Obsessively checking my MCAT scores when I know they're "tenatively" released at 4 pm today is not a good thing.  Especially with the enormous amount of work I must complete by Wednesday at 4:30 pm.  Blogging probably isn't good use of my time either.

Update

I leave for Mexico in just over a week!  I google mapped the address where I'll be staying and it made me really excited to go.  It's a cute little apartment in a nice part of town.  I'm not at all packed (not packed for Mexico or NE), my applications haven't been submitted, and this all needs to be done by Wednesay when my prego best friend comes into town for a visit. So I'm pretty stressed.  Stressed to the point where I have ezcema literally all over my body.  I haven't even gotten in a swimsuit but twice in the last month (4th of July!) it's so bad.  I finally made it to my dermatologist this morning to get on a steriod since it's only been getting worse for the last 3 weeks so hopefully it will be gone by the time I leave.  My last day of work is on Wednesday!  I am sad and glad to leave.  I worked A LOT this summer and had some awsome experience but obviously my body can't handle the stress and it will be nice to have a total of 2 days of summer before I leave since on my only day off I took the MCAT.  I wish I had more time to meet up with people but it looks like that isn’t going to happen.  If you want to hang out, call me because otherwise it is just not going to happen.  Um what else?  I don’t think I have any other real updates.  My life is work, then applications, then bible study, then bed so I can wake up and do it again.  There is an occasional trip to Target for Mexico essentials every now and again though. Oh Kyle left for the military!  That was exciting and sad.  His little brother Casey showed some unexpected emotion and that pretty much broke my heart.  This is probably my last post until sometime in late August (unless I decide to update in Mexico) so keep me in your prayers!

Weekend party for Kyle was a success!  I didn't take any pictures (how dumb!) but I do have pictures of the cookies I'll post sometime soon.  I'm at work (taking a break from endless transcriptions) so I'll end the post for now and update later (hopefully tonight, but y'all know how terrible I am at keeping my own deadlines).

Restrepo

I do not consider myself to be a film connoisseur or by any means versed in what makes a film great, meaningful, popular etc.  But.  I do have my opinions and while my favorite movies are generally limited to “feel good” classics like When Harry Met Sally, Steel Magnolias, or the always hilarious Just Friends and Nacho Libre, I’d like to suggest that you all see another.  Last night I saw the documentary Restrepo.  It was amazing.  I think every single American should watch it.  I had never even heard of it before I watched it so if you’re like me and way out of the loop (my life is incredibly boring and with each passing day I get less cool, and more clueless about pop culture) I’ll fill you in.  It’s a documentary following a group of soldiers as they are deployed in Korengal valley in Afghanistan for 15 months.  It’s very real, and very insightful.  From the reviews I’ve read a lot of critics think that there is a huge political agenda, and looking back I can kind of see it, but that’s definitely not why I recommend it.  I think the makers of the documentary wanted to highlight the pointlessness of the war.  I disagree and while watching it that's not the message I got (maybe that's because I almost never interpret art, film, music etc in terms of politics).  What I got out of it was a true understanding of what the military does for us and the selflessness it requires.  It makes me appreciate the men of the armed forces on a whole different level and watching it was one of the most humbling experiences I’ve ever had.  Go watch it.  Now.

Am I crazy?

This summer for those of you who don't know I'll be studying abroad for 4 weeks in Guadalajara Mexico. I'll learn medical Spanish and volunteer in a health clinic practicing interacting with Spanish-speaking patients. I am absolutely ecstatic. Every single person I talk too (save 2 women I know from Guadalajara) says that I am crazy to go to Mexico while they're in the middle of a raging drug war. Maybe I have a false sense of security but I’m really just not worried when I think about going to Jalisco (the state I’ll be in) and how it borders Michoacán where three of the largest drug cartels are battling it out for control. I’m not worried when I read crime statistics or updated stories saying the drug war has spilled over into Jalisco in the northwest end. I’ve been reading news stories online published by a Mexican newspaper about all sorts of happenings in Jalisco and it doesn’t bother me to know that there have been 4 murders by four separate individuals within 2 days or that five women were murdered on the beach of Puerto Vallarta (where our study abroad program is taking us for a weekend trip…). Am I crazy? Maybe I’m not worried because I really feel like God wants me to take this trip and learn and grow and have amazing experiences that will help me in my future career. I want to eventually spend a significant amount of time in a third world or developing country administering healthcare and that’s pretty much what I’ll be doing come late July. All the doors have been opened, not closed so I feel secure in my decision to go. My entire trip is paid for (plus $200 in spending money!) thanks to the wonderful women of Cather Circle and I still get to work and intern at CCH for 10 weeks this summer. Then I read the following on the US Embassy website today (keep in mind I’ll be studying at the Universidad de Autonoma de Guadalajara)



Guadalajara: On the evening of April 16th around 10:30PM, an armed robbery occurred on board a first class bus line, Primera Plus, leaving Guadalajara en route to Puerto Vallarta. The assailants reportedly entered the bus as regular passengers at the Zapopan terminal and, thereafter, robbed everyone on the bus. On the evening of April 17th, a man was executed upon exiting a 7-11/Pemex station complex. The shooting occurred on a busy corner, Pablo Neruda and Patria, which is directly across the street from Universidad Autonoma de Guadalajara, where many Americans study.



So am I crazy?



P.S. Amanda, don’t tell Dad because then he’ll never let me go.

I love my job. The more I work in public health the more I love it. Also, now that the MCAT is over I need to start studying for the GRE so I can apply for dual degree programs. Especially since grad school is my back up plan to med school anyway. If I don't get in I'll spend two years getting my MPH (masters of public health) and then re-apply. But hopefully that won't happen. My family is having a going away dinner for Kyle this Saturday. I'm sad + glad. I'm glad that Kyle and I are friends. I'm glad we're healing and that we didn't lose each other as friends. I'm glad that our my family still welcomes him, supports him, and cares for him (I can't say his family is as friendly with me, but let's not even go there). I'm glad for the new journey Kyle is embarking upon but I'm sad that Kyle is leaving. For those of you (probably most of you) that don’t know Kyle has signed with the armed forces and will be leaving for boot camp on July 11th of this year. He joined the army as a combat medic and will hopefully be a part of the air-born division. Kyle comes from a military family (he’s actually going to boot camp at the very same place his dad and grandfather went to, and where his grandfather was a drill sergeant) and the military has been a dream of Kyle’s that he’s finally fulfilling. I am so proud of Kyle and so incredibly happy that he’s finally in! If you know anything about Kyle you know that he’s an adrenaline junky, and that he’s extremely sacrificial (this also makes me very nervous because he would give up his life in a heartbeat to save someone else and I’m sorry but I’m selfish and don’t want Kyle to die. I’m jumping ahead I know), even to complete strangers, so the military is the perfect fit for him and being a medic fits in with his firefighting career (in addition to fighting fires they run EMS calls and most have their paramedic license). So I am very sad and very glad. My mom and I are making some awesome military cookies for him though and I’ll post pictures once they’re completed.


One last thing, hop on over to my good friend Katherine’s blog. Even though her taste is a bit different than mine I wish she could be my personal stylist/shopper because maybe then I’d look less like a bum. (I’m insanely jealous of people who think up these awesome outfits/hairstyles/etc and know exactly what should go with what. I’m not completely clueless, but mostly I just copy what everyone else is wearing).

MCAT: Completed

My MCAT is over (PTL)!  Except I'll probably have to take it again, so after this weekend I'm hitting the books again. BUT, now I can shift my focus to med school applications and prepping for Mexico.  My scholarship check came in the mail so a trip to the bank is in order followed by a phone call to San Antonio to complete payment for my trip!  Scrubs are bought, next on my list is a passport wallet (I'm leaning towards this one), cheap shoes to wear in the clinic (no vomit, urine, feces etc on my nikes please), and super comfy + cute (that last one is the difficult part) shoes I can walk around town in.  What else is new?  I got my first (of the summer) paycheck from CCH!  Trying to save 50%, tithe 12% and put aside $100 for Mexico each paycheck and not spend the rest as soon as I get it.  I guess it's good I no longer have time for shopping.  Father's day is tomorrow!  I'd leave you with a pic, but I'm not using my computer so I don't have any, maybe next time.