California Dreaming!

This past week I spent in sunny California! As some of you know, I am starting PA school at Stanford in just 2 months. We had orientation this past week, so I has to take a small (ha!) side-trip to California. I felt like a kindergartner on her first day of school: so many unknowns and 50 new smiling faces to meet! Luckily all of my worries subsided the second I met my classmates. They are amazing! We are going to have a great, albeit extremely intense, two years together! It is truly hard to believe that I am going to attend Stanford. While walking on the gorgeous campus, it felt so surreal! If you have never seen the campus, you need to put it on your bucket list. It is absolutely stunning. After two exhausting days of orientation, I spent some time looking around the Palo Alto area for housing. Whew- not as easy as it sounds!! Average rooms rent for $900+/mo + utilities (and that's sharing a house with 4+ other roommates!) I am pretty sure I found one, so cross your fingers it works out!

The quick trip came to a close and before I knew it, I was sitting on a plane headed back to Peru. For the first time since leaving Alaska, today I felt ready to hop on the first plane back home. Why do they call it "homesick?" I feel like "homeache" would be a more appropriate term. I am definitely aching for home. Let's just say today was rough and not my finest: My number one apartment choice fell through, had a horrible experience with a fire hydrant that we won't talk about, and upon arrival into Lima, I found out my luggage is nowhere to be found. That was definitely the icing on the cake. Whew.

Lessons learned today:
1.) Breathe in, breathe out.
2.) Things could always be worse and will always get better.
3.) Nothing replaces a good hug. Any takers?
4.) Most importantly, I am so grateful for the generosity and kindness from my CA family, The Griffins. I love them so very much!

On a positive note, I am very excited to start volunteering on Monday! (That is, if they find my luggage. Haha! Right now I just have one pair of jeans, flip-flops, and a sweatshirt. No scrubs or shoes to wear... But that's easy to replace I suppose!) I'll be working at a hospital in the labor and delivery and neonatology units! It should be a humbling and eye-opening experience! While at orientation this week, a Stanford med student told me his one piece of advice for working in L&D: Never drop the baby. A very wise man. :) If that's all I have to remember while delivering babies, I think I'm set! I hope you all are doing well and know that I'm thinking of you always!!