won't get done before I leave, which I will have to let it be. I wanted to finish it, but I suppose it can wait until I come back. It's almost done.) Do I have a computer with internet access to take with me? No. (Planning on getting that my first week in MA...hopefully I'll be able to live and get to where I need to without the internet!) Needless to say, I have quite a bit to do this next week here in California and more to do the following week in Massachusetts. Do I have a place to live? Yes! I do have somewhere to go when I land and thanks to my ever so kind landlord, I have transportation from the airport to my abode. With that, I am off to begin my task of packing, washing my car, and getting ready to leave California. Oh yeah...I almost forgot...I have a final on Thursday that I need to study for as well because if I don't finish the class with a passing grade, I can't start PT school in Boston! Wouldn't that create a twist in my life and the adventure I'm about to begin?!

Mother's Day

2009-05-11T02:46:00.000-04:00

Happy Mother's Day to every mother out there...I hope your day was blessed and you felt honored and loved in some way during your day! But, a special happy mother's day to my mother! I love you mom and am glad we've been able to spend some time together more recently--I have thoroughly enjoyed it! We went to Ladies Day Away at church yesterday together, which was great! The theme was "Shopping for Time" which is the title of a book (by Carolyn Mahoney) that I suppose was the inspiration for the day. It was a very enjoyable day as well as challenging to me in how I spend my time. I have a few action plans that I will be trying to implement in the coming weeks, before leaving for Boston, to try to establish a little bit of a routine before I move. The most challenging action plan will be waking up early, which is a relevant term. Early for me is very different from early for other people, especially right now since I don't have school or work at any time in the morning (or really ever for that matter, except for Thursday nights). Also, early can be simply: earlier than usual. I want to be more diligent and purposeful with my time, and I think by waking up earlier than I have been, I will be more productive throughout the day and be more deliberate in everything I do. Setting our priorities was another challenge that grabbed my attention as well. By setting priorities, I will be able to work towards a goal throughout my days to grow in godliness or love my family or fellowship with Christians or attend to my work or care for my physical body or serve in church, just to name a few priorities that were suggested during the day yesterday. It was a lovely day and to spend some time with my mom and other women in the church was such a blessing! I love women's ministries events. Women are so adorable! :) And, although you probably won't read this until three weeks or so from now....Happy Mother's Day Mom, I love you!!!

My Little Secret

2009-05-03T02:54:00.001-04:00

So, I was talking with my sister and our friend, Arijaan, tonight after a lovely meal at our local favorite Mexican restaurant, Guadalajara, and the topic of blogs came up. They both have one of their own and think I should start one too. Little do they know....just had to throw that out there, so they will remember if and when they finally read this sometime.

One Month

2009-05-02T15:19:00.000-04:00

As I was going to bed last night, I was saying good night to my parents and realized that I only have one month left living in California, for the next few years, and only one more month to say good night to my parents in person, with a hug and kiss. I got really sad, and the reality of moving to Boston started to sink in. Luckily, my brother is getting married at the end of June, so I do have that weekend, three weeks after I move, to look forward to coming back to California and seeing ALL my family! Thanks for getting married this summer Nathan and Erin!!! :)

First Post!

2009-05-01T19:41:00.000-04:00

So, I have officially begun blogging. I've thought about it for some time now and have finally made the leap, mainly in preparation for when I move. When I am living so far away from my family and current friends, I will be able to keep them updated on my life while being able to live a life in Boston instead of spending all my time on the phone with those who I dearly love! Well, I'm playing a little game with myself and anyone who reads this. Here it is: I don't plan on telling anyone I've started a blog until I move, which is June 1, so if you have found this by chance, let me know! :)