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 :(

Thanks Frank

Virginia Tech to see Coach Beamer's last home game and a beautiful meeting with my girls! What a beautifully emotional weekend! The excitement of seeing friends That I have not seen in far too long and Who Have always been there with a supporting hand. The intensity of the fight of the game That Went into overtime with 1 minute left in the 4th quarter; ,,,, Although we did not win. The sadness of Coach Frank Beamer's last home game and the memorials That Were put together creatively displayed on the jumbo-tron. The heartache and grief for the victims of April 16th while paying our respects at the memorial. The relaxed feeling in this place That I Realize how much my mind is filled With Peace and my heart is full of love; everything is well within my soul. I feel grounded, centered, and balanced. I can feel that i am Right Where I need to be. When You Realize how perfect everything is, you will tilt your head back and laugh into the sky.

Check out this introduction That was displayed at the start of the game this past weekend:

And of course, we ended up making it in the Roanoke Times:

For Thanksgiving, my family will be heading to the Dominican Republic! Another check off the passport, country list, and before 30 list! The beach (my third home this break) you have-been calling my name for far too long.

NAVLE

Premium Pet Food Is Really Expensive And Not Actually Better

This week I headed home to Charlotte to start my vacation.  It took me 12 hours of travel time on Monday to get to Charlotte however.  My first flight to Dallas went fine, but my second flight got delayed due to weather.  We get on the plane and there is engine damage so they give us the option of getting off because they don't know if they can take that plane.  I get off the plane and up to the attendant in order to see if there is a later flight that I can get on, just as they announce that there is a another plane as well as a gate change.  We get to the next gate and there is about an hour before we board (I would have been home by now).  We get onto the plane and there is no water, so we wait 45 mintues for the mechanic to get there.  Finally we take off and I luckily make it back with no other issues.

  I took the NAVLE on Thursday and finally now I can relax for a while until I find out the results in a few months!

My mom got me an awesome gift for finishing the NAVLE now that I will actually have free time to read it!  Thanks mom!

Second stop on my vacation and another home: Blacksburg VA for Beamer's last home game and a reunion with my girls!

One Week To Go

The Value Of Your Veterinary Dollar

LSU Mike The Tiger Meat Logos
LSU lost their undefeated record this weekend to their biggest rival Alabama.  However, the Panthers are still going strong 8-0!

I was a hermit this past week in order to study for the NAVLE in one week!  I took a practice exam and I was able to get to 80% on VetPrep, which is the study tool used by most students for the NAVLE.  If you can at least get to 80%, the company will give you the program for free if you don't end up passing the first time.  Wish me lots of luck that I won't have to use VetPrep ever again!

On shelter medicine this week, I did 5 surgeries (4 neuters and a spay) as well more physical exams and vaccines on the shelter animals.  I did find a little orange and white kitten that I really love!  I might have to check and see if he's still available when I get back from vacation!

My vacation officially starts this weekend! Chrissy and Matt are coming into town for the LSU vs  Arkansas game.  I am even more excited that I will be in four different locations on my three week vacation.  First stop, Charlotte, one of my homes that I will be visiting!  Here's to adventure!

Shelter Medicine Rotation

Halloween....Risky Business style this year!

Frank Beamer has announced his retirement from coaching VT football.  I'm so excited to be going to Blacksburg for the weekend of his last home game!  Check out this tribute video to the legend.

This week I started my Shelter Medicine rotation.  On this rotation, we travel to different shelters and perform physical exams on the new animals, give them any vaccines and/or medications they need.

Remember those fun undergrad moments, such as the fire alarm going off in the dorm at 2am on a Tuesday morning?  Well I got to relive that this past Tuesday when one of my neighbors was apparently smoking inside the building and set off the fire alarm for the entire complex.....

The Most Unhealthy Jobs In America 2015
#4 what do you know....

Chance Of Rain? Never

My parents came this past rainy weekend.  We still made it to the game despite the rain and some flooding.

LSU won!
Virginia Tech put up a fight against Duke this weekend in the first ever Lane Stadium 4th overtime! Unfortunately they still lost 43 to 45.

I finally figured out how to attach my "Life As A Vet Student" Pinterest board to this blog! So check it out on the left hand side! Enjoy!

This week: Two cows with respiratory issues; three research pigs; dog with heartworms; two one week old puppies; several birds; horse with Wobbler's; goat with respiratory distress; sudden death is a dog (possible cruelty case); renal failure in a cat; and a chameleon. 

We had our presentation on Wednesday and an exam on Thursday.  This week in the end of the pathology rotation!

Next up Shelter Medicine rotation!

Things I Wish I Knew Before I Became A Veterinarian

Let Go

8 Things To Remember When Everything Is Going Wrong
A friend of mine sent me this article this week as she's going through a difficult time and just needed a little pick me up.  I believe that a lot of these points are forgotten within our hectic every day lives.  We get caught up in the emotions of the moment and forget to take a step back and look at the big picture. I'm a firm believer in this list since I have been there. I especially agree with #7 on this list.  Everything is already planned out for us, so what is meant to be will be. Your path is already planned out for you. Your fate isn't going to change, so why fight or complain about it? You will only be more miserable if you can't accept what has happened.  Learn from it and move on to living your best life. I am not the same person I was when I started veterinary school and I'm incredibly thankful for it.  There is a lot that I wouldn't put up with now that I would have then.  My life is less stressful and care-free because I won't let the things that I cannot change bother me. So let that old grudge from your past go. The more you try to control something, the more it controls you. Free yourself and let things take their own natural course.  Surrender to what is, let go of what was, and have faith in what will be. You will be able to be that much more boundless and infinite.

This week: several young birds with various clinical signs; baby alligators for herd health maintenance; pony with a history of being attacked; two goats with liver flukes; dog with heartworms; cow fetus; cat with kidney failure; an anemic goat; sudden death of a cat; and sudden death of a lizard

We had our DPC presentations on Thursday.....can you tell how much I'm loving this rotation?

My parents are coming this weekend! So excited to show them life on the bayou, or at least what a LSU football game entails!

T-minus one month until the NAVLE!