Coming Up For Air

     Hello, Hello! I am sorry that it's been seriously a hot minute since I've posted anything, but school got a tad hectic. We just ended a 6-week exam stretch last week (we had an exam every monday for six weeks...), so I've been crazy busy. But I still wanted to check in.

     When I was thinking about how I would describe the past couple months of med school, the first thing that came to mind was swimming. You start off on the shore where the water seems inviting and you know you know how to swim, so you dive right in. You soon realize that the water is pretty deep and the waves are crashing pretty hard. Sometimes, they crash a little too hard leaving you gasping for air. And if you've been swimming for a while, your muscles start to ache with the weight of the water enveloping your body. The depth of the water below you making it even harder to stay afloat. But, you've been pushed away from the shore and you don't quite know how you're going to get back, and all you know is that you have to just have to keep swimming. So despite everything, you keep going. And when you finally make it back to shore, out of breath and knowing that you just conquered what you thought was impossible, the rush that comes over you is electric.

     The past couple months have been a combination of days where I felt that I didn't know how I would make it back to shore and many days where swimming felt comfortable and I was just happy to be in the water. And that's the crazy thing about medical school. There are days that you feel that you don't have what it takes and others that you know you are in the exact right place. What keeps you going is knowing that even on the bad days you are working towards what you love to do and telling yourself that you know how to swim, so why are you going to let the water scare you?

     When I started out the semester, I expected a challenge and although I had some trying moments, it wasn't as bad as I expected. The consectutive exams kept me busy, but I am pretty good about making time for myself, so I did have some fun thrown into the mix. But it's crazy to see how much I've changed since I first jumped in and now have made it back to shore. I'll probably talk about it a bit more when I do a recap for the end of M1 year (I can't believe that'll be in a couple weeks!), but for the most part I feel that this semester has shown me just how much I am capable of.

     Again, I'm sorry I've been absent for so long, but summer is upon us, so I'll have more time to write about some of the things that have been on my mind as I've been going through the year.  Overall, I'm very happy at the moment and just gearing up for the end of the semester. We're about to have a five-exam stretch to finish off the year, but knowing that summer is at the end of it, will make it all the more bearable. 

I hope you are having a great week and I'll talk to you soon!

-Genesis<3

December Monthly Recap 2016

     I apologize for getting this up a bit late but as you can imagine, the end of the year quickly transitioned into the beginning of the new semester and that has kept me preoccupied for the first week of the year. As I mentioned in last month's recap, December was supposed to be pretty tame. The end of our semester consisted of only two exams and then we finally got three (well deserved) weeks of break. I spent most of the month catching up with the people I hadn't had a chance to spend time with as well as doing things that I had put to the side during the semester. Overall, I felt the month provided the R&R that I will be needing in order to make it through the beast that is second semester (We'll touch more on that later) and provided all the fun and excitement that is expected of the holiday season.

Some of My Favorite Moments

    

 Literally, one of the very first things that I did once I had hit submit on that last exam was meet up with my best friend Elida for some girl time. We spent the day catching up and visiting our alma mater and I cannot begin to tell you how amazing that was. I hadn't been back where I went to undergrad since I had last gone to visit G right before she graduated. Walking around the places that shaped me into the med student that I currently am felt all sorts of amazing and being able to experience that with my best friend just made it even more special.

    

Our favorite burger place was all decked out for Christmas, so I obviously had to get a pic:)

     Later the same night, We celebrated one of our med school friend's birthday and the beginning of winter break. My med school crew went out for a classic girls night of dancing and of course, that is always a blast. I'm very content with our little friend group and I was so happy that we had a chance to celebrate how hard we worked this semester before everyone went off to start their own winter breaks.

My "doctorbread" cookies <3

     As I had a surplus of time, I spent some of it making Christmas cookies. I made three different recipes, but I was super excited about these gingerbread cookies. I had been wanting to make homemade gingerbread cookies for a while now, and the recipe that I found was amazing. From the picture above, I'm sure you can tell that I am obviously very artistic (lol) Not really, but when you're a med student you turn everything medical so I couldn't help giving the cookies a little stethoscope! I made a bunch of cookies and gave them out to friends and obviously ate quite a few myself, hence why January will be filled with many visits to the gym.

Chicago Squad Friendsmas Outing 2016

Maybe one day I'll be tall enough to be the princess</3

     One of my favorite Chicago traditions is the Christkindlmarket that is put up every year in the Daley plaza. Growing up we used to come to look at the cute shops and lights but now as adults, everyone makes sure to come for the Gluhwein (German mulled wine). Every year, people line up for a mug and every year they change the style of the mug which I think is a super cute detail. The market has tons of little shops selling treats and homemade goods. It's always fun to go and have a look around.  This year, I happened to go with two different friend groups this year. For the Chicago Squad, it was only a part of our Holiday celebration. The other half was hanging out at Meg's for wine and gingerbread house decorating as well as a trip to Macy's (R.I.P Marshall Field's) to check out the holiday window displays. 

Our annual Pj Pic

My uncle plays the role of Santa and announces presents

     Christmas came up really quick, but I was really glad that I had time to celebrate it with my family. I was raised in a Nicaraguan household, so we actually celebrate on the 24th. We gather with family, have a nice dinner, open gifts at midnight, and just enjoy each other's company. I feel really blessed that I have the chance to spend Christmas with people that I love so that in itself was an amazing gift.

   

  Finally, I got to celebrate the end of the month by closing out the year with my girls. We had such a great time singing and dancing our hearts out at one of our favorite dueling pianos bar, and I don't think I could've picked a better way to spend it New Year's Eve than with this wonderful group of ladies.  We started the evening collecting our NYE squad at Meg's place (We had a couple different friend groups join in) and then headed out. The four of us also met the next day for our Sunday Family Dinner. Recapping the previous night's events was all sorts of hilarious, but what I loved most was spending the first day of the year with these amazing group of girls. This past year has really built up our friendship in so many ways and knowing that I have such a solid crew makes medical school all the more bearable. So, if you guys are reading this (which I know you are lol), I just want to say thank you for making the past year so amazing and that I love you guys very much <3

Looking Forward

     Not going to lie, the end of the Holiday season was definitely bittersweet as I knew that soon enough after coming back to school, we'll be in full force. I know this semester will be rather busy, but I am excited to continue learning. Sometimes I'm still in awe at the fact that I even get to do any of this, and I think I should spend more time recognizing how lucky I am. I've also made it a goal to change my mindset from thinking about the things that I "have to do" to recognizing them as things that I "get to do." I heard that from one of my favorite bloggers Laura Lacquer and I thought it was brilliant. Not everyone gets the opportunity to become a doctor, so I shall keep that in my mind as I trudge through the class work I have to do this week.

    

     I hope you guys had a wonderful holiday season and I can't wait to show you guys what goes on this next month!

~ Genesis<3

May Recap 2016

   Oh boy, May has definitely thrown me for a loop because it picked up speed like no other. The month started out strong, but as the beginning of SPP got closer, the month flew by. I spent most of the month enjoying my last moments of infinite free time and preparing to take on my classes. So, let's get into what I've been up to!

Week One

   

  The first week of May was pretty relaxed for me. The only major thing that I happened to do was  taking a Thursday hiking trip down to Matthiessen State Park. If you are familiar with the Starved Rock area, these trails are just down the street from Starved Rock. I have been to both, and I think Matthiessen might be my favorite. The main feature of the park is the "trail" in the park's central canyon. It's not fully a trail because most of getting through the canyon involves hopping over rocks and trying not to fall into the creek. The adrenaline of trying to figure out how to make it from one rock to another without getting wet was invigorating and just being able to "get lost in the woods" was such a great change from my everyday routine. If you haven't been able to tell, I really love being in nature, and I was so happy that I could spend the day taking all the natural beauty in. The rest of the weekend I just spent at home. I knew the next couple of weekends would be busy ones for me, so I wanted to spend some time enjoying being at home before heading off to the city. I went out to dinner with my family to celebrate an early mother's day. We had sushi at one of our favorite places, checked out this new dessert place that I've been dying to try, and also a new brewery. My parents are on the younger side, so it's actually not that weird to go out with them for drinks. Craft beer is kind of our thing and we are always testing new places in the Chicagoland area. 

The park map

The stairs down to the trail. These were a pain on the hike back

One of my favorite pics of the trip. These were the stairs to get into the canyon trail.

I had to hop over many rocks to get this pic. It was definitely worth it.

Adding our mark to the rock pile in the canyon.

The path on the upper portion of the trails. They were also breathtaking.

Dessert at Snow Dragon Shavery! I had milk tea shaved ice.

Celebrating Mother's Day with my gorgeous Mama.

Week Two

     Week two was my last week of work before starting my summer program, and it was very bittersweet. Of course, I was thrilled to be moving on to the next chapter in my life, but I was sad that I had to leave the wonderful group of people that have made work feel like home for the past year. We spent the weekend celebrating together. Friday, they threw me a "good-bye" dinner. It was so sweet and I was so happy to have so much support in pursuing my medical school dreams from this amazing group of people. They kept telling me how proud they were of me, and you better believe it was hard not to get teary-eyed. The next morning, I joined Crystal and our other friend/co-worker Shay for a hike at one of our favorite spots. Then later in the day, I went over to Crystal's for a party because she was celebrating her birthday. We all had a blast dancing and just being silly. Aside from work, I took an impromptu trip to Indianapolis at the beginning of the week with my Cousin. He's moving there and I went along to help him look for an apartment. I had never been to Indy, so it was nice to see what it was like.

Saw this and had to take a picture. "Do it for the blog" has become my motto.

We gave a shout out to the B-day girl at dinner.

With Shay and Crystal!

My home squad<3

We were dying. Our manager, Nora, is the one in front and she's a riot.

Week Three

     Week three was prep week. I spent most of the week relaxing at home and getting myself ready to move into my dorm on Saturday. I also spent my last couple days at home packing and spending time with my family. I had a sleepover on Thursday with Elida, so that we could watch the Grey's season finale (Who's excited about next season?!?) and also spend some quality time. Once I moved in Saturday, I spent the rest of the weekend hanging out with my roommate so that we could get to know one another. Saturday, we checked out the area around the school and were so glad that we found the best place to get milkshakes. Sunday, we walked around the touristy parts of Chicago. We grabbed brunch, checked out the Chicago Riverwalk (I hadn't had the chance to check it out, so I was happy to do that), and just enjoyed the beautiful weather. So far, we've been getting along wonderfully and I am so glad that I lucked out in the roomie department. Sadly, she's going to one of our other campuses, so I won't be able to room with her past the summer, but I can already tell we will be having a great time (or as much of a great time as we can have).

Loved this adorable mug from Elida's kitchen.

Elida's mom makes the best Mexican breakfast.

Brunch at Yolk in Chicago.

The view of the Chicago River from the riverwalk.

Week Four

     I think of week four as reality week, because it had me thinking, "What did I get myself into?". Coming into this program was definitely a drastic change compared to what I had been up to the previous year. Our days are pretty packed with classes and when we aren't in class, we try to get studying in at home. It's taking some getting used to, but reminding myself that this is what I wanted is what helps me get through it. It's crazy because I've been dreaming of becoming a doctor for a while and now it's here in my grasp. We keep hearing "When you're an M1"and I still can't believe that'll be me this fall. Our week was very school oriented, but we tried to have fun on the weekend. Friday, Emily and I went out for dinner before heading to study for a couple hours. Then Saturday, we met her sister for drinks, before I went off to attend the Beyonce concert with Megan. Beyonce was absolutely incredible and I had such a great time dancing and singing with my bestie. Sunday, I grabbed brunch with my family before coming home to grab a couple things that I was missing at the dorm as well as spend some time with them before things get very hectic. 

Emily and me looking less than enthused about our 7- hour orientation.

Our delicious BBQ dinner on Friday.

Before Beyonce, we grabbed dinner at this adorable nautical-themed restaurant. I was loving the decor. 

Before Beyonce!

So thankful I got to share this experience with this gorgeous human being. #girlswhowillruntheworld

Queen B. The show was incredible.

Honestly, one of the best brunch places I've tried. I had lemon poppyseed waffles topped with a blueberry compote. 

Looking Forward

     I know the month ahead is going to be a challenging one, but I am going to do my best to kick butt. We have an exam every Monday starting June 6th. I am so excited that I am getting a taste of medical school because it has only reaffirmed that I am doing what I should be doing, but it has also shown me that I'm going to work my butt off for this. Thankfully, I am up for the challenge. Also, each month I keep getting closer to officially becoming an M1 (two more months!!)! I am excited to share all the things I'll be doing during this program and I hope that I can keep up with it all. Also, If I happen to miss a post, I greatly apologize in advance. I will be trying to do my best to keep that from happening, but I am merely human:)

I hope you guys had a great month and I can't wait to share what I've been up to next month!

~Genesis<3

The End Of The Gap Year

     If you've been following me, you know that I wrote about being half-way through my gap year back in December (You can find the post here). Now, that I will be starting my summer program with my medical school next week, I thought it would be the perfect time to summarize how the remainder of my gap year was and what else is coming for me.

     The past couple months have definitely been filled with a lot of growth and excitement (I'm sure you've been able to witness some of this in my monthly recap posts) and as the year has progressed, I've realized how good this year has been for me. When I made the decision to take a gap year, I didn't know what to expect. I had some tentative plans and I just hoped for the best. Honestly, I was a bit scared how I was going to justify this past year if I didn't make it a spectacular experience, but then I heard a really great piece of advice from a 4th-year medical student on Second Look Day. The topic didn't have to do with gap years, but with your summer between M1 and M2 year. You have the option to do a multitude of things during that summer, but if you decided to do nothing, that's okay. She said that if you are asked about why you spent your summer that way, you simply respond that you used the summer to take care of yourself and to regroup after your first year of medical school. When she said that, it really clicked with me because when I look back on it, that is exactly what I did this past year. 

     During undergrad, life had thrown me a couple curveballs and honestly, I never had the chance to regroup because I was constantly moving on to the next thing. I floated from school year to school year, graduation, a medical assistant program, and then finally, life slowed down to a steady pace. I was so glad I could finally catch my breath, but then I felt a bit guilty about it. When medical assisting didn't pan out for me, I felt like my year wasn't being put to good use. I had taken this gap year in order to put me in a good position for medical school and here I was wasting it. But, I was wrong. These past months might not have been filled with building my medical student resume, but they've been filled with building myself as a person. I have had the chance to catch up with old friends, make new friends, and prepare myself for everything that comes next for me.  I am so thankful that I've had the liberty to live life more freely and to not have had a hectic schedule for once. The next four years will be filled with plenty of that. I found out new things that I really enjoy and I was also able to start this blog which is something that I had put on hold for years. In my mind, I have built a solid foundation that I can now use as I go on to the nitty gritty of my journey.

     Next on my journey, I will be spending the next six weeks doing a summer pre-matriculation program (SPP). The program will give us an overview of the classes that we will be taking our first year of medical school (Biochemistry, Gross Anatomy, Histology, and Physiology) and will also allow us to build connections with some of our classmates. The really cool part is that I will be living on campus, so I'll have the opportunity to get to know the campus before I actually start medical school. Also, It'll be really nice to be able to see how classes will be structured, so that come August, I can hit the ground running. Was this program originally a part of my plan? No, but I am excited to see what comes of it. I'm also super excited to be getting a taste of being a medical student. The past couple years I've been dreaming of having the chance to study medicine, and now my chance is here. It feels surreal. For the blog, I'm hoping that now that I will be doing more medical related things, I will have more to post, but I am also not sure what my schedule will be like. I intend to try my hardest to keep my Tuesday/Thursday post days, but if not, I'll at least try to do one day a week. I also want to get into vlogging for my YouTube channel. I want to be able to share my journey as a medical student and I think vlogs will allow me to show you a bit more into my life as a student.

     To summarize my experience, I want to explain why I chose the picture above. This past year, I've really come to enjoy hiking and my most recent trip with Elida was definitely one of my favorites. We spent part of our trip navigating through a canyon and a majority of the "trail" involved hopping over rocks to get to across. There were many times that I didn't know if I was going to make it over to the next rock without falling into the creek and the adrenaline made it super exciting. If I had fallen, the worst that could happen was that I would get soaked, as the water wasn't that deep, but preventing that from happening just made it all the more fun and challenging. At some points in the trail, we were forced to think of ways to get across because we had just struggled to get to where we were standing and going back was not an option. It was a bit funny because I pointed out to Elida that this trip was a metaphor for life and in particular my journey as a medical student. I've done a lot to get myself to this point in my life. Turning back isn't an option and although the path ahead might not exactly be clear,  I just need to take a moment and it'll come to me. Likewise, you might not know what to expect from life, but don't let the fear of uncertainty ever stop you.

     I hope you are having a great start to your week and I will be talking to you soon!

~Genesis<3