Patriots Day (aka Marathon Monday), Four-twenty, and Earth week

Yesterday was Patriots day and Marathon Monday here in Boston.  Both are a big deal in this city! A group of HMS student got together at 0430 Monday morning to drive to Lexington to watch a reinactment of the Battle of Lexington that took place April 19, 1775.  Man, the people of Lexington get into it!  It was great.  After a brief speech about what was about to transpire, the soldiers got into character and position.  In the distance we saw Paul Revere ride onto the Lexington Common to announce the British were coming.

Do read on!

Revisit Weekend: FABRIC and the aftermath!

 I am so glad FABRIC was a success.  I don't know if I told many non-Boston residents about it or my participation in the event.  FABRIC is a production celebrating the global influence of the African diaspora.  First year medical students have been putting on this production during admit revisit week for the last 10 years.  It is a showcase of the many talents our class posseses and a great lure for new admits.

Jump for more!

Care, Fabric, and Soul

Peace and blessings.  Thursday was kind of a dreaded day.  I had too much to do and too little time to do it all.  Some things fell by the wayside but I did everything I really wanted to do.

Above is a teaser + highlight, more after the jump...

My whirlwind week

Okay.  I was really enjoying the whole "wake up and blog" thing I was doing for few days.  That was until last Friday when I had to plan for like 5 meeting and two concurrent events.  The last seven days have been pretty great.  Busy but great.  More after the jump!

Top priority: be a great physician. Second priority: make time for the people and things that will help me become a great physician.

Cody ChesnuTT- "When I Find Time"

Things I 1. Wish I were doing 2. wish I hadn't done

1. Things I wish I were doing...
being active outdoors
This I hope to change soon! I am studying for an exam in immunology and pathology. I really want to do well on this bad boy so I am fighting my urge to play outdoors. I have the next few weekends stacked though! Sailing with Dennis and Dr David. Cycling with Amy. Maybe hiking aroud the region...I just have to work hard when it's time to work. That way I can feel good about my playtime, haha.


laughing more
I used to laugh a lot more. What happened to that? Real warm, full sprited laughter is contagious. My mom has that. So do a few of the people I admire most. I find that my laugh carries in the atrium where all the students congregate. I only found that because I think I really laughed for the first time a few days ago. It was weird. I think I will be doing that more often.

taking more photos
Life is beautiful in it's unpredictability. I like to just be and observe things without the need to try to capture it in on a disk. On the other hand, I don't think there is anything wrong with having an image to remember beauty or suprise. I think it can be a memory aid as well as a sign respect for the importance of a moment.

For the otherside of the coin read on...

Things you can learn by teaching

I teach sex ed. to youth at an alternative high school for about an hour on Wednesdays. It is one of the highlights of my week. The kids are loud and sometimes crude. They don't always want to be engaged but they all seem to understand and respect that my co-teacher and I are there because we want to be. So even when they act out the don't direct it at us.

Yesterday we taught a lesson on relationships. We had them define sex, love and relationships. We asked them to tell us what makes a good friend, romantic partner, life partner etc. Now what suprised me was how the same students who had them most off the wall ideas about what safe sex is and could care less about contraception where able to so eloquently express their thoughts about what makes a good friend, romantic partner, and life partner. I'm telling on myself a little but some of these students could articulate some of these ideas at 17 that I am just realizing at 26. Now I don't think I am some outlier.

Busy? Yeah.

Recently moved out of the dorms. Thank God! My physical, mental and spirital health where slowly degrading in that situation. I think it had a lot to do with me not being able to separate school/work and home.

Now I'm living in a part of town called Jamaica Plain. It is kind of a blend of Berkeley, N. Oakland and Brooklyn. I think I'll stay here for a while. I forgot how much I enjoy waking up and walking out on the porch to drink my coffee.

Other amenities that I find vital are:
- close access to transit (we have a major bus route just out side the door and quick acesss to two subways)
- good groceries stores (Freddies Bodega!, Harvest market, and like three others within walking distance)
- small businesses (crucial)
- diversity!!! (JP has a large LGBT population, small families, next door to a large dominican community)

I can deal with the chaos of med school and the inner turmult of figuring out what I want and where I am going AS LONG AS I have a healthy home to come to at the day's end.

I am greatful.