Still alive!

Although I had originally planned on posting almost daily for my blog, itÂ’s been three weeks since my last post (as my cousin Ola complained to me in an email; sorry Ola!). Things got crazy real fast at med school. The biggest problem was getting my computer set up. Even though it was a new computer, the Case ITS people were "fixing" my computer for 20+ days- insane! They were on such a power trip!

I finally have my computer back and life here has been picking up really quickly. It's a little exhausting to get back in the grind of things and get to know tons of new people, but it's been fun overall. I've been going out a lot, more than usual, because I keep thinking that this might be one of the last times that I have time to go out and enjoy myself.

One of the things that struck me the most about med school is how I feel that I got waaay older the day that I started. All of a sudden, my classmates are married, have families, and have PhDs. Awesome. Did I mention that I'm 22? Haha. Being around so many mature and accomplished people definitely made me feel a little insecure. So although I feel older now that I'm surrounded by mature people and now that I am (successfully!) living on my own, I can't help feel like I am pretty immature and young compared to everyone else.

I try to remind myself that despite other people being older (and having PhDs already!), I AM qualified to be here. The work is picking up but I'm excited that all of the work is pretty enjoyable. Medicine is definitely the thing for me to do. I hope that I don't get overwhelmed with the work. I want to remember to take advantage of the fact that school is PASS/FAIL and not drive myself crazy. I hope that I can really take good care of myself and get enough sleep. So far, I've been taking pretty good care of myself living on my own, but definitely not getting the ideal amount of sleep. (That's what the weekends are for, right?)

About to become a medical student!

I'm sitting at a Starbucks near my apartment early on Monday morning. Who was I kidding? I won't be able to sleep in on a day like today! I'm going to start medical school today!! The move into my apartment went very smoothly; I'm getting to be a pro at moving myself back and forth across the country! I'm sitting here in disbelief. Did I really graduate from Smith? Am I really not going to be living in the quad anymore? Is my summer vacation really over? Dude, am I REALLY living on my own in a sweet apartment? AND MOST IMPORTANTLY, am I REALLY about to start medical school today? Ohhhh my goodness!!

I want to remember all the crazy things going through my head today because, quite honestly, I don't think that I have a very good idea of what is waiting for me these next 4 years. Regardless of what happens over the next few weeks, months, and years I want to make SURE that I stay excited and enthusiastic. Dude, I'm FINALLY studying the things that interest me most: the body! When I get frustrated or tired, I want to remember that it is such a privilege to be in medical school starting to learn about how the human body works. How exciting!!

I also want to promise myself that I will not get too carried away with my excitement for learning about the human body. I promise to take time to take good care of myself too. I want to make sure that I work out everyday (night time routine with abs, legs, pushups) and try to do cardio 5x a week. I feel better about myself when I work out: I feel confident, am optimistic, and energetic. I want to make sure that I take good care of myself physically because it translates to good emotional and mental health. So Natalia, it makes sense to sacrifice time to work out and take good care of myself.

I also want to make sure that I eat well. This is my first time cooking on my own. Now that I have the choice to eat any way that I want, I want to make sure that I make good choices. This is not Smith anymore, so there is no reason for dessert splurges! I feel better when I eat food that is good for me. Things like ruffles sour cream & onion chips are a temporary pleasure but they make me feel heavy and fat after so let's keep those to a minimum. Plus I don't have my Smith friends with me to snack late at night; just not as fun without them!

So besides taking good care of myself, I hope that I really enjoy my experience in medical school. I hope that besides being a good student and enthusiastically learning about the human body, I hope that I can make great friends and have fun. OK more updates later as an official medical student. Wish me luck on my first day! :)

Excited and nervous!

Gosh, can you believe that my summer ends THIS WEEK?! Ohhh my goodness! Tomorrow I pack up the cars (let's keep our fingers crossed that all of my stuff fits!) and start the move to Cleveland. I really can't believe that it's time to leave already!

I think the thing that is keeping me from getting sad about leaving my family and Jarek (again!) to start school is the fact that I have a really hot apartment. Haha. Hey it's the little things that add up. :) I'm excited to get myself settled in my first apartment and organize (yay!) my new life. My parents helped me find/fund some really cool furniture. It looks like I will have a really f.King. hot apartment; hopefully I will be able to enjoy it at least a little bit this year! (On a side note, I just realized that not many people would pick up on the "f.King" stuff; I miss Smith sooo much, especially Franklin King house!!)

Like the title of this post indicates, I am feeling a little excited AND (a lot) nervous. Things that I am concerned about: my amazing group of Smith friends won't be there!!, living on my own all by myself, making new friends, getting lonely in a new place, not liking Cleveland, missing home and everyone there. Things that I am excited about: becoming a doctor(!!!!!), meeting new people, the opportunity to start fresh and new, overcoming challenges, organizing my hot apartment, proving to myself that I can be a functional adult. :)