lost angeles detours

Already in Los Angeles, CA for my Step 2 Clinical Skills exam and interview #8. I'm tired of traveling and am ready to go home; but I can see the light at the end of this toilet paper roll.

I enjoyed a lot of time with my family in Sacramento: a 13 year-old smarty pants and an 8 year-old sassy pants. I love those girls. We picked out a Christmas tree, ate plenty of onolicious food, played some Rock Band on the Wii, went skipping through the mall, and I watched them do some back-handsprings off the 4" balance beam. I loved my interviews and squeezed in time to have dinner with some very good girlfriends of mine (Nicolina, Angelina, Jenny, & Allison) and some very good friends (John & Marsha). I'm sorry there was not enough time to have dinner with everyone. I know I've missed out on some great parties while I've been away: Golf-themed party, Fysiotherapie and the Tacky Sweater Christmas parties. I've also missed some great parties up here while I've been interviewing: another Tacky Sweater Party and Sean's engagement party.

It's hard to remember why I am doing this sometimes since I haven't seen a real patient in a long time - only the fake ones during the CS exam. I know it'll all be worth it one day; but even now, in my fourth year, I'm missing out on so much (parties, alumni games, weddings, Mississippi, and family time).

I've very much enjoyed the time I've spent here with family and friends. Over the weekend I'm spending time with my grandmother - who I rarely see or spend much time with. We've already gone to tea with another aunt and lunch with Uncle Dick and Aunt Delores. I've seen my cousin and his new wife and my aunt and uncle who might not see me again 'til the next wedding!

And who knows where I'll end up... The MATCH (yes, usually we medical students capitalize the entire word for emphasis) is unpredictable. I've worked hard to get to this point and now it'll be out of my hands -- except for the few emails I write to programs I have high interest in, just to remind them of who I am. The point I'm trying to make is: just like the LA freeways, there's no telling where the road will turn. I've just got to learn to enjoy the detours.

cactuses or cacti?

So, I arrived safely into Phoenix, Arizona and got hooked up with a phat pad called the Residence Inn Marriott Phoenix Airport 1 bedroom suite. I have two flatscreen tvs, a full size bed, a vanity, dishwasher, refrigerator, sofa, desk, and extra chair and dining set, etc, etc, all to my(bad)self. I was able to workout in the "gym" at the hotel -- two treadmills, a bike, and an elliptical machine with a few hand weights. Not my favorite, but there was a tv and I was able to watch an episode of CSI to keep me running for an hour...

I got COMPLETELY lost on the Metro Light Rail train thingy trying to find dinner with the residents and was walking through areas of town that almost-petite-Asian-twenty-six-year-olds should probably not be walking through. I was scared & cried 'cause I was frustrated and 30 minutes late for dinner; which ended up being a sit-down dinner rather than a buffet-style. I'm sure all applicants will agree that being at a sit-down dinner is much more uncomfortable than an open floor atmosphere because you are limited to talking to the same four people all night. Because I was late, I ended up at the end of the table and the poor resident, medical student, and applicant significant other had to talk to me all night... However, the food was FABULOUS ITALIAN with gourmet pizzas, caprese salad, & a tossed salad covered in parmesan. Yummy.

After interviews, I went running with a resident and another applicant. Seeing as I'm out of shape coming back from knee surgery, I was falling a little behind during their 7:40 pace... Urgh. Nothing more frustrating for an [ex]athlete than being out of shape and having someone else see it. That's okay. I'll be back.

I think as a resident, I shall train for a marathon and try to do one in a different city every year. Okay, I stole that idea from an REI doc that interviewed me... but it's a goodie :) Maybe my first can be a half marathon in Hawaii...

The breakfast is awesome at my Residence Inn. It's the breakfast with the waffle-maker, the oatmeal and accouterments, the yogurt and fillings, the bagel and toast bar, the hot eggs, bacon, sausage, and potatoes, and fresh juice and coffee!! Oh, and cereal and milk and pastries! A good breakfast bar is always a sign of a great hotel. I shall return again tomorrow!

The Residence Inn shuttle drops us at the Metro and I took the train to the Tempe Fall Festival of the Arts. It's near ASU - where Jana went to school, home of the Sun Devils - and took up like ten blocks. I was walking around all over the place! Found some great Kettle corn and listened to some live music while walking around looking for Christmas gifts. I had a wonderful time and stopped by Mills End for a vanilla steamer and some post-card thank-you writing...

Keep in mind, people, that whatever you are doing cannot be as bad as all the street performers I saw today trying to make some money by juggling on a unicycle or pretending to tie and untie knots in handkerchiefs... Actually, that sounds like fun. I take it back.

Noah's Bagels

Driving in fog is different from driving in rain or snow or Hawaii's fake fog, vog. There was minimal variability this morning at 5:30am as I started my 2 hour drive to the airport in my electric blue PT Cruiser. It slowed me down a few minutes but I made it to the car rental return and to the gate on-time. A blessing was bestowed upon me this morning when I made it to my gate and there was a Noah's Bagels in the gate area. "Cinnamon raisin bagel toasted with honey almond shmear please." Love them. Ultimately, after all my doctor stuff works out, I think I would like to own - and maybe live in - a Noah's Bagels.

Short blog 'cause I gotta go board my plane to Phoenix. Which should be spelled 'Pheonix' by the way...