No Description

Exciting pictures from Easter at home!

 Springtime?

Too much time on my hands.

Sunday Project

Today, since I'm in Minnesota and am determined to take a real break before studying for boards, I decided to do a little project.  I picked this up yesterday, when we stopped at Ingebretson's in Minneapolis on the way home to Rochester.  So many delightful Scandinavian projects!  This one seemed perfect for my time at home.

 The Knitted Nisse.  According to Wikipedia (which we all know is more than sufficient for most needs), a nisse is a household spirit.  He is commonly a small, elderly looking man with immense powers to protect the farmer, his family, and his property.

What will I do with my nisse?  Maybe he will watch over me when I begin studying in earnest.

Quick Jaunt to Minnesota

During my weekend in Minnesota, my favorite quote by far was the following:  "It's only getting down to 10 degrees tonight.  We don't need coats!"  Take that, whiny New Yorkers!

New License Plate

I'm upset.  My car had to get a new license plate.  The good news is that I'm keeping it registered in Minnesota, so there's no need for an icky New York plate.  The bad news is that I LOVED MY OLD PLATE.  It was perfect -- kind of my initials, plus lots of my favorite number (which is, of course, 8).  Now it's just lame.

 Really lame.

I guess I should be thankful for my cool new decoration.

Skit Night

I know I kind of fell off the face of the planet in the past few weeks.  Sorry about that.  In the meantime, classes have gotten tougher, sleep has diminished, and we've had this little thing that we call Skit Night here at Einstein.  I can almost guarantee that every med school has its own version of Skit Night, a night where students show funny videos, dances, songs, etc. that they've created to parody our lives as medical students.  This year, I was featured in three short "commercials" between some of the longer skits.  Here they are.

Hats Are Made for Your Head

...for when it is cold outside, to keep you warm instead!  We sang that song in elementary school - fifth grade, maybe?  I can't remember the rest of the lyrics.  Why is it relevant?

For this year's new year celebration, seven of us rented a house in Whalan, MN, for two nights.  (As an aside, we increased the town's population by approximately 12% for those two nights.)  The Cyclin-Inn was very homey and had everything we needed, as well as some things that we didn't necessarily need, but ended up loving:

Hats.

Charming New Yorkers

The title is sarcastic.  Kind of.  All week, I did a very brave (or perhaps foolish?) thing: I wore my Twins gear (hats, shirts, jerseys - anything and everything).  Normally, no one looks twice if you wear sports-affiliated clothing. In Minnesota, it's likely no one would even notice, much less care, if you wore an out-of-state team's jersey.  Not so in the Bronx.  On any given day, wearing non-New York baseball apparel will get you some strange looks.  Not necessarily hostile, but certainly quizzical, at the very least.  To New Yorkers, it's incomprehensible that anyone would care about any team except their own.  During playoffs, though, it changed.  I was wearing the enemy's colors.  I became a target.  Acquaintances asked me if I was following the games.  Friends cheered in solidarity or enmity.  Security guards bantered and heckled.  Strangers on the street, who normally never even look at your face, squinted and stared me down.

A little bit of team spirit at the bar

I was nervous - I wanted the Twins to do well.  Elena and I bravely ventured to a Bronx Applebee's to watch Game 1, wearing our Twins shirts and cheering loudly and enthusiastically.  The Yankees fans heckled us (yes, even at an Applebee's), but they were nervous.  And then it all fell apart.  As soon as the game was done, we scurried out as quickly as we could, still able to hear the raucous celebration inside.

In the hall of giants 

On Saturday, with little hope for a win, much less an ALDS title, I still proudly donned my red shirt, jersey, and cap.  The subway was my first interaction with the enemy game-goers.  Typical New York sass, but I was prepared.  Strategy?  Show them exactly what "Minnesota nice" means.  Respond with a smile, a laugh, and a refusal to be flustered by their banter.

 My second post-season Twins/Yankees match-up.  Can I hope for a third?

At the game, there were comments.  LOTS of comments.  Whenever we saw any other Twins fans, we'd shout and cheer and give high-fives.  Did the 49,500 Yankees fans feel threatened by the 500 Twins fans?  You'd think so, given their insecurity that necessitated their booing us everywhere we went.  When we walked up to our seats (one row from the very top), we heard comments such as, "Twins fans?!"  "BOOO!" and, "Go home!"  We laughed it off.

Unfortunately, the game did not go well - not at all.  It wasn't even close.  By the 8th inning, most Twins fans had already left, but we were staying until the very end.  At that point, the guy sitting next to us (who had first been obnoxious but gradually just turned into a goofball who was actually quite funny) decided it would be fun to alert the entire section that we were still there.  "HEY!  We've got TWINS fans up here!" he yelled, loudly.  The entire section turned around, pointed, booed, and started chanting, "Asshole!  Asshole!  Asshole!" at us.  We raised our arms, laughed, and cheered as loudly as we could for Minnesota.  Obviously, they didn't win, but we still made the best of the experience, enjoyed being at the ballpark, and began hoping for better luck next year.

Fans no matter what.

Apples

Last year was the first year in...I actually have no idea how long...that I was not able to go apple picking.  It's one of the best parts about the fall, so I decided that I could not go two consecutive years without a visit to the orchard.  Luckily, I have friends who agree despite another exam coming up tomorrow.  We headed to Jersey (exciting, I know) to check out the offerings of Demarest Farms.

The offerings were good.

Despite my extensive apple-picking experience in Minnesota, I had to say I felt a bit at a loss in New Jersey.  The apple varieties aren't the same.  I didn't find any of my favorites, and I had to figure out on my own (by eating lots of apples) which ones were better for eating vs. baking.  (Clearly, life is tough when you don't have the familiar Chestnut Crabs, Honeycrisp, Haralson, Wealthy, Fireside, Zestar...I could keep going, but you get the point.)  Plus, apples like Red Delicious and Fuji just aren't that exciting.  I can find those in the store.  Nevertheless, we found some good varieties, deciding that Empire and Liberty were our favorites (plus they have cool names).

We also had size contests.  I found the biggest apple.  Ferdinand found the smallest.

Later, after successful picking, we acted like kids at the play area.  Nothing like a trip to the orchard to relive childhood!

We even recruited a random little kid (far right) to fill out the picture.

A great time this fall...will we be back next year?  I hope so!

Home in Minnesota

As usual, I am short on time.  Here are some highlights (and pictures) of my 6 days at home this summer:

To make things easier yet slightly more travel-intensive than usual, I stayed the first few nights in St. Paul with Heidi and Kate.

Heidi, as usual, went out of her way to make me feel at home.

A large group of us went to see the Twins vs. Royals game on Thursday night.  On our way to Target Field, we ran into a Target Corporate employee.

We literally ran into him on the street.  It wasn't planned.

The new field was beautiful.  It seemed like a fitting home for our team.

It wasn't a bad night, either -- just a little bit of rain for 2 innings or so.

After a disappointing first half of the game, the Twins suddenly turned on the heat.  It looked as if they would pull an upset...but alas, the Royals held them off, winning the game 9-8.

It's okay.  We're still fans.

The rest of the week was filled with meeting friends all over the place.  India classmates for brunch in Minneapolis, high school friends in Rochester for coffee, drinks, dinners, you name it, and college friends for ice cream.  Despite it being rainy every day except the last, I thoroughly enjoyed just being at home.  Even running in my neighborhood felt more exciting than it should (although I suppose it's no stretch to understand that I might enjoy running in Rochester more than the Bronx).  Six days after arriving, I left again.  It was too short, but there was really no choice: tomorrow I leave for Jess's wedding, and then on Sunday I will fly to San Antonio for Air Force training.  Today, understandably, has been filled with packing and not much else.  Yes, it's busy, but the excitement is certainly worth it.

Just Because I Can

Of all places, I never thought I'd be able to post from 35,000 feet.  That's right, I'm on the plane right now.  We just passed over Sault Ste. Marie en route to New York, so there was a nice view of Lake Superior/Michigan which unexpectedly popped up through the rather unrelenting cloud cover.  Anyway, I'm sure this is boring, but it was a novelty so I had to do it.  Hopefully I'll post tomorrow about my all-too-short trip home to Minnesota once I get my pictures loaded.  Until then...smooth flying!

Norway: Coming Soon

Once I have a chance to breathe, I plan on sharing my Norway adventures. Becca and I had a fantastic time together, and the entire time there, I had a bizarre but pleasant sense of familiarity. My brain knew I was in a different country, but so many times I caught myself thinking of it as home. I will now include three pictures for illustrative purpose. More to follow.

Aaker House, where I lived with Becca and 5 others during our senior year at St. Olaf. Typical homey, cozy Minnesota.

New York, being typical New York: exciting and unendingly busy

Where Becca and I stayed in Leikanger, on Sognefjord. Now does it make sense that Norway felt more like home than New York?

How to Stay Warm

Northern Minnesota is beautiful any time of the year, and winter is no exception. However, it requires a certain amount of...persistence. To avoid being miserable during skiing and lakeshore exploring, suiting up required the following elements:

- 3 layers of socks
- Snowboots
- Spandex
- Sweatpants
- Snowpants
- 2 long-sleeve shirts
- Long-sleeve hooded shirt
- Fleece jacket
- Heavy winter jacket
- 2 layers of gloves
- Scarf
- Hat
- Ski goggles

...and I am still convinced that ski boots need to have built-in heaters, because I couldn't feel my toes after approximately 1.5 runs down Lutsen in the -20 degree windchill.

But for the views, it was worth it! Some samples:

Enjoying the beautiful (but cold) view of Lake Superior from the top of Moose Mountain

Chilly lake, but not yet frozen

Just because the lake wasn't frozen over didn't mean the surrounding areas were untouched

Bubbly ice

A New Year's sunset

Split Rock Lighthouse: classic

The air was so cold that Lake Superior itself was steaming.

There'snow Place Like Home

...and nothing better than having the ability to build a GIANT SNOWMAN.

Hard at work

You look familiar...

A well-built snowman

Opinions

Flashback to September 24, 2008. After being so sick that I passed out on the airplane the night before, I made it to my Einstein interview in the morning, shaky and lightheaded from illness and lack of food but less nervous than I thought I would have been, probably because I was too busy thinking about not passing out again. I sat down in the second floor conference room with Dr. Dannis, who paged through my application, squinted, looked up at me and said, "You're from Minnesota. What the hell are you doing here?" I can't think of a less expected opening question for an interview, much less a medical school interview, much less my first medical school interview. Despite my surprise, I apparently answered this and all of the remaining questions satisfactorily, because here I sit in my apartment in the student housing at Einstein, procrastinating from my anatomy studying.

Fast forward to this afternoon. I had an appointment with Dr. Wollowitz, an orthopedist. He recognized my address as the Einstein student housing and asked what year I am. I told him that I'm a first year, and that we're gearing up for our anatomy final in a week. He made a disapproving grunt and said that anatomy is "useless; they make you remember all those useless pancreaticoduodenal arteries and the like." I laughed and said that all those arteries were exactly what I was having trouble with. I suppose you don't need to know which arteries supply the stomach when your primary concern is bones. Then he asked where I'm from. I told him Rochester, Minnesota, after which he asked, "What the hell are you doing here?" This time, I can't say I was expecting it, and I can't say I wasn't surprised, but I wasn't quite as shocked as last time.

What is it with these New Yorkers? I thought they were proud to death of their city, and that any location not touching an ocean was too worthless to even be able to recognize on a map. Maybe it's the Bronx. Maybe it's self-preservation. Maybe they just think all of us Midwesterners are sheltered, that we shudder at the thought of lights and crowds and traffic and endless motion. To them, the Midwest is a blob of homogeneity; how can we even break out of our shell? Maybe, though, I'm not giving them enough credit. Maybe they recognize the virtues of honest Midwest living and, despite their love of their city, simply cannot understand how we could adapt to a place like this. Either way, they sure have a funny way of showing it!

The Art of Being an Outsider

What a game. After being targeted (but amused) by my many Yankee-fan classmates, I was able to connect with two other classmates who were interested in going to the Friday night Twins vs. Yankees game here in the Bronx. The price was steep, but it was worth it. As Eman (fellow Minnesotan and Twins fan), David (Yankees fan from Manhattan), and I climbed onto the bus to begin our trip to the stadium, the banter had already started. We were stared down as we moved from the bus to the subway. Once aboard the subway, we were surrounded by an intimidating sea of navy blue and white; as the train filled up, a Yankees fan started telling us that Joe Mauer would be wearing pinstripes in two years. I've heard that talk before from classmates, and Eman and I always say that there's no way he'd desert his beloved Minnesota, but this fan was insistent. The funniest part was that this young Yankees fan could have been no older than 10 years old.

As soon as we got to the stadium, it was mayhem. There was a constant stream of people arriving from all parts of the city, all wearing navy blue and white. We heard all about how the "Twins suck!" and that the "Yankees will sweep 'em!" One man had even brought a broom to demonstrate his point. Surprisingly, we found a group of Minnesota fans right outside of the stadium! After exchanging hi-fives, we were approached by a cameraman and were interviewed as a group since we stuck out so much. He asked where we had come from, and when I said that we (Eman and I) live in the Bronx, his eyes widened as he repeated in shock, "The BRONX?!" He had never heard such blasphemy before, a Bronxite rooting for the enemy.

Yes, we live in the Bronx! And yes, we're rooting for the Twins!

Our seats were great, as far as I'm concerned. We were in section 422, row 6, slightly to the left of home. The only part of the field we couldn't see was foul territory in the deep left -- which turned out to be a source of controversy late in the game. Luckily, the rain that had been predicted held off until after the game, and it was an absolutely beautiful night -- high 60s, little wind, and an electric atmosphere.

Getting ready for the big game, in a big, brand-new stadium

As for the game, we could not have asked for a better time. In sports movies, there's always a bit of comic relief provided by hecklers, and it seems those hecklers always have New York accents. Well, I felt as if I were in a movie. Coming from behind us were shouts like, "Who taught ya how ta pitch?" and other not-so-savory comments that made the game even more entertaining. Also, between innings, shots of the crowd were shown on the big screen: there were shots of "normal people" interspersed with celebrities who had shown up, like Donald Trump, Bill O'Reilly (both of whom were booed), Mike Bloomberg, and Reggie Jackson.

At this point, Mauer was up to bat, and the Twins were winning 3-1. Too bad they couldn't carry it to the end.

The game itself was incredibly tense and exciting. My voice is still not back to normal, two days later, from all the yelling I did. I couldn't believe it went to 11 innings; I definitely got my money's worth. As for the outcome, I still feel disappointed that the Twins couldn't pull through in the end, but the game itself was the best I could have hoped for, for sheer entertainment value. Also, the experience of being one out of eight Twins fans there (an exaggeration, but not by much...) was fun. Eman and I were amused by the hecklers and felt no shame (although possibly a bit threatened) in cheering loudly when things were going well for the Twins. This meant we couldn't get a clean picture, though:

Silly Yankees fans

All in all, it was an incredibly fun way to spend a Friday night. I'm looking forward to watching the Twins come back at the Metrodome tonight...

Outcast...

Everyone knows the Twins are awesome. There can be no dispute about that. Maybe it sounds like I'm making assumptions, but at least I'm forward about them. Anyway, the Twins are awesome, as evidenced by their spectacular defeat of the Tigers last night. I was going out of my mind from the tension...all the extra innings...and then they pulled through. What a game!

Today, in celebration of their victory, and in anticipation of their upcoming games against the Yankees, I wore my Twins cap -- again. Yesterday I got a few comments; today I felt as though I was the center of attention! I heard all kinds of comments, from the friendly congratulations to the "friendly" banter of the die-hard Yankee-loving Bronxites.

Last night, I e-mailed the entire class of 2013 asking for anyone who would be willing to go to the game with me on Friday, with the stipulation that they would have to put up with sitting with the "enemy" (me), since most of my classmates are certainly not Twins fans. I got several responses from people interested in the game, as well as the following response:

Michelle,

I will disregard most of your blasphemous email (you live in the Bronx now, don't forget that) and serve you fair warning about Friday. I will be there and I....errr, drunken a**holes tend to throw things at opposing fans. Plus you don't wanna see a guy the Yankees wasted 60 million on (Pavano) get slaughtered by a hungry best lineup in baseball. Save your money for Anatomy books, and/or buy Chris Taglia a shot for his birthday.

Go Yanks!

Jon

This was also sent to the entire class, and since we received it during Histology lab, my lab partner Eman (who happens to be the only other Minnesotan in our class) and I swiftly responded:

Dear Jon,

As a fellow Minnesotan, I feel obligated to inform you of the fallacy of your beliefs. Contrary to commonly held viewpoints in NY, money does not buy loyalty, as evidenced by your inability to fill your brand new Yankee stadium. The Metrodome, on the other hand, is already employing a lottery system to fairly distribute the remaining tickets (which also only cost $12 as opposed to your ridiculous $93). Also, may I point out that the Metrodome holds more fans. Besides, Mauer will win over the Yankee ladies (and maybe some of the men) in a flash.

See you Friday night where we....errr, drunken Twins fans/converts will be throwing things back your way.

Cheers,

Ema

*this message is approved by Cat, Adam and Michelle

ps. GO TWINS:) woot.

We have since received another response from our friend:

It was pointed out to me that my first email was perhaps a bit too scathing, and for that Michelle I assure you I meant no harm. It was simply friendly trash-talking in standard a-hole Yankee fan style. Please do go the game and enjoy yourself.

Eman,

Your argument is beautifully stated, save for the fact that last night was the largest attendance ever at the Metrodome, sadly on the possible eve of its destruction, and that the Pohlad family (owner of the Twins) considered folding the team in 2001 cause they were losing 15 million a year. I guess you're right, money doesn't buy loyalty. When your ticket prices skyrocket to 32 dollars next year in your new stadium and they are back to filling 15,000 seats a game, we will see who is looking for revenue sharing.

I do love Mauer, and can't wait for his 2012 debut in pinstripes. Go Yanks!

Hank Steinbrenner

P.S. This was once again friendly banter, no personal offense should be taken, and I love all baseball fans whose home team doesn't end in "oston Red Sox".

Apparently some of my friends had lambasted Jon for his e-mail to me, telling him, "Michelle's so nice! I can't believe you sent that to her!" They don't know how tough I am -- and they don't realize that this friendly banter is my favorite kind of humor. I don't take crap from anyone -- not even Yankees fans. Not even an entire room full of them (as happened today at our ICM workshop), or even when I'm called out in front of the whole class by the Immunology professor. Yes, he used the fact that I was wearing a Twins cap to explain the concept of antigen recognition by T-cells being enhanced by adhesion molecule interactions. Awesome. And now the game is about to start...so I must cheer on my Twins!

Things That Made This Week Interesting

All throughout the week, I kept having experiences that made me think, wow, that was really cool/interesting/different. Being a busy little medical student, I didn't have a chance to write about any of them at the time, but here is a list of the things that I've done or the things that have happened that contributed toward this week being a good one:

- Interviewing my first "patient": Okay, the patient was an actor, but it was still an exciting challenge. On my turn, he decided to be irritated that I was just a student, rather than the real doctor; he was incredibly curt and sarcastic, but everyone told me I handled the situation well. I was able to get the information that I needed without getting flustered or frustrated, myself. Awesome!

- Einstein photo op: After a long class session, my friend Cat and I decided to take advantage of the beautiful afternoon and go take pictures of the campus. We're really lucky to have such a beautiful haven here in the middle of the Bronx.

Maybe later I'll post more pictures, but this is a taste of our surprisingly green, spacious campus.

- A successful case conference: Each week, we break into smaller groups to discuss a particular disease or case that relates to what we've learned in our Molecular and Cellular Foundations of Medicine (MCFM) course. This week, I felt really confident about my understanding of the interferon-gamma receptor and its relation to unusual sickness from mycobacteria. I even was complimented on my explanation of restriction digest results to the rest of the group -- score 1 for my summers at Mayo preparing me to understand the basic science of medical research!

- Making apple crisp: After a trip to the farmer's market during lunch hour, I was armed with some tasty Cortlands for my first apple crisp of the fall. New York has some decent apples, but I have to say I prefer Minnesota's selection. My roommates had never even heard of baking apples like Wealthy and Harralson before. Also, the Honeycrisps just aren't as flavorful out here. There's something to be said about the cold Minnesota winters and our spectacular apples.

Mmmm...combined with the banana bread from earlier, this apple crisp has solidified my reputation among my roommates and friends as the one who bakes -- and shares.

- First medical school final: Yes, final. We have officially finished the Genetics unit of MCFM. Next up: Immunology. But first, there's still the Histology midterm coming up this week.

- Playing the piano for the first time since leaving home over a month ago. I've missed it so much. It was a little weird playing the grand piano in Robbins Auditorium all by myself, but I got over it and stayed for an hour and a half.

- Preparing peaches for more crisp: The peaches that I had bought at the farmer's market were getting ripe, so I cut them up. They are now in the freezer awaiting their turn to bake. Something that is so beautiful about peaches is that not only is the skin colored, but underneath is also multi-toned.

So juicy, so ripe, and so pretty, even without the skin -- I love peaches.

- A tale of two Little Italies: Last night, my friends and I went to the famed Little Italy of the Bronx. We ate at Emilia's, a fantastic little restaurant on Arthur Avenue. It was across the street from Mario's, the restaurant where the famous scene with the gun-behind-the-toilet-with-the-chain-thing in The Godfather takes place. Then, today, I made my way back to the Little Italy of Manhattan for the San Gennaro procession. Since it was a perfectly warm and sunny fall day, the streets were packed with people. It was worth it for the zeppole and cannoli.

The statue of San Gennaro was brought through the streets, stopping at each stall so a blessing could be said.

As I mentioned earlier, the Histology midterm exam is coming up. I have not allowed that to stop me from taking my day off. Today has been filled with such excitement as making French toast for breakfast, shopping/browsing in Manhattan, meeting Andrea for the San Gennaro festival, going to Mass at the Most Precious Blood Church again, and watching some quality Arrested Development. I'm determined that tomorrow and Monday will be full of productive studying!

Last Week of Freedom

I have been in New York for a week now, and I'm beginning to realize that I'll never, ever be able to do it all. This city is amazing. It is SO big, filled with SO many people, ripe with SO many opportunities. Even if all I did for the next 4 years was explore, I still wouldn't be able to do everything that I want to do. Add being a medical student on top of that, and there's absolutely no way that I could ever run out of things to do on top of the hours of class and studying, which, incidentally, begin tomorrow.

So what have I been up to during this last week of freedom before the grueling years of nights with minimal sleep begin? If I had to name the single activity that I've spent the most time on this week (besides sleeping), it would definitely be unpacking. It's such a ridiculously gradual process, trying to figure out exactly where I want to place and store all of my possessions; as far as I know, this room -- this apartment -- could be my home for 4 years. (I'm actually not sure how the housing system works, so I could be completely wrong about this and may even have to move next summer. I guess we'll see what happens there.) I've never lived in an unfurnished place before, since St. Olaf housing always provided a bed, dresser, and desk; I never realized how much these things mattered until now. Luckily Target sells some nice-looking furniture for decent prices, because I definitely took advantage of that. I've realized very quickly the importance of storage space: I had to make another Target run to pick up some more shelving and drawers because I simply didn't have enough hide-away space for all those little miscellaneous supplies which seem so innocuous at first but demand their own little homes -- office supplies, important documents, hair dryer, spare glasses...

Enough with the boring stuff. I realize storage isn't really the most captivating of subjects. What about the city? Well, last Monday, I went to Manhattan with Shira, one of my new roommates. We spent a good portion of the day just walking around and enjoying the sights in the Chelsea and Greenwich Village areas. Our first stop was the High Line, a new park created from an old elevated railroad. The tracks are still there, but they are hidden by beautiful wildflowers and trees that have been planted, and there is a path and plenty of chairs along the entire way. It's a relaxing place to walk, jog, or simply sit and enjoy the sun or a good book.

Wildflowers among the tall buildings

Throughout the rest of the afternoon, we walked and did whatever met our fancy. We had falafel sandwiches at Mamoun's, played in the fountain and rested under a tree at Washington Square Park, grabbed some iced tea at Grey Dog's Coffee, and browsed the extensive book collection at the Strand Book Store.

On a 90-plus-degree day in the city, what could be better than cooling off in the fountain at Washington Square Park?

The next day, I ventured into the city again. This time I was on a mission: My car's radiator had been replaced, and it was ready for me to pick up. This meant I had to catch a train to Trenton, NJ, where my uncle would pick me up and drive me back to Newtown, PA, to get my car. I had a little extra time before the train left, so I wandered from Penn Station over to Times Square. Oh, the life! So many people, so many colors and flashing lights, so many captivating things to see!

My emerging NYC policy: When all else fails, people-watch.

The drive from Newtown to the Bronx was surprisingly low-key. My experiences driving in Minneapolis and St. Paul this past year, while not the same as driving in New York, have certainly taught me the basics of driving aggressively. That being said, I still don't think I ever want to try driving in Manhattan.

Medical school orientation began on Wednesday. Like all orientations, everyone, including me, is beginning fresh; we all come in knowing nothing and no one. It's tiring to be constantly meeting new people and trying desperately to remember names and how many siblings each person has, but it's so rewarding, as well. I've already made some good friends, and I have a feeling I'll be meeting more and more amazing people every day. The biggest blessing about this school is that it places such high value on attracting and accepting genuinely nice people. That's what matters the most. Yes, Albert Einstein College of Medicine is a great school, known for its top-notch research and medical training, but it does not use this as an excuse to admit people who are going to be cutthroat and competitive. I could feel that at my interview last year, and it's turning out to be true in reality, as well.

For me, the most exciting part of orientation happened on Thursday night: We all were treated to a chartered boat tour around Manhattan. Since it began around 6:30 and ended at 9, we were able to watch the city in its transformation from day to night.

I would love to be on that sailboat...

...but hanging out on the larger boat with some of my new friends is just as fun!

We came suddenly upon an American icon, and my heart stood still in the beauty and symbolism.

The sky (and the city) treated us to wonderful colors...

...and then the city came to life.

Most of us med students went to a bar in the theater district called Zanzibar after the boat tour was done. The whole boat/bar/subway-back-to-Einstein experience was yet another of many opportunities to meet more of my fellow students. I can honestly say that so far, every person I've met seems like someone I would want to hang out with on a regular basis. Everyone here is so nice. I can't emphasize that enough.

The rest of the weekend, I've been doing this and that. I went to a movie with some friends on Friday night, and yesterday evening I went to church and then dinner with two other students. It was so awesome to be able to go to church with other people, and it sounds like they (and others, potentially) want to go together each week. It will be like being back at St. Olaf! We had dinner at Patricia's, which has the most incredible bread and olive oil mixed with whole pieces of garlic and spices and herbs. Mmmm. Mom and I ate there for lunch last weekend, and the waiter last night, thinking that he recognized me, said, "From Minnesota, right?" I love little places like this! Luckily, the Bronx is full of them.

Speaking of Minnesota, I'm pretty rare here. Almost 50% of my classmates are from New York, and another 30% or so are from California. The rest are mostly from the Northeast, with a few scattered students from the Midwest and other West Coast areas. I like it. I like being the odd one. I've only gotten a few comments about my accent so far, but I have a feeling that as I get to know people and be more myself, they'll start recognizing it more. It's like COT all over again -- but in that, I'm feeling just fine. I made such great friends at COT, and I have a feeling I'll make great friends here as well.

And speaking of COT, that's another funny thing as well. When I tell my classmates (new friends) that I'm in the Air Force, they're all initially surprised, saying things like, "Wow, you must be tough." I guess they all get the initial impression that I'm just this nice, normal girl, and it never crosses their minds that I would be in the military. Well, they'll learn. :)

The End of the Adventure

This is it! The final week at COT...the end of this particular adventure. Monday was rather unremarkable. We had our last PT session, which consisted of a 35-minute easy run. With 330 people all on the track at once, it was rather ridiculous. Also, we had our second parade practice, the first having been on Friday. Since I was among the masses, it was pretty easy: just stand still for most of the ceremony, and then follow instructions for the rest. Basically, we did a few rounds of saluting, marched in a big circle to show off our stuff to the crowd, and said the Oath of Office once more to reaffirm our commission and commitment. Easy stuff. Very warm in the Alabama sun. Our shiny black shoes particularly soaked up the sun -- it felt like my feet were in an oven.

On Tuesday, we had our second round of LRC. By then, my flightmates had recognized that I enjoy and am pretty good at climbing all over things, so I often was given the role of "scout" or something similar. I'd get to climb or be hoisted up a wall or pole or rope or whatever it was so I could scope out the rest of the obstacle and try traversing it alone. It was fun! It also led to some very strangely placed bruises. Before each obstacle, we Sidewinders decided to be extra cool and standardize our Camelbaks in Sidewinder style: we arranged them into the letter S. It looked spectacular. Unfortunately, I did not get a picture of it, so just imagine 16 black backpacks arranged on white gravel into a giant S. Impressive.

Later that night was the Dining In, which is a huge tradition in the military. We had a "Combat" Dining In, so we all wore ABUs for our last time. We saw this as an opportunity to roll up our sleeves and get Sidewinder (Sharpie) tattoos again, and this time, even Capt Raley participated! Throughout the night, we were all careful not to break any rules of the mess for fear of the grog bowl, a toilet bowl filled with very alcoholic punch. That wasn't the bad part about it, though; the scary part was the thought of performing all of the procedures required for anyone sent to the bowl. If I remember correctly, it involved at least 4 about-faces, addressing the president and the mess, and turning the cup upside-down over your head to prove the drink was gone. It was particularly fun to see some of the flight commanders being sent up there for various "offenses." Another highlight of the evening was watching a game of crud, which is essentially full-body-contact pool. I'd like to try it sometime!

A spectacular show of Sidewinder spirit

The next morning, we got to sleep in until 0630! Unfortunately, by that point, we were all accustomed to waking up at 0440, so I kept waking up between 0500 and 0630 because I kept having dreams that we were late. Some of my other flightmates said the same thing happened to them. Yet more evidence that they train you the way they need you to be trained. Wednesday was the day of our individual evaluations with the flight commander, so for much of the day we just sat around in the flight room, patiently waiting our turns. Some people were smart and brought cards, so we were able to start up a few games of Euchre. It was also prime time for my fellow card-playing flightmates to make fun of my Minnesotan accent. They refused to believe that mine is actually very, very little compared to many of the people I know at home, so they teased me relentlessly.

Other flightmates found alternate ways to keep occupied.

That night was our flight dinner. All of us, including Capt Raley, were able to dress in civilian clothes and meet at an Italian restaurant in Montgomery. Some of the guys thought it would be funny to tell the waiters that it was Capt Raley's birthday. She did an excellent job at playing along when the free cake arrived; she even cooperated and graced us with a speech saying how sincerely "pleased" and "honored" she was to be spending her "23rd birthday" with all of us.

Thursday was the beginning of the end. We had to go through a lot of the final outprocessing that day, which was an interesting (and, of course, hilarious) experience because it meant Capt Raley had to come to the dorm. As she moved from room to room, each pair of roommates would enthusiastically call the room to attention. She would shake her head and maybe make some sarcastic remark and then continue on with her briefing as if we weren't behaving completely ridiculously. By the time she came to my and Lt Luu's room, the last room, at least 6 other Sidewinders had hidden themselves in preparation for her entrance. When she stepped over the threshhold, we all stood and shouted, "ROOM TENCH HUT!" It was spectacular, full of oomph. Later, we lined up in the hallway to call the hall to attention when she exited a different room. It was impressive to hear immediately back-to-back, "ROOM TENCH HUT!" "HALL TENCH HUT!" Ridiculous? Yes. Fun? Undoubtedly.

Stalking the hallway, waiting for Capt Raley to emerge...

That afternoon was the awards ceremony, which was essentially the graduation ceremony. There was a great slideshow of some of the best pictures from all of COT. That was probably the highlight. Also, awards were given to top performers in athletics, academics, and overall. Additionally, the top 10% of the class received Distinguished Graduate certificates from Col Koch; my roommate and I each received this honor and were able to go up on stage and shake the colonel's hand, which was pretty exciting. Afterwards, back at the flight room, we all received graduation certificates from Capt Raley. She even did a mock ceremony for those who demanded some pomp and circumstance. The most exciting part for me was receiving our Air Force RMOs, which are totally awesome.

Getting a certificate is fun!

Friday morning was the final bit of graduation, the parade. At first it looked like the weather would not cooperate, but after a brief downpour, things cleared up enough for the parade to go on. The field may have been a little soggy, but we were still able to march and look sharp for all the guests that had come.

Griffin 2 Squadron stays in step...

...says the Oath of Office...

...and celebrates being officers.

One last chance to say goodbye to friends...

One last chance to be among Sidewinders...

And one last chance to show the Falcons who's boss.

And that was the end of COT. Three flights later, I was back in Rochester, away from all of the friends and memories I had made in Alabama. I'd do it all over again in a heartbeat. I was really blessed to make so many good friends; it truly did feel like a family. I know the Air Force was the right decision for me; now I just have to get through 4 years of medical school. Speaking of which, tomorrow is the day I leave to begin the trip to New York. With any luck, I will be all moved into my new apartment in the Bronx on Saturday. Big Apple, here I come!