my 3 week summer

being in medicine has been a whirlwind. part of which meant going through school this summer. on monday i wrote my last exam for my 1st year. Sept. 8th it starts all over again, so tomorrow i'm going on vacation with my mom.

it's been so long since i've hung out with mom just mother and daughter time. I remember she used to come get me from public school to take me out for lunch and once when I was younger we went on our own weekend getaway together. this will be nice to get away, this time while we're both adults and for a whole week.

consequently i'll be away when Lisa moves to Queens this weekend and I won't see her till thanksgiving. her birthday being Sept. 12th, I gave her a birthday gift and sang her happy birthday last night, 19!, wow, i remember everything about when i was 19 and i don't feel any older yet....

we're flying into Sydney, Nova Scotia and renting a car to tour around the island, driving over to P.E.I (i'm really happy to be visiting p.e.i) and possibly checking out Halifax if we have time.

we're also doing it on the cheap: airmiles will provide our transportation (being an avid collector has its perks), a tent and park entrance fees our means for accommodation (other than a one night treat at a highly recommended B&B called Castlerock Inn) and we brought our entertainment (books and a camera, just enough). I'm just hoping for scenic views, somewhere to set up my portable camping chair and a few great hikes. i'm bringing my bathing suit, bike helmet and some spare cash for other opportunities should they present themselves.

my U.K. trip might have fallen through (next summer guys!) but I hear Nova Scotia closely resembles the Scottish highlands. see you in a week Toronto.

the most beautiful book

i just treated myself to the most beautiful book, thank you amazon.ca!

(warning: amazon.ca textbook shopping can be overly tempting to get free shipping by spending more money to reach their $39 quotient). 

its called  "Simple Sewing" and it just hones in a lot of the skills i've been teaching myself, only, giving names to things I didn't know what to call and terminology that makes the task seem way less overwhelming. 

I think making something yourself is the best feeling in the world. it takes a lot to figure out just how to make it look the way you want (thank you samples) and sometimes i have no idea how they do things, like the double lined seam that lines the crotch in my jeans (cue book) but it feels amazing when the product is finished and now hopefully with some more at home instruction, they'll look better too (when they're inside out). 

its nice to get a book that you want to read and at the same time urges you to put it down and get going. i think they call that inspiration. another great part is that countless projects can be made and all be slightly different based on the fabric and textile chosen.  i have a thing for textures. good and bad. they add so much to any space and make every object unique. but certain textures do make me a squeemish (sp?). like some blends of 100% polyester = yeeck. i won't fold them in the laundry or touch them if they're on the roof of my car.

that being said, i look forward to escaping biochemsitry and message therapy studies to make things i feel good about and when I do, I'll happily post them. 

to do:

i like lists, they are my way of procrastinating into the future: 

1. get rid of the parasite that makes simple tasks and being active really uncomfortable

2. put something between my big toe and toes on my right foot to help it heal into the correct position (read: i hurt my toe really bad).

3. study and write 4 exams this week after being given 3 days notice

4. catch up on 10 days of missed class and try to get the school to allow me to make up the missed quizes and study for the quizes happening this week. 

5. find my battery charger so i can download the pictures from my camera so I can better share my Haiti experience with friends and family

6. make a cake and a salad for a party this weekend

7. take my bike in to add some parts so i can ride it to school comfortably and make more efficient use of my time. 

8. take 4 epsom salt baths before thursday for a class assignment. while this may seem wonderful, baths take up a lot of time. time i don't think I have. we'll see.

smile

i am quite possibly one of the happiest people in the world today. its such a great feeling. 

in just over one hour i will write my last exam. i can't even tell you how long these past two weeks have felt, let alone the whole month of april; it seems to have gone by in slow motion.

the sun is shining. the library window i'm sitting next to is level to the courtyard and some other student has just pulled up on his motorcycle and parked it right next to me, i know he's a student because i just saw him studying with other people as i went to get a coffee in the cafe.   students are outside, practicing manip. on each other. i'm sitting here, music in tow, taking in my material - slowly. maybe its just nice because there is little or no pressure. but it's probably a combination of things:there's a certain buzz in the school. i think just being a beautiful spring day makes everything that much better, even studying. plus a lot of people are preparing to take off tomorrow as exams finish today. ecuador, mexico, cuba, san diego, winnipeg, new brunswick, maine and good ol' B.C.. we all have one week off and let me tell you, it will be spent wisely. i'm already beginning to enjoy it. 

people keep asking me if i made the right choice in coming here. i can only say its is worth every penny to be learning what i'm learning and i don't think there is any other way for me. sure its a huge challenge, but isn't that what makes us smarter? or something like that. in someone else's more eloquent words "what lies behind us and what lies before us are tiny matters compared to what lies within us". RWE.

and "we either make ourselves miserable or make ourselves strong. the amount of work is the same." carlos castaneda.