Spring break 2007!

My last spring break- ever! It’s crazy to think that this time next year I will be done with step 1 of the medical school boards! It’s even crazier to think that at this point I only have about half a year of classes left and then I’m off to rotate and be responsible for knowing things at the hospital. (!!)

Spring break 2007 started off with a drive down to Columbus, OH where we met up with Emily’s parents and they took the group of 5 of us (the last person met us in Atlanta, GA) to the airport. It was a rare beautiful sunny day when we left and we were all so excited that we were going someplace even sunnier. :) During our layover in Atlanta we had lunch and watched the start of the NCAA Basketball Games- we officially started our spring break!

We landed around 6:30pm in Miami and it was still very warm and balmy. We arrived at our hotel, had a quick outfit change, and headed out for South Beach Miami. Our first night was very fun and exciting- we had lots of (unintentional) matching outfits. We had drinks and a late dinner on Ocean Drive. People watching on that street cannot be topped! After dinner we headed to one of the bars that I frequented with the girls last spring break. I couldn’t remember the name of it but instantly recognized it when I saw it: The Clevelander. The bar was a great choice and I smiled thinking that I had gone there so many times last year without ever knowing that I would end up in Cleveland, Ohio for medical school.

Our hotel was close to the port of Miami so when we woke up the next morning, we had breakfast at a Cuban restaurant overlooking the port. We headed out to our cruise ship as soon as we could and we were on the boat by 11:30am. We spent the rest of the afternoon on the docked cruise ship lying out by the pool, ordering tropical drinks, and EATING. My goodness! That first day I must have had more than three lunches! Thank goodness for all you can eat cruise ships! We left the port of Miami around 6pm and passed by South Beach only to see the sunset a few hours later. I was already in heaven!

The boat was huge! My first impression of the boat was disbelief that it really was a boat- a grand scale hotel-like lobby, climbing wall, gym, theater, casino, and more! And there were so many activities, even on the first day. It was all a bit overwhelming at first.

Every night our group of friends had a nice fancy dinner together. We ordered wine, we ordered too much food, we took our time- it was fantastic! I have to admit, however, that I rarely made it very late past dinner. After enjoying wine, appetizers, salads, entrees (sometimes even trying two), and dessert, it was quite challenging for me to fight my food coma impulse. Luckily, I didn’t feel bad about it and didn’t resist my strong urge to go to bed early every night. Thank goodness.

On the cruise we went to Nassau in the Bahamas, then the privately owned island of our cruise line (Cococay, Bahamas), Key West, and finally back to Miami. In Nassau we went to the beach and Atlantis. The hotel was unbelievable! They had shark tanks and a water slide (enclosed in glass) went through it! Amazing. Apparently the rooms on the bridge between the two buildings cost $25,000/night with a four night minimum stay: not this year for us. ;) In the afternoon, David and I went on a catamaran with another couple (Tai and Julie) and then went snorkeling. I was very lucky to have David at my side: he is a certified underwater naturalist so I learned so much about what I was seeing. We even found a turtle and followed it through the water.

The next day at Cococay was very windy but David and I still managed to have fun. There were miles of nature trails and beautiful beach fronts. Check out some pics from our walk!

In Key West we spent most of the day walking around the main street. It was very touristy, but still very fun. We made it to the closest point to Cuba and walked by Jimmy Buffet’s Margaritaville. Most importantly, I got to try some conch fritters and key lime pie!

The next morning we had to leave the cruise ship around 8am. We were all a little sad that vacation was almost over. For the record, this was the first vacation that I can remember NOT DOING WORK. Ok so I did a bit of work on the airplane but I RESISTED doing work this week. I didn't even get more than 50 pages into my fun novel. Mmm I feel so relaxed and rejuvenated! This spring break was definitely one to remember!

I'm glad that I wrote this post on the plane returning from Miami! I'm back in Cleveland now, adding pics and as they were loading up realized that I have to learn renal, pharm, and pulmonary this week on top of writing a grant this week. Awesome. And did I mention it snowed here? Welcome back, Natalia.