26 September 2005

Grumpy Nurses

Why is it that the nurses at doctor's offices are always terse and snotty? They act like you are interrupting some very delightful social party with some annoying and simplistic task. Isn't taking my blood pressure and temperature their job? Aren't they supposed to be people oriented and focused on making patients comfortable during their visit?
Despite the obnoxious nurse, I really like my Doctor. He's friendly and disarming and not at all stodgy or stand-offish. He got me through my round of preventative vaccinations and dive physical today - I have typhoid and malaria pills, along with a polio booster and the 1st Hep A shots. I already have tetnus, Hep B, menengitus, and TB, so in 6 months I'll need another Hep A and I'm set (the first one will cover me for the trip, the second locks it in for life). Basically, for the next three years (when typhois and tetnus wear off) I'll be immune to practically everything there's a shot for! Yellow fever is the exception, I think.
I also went to the dentist today (yeah, it was a "fun" day) and I have to go back! I don't mind the doctor's office and I don't mind shots and drawing blood and needles and all that, but I really have no love for the dentist. To be fair, he is a very nice dentist, I just don't like the experience of the dentist. Then again, I'm sure I'd like it even less if I needed a root canal or something awful like that (not yet thankfully!).
I'm being pretty productive (I rescued my necklace from the sink today too) and yet it still feels like there's so much to do! I need to get a place in Philadephia, I need to organise the move, pack, find storage, write Chad's rec, change addresses on all my official mail (and unofficial), cancel my gym membership, get travel and dive insurence, figure out travel between Bangkok and Koh Tao, donate to the thrift store, write McKinney, break my lease, pay bills and answer all my email. And that doesn't count all the little things that pop up all the time, but I guess I would really rather be in this (enviable) situation that stuck where I was a month and a half ago.
You know what occurred to me though? While I'm away I'm going to miss pretty much the whole holiday season. I'm going to miss Halloween, Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Years. I'll also miss my Dad's birthday and my parent's anniversary. I'll miss half of winter (my favourite season), Sinta Klas (Dutch holiday) and Guy Fawkes Day (English holiday).
Sometimes I can't believe I'm really doing this - I can't believe it's really me that's just walking away from my life and spending 10 weeks abroad alone and going back to school. I can't believe I'm making what simaltaneously feels like a massive leap and a natural step towards a completely different life and future. One I'm not even sure is right, just not definately wrong. I guess, for me, it's not so much that I need to get to a particular place, I just need to enjoy the journey. There are certain adjectives which need to be true for my life, certain values I hold, and I can't live a life that doesn't employ them. I cannot be unchallenged. I cannot feel there is no progress being made, and I cannot feel stationary. They are not values in the sense that people think of family, integrity, etc. but they are of the utmost importance to me. I cannot and will not live and work in a place that is not dynamic, challenging, and responsive. I will not be an undercapitalised resource. This probably makes very little sense, and may well be poorly articulated, but it's something that causes a physical, passionate response even when I just think about it. Anyway... enough. I must eat and get more done.

25 September 2005

Another night out..

This Friday proved even bigger than last - same bars, but even more alcohol this time. I'm a little fuzzy on some of the details but I know we did shots with the bartender and the next morning I realised I had lost my earrings and sweater. Saturday also proved a big night, though I kept an eye on my alcohol levels. Carrie's friends threw a house party on their freaking amazing roofdeck - it was a blast. Photos, of course, below.
Jackie, Ivan, Joanna, and Jeff came down into the city last night too - so it was great seeing them. Sarah has arrived here for her training too so life has been full of fun social plans! It means I'm getting less done than I should be, but I'll pull it all together somehow.
Flights are booked outta here - I'll be in Japan, then Koh Tao (Thailand) and I'm hoping to make my border run into Malaysia or Burma or something similarly cool :) Oct 23 - Dec 31! I love my life right now, I cannot articulate how stupidly happy I am.
I keep meaning to write something meaningful and then never actually sitting down to pull it together. Ah well, photos will have to do!






Check the photostream (link on the navbar) for more.

17 September 2005

Total Vanity

Had a great night last night with Cara and Eric. We drank, dressed up, went out, and loudly interacted with anyone we could! We took tons of pictures and some came out pretty well - I think I actually look good in some ;) There was a very cute guy that I really hope will call, but then, I think I've probably used up my fair share of good luck lately - my life has been awesome (Penn and Thailand here I come)! So said guy went to MIT - I think I have some kind of radar that finds the other smart, social, dorks in a room. Yay!





06 September 2005

That annoying voice

Despite how much happier I have been of late, there is still that little voice in the back of my head. The one that wonders if I'm doing the right thing or acting on some silly whim. The one that wonders it I can ever be good at anything other than business. The one that wonders if I'm jumping ship too soon. The part of me that is going to miss having an income.
Most of me though, is psyched about starting something new, about challlenge and meaning. And goodness knows I couldn't be more excited about the travel before school starts ;)

Tentative schedule...
Move into storage/registration in Philly... Oct 21
Fly to LA/ Last day of work... Oct 23
Fly to Thailand... Oct 24
Begin scuba internship... Oct 25
Internship ends/Fly back to LA...Dec 26
Fly to Philly/Move into apt... Jan 3
First day of class... Jan 9

Also got a great recommendation for the dive vacation after this one...
Blue Hole, Belize