PA school, check!

I am happy to say that I am officially done with Physician Assistant school at Stanford.   The weight has been lifted, the clouds are parting and the skies have never looked so blue! :)  I never have to be a PA student again!  

Thursday was a great last day.  Our class provided lunch for the staff as a "thank you" for all they did for us throughout our 21 months of torture ;)  

Mmmm  

It's true, we like to eat. 

My favorite professor!!

It is a Stanford PCAP tradition to surprise the staff and underclassman with a funny skit that gently "pokes fun" of the program and our professors.  I almost died laughing. 

It was probably the funniest 20 minutes in Stanford History.

 Best part?  When "Dr. Berry" entered to give the first lecture...

Introducing "Dr. Berry" 

It was a great way to finish our career at Stanford.  

Love these people!  I'll miss their faces every day!

It was surprisingly easy to leave on my last day! haha  Don't get me wrong, I will miss my classmates more than anything in the world, but I won't miss the stress, anxiety, or sleep deprivation for one second.  The good news is that I get to see all of my friends in just one month at graduation!  

I can't believe I survived the last 21 months.  It may sound like a great exaggeration, but it truly was the hardest thing I've ever done in my life.  Ask me to run marathons any day... but PA school?  No joke.  Every moment of stress and frustration brought me to this day, so I guess I can say that I am grateful for the challenges. 

There are lots of big events happening in the next month:

Board Exams, Boston (mid-April) where I may or may not run the marathon (long story, will explain later), San Diego for Becca's wedding, back to San Fran, GRADUATION (May 4th!), and 10 days of travel through Sonoma and Northern Cali with that Alaskan guy I married and haven't seen in 4 months :).  The best is yet to come!

Can't wait to see what the future holds!

And that's a wrap!

Never again will I have to do a Stanford final.  Ever. EVER!  It hasn't quite hit me that I am completely done with Stanford testing, but maybe after tomorrow (our last day) I'll feel more excited!  I wish I could say that the last 2 years flew by and that PA school wasn't as bad as I thought it would be.... but I really can't haha!  It was a long and bumpy road, but I am so grateful to have done it and to have learned so much along the way.  The best part was all the amazing friends I made.  You can't trade that for anything!

 CHEERS! I don't I've ever done a shot in my life!
Luckily there was Bailey's involved so it was pretty tasty.

Yesterday after my practicum (80 minute proctored exam with a live patient who had every sickness under the sun), I decided the perfect celebration would be a run on campus.  Stanford is the most amazing campus I've ever seen and there are unlimited bike/running paths at my disposal.  My favorite run goes from the Stanford Medical Center to The Dish, a gated Habitat Conservation that overlooks Stanford and the San Francisco Peninsula.

The Dish!

It is literally all hills.

 Just when you think you've reached the top, you have another hill to climb.

But when you're done, you feel on top of the world.  And you have an amazing view of campus.

It's pretty much a symbol of my life at Stanford.  Just when you think you're done... you have another rotation, exam, or paper to write! I am so relieved to be at this moment!

Last night we did what any AWESOME class would do and hit up the streets of Palo Alto.  Almost the entire class showed up so we had a great time celebrating!

The entire gang!  PCAP Class of 2013!!

Love this girl.

The boys! (Minus Eric)

The class "Diva" :)

Such great friends!

Our main professor even joined us in the festivities!

Dr. Berry and I!

The night ended with Kareoke and dancing.  And lots of "I love you guys."  (as clearly documented from our group huddle and singing in the picture below, haha!)

We are the champions.

So what's on the agenda now?  Well... it's time to hit the books again.  Until I get my certification, I can't practice as a PA, so I have to keep up my discipline for just a while longer!  When I take it and pass, then I will be able to breathe a sigh of relief!

Let's hope my board exams are like this.

Here are the first 5 things I want to do for fun when I am done:
1.) Build a huge bonfire with all my PA school notes and tests. Okay, maybe not... I want to see Jake.   Spend time laughing at his silly jokes and sweet dance moves.  Talk face-to-face instead of over the phone.  Roam the aisles of Costco together and get free samples (hey, it's the small things!).  Just be married.  :)

2.) Go to a coffee shop with a friend to TALK. There will be no school books, laptops, papers to write, or board review allowed.

3.) Stay in my pajamas all day.  Sleep past 7am, lay in bed for an hour reading for PLEASURE, get up, drink a leisurely cup of coffee, and lay on the couch watching all the shows I've missed out on.   According to Ashley who I currently live with, that includes Bad Girls Club, Downton Abbey and some Vampire/Zombie shows that I can't remember the names of. (Okay, let's be serious, this will never happen.  I'm too ADD to sit on the couch all day, but it's a nice thought).

4.) Cook an elaborate dinner and enjoy every bite of it. (And by elaborate, I mean something more than my usual trader joe's salad or bowl of cereal.  Like THIS Runner's World Recipe )

5.) Four words:
Play
With
My
Puppy.
(Who is due this week, FYI!)

Best Morning Ever!

I got to meet the greatest girl ever today.  The Hungry Runner Girl, aka Janae Jacobs, has been an inspiration to me for the past 9 months or so since I started reading her blog HERE.  If you haven't read her blog, as soon as you read it you will probably forget mine exists and fall in love with hers.  Just don't forget about me, okay? :) She has the cutest little daughter, Brooke, and an amazing husband named Billy.  She and irunlikeagirl arranged a running meet-up in Palo Alto and I decided I would come and meet her!

Love the Hungry Runner Girl!

It was a great run with new friends followed by a delicious breakfast at Joanie's Cafe.  It was exactly what I needed after a long week of finals and studying.

Excuse my squinty-ness.
Apparently they sell these things that provide eye protection- I should probably look into that.

It took me approximately 20 minutes to decide on the perfect omelette combo. Decision: Omelette with mushrooms, spinach, onions, and ARTICHOKE HEARTS. Side of Sourdough bread = heaven.

Mmmmm

If you look closely in this picture, little Brooke has on Nike running shorts and matching shoes.  This outfit alone is enough of a reason for me to have kids.  A mini-running buddy?  Yes, please!

So adorable!

Brooke decided to take pictures of herself with my iPhone!

After getting home and much procrastination, I started practicing practicum skills so that Tuesday goes smoothly!  Anyone want to come over and be my practice patient?  I'll pay you with Starburst Jelly Beans!  And if you're especially good patient, you may even get some Cadbury Mini Eggs.  (Does anyone else have a huge weakness for those?!) 

Speaking of Cadbury Mini Eggs, I found this recipe online... I will be making those this week.  

Oatmeal Cookies with Cadbury Mini Eggs

Last random but VERY exciting news of the day... I got my graduation gown, cap, and stole this week!  It's finally starting to feel real that I will be graduating in just 6 weeks from TODAY!

Pretty neat Stanford Tradition!

 Have an AMAZING weekend!

Final FINALS!

I'd tell you the last weeks have been busy, but I think you can probably gather that since I haven't written since the 14th.  Being back with my classmates for the final time has been amazing.  Despite the stressful testing around us, there has been lots of laughs, a few tears, and fun times all around.  Of course, like any awesome class would do, we had a potluck brunch which revealed how perfect of role models we are as PA's to our future patients.

20 different boxes of donuts... what did you say? Diabetes? Hm....

Love this girl!

Mimosas anyone?

Last Tuesday we began our last finals of PA school.  I survived Tuesday's tests and actually did better than I anticipated.  Wednesday... was rough.  We had a five-hour cumulative final that covered everything since day ONE on June 19, 2011.  I left feeling defeated, exhausted and overwhelmed that I still have so much to learn before board exams.  I found out later that night that I passed (wahoo!) so the only thing standing between me and graduation is a practicum on Tuesday (live patient with proctor watching my every move and analyzing how I interact with the patient).  Almost. There.

I wish I could say that after Tuesday I will be done, but the reality is that I still have a lot of studying to do for my national board exam.  That doesn't mean that we won't be celebrating on Tuesday though!  Our entire class will be hitting up the streets of Downtown Palo Alto.  Look out, it could get crazy!  :)

My last long run was the 17 miler... I've been fighting low-back and hamstring issues since being back in class (sitting for 10 hours per day wasn't helping!).  But I'm back on track and just going to take it relatively easy until Boston.  Who knows how the race will go, but I'm going to give it a shot!  

That's all for now, folks.  Can't wait to share all of my random stories and updates when I've recovered from the longest 22 month-long journey in history.  

Here are some pictures of the gorgeous Stanford campus!

Life Slips Away...

"We often take for granted the very things that most deserve our gratitude." - Cynthia Ozick. 

Life is just not fair sometimes. My close friend's mom passed away yesterday from cancer. She had been doing well and was in remission, but metastasis were found and she quickly passed on. It's such a shock to hear that someone so special was taken away from this earth so early. She was the mom that would help you rearrange all the furniture to set up a fort in the living room, give you a huge goodnight hug at sleepovers, and bring us homemade Popsicles on a balmy (60 degree) Alaskan summer day. She was a great mom and wife and she will be forever missed. So take a moment and call your parents, family, and friends and tell them just how much they mean to you. No excuses. And if you can, say a prayer for my friend and her dad.

On a lighter note, yesterday was my favorite girl, Ashley's birthday. It was a nice little break from the never-ending affair with my textbooks to come home and drink a glass of wine while enjoying a delicious dinner. The Griffins are the relatives of Nick and Tina, our close Alaskan friends. We met at Nick and Tina's wedding in 2010 and at the time I was applying to Stanford. We hit it off right away and they told me to call if I got in and they'd show me around! Well... I got an interview and they were generous enough to let me stay here. It's been instant love ever since. Every day coming home brings a smile to my face and I'm greeted with a hug (and 9 times out of 10, a glass of wine.)  I can't even begin to describe how grateful I am for them.

Very intense birthday conversation :)

YUM.  

I'm hanging on for dear life in our first week back at Stanford. I will NEVER EVER miss these 4-5 hour sleep nights, being in class for 8 hours just to go study for 5 more, and having finals/stress-induced palpitations all day long.  All day I feel like a sponge submerged in an overflowing tub & trying to absorb just one more drop of water. How much more info can the brain really hold? :) My favorite quote abut PA school is, "PA school is like trying to sip water from a fire hydrant." Oh well... just 13 more days until I'm free.  Lucky thirteen!

Gotta love the Stanford Campus.  Beautiful!

On Top of The World

New. Favorite. Song. Makes me want to jump and sing from the rooftops about being on top of the world (aka almost done with grad school).  Love, love, love.  I listened to every song written by the Imagine Dragons today and am officially hooked. Listen to it, you won't be disappointed!

This morning I did 17 wonderfully long miles.  It felt great until mile 14 when my silly sciatic nerve flared up again.  I finished the run, but I was definitely feeling it all day today.  Operation "rest, ice, NSAIDS, and stretch" was in full force today.  I'm feeling good now, so hopefully it was a big "nothing" and I'll be back feeling normal again in no time!  It's been a very risky task increasing my mileage so quickly in order to prepare for Boston. I've been very cautious and hypersensitive to any aches/pains.  I'm finding that the key to avoiding injury is being proactive and taking time off when something feels "different." A day or two off (or even a week) is better than 6 months off!  

I spent my entire day in my sweatpants, lying on my bed studying/writing papers.  The perfect Saturday. The night was complete when this was delivered to my room...

Room Service! And no... I didn't drink the whole bottle.
I was just taking a pic of the label so Jake and I can visit the winery after Graduation! 

Have I mentioned I love staying with the Griffins?  They're the best!  

Tomorrow is my last day of "freedom" before the 3 week-long torturous testing schedule begins. To celebrate, I plan to study from dawn until dusk! At least I can take comfort in knowing that in ONE month I will be done with PA school (and board exams!) and will never have to study like this again!! :)

Huge News!!

Huge.  Life-changing.  Are you ready?

Jake and I are having... a PUPPY!  (My mom was sorely disappointed when I didn't finish that sentence with the B-word.  I reminded her that is is generally advisable to be living with your husband for that to happen!).

Ever since my first true love, Mindy, passed away a year and a half ago, I've been missing my furry friend.

Cutest puppy in the entire world.

I miss this sweet face!

19.5 years with Mindy!

Since grad school was not exactly the best time to get a puppy, I decided that after graduation would be a perfect time to add a new pal to the mix.  Jake was, well... not so enthralled with the idea.  It took a lot of convincing, but ultimately it was a matter of fairness.  If Jake gets to have dead animals (from hunting) in the house, I get live ones.  Only fair.

I knew it would have to be a non-shedding, "hypoallergenic" dog since I'm allergic to most shedding dogs.  Ideally, it would be a running dog, and on the small side to fit in our cozy house.  Well, except for the running dog part, I found the perfect fit!

Meet the Cavapoo (Cavalier Spaniel and Poodle mix).

Why yes, they are the cutest dogs in the world.  I found a breeder in Cali that is due with puppies at the end of March, so he/she will be ready to go home in May when I'm done with school!  It should be a white/red mix, and grow to be anywhere from 10-20 pounds.  

Here is a little about the Cavapoo (from the breeder's website):

Cavapoo

The Cavapoo possess all the sweetness of the Cavalier King Charles Spaniel with the intelligence and hypoallergenic benefits of the poodle. They are compact, small to medium in size, and possess a round, expressive face. They are typically well-proportioned, agile, and sturdy. The Cavapoo is affectionate, loyal, and friendly. They are good-natured, playful, and social. They do well with children, dogs, and non-canine pets. Cavapoo's will bark to announce visitors and out of the ordinary sounds. They are very family oriented and do well if ignored or left alone for extended periods of time. 

I am beyond excited and can't wait to see the puppies when they're born and pick out ours! I have a feeling my blog may become the travel.run.live.love-my-puppy blog!  Since this dog probably won't be a running dog, I'll just have to get a second dog.  You may think I'm kidding, but I'm 100% serious. :) 

Feel free to leave boy or girl name suggestions... we're open to ideas!

Last goodbye...

On my last morning in San Diego, I did what any normal person would do.

Ran at Torrey Pines with my all-time fave training buddy, Dennis.

Does it get any better than this?

Took pictures of my apartment while holding back tears.

Stalled even longer by taking pictures of my apartment complex.

Finally convinced myself that I had to leave... so I packed up my car and made it 3 miles before needing to stop for one last amazing coffee and muffin from my favorite coffee shop, Pannikin.  Wouldn't you do the same?

Katherine, this gluten-free chocolate chip muffin would bring tears to your eyes.  (My BFF, Katherine has celiac disease. I can eat gluten, but this one tastes WAY better than the regular.  I like to think I'm eating it in her honor.) Of all the things I will miss from San Diego, this muffin comes out at the top of the list.

It was a looonnngggggg drive, but other than tears for the first 1/2 hour of the drive (and again 2 hours later), it was uneventful and without problems!  It was after that when I realized I would be arriving to my all-time favorite home-away-from-home, Casa de Griffins.  Knowing I will be staying with them for the next 2 months until graduation made leaving SD a lot easier!  I cannot even begin to tell you how wonderful these people are.  LOVE them.  They told me yesterday that I will not be allowed to leave for Alaska, so we'll see who wins the Brittany custody battle: Jake vs. Griffins.  :)

Ashley is the cutest.

I have 5 days before my rigorous schedule begins again at Stanford with classes, finals, presentations, and practicums.  I will be studying my little behind off for the next month straight, so wish me good luck.  I will apologize in advance if you don't hear from me for a while.  Life is about to get crazy...