Last week was just as exhausting as I ever imagined. By Thursday night, I was definitely ready to let loose, and accomplished this by the usual night at Maloney's. I'm not gonna lie: I'm totally over Maloney's, but there really isn't much else to do in Westwood as far as going out is concerned. Also, I'm not looking forward to getting my midterm grades back... don't think I did very well in biochem or cardiovascular physiology, but at least I aced my nutrition one.
Speaking of nutrition, for our class, we have to go in and get our body compositions measured. I got mine done this morning, and let's just say it was definitely NOT the way to start out my week. Turns out, I have a high enough body fat percentage to put me in the obese category. Yikes, I was expecting it to be bad, but not THAT bad. J, S and I have been dieting and exercising since the beginning of this quarter in order to slim down for our spring break cabo trip and I have already lost about 9 pounds. I can't even imagine what my body composition would have said if I hadn't been losing weight for five weeks. Well, at least the three of us are doing really well, and I am actually really proud of myself for being so disciplined. I originally wanted to lose about 20 pounds overall, but the nutrition center put my target weight much lower than my original goal, so now I am shooting for about a 30 pound overall loss. Sounds daunting, but I am already 30% there, right?
And don't worry, we are doing this all the healthy way. I'm not starving myself by any means. I'm just eating healthier, cutting the crap out of my diet, and exercising as much as I should have been all along. I am really excited for our final results and our trip! And at least I don't have to worry about it falling through since everything is already booked! This week, the group that is going to Cabo (J and I don't know S's friends yet) is going out to a gay bar in Weho, which I am very excited about. I have always wanted to go to one and it sounds like we will have a fun little group. Another thing I can check off my "To Do Before I Graduate" list!
This upcoming weekend, some girls and I were planning on going to the Grand Canyon on a road trip, but unfortunately that fell through. So looks like I am going to have to find something else to keep me busy. Maybe I can check off a few things on my "To Do Before I Graduate" list! What does this list consist of? Well, it might be a good idea for me to come up with a solid one haha.
Monday, February 8, 2010
Monday, February 1, 2010
Midterm Season
It's about that time of the quarter: midterm season, my favorite... I now have full blown senioritis, which is making it very hard for me to buckle down. But now that I have so much to lose if I don't do well in my classes, I'm using that as motivation to keep on keepin' on! Had my lab practical for biochem lab last week... wasn't TOO bad. This week I have all three of my midterms. I think I'll be okay - I am just gonna have to buckle down. I'm definitely counting down the weeks until biochem lab is over. While studying in the dungeon (basement of the sorority I live in) I got distracted by the many books left behind by past Gamma Phi's. There are so many random things that I want to read down there, but I am forcing myself to focus on my midterms. They will just have to wait for me! (I doubt they are going anywhere.)
Since I last blogged, one of my best friends, J from my pledge class, came to town - which was really exciting because she is studying abroad in China for the whole year. We decided to spend our limited time together doing something we have always wanted to do: go on a spicy marathon. Unfortunately, we were pressed for time, so it was more of a spicy sprint, but still fun nonetheless. Our first stop was at Chichen Itza, a little mexican place by U$C, to try their infamously spicy hot sauce. It was absolutely delicious, and we both decided to buy a bottle for ourselves. Next, we went to the Thai restaurant Jitlada, where we ordered the "Chef's Spicy Challenge" to-go. If you know me, then you know that I love spicy food and I am very accustomed to burning my tastebuds off on a regular basis... but this dish was spicier than anything I have ever laid tongue on! After the first bite, my entire mouth caught fire and drooled excessively, my eyes cried involuntarily, while my nose ran all over the place. We split the dish between us, but I wasn't even able to finish my half. My first defeat by spicy food, but it hurt so good! I needed two glasses of milk to tolerate the small portion I ate. Then, for several hours after, my stomach felt like it was burning from the inside out from the acidity. It was amazing... mission accomplished!
So anyway, Valentine's day weekend is coming up, and a few sorority friends and I have decided to go on a little adventure to explore a place none of us have been: the Grand Canyon! I love road trips! We are still working out the logistics, so more to come on that.
Oh yeah... normally my mom sends me something on V-day, but since she is going to be overseas at war, I took the liberty upon myself to send myself a box of chocolates! I mean, who says you can't love yourself on V-day? Don't worry, I'm not THAT into myself... more of an excuse to buy truffles. I'll definitely be sending something to my sister and dad, since we always celebrate family love on V-day. Speaking of family love, I really miss my little sister. And I'm not gonna lie, I am a little excited about living close to my family again. Especially when my little sis will get her driver's license this summer and be able to come visit my new apartment!
Since I last blogged, one of my best friends, J from my pledge class, came to town - which was really exciting because she is studying abroad in China for the whole year. We decided to spend our limited time together doing something we have always wanted to do: go on a spicy marathon. Unfortunately, we were pressed for time, so it was more of a spicy sprint, but still fun nonetheless. Our first stop was at Chichen Itza, a little mexican place by U$C, to try their infamously spicy hot sauce. It was absolutely delicious, and we both decided to buy a bottle for ourselves. Next, we went to the Thai restaurant Jitlada, where we ordered the "Chef's Spicy Challenge" to-go. If you know me, then you know that I love spicy food and I am very accustomed to burning my tastebuds off on a regular basis... but this dish was spicier than anything I have ever laid tongue on! After the first bite, my entire mouth caught fire and drooled excessively, my eyes cried involuntarily, while my nose ran all over the place. We split the dish between us, but I wasn't even able to finish my half. My first defeat by spicy food, but it hurt so good! I needed two glasses of milk to tolerate the small portion I ate. Then, for several hours after, my stomach felt like it was burning from the inside out from the acidity. It was amazing... mission accomplished!
So anyway, Valentine's day weekend is coming up, and a few sorority friends and I have decided to go on a little adventure to explore a place none of us have been: the Grand Canyon! I love road trips! We are still working out the logistics, so more to come on that.
Oh yeah... normally my mom sends me something on V-day, but since she is going to be overseas at war, I took the liberty upon myself to send myself a box of chocolates! I mean, who says you can't love yourself on V-day? Don't worry, I'm not THAT into myself... more of an excuse to buy truffles. I'll definitely be sending something to my sister and dad, since we always celebrate family love on V-day. Speaking of family love, I really miss my little sister. And I'm not gonna lie, I am a little excited about living close to my family again. Especially when my little sis will get her driver's license this summer and be able to come visit my new apartment!
Thursday, January 21, 2010
Back At UCLA
I know I promised details of the lovely Christmas trip to the South, but realized after the trip, there really wasn't much exciting about it. It was good to see my mom, and New Orleans was pretty cool, but that's about it! I guess it wasn't as drastically different as I was expecting.
I'm back at UCLA now in the third week of the quarter. I'm definitely loving my three day school and work weeks! My classes are awesome, with the exception of biochem lab of course, but even that isn't TOO bad. I have a new roomie for the rest of the school year and I'm enjoying living with her (but I miss my old one too!). Sometimes I forget how much I love living in the house... it is so amazing! There is always someone to hang out with and something going on, which I love.
This morning I woke up to my alarm and the pouring rain, and decided to play hookie from biochem lecture. After all, it IS podcasted! I guess you could say I'm just living the fabulous life for the rest of the year. I love it! The only thing I am getting a little anxious about is finding a roomie and apartment. I know it's a long way away, but I just don't know how I am supposed to do it because people might not know if they are going to Davis up until June or even July! Guess I'll try not to think about it and just worry about it later!
I'm back at UCLA now in the third week of the quarter. I'm definitely loving my three day school and work weeks! My classes are awesome, with the exception of biochem lab of course, but even that isn't TOO bad. I have a new roomie for the rest of the school year and I'm enjoying living with her (but I miss my old one too!). Sometimes I forget how much I love living in the house... it is so amazing! There is always someone to hang out with and something going on, which I love.
This morning I woke up to my alarm and the pouring rain, and decided to play hookie from biochem lecture. After all, it IS podcasted! I guess you could say I'm just living the fabulous life for the rest of the year. I love it! The only thing I am getting a little anxious about is finding a roomie and apartment. I know it's a long way away, but I just don't know how I am supposed to do it because people might not know if they are going to Davis up until June or even July! Guess I'll try not to think about it and just worry about it later!
Tuesday, December 22, 2009
Family Time
So, I've been home for almost two weeks now. On one hand, it has been great being able to relax and do absolutely nothing (and I really mean nothing)... especially now that I am coughing my lungs up due to some bug I caught. On the other hand, it's been a little boring, and I am beginning to feel a little anti-social. I've seen my family a lot, but haven't seen ANY of my friends. I was really looking forward to a high school friend (Chelsey's) christmas party, but I was too sick to go that night with a raging fever. Great timing right? The one time there is something to do!
Yes, I have been enjoying day dreaming about my upcoming life as a doctor, and "preparing" by watching many many episodes of ER thanks to Netflix. But, it's been lame not being able to really celebrate with anyone. I guess that is what Winter quarter will be all about! I somehow managed to schedule classes so that I only have class Tuesdays and Thursdays, which is, my friends, a very beautiful thing.
One thing I'm also looking forward to is New Years. I'll probably go to SF with S and J and get into some sort of mischief! But I'm also just looking forward to the new year. It will be a year that I no longer have to dwell on rejections and wait for my fate to be determined. It's going to be a happy year, one of bittersweet endings like leaving LA, saying goodbye to my sorority family and graduating UCLA, but also with inspiring new beginnings like getting an apartment, starting med school, and making new friends. The one part of this upcoming year I wish I could change is the fact that my mom won't be there to share any of it with me. She is being deployed to the war and is going to miss not only my graduation, but my white coat ceremony initiating me into the wonderful world of medicine. And what scares me even more than that, is the haunting thought that she may not ever return at all... So as much as 2010 is going to be a fabulous year, I guess we can't have it all, right? I find it easier to only think about the happy things going on, I suppose I'll deal with the hard stuff if/when it happens.
Anyway, I ended up cancelling my Rush interview. I just figured I might as well open up the interview spot to someone who actually might attend that school, I know I would want someone to do the same for me. Not to mention the snow in Chicago probably would have made the trip an utter hassle. Although, it would have been pretty cool to see the city where ER takes place :P
Well, tomorrow morning at an extremely ungodly hour (3:30 AM) - which, I guess is bed time for a lot of people my age - I will be embarking on my family journey to Mississippi to visit my mom for Christmas. I'm definitely excited about going. You know me, always love to visit new places! Can't wait for seafood! And it will be good to keep mom company. I think she is starting to get a little stressed out over there. Wish me luck, and Happy Holidays to all!
Yes, I have been enjoying day dreaming about my upcoming life as a doctor, and "preparing" by watching many many episodes of ER thanks to Netflix. But, it's been lame not being able to really celebrate with anyone. I guess that is what Winter quarter will be all about! I somehow managed to schedule classes so that I only have class Tuesdays and Thursdays, which is, my friends, a very beautiful thing.
One thing I'm also looking forward to is New Years. I'll probably go to SF with S and J and get into some sort of mischief! But I'm also just looking forward to the new year. It will be a year that I no longer have to dwell on rejections and wait for my fate to be determined. It's going to be a happy year, one of bittersweet endings like leaving LA, saying goodbye to my sorority family and graduating UCLA, but also with inspiring new beginnings like getting an apartment, starting med school, and making new friends. The one part of this upcoming year I wish I could change is the fact that my mom won't be there to share any of it with me. She is being deployed to the war and is going to miss not only my graduation, but my white coat ceremony initiating me into the wonderful world of medicine. And what scares me even more than that, is the haunting thought that she may not ever return at all... So as much as 2010 is going to be a fabulous year, I guess we can't have it all, right? I find it easier to only think about the happy things going on, I suppose I'll deal with the hard stuff if/when it happens.
Anyway, I ended up cancelling my Rush interview. I just figured I might as well open up the interview spot to someone who actually might attend that school, I know I would want someone to do the same for me. Not to mention the snow in Chicago probably would have made the trip an utter hassle. Although, it would have been pretty cool to see the city where ER takes place :P
Well, tomorrow morning at an extremely ungodly hour (3:30 AM) - which, I guess is bed time for a lot of people my age - I will be embarking on my family journey to Mississippi to visit my mom for Christmas. I'm definitely excited about going. You know me, always love to visit new places! Can't wait for seafood! And it will be good to keep mom company. I think she is starting to get a little stressed out over there. Wish me luck, and Happy Holidays to all!
Thursday, December 17, 2009
University of Arkansas SOM
Yesterday, I was offered an interview by University of Arkansas Med School. I just had to laugh, since I was accepted to Davis just about a week ago. UC Davis is a much better school and cheaper than any of the OOS (out of state) schools I haven't heard back from. I would have loved to at least see Arkansas, but it would be a waste of money for me to go. One things that intrigued me about the offer email was that they mentioned an exhibit they were inviting us to see the night before the interview: EGYPT! Now, if you don't know me... then you don't know that I LOVE anything involving ancient Egypt. Obviously that is not going to change my mind... that would be an expensive exhibit to see!
I still haven't decided if I am going to cancel my interview for Chicago. I'm waiting to hear what my mom says. Oh, and here is another thing you may not know: my mom is in the Navy and is being deployed to the Middle East. I would tell you which country, but she won't even tell me! Anyway, she is in Mississippi right now training, and my dad, sister and I are going to visit her at Christmas.
I still haven't decided if I am going to cancel my interview for Chicago. I'm waiting to hear what my mom says. Oh, and here is another thing you may not know: my mom is in the Navy and is being deployed to the Middle East. I would tell you which country, but she won't even tell me! Anyway, she is in Mississippi right now training, and my dad, sister and I are going to visit her at Christmas.
Wednesday, December 16, 2009
The first days of the rest of my life
Just a mere 5 days ago, an unexpected call pointed my life in the direction I will be heading for years to come. I was getting dressed to go to lunch with Nan (my grandma), and I got a call from an unknown 916-number. Since I had a dentist appointment scheduled the next day, I figured it was the dentist's office calling to confirm my appointment. Boy was I pleasantly surprised...
"Is this ________ _______?"
"Yes this is her"
"Hello, this is Ed ____ calling on behalf of the UC Davis SOM Admissions Committee, and I have some very good news"
"(stomach drops) And what is that?"
"Well, I would like to say congratulations, as the admissions committee is offering you admission"
"(freak out as quietly as possible) OMG Thank you sooooo much! I am so happy! I can't even tell you how excited I am"
"Well, good things come to those who wait"
"Wow... so what do I have to do now?"
"Just say that you accept and that you'll be joining us in the summer"
"I 100% accept!!!!!"
"But you won't be joining us in the summer? hahaha"
"No I will!!!! hahahha"
And boy will I.... After finishing an unmotivated, discouraging quarter a few days prior, this call made me the happiest person in the world. I can't believe that all of my dreams are coming true. I have wanted this and worked toward it my entire life, and it's actually happening! And much sooner than I thought. Now I can relax for the rest of my amazing senior year at UCLA. And to be perfectly honest, I don't even think I need to worry about choosing any other schools that I could potentially get into over Davis because it is a much better school than any of those I haven't heard from yet. So it looks like I am going to Davis come July! I love the school itself, but I'm still not entirely sure how I feel about living so close to home. I mean I love my family, but I love to explore new cities and be totally on my own. Alas, there is always residency for that, I suppose. And by attending Davis vs. out of state schools, I have a much better chance of getting into a dream residency in SF!
Which brings me to my newest dilemma: whether or not to cancel my Rush Medical College (Chicago) interview coming up. I'm pretty sure I won't be going there, but since I already paid for the flight, and I can only get half of my money back (and in airline credit!). I might as well go, and maybe just maybe I will fall in love or something. But at the same time, I will be taking the interview spot from someone who really wants to go there... I guess I have some thinking to do.
Lastly, since I have been home and there is not much to do... I have been channeling all of my excitement into SDN. How much of a loser am I for regularly checking the Davis thread for potential classmates? :P
"Is this ________ _______?"
"Yes this is her"
"Hello, this is Ed ____ calling on behalf of the UC Davis SOM Admissions Committee, and I have some very good news"
"(stomach drops) And what is that?"
"Well, I would like to say congratulations, as the admissions committee is offering you admission"
"(freak out as quietly as possible) OMG Thank you sooooo much! I am so happy! I can't even tell you how excited I am"
"Well, good things come to those who wait"
"Wow... so what do I have to do now?"
"Just say that you accept and that you'll be joining us in the summer"
"I 100% accept!!!!!"
"But you won't be joining us in the summer? hahaha"
"No I will!!!! hahahha"
And boy will I.... After finishing an unmotivated, discouraging quarter a few days prior, this call made me the happiest person in the world. I can't believe that all of my dreams are coming true. I have wanted this and worked toward it my entire life, and it's actually happening! And much sooner than I thought. Now I can relax for the rest of my amazing senior year at UCLA. And to be perfectly honest, I don't even think I need to worry about choosing any other schools that I could potentially get into over Davis because it is a much better school than any of those I haven't heard from yet. So it looks like I am going to Davis come July! I love the school itself, but I'm still not entirely sure how I feel about living so close to home. I mean I love my family, but I love to explore new cities and be totally on my own. Alas, there is always residency for that, I suppose. And by attending Davis vs. out of state schools, I have a much better chance of getting into a dream residency in SF!
Which brings me to my newest dilemma: whether or not to cancel my Rush Medical College (Chicago) interview coming up. I'm pretty sure I won't be going there, but since I already paid for the flight, and I can only get half of my money back (and in airline credit!). I might as well go, and maybe just maybe I will fall in love or something. But at the same time, I will be taking the interview spot from someone who really wants to go there... I guess I have some thinking to do.
Lastly, since I have been home and there is not much to do... I have been channeling all of my excitement into SDN. How much of a loser am I for regularly checking the Davis thread for potential classmates? :P
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