Goodbye 2015

The clinic is very quiet this week with half of the staff and students out for the holiday, which doesn't give us much to do in radiology.

It's a new year this weekend. I can say that I am not the same person I was when this year started. This past year has been an emotional one but I am grateful for all the opportunities and lessons.  Looking back, I made very close friendships, rekindled a few, as well as lost a few, fell in love with and left paradise but learned that paradise is all in your mindset, moved to Baton Rouge to start my clinical and last year of vet school, had a few externship experiences in New York and Chicago, took the NAVLE (hopefully passed it as well), traveled to a new country - Dominican Republic, and started on the job search.

This is the time when everyone starts thinking of resolutions for the new year, bad habits they want to break, new routines for better health and living. However what most don't realize is that the new year means nothing if you're still in love with your comfort zone. Stop living the same day 365 times and calling it a life. Do not be afraid of vulnerability or satisfied with simple; have a completely passionate, adventurous, weird life. The idea is to live your life in a way that makes you feel lit up, full fledged, beautiful, sparkling, alive. Find what excites and nourishes your soul, then build your world from that alone.  Everything else isn't part of your revolution. I encourage you to remember what it's like to feel alive.

I have a lot of exciting things going on this new year including a zoo externship, a milestone birthday, my sister's wedding, my graduation, a big move, and a new job. I finally have accepted the frame of mind that if it doesn't nourish my soul, I'm getting rid of it, yes including people. I burned some sage and incense in order to release the negative energy and anxiety that has been surrounding me in this old year.  I cannot wait to embrace all the positive energy heading my way. The best time for new beginnings is now. I don't have any resolutions other than fulfilling my 30 before 30 bucket list and the typical resolution of getting healthier.  So farewell 2015, here's to 2016! This is going to be a fantastic new year!

Home For The Holidays

For The Women Who Are Meant For More

"Normal won't cut it - extraordinary is what we're here for....Our wings won't slide through small doors. We are meant for so much more"

The holiday schedule for our rotations worked where we either had a week off for Christmas or a week off for New Years, so we had to split ourselves up in order for half to go one week and half to go the other. This past Friday, I surprised mom for her birthday and I will be able to celebrate Christmas in Charlotte, Chicago, and WI like usual!

Virginia Tech won the Independence bowl game against Tulsa!  Thanks for the memories Beamer! VT football just won't be the same without you.

My original flight back to Baton Rouge at 6am on Sunday morning was canceled due to the weather in Dallas, so I was "forced" to stay in Chicago for 12 additional hours until my 6:30pm flight back to Baton Rouge.  We will see what's in store for the 3 more week of my radiology rotation.

NOLA

I went to New Orleans for a nice little out of town break this past weekend

There hasn't been anything too eventful on my radiology rotation so far although I am getting better and more comfortable reading radiographs.
17 Terrifying Animal X-rays

In honor of the Star Wars premiere: All I Need To Know In Vet Med I Learned From Yoda

Radiology Rotation

I wasn't allowed to say where else I was traveling to this break because I went to a surprise party in Chicago for Jenna's 30th birthday! I'm so glad I was able to make it!

 

So my complete wanderlust vacation (for now) looked like this:

I traveled back to Baton Rouge for my next rotation which is radiology.  We have rounds in the morning and then spend the day taking radiographs of the animals from different services. This will be my longest rotation (6 weeks) because of the holidays. I will have plenty of time to catch up on little projects and of course, Christmas shopping!
Outrageous Animal X-rays Gallery

Dominican Republic

Another check off the passport, map, country list, and my 30 before 30 list! See how productive it is to travel! Traveling is like flirting with life. It's saying 'I would stay and love you, but I have to go; this is my station." I can't think of anything that excites greater childlike wonder than to be in a country where you are ignorant of almost everything. Suddenly you are five years old again. You can't read anything, you have only the most rudimentary sense of how things work, you can't reliably cross a street without endangering your life. Your whole existence becomes a series of interesting guesses.  So let's not travel to tick things off lists or collect half hearted semi treasures to be placed in dusty drawers in empty rooms. Rather, we'll travel to find grounds and rooftops and tiny hidden parks where we'll sit and dismiss the passing time, spun in the city's web 'til we've surrendered, content to be spent and consumed. I need to feel a place when I'm in it. I think I just need to skip to the part in my life where I travel the world.

Dominican Republic Souvenirs: Faceless doll, Mamajuana rum, cigar, and Larimar stone earrings 

I had a relaxing rest of my week, complete with little errands and projects that I haven't had the time to do yet since I was studying.  I will be traveling this weekend and then back to Baton Rouge to start my next rotation of radiology.  I'm not ready for my vacation to end yet :(