Here's to 33

Thank you to all my family and friends that help me celebrate my birthday. Special thanks to my creative boyfriend with his surprise scavenger hunt, my family for traveling into town, and my work family for going out of their way to make sure I celebrated with some cake when I had to work. Of course, thank you to all the distant friends who reached out over social media or texts as well. I know Facebook helps keep us informed of when everyone's birthday is, but every year I appreciate the two seconds it takes for you to write the simple message to make sure I have a wonderful day. So here's to another year older, maybe another year wiser, but definitely another year of building friendship/relationships, following dreams, creating adventures, and living the best moments. Here's to 33!

"Time humbles you. It humbles you in a way you will never expect and won't think you need and will never see coming.  But it will, just the same. It gives you chances to stand at the top and opportunities to fall. To stand on the stage and to fade into the blur of everybody else. Time teaches you to live the kind of life you ran from once and to dig deeper into the souls of the hearts that walk this earth with you. But mostly, it teaches you to see. To see what matters and what doesn't. When an end is a beginning. And when an end is an end. Darling, you're going to get a bit of it all. You're going to feel like you've got it all handled and you're completely lost. You'll feel like you have it all figure out and also like you have absolutely no idea what you're doing. You're going to change your heart and your eyes and your mind and your style and your footsteps. You're going to fit in and stand out, be loved, and be broken. And I can't promise you how much of each you're going to get, but I can promise you one thing. This world - this world is going to know you were here. Mark my words. You are going to carve your name into time. And it's going to remember."

Here's Looking At 32

This is what 32 and life with no contacts/glasses (and no eye make-up since my eyes are still healing) looks like:

I was able to celebrate my birthday this past week with family and friends by eating and drinking way too much.  Thank you to everyone who reached out to wish me well. I have found that for some reason even numbered years have always been positive years for me. Maybe it's because I turn an even number of years (32) in the even numbered years (2018). So here's to hoping the streak continues and this stays a wonderful year.

Over the weekend, I attended the Virginia Veterinary Conference in Roanoke. I chose this conference since I knew a few people going, as well as because it was early enough in the year that I could get my CE out of the way, and it was still close to home so I didn't have to take extra days off. Some of the topics that were discussed included better dermatology diagnostics, seizures and epilepsy, chronic heart failure management, and behavior supplements and medications.  I was tempted to stop by Blacksburg to grab some delicious food, but I wanted to be back early! However, I did receive a notice for my 10 year college reunion (10 years!!) in the mail, so I will be in Blacksburg again soon!

31

Happy Birthday to me (this past Monday)!
Thank you to everyone who went out of their way to send me their well wishes!

My parents came in for the weekend to help finish my apartment and celebrate my birthdays. Needless to say, I ate A LOT.  I received my T-Shirt blankets back and they look phenomenal! I had a Vet/island one and a VT one made. While you can never have too many VT shirts, I did want to do something with all 50ish ones I had.....

The Exotic Pet Vet Blog
This past week I have been training in the exotics department. There is an incredible amount to learn with the vast variety of species we see here; I am constantly learning something new.  In more exciting news, my lab coats as well as my Virginia license came in, so I'm official!

The apartment is just about finished! I've had a handful of people asking for pictures so here they are!

Front entrance:

Study/Second bedroom:

 Study/Second Bedroom Bathroom:

My Bedroom:

My Bathroom:

The Kitchen:

 Dining Room:

 Living Room:

Tourist vs Traveler

30 And Still Fabulous

Happy 30th Birthday to me! Most people dread leaving their 20s; they feel like they now have to be an adult and their fun years are behind them. I find this humorous because my age will not define who I am or how much fun I am having. The moment you change your perception, is the moment you rewrite the chemistry of your body. In my 20s, I immersed myself in every single thing possible and learned a lot about myself and others. I survived because the fire inside burned brighter than the fire around me. With this next chapter of my life, I will continue to only surround myself with those that light my path. I am eternally grateful for my loyal friends and family who have been there for me every step of the way. With this next chapter, I will continue to braver, stronger, and more fierce. I will continue to be unstoppable. 

Susie came to visit me for the weekend and we partied NoLa style! Love this girl! She always knows how to make the time we have together memorable! 

 I know you just must be so curious about how well I did with my 30 Before 30 list so here goes:

My 30 before 30:

1) Get in my best shape
- This is still a work in progress.  I did manage to weigh the most I ever have weighed because of studying for the NAVLE, which I luckily quickly dropped.
2) Heal your past and move on
- My past has made me the incredibly strong proud woman I am today, why look back now?
3) Get a small tattoo or new piercing
- I purchase and am learning henna.  I realized that there aren't any piercings that I currently want and I'm still too indecisive to get a tattoo. 
4) Travel to a new country
-The Dominican Republic for Thanksgiving last year! Let's see where I end up this upcoming year! I am going to try to continue my tradition of traveling a new place every year. 
5) Get better at yoga
- I did Adriene's 30 Days of Yoga and I have noticed a small increase in flexibility. I did also notice that I'm so busy and constantly wanting to be active that I really have to force myself to relax for at least 40 minutes a day. 
6) Go a day with no electronics, including phone.
-This is something I wasn't able to do because of school. My notes are on my computer; I need my phone when I'm on call; I need my email for sending job applications, etc etc. I hate being so reliable on technology. 
7) Learn medical Spanish.
-I bought a book to help learn, but I haven't had a chance to read it yet.
8) Go to a nice restaurant alone
- I did this several times and I would do it again. It's enjoyable being able to take yourself out and just enjoy your own company.
9) Eat every food on the LA food list
-I have ate everything on the list except couche which I heard isn't really a LA thing anyway.
10) Pass the NAVLE
-Unfortunately, this one I did not do.  I will be retaking the NAVLE in April and will pass it then.
11) Find a new regular drink
- I don't have a new "Regular" but I did try new local beers that I would order over my usual Blue Moon.  Abita (especially the strawberry) and Sweet Water are two new favorites.
12) Try one new recipe each month
- I tried different types of chicken recipes, sides, and even salmon.  I am going to try to continue to make at least one new recipe every month.
13) Attend a LSU football game
- I was able to attend three games! The energy of the crowd at tailgating was very contagious but my heart will forever remain with VT. Geaux Hokies ;)
14) Get involved in a church I love
- I did not find a church that I love, but I did attend two different ones and I did join a Facebook group of the females of one of them.
15) Do something for 30 days
-I ended up doing yoga for 30 days. Although it was hard during my Oregon externship since I was with a house full of other people and I didn't get any privacy.
16) Take better care of my nails
- I have tried several different polishes and techniques in the past which never seemed to work. I decided to try again and they do seem to have gotten stronger.
17) Read a self improvement book once a month.
- I wasn't able to read one once a month due to studying, but I did read a few.
18) Attend a new cultural experience
-New Orleans.....enough said...
19) Adopt a pet
-I did it. I gave in and adopted Anya (Anastasia). The timing might not have been perfect, but when is timing ever in our favor? Something pulled me towards her and I couldn't have asked for a better dog. Check out last week's post for more information on her.
20) Figure out what I'm doing after I graduate
-This is still in the works. I know that I'm looking for a job at a practice that sees small animals and exotics. If I find the right internship fit for me, then I will take it but for now, the search continues. 
21) Go to a drive in movie
-Unfortunately, there are not many of these left and none in Louisiana. I will continue to be on the hunt!
22) Donate blood
-Whenever there was a blood drive, I was on my rotation and unable to take off.  No that is not my excuse to get out of it, I will put this on my next bucket list.
23) Get psychic reading
-I got my tarot cards read and it seemed pretty accurate, but generic. It was still fun!
24) Make your own pizza from scratch
-I did it and it was delicious! Probably one of the best pizza's I've had so I will make some again. 
25) Create a signature dish
-I think I have a pasta dish with chicken that can pass for my signature dish. I've made it for a few people and it always turns out pretty enjoyable.
26) Finally get rid of the clothes that you don't wear/don't fit
-Yes! I finally was able to part with my clothes that I've had since high school.  I'm never going to fit into those pants/shirts again, so why keep them around?
27) Update my nectar list
-It's updated!
28) Learn a new prop for belly dance
- I haven't had any time to do any belly dancing let alone another prop. I am hoping that once I have more free time, I will be able to learn more fire!
29) Realize everything on this list: 100 Things 20 Something Year Olds Need To Realize
-Check!
30) Create a 40 by 40 list.
-It is started! You can check it out on my side posts.

This long week on ophthalmology we saw an enucleation, a bilateral medial and lateral canthoplasty, and two retinal reattachment surgeries.  Next week I start my dermatology rotation!  From here until gradation, I will only have two week rotations. It's getting closer! 

Big Announcement/ What Is Sleep?

Happy Birthday Ryan!  Without you, I would be stuck making fun of the family alone and let's be honest, your jokes are better than mine.

In other news, huge congratulations are in order for Julia and my future brother-in-law James!  I'm bursting with happiness and excitement for the two of you! I wish I could have been there to celebrate with you both but I cannot wait to see what is in store for your future together!  It will be legendary!  ;)

Emergency rotation this week, so that means:

Monday started my emergency rotation and my week of no sleep and struggling to find time to study for my two upcoming exams.  There are 9 people on my rotation and you sign up for equal shifts during the week and weekend.  My first shift was Monday night in the ICU from 4:30pm to12am.  If you are on the ICU shift, you take care of the animals that are in the hospital overnight.  We only had one dog in the hospital for the night, so luckily I was able to get some studying in.

I was on call on Tuesday from 12am - 8am, fearing I would miss a call, I didn't sleep as well as I would have liked.  When you are on the on all shift, you just have to make sure you are by your phone because you will be called if an emergency comes into the hospital.  I had palpation that afternoon as well which, I hate to say, was a waste of two hours that I could have been studying.

On Wednesday, we had our Therio exam and I had my first OVH (Spay) that afternoon!  It went so well; we had so many compliments from the professors and technicians.  I was fortunate enough to have such a great team (Thanks Amanda, Becky, and Jillian!)  We finished our spay in very good time around 4pm, but then I had to run off to emergency grand rounds, and I was also on for SOAPing and then run back to finish up our surgery report and discharge instructions......triple booked myself.  We then had to check our spay at VTH at 7pm and 11pm.  A few of us went out to Sprat Nets in the meantime.  I was given the keys to the student drug lockbox by the professor, so I had to make sure everyone got their spay's pain meds at 11pm.

I was on call from 12-8am Thursday morning, so I didn't get a lot of sleep that night, again in fear that my phone would ring and I would miss the call.  We checked on our spay patient again in the morning and after class.  I went home to sleep a bit because I then had the ICU shift from 4:30-12am.  We had three animals in the clinic with two "emergencies." Luckily, I was able to get some studying in again.

Friday, I am on the back up shift from 4:30 -12am.  When you are on back up, you might be called in if there are too many animals in the hospital or if an animal comes in that needs to be placed in isolation.

It's the weekend!  Oh wait....
Saturday, I am on call from 8am-4pm and then on Sunday I'm in ICU from 12-8am and back up from 4-12am all while trying to find time to study for my upcoming exam.  It's been an exhausting week, but I've loved every moment of it! The best feeling in the world is knowing you took a step in the right direction.  A step towards the future where everything that you never though possible, is possible.

"Therefore, as God's chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience.  Bear with each other and forgive one another if any of you has a grievance against someone. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. And over all these virtues, put on love, which binds them all together in a perfect unity."  Colossians 3:12-14 NIV

Midsemester/Birthday

Thank you again to everyone who helped celebrate my brithday, especially Susie for coming down to visit me!  This weekend was a whirlwind of outpouring love and unforgettable memories.  We went to Barys on Thursday; Carambola and Marriott on Friday; Beach, Salt Plage, and Spice Mill on Saturday, cat trip on Sunday, and Caribelle Batik and relaxed on Sunday before taking Susie to the airport.

  

I had no rotations or surgeries this week, so I was finally able to catch up on a little bit of work in the afternoons.

Bovine Palpation and an interesting fetotomy lab was on Tuesday.  A fetotomy is when a pregnant large animal have a stillborn still in utero and you have to intervene.  I can't imagine it being a pleasant experience.
The rest of the week was fairly uneventful with lectures in the morning and studying in the afternoons.

Yes, I think I will miss the beauty of this place: St Kitts

When you understand who and what you are, your radiance projects into the universe and everything around you becomes creative and full of opportunity. 

Darius Rucker Concert

This past Saturday was the grand opening of the marina at Christophe Harbour and so Darius Rucker came to perform for free!  With a backdrop of amazing million dollar yachts (yes one of them was Darius'), we did not feel like we were St Kitts anymore.  I was also able to sneak us into the VIP section (it pays to know people) so we had front row access to Darius and we might have even gotten serenaded (he made eye contact with us while singing) and touched his hand.  Such an exciting way to start off our weeks!

Another fun filled busy busy week started off with my Special Species exam, grand rounds presentation, and the start of equine SOAPing on Monday.  The St Kitts political election ended, so finally no more late night protests or fireworks.  Click on this link to follow the fun: SKNTimes

My exhausting week continued with our sheep skin incision surgery on Tuesday.  Unfortunately, this surgery did not go as smoothly as our last ones have. Our sheep's sedative didn't work, so it took us and the technicians five tries to place an IV catheter, I got light headed during the surgery (luckily was still able to continue), our sheep took an hour to wake up from anesthesia, and then his breathing was funny so we had to place nasal tubes to help him.  We were on campus until 6:30pm and I was in bed before 8pm.

Wednesday was a full morning of classes and my spay dog's physical exam.  My spay dog is an excited 8-10 month old island dog, who is very cute and sweet.  She only had a very minor things that needed to be looked at, so hopefully her surgery in three weeks will go effortlessly.

I'm so excited that Susie came down on Thursday and will be staying until Monday!  Best birthday present!

Happy 29th Birthday to me on Friday!  I will celebrate with bovine palpation, the beach, dinner, and drinks later.  This weekend is midsemester weekend!  So, more beach time with Susie, delicious dinners, and a cat trip on Sunday, all while still having to SOAP twice a day.

There is in all women, a wild and ancient gypsy who cries in anguish when we starch her flat.  There is a part of us that can never ever be happy until the gypsy can dance,

Christmas Break

During this Christmas season, I was blessed yet again to have spent the holiday surrounded by so many people I love and have missed.  The season was filled with blessings of peace, the beauty of hope, the spirit of love, and the comfort of faith.

My dad's birthday was on the 15th, so some of the family came down to celebrate with us.  We spent time at the lake house, as well as touring Charlotte and a winery, as well as lots of eating,

 

Mom's birthday was on the 18th and we took her to dinner at 131 Main.

We actually spent Christmas day in Charlotte, something we haven't done in 17 years.

 

We flew up to Chicago for the weekend to visit family, friends, and the city.

 

New Years!
Isn't it crazy how we can look back a year and realize how much we have changed? The amount of people that have left, entered, and stayed. The memories you won't forget and the moments you wish you could. Everything. One year ago, you might not have pictured the way your life is now.  I hope you remember that whatever it is that happened, be thankful for where it brought you. Where you are is where you're meant to be. I dare you to believe in yourself because you deserve all things magic. Always remember that something wonderful is about to happen. This will be your year.

This week, I anxiously travel back to the island for my final semester. I will find out my schedule on Friday as well as the rotations I will have. A new adventure awaits.